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The leadership of the Alliance for Biking & Walking, Bikes Belong, and the League of American Bicyclists has agreed that uniting the three organizations would dramatically improve their effectiveness in increasing bicycle use in U.S. communities. Leaders of the three groups issued a joint statement summarizing the outcome of their recent meeting in San Diego, February 13-14:

“Our enthusiasm to take this momentous step for the movement is matched by a commitment to do this right,” said Noah Budnick, Board Chair of the Alliance for Biking & Walking. The boards of all three organizations must ratify the agreement. Once (and if) that occurs, the transition team will work with a variety of board, staff, partners and advisors to determine the initial programs, membership structure, and staff needs of the new organization. “Changes will be implemented carefully and respectfully over time,” continued Budnick, “and it is important to say that all existing contractual agreements will be honored and the continuity of existing memberships is assured.”

“We can transform communities across the United States and accelerate the creation of a more bicycle-friendly America by combining the programs, resources, and members of these three leading organizations,” said Chris Fortune, Chairman of the Bikes Belong board and member of the transition team empowered to facilitate unification of the three groups. The transition team comprises representatives of each organization and will be working with the boards, staff, and members of each group to implement the process.

“There is a lot of work ahead,” acknowledged Hans van Naerssen, Chair of the League’s board and a member of the transition team. “We must determine how to combine the diverse strengths of a powerful alliance of state and local organizations, a storied national user group, and a vibrant industry association in a way that preserves their unique attributes and realizes the game-changing potential of a single entity.”

See the official statement here.

Read the announcement on the Bikes Belong or League of American Bicyclists’ blog.

For more information contact:

Tim Blumenthal, President, Bikes Belong
303-449-4893 / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Andy Clarke, President, League of American Bicyclists
202-822-1333 / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Jeffrey Miller, President/CEO, Alliance for Biking & Walking
202-445-4415 / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Alliance FAQs

Is the Alliance going to disappear?
If the boards of the Alliance, League, and Bikes Belong all move forward toward unification, we will be creating a new organization that will carry on many of the great programs and services our three separate organizations currently provide. The Alliance leadership is excited by the opportunity to work with our closest partners as one team and further leverage our strengths together. The new unified organization will have a significant focus on integrating state and local organizations and their needs into programs and decisions.

What will happen with the Alliance’s capacity building programs?
The Alliance’s trainings, retreats, coaching, and strategic planning are key components to building the capacity of organizations and leaders. Their worth is clear and valued by our partner organizations and, while details and changes have yet to be determined, these core programs will continue to be available in the new unified organization.

What is happening with the Alliance’s commitment to walking organizations?
The Alliance’s capacity building program, Benchmarking Project, Open Streets Project and core services are all available to walking and bicycling organizations alike. While the new organization will have a bicycling focus, the key programs of the Alliance will continue to be available to walking organizations. Furthermore, we will partner even more closely with America Walks.

Will Canadian and Mexican organizations be left out?
The new unified organization will be focused on the U.S. but as with walking organizations, our members in Canada and Mexico will have access to the capacity building programs that continue in the new organization.

Does our organization still need to renew?
Yes. For the year 2012, the Alliance will still be offering the wide range of services for state and local organizations. No final decision to change anything has been made; this is the kind of important detail we have to resolve in the coming months. Moving forward, we are seeking to create a vertically integrated membership structure that will benefit state and local organizations.

Which Alliance programs survive and which ones go?
The three groups are joining forces to maximize our impact at a time when our programs are working well. The goal is not to cut programs or staff, or to reduce costs. We remain committed to building the capacity of state and local organizations, benchmarking progress in biking and walking, promoting open streets, and offering our trainings and retreats. We are going to do these things with greater financial resources, stronger participation from our partners, and fully integrating the national, state and local advocacy programs of each group. We believe this represents a huge boost to all of our programs and for state and local organizations.

Should I continue to support the Alliance or wait to see what happens?
We encourage you to absolutely continue your support. The Alliance’s work is more important now than ever. The unification of these three organizations will magnify the impact we can have, while simplifying the structure and network of organizations that are working together.

What is the timeline and what is next?
Each of the boards of all three organizations will need to ratify this proposal, and there are still quite a number of important details to be worked out. We expect to work through most of this during the spring and summer with a decision to proceed (or not) by September 2012. If all goes well, we hope to launch the new organization by January 2013. We invite all our members to think of key elements you wish to see in this new organization. We will be doing our best to invite member input in the months ahead.

Last week, the Bikes Belong Coalition announced its latest grant recipients and four Alliance member organizations are on the list.

Since Bikes Belong’s Grants Program began in 1999, the coalition has awarded 231 grants in 46 states and the District of Columbia, providing more than $1.8 million in cash and leveraging close to $655 million in federal, state, and private funding. This summer, more than $25,000 will help Alliance member organizations advance bikeways campaigns, assess the economic impact of bicycling, study the impact of road diets and launch an Open Streets initiative.

In Colorado, a $2,500 grant will boost a new open streets initiative. Piep Van Heuven, BikeDenver’s executive director, says her organization approached LiveWell Colorado in November about partnering on what is hoped to be the first of many car-free streets events in the Mile High City.

“We’re very excited to partner with LiveWell Colorado to bring Denver its first Ciclovia,” Van Heuven says. “LiveWell Colorado is one of the state’s premier health-focused non-profits and we’re excited about the strong marketing and promotions effort they are bringing to the project.  Together, we secured sponsorship support from Kaiser Permanente, Denver Public Works, Bikes Belong, Walmart and CBS4. Viva Streets will take place August 14th on the two-mile stretch of 23rd Avenue between City Park and Stapleton that’s easily accessible to all of Denver’s Northeast neighborhoods. The event will be a great way to introduce residents to the biking and walking opportunities that are all around them, to welcome our new Mayor and members of city council, and to continue to build momentum for bicycling and pedestrian improvements in the city.”

Also receiving Bikes Belong grants:

• Walk Oakland Bike Oakland will receive $10,000 to advance their Oakland Bikeways Campaign, which aims for 30 miles of new, safe bikeways by the end of 2012, continuous bikeways on five key travel corridors by 2015 and a complete 218-mile bicycle network by 2020.

• The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition will use an $8,000 grant to compare economic activity between two halves of a transportation corridor: one with car lanes reduced by half and bike lanes added, one unchanged. The study will look at commercial and residential property sales, number of new businesses, and perceptions about how the road diet may have affected property values and commerce.

• A $6,000 grant will help the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, in partnership with the University of Northern Iowa Sustainable Tourism and Environment Program, study the statewide economic impact of bicycling by looking at retail sales, tourism, and bicycling-related events. With the goal of completing the study by the end of 2011, the Coalition will use the results to guide policy development and spur investments in bicycle transportation and infrastructure.

Read more about the Bikes Belong grant program here.

A few months ago, we told you about an innovative idea from SRAM and Bikes Belong to award scholarships to Spanish-speaking elected officials to attend Velo-City 2011.

Next month, the world’s premiere bicycle conference will bring together top leaders from around the globe and, thanks to nominations from Alliance member organizations, and a handful of Latino officials from across the United States will have a front row — and back room — ticket to the proceedings in Seville, Spain.

The Boston Cyclists Union was just one organization that nominated a local, Spanish-speaking official for this unique opportunity. Last week, the BCU celebrated the Velo-City scholarship awarded to Felix G. Arroyo, a city councilmember with family roots in Puerto Rico. Pete Stidman, the BCU’s executive director, says Arroyo has been a leader on issues related to asthma and a supporter of the BCU since its inception. Having Arroyo on the ground in Seville, talking to fellow city-level officials who have installed 75 miles of bikeways since 2007 and boosted its bicycle ridership from .6 to 6 percent, could plant the seeds of progress back home in Boston.

“Witnessing Seville’s transformation firsthand and absorbing the information from around the world at Velo-City could be a very enriching experience, giving Arroyo cutting-edge knowledge and tools to help move our city toward a safer and more enjoyable cycling environment,” Stidman says.

Arroyo certainly sounds excited about the experience. “I’m grateful for this opportunity brought to me by the Boston Cyclists Union,” he wrote in BCU’s latest newsletter. “By participating in this program, I can learn additional ways the city can further enhance Boston Bikes and other programs to facilitate bike usage in the city.”

We’ll keep you posted as other organizations — from cities like Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas — announce their Seville-bound officials. But, we’d wager all them share Stidman’s sentiment: “We’re grateful to SRAM and Bikes Belong,” he says, “for this brilliant idea and the money to make it happen.”

Click here to read more about the Boston Cyclists Union or here to get green with envy learn more about Velo-City 2011.

In an effort to boost bicycling in U.S. cities, two bike industry leaders are giving a handful of Latino elected officials a free trip to Seville, Spain. And your organization could play a key role in determining who gets the ticket.

Next March, Seville will play host to Velo-City 2011, the premiere international conference on bicycling. Given the unique opportunities for Spanish speakers, SRAM and Bikes Belong are offering as many as 12 scholarships to Latino officials from the U.S. to take advantage of the conference and the common language to fully immerse themselves in Seville’s impressive cycling transformation.

To be eligible, officials must have a demonstrated interest in or connection to bicycling and sustainable transportation. Now, here’s where you come in: Applicants who are nominated or recommended by a local bicycling business or advocacy organization will get a significant leg up. Is there a Latino official on your city council or in your state legislature who supports bicycling and would benefit from a one-of-a-kind, educational and inspirational trip to Spain’s biking capital? If so, make sure you download the nomination form.

Adolfo Hernandez, advocacy director for the Active Transportation Alliance in Chicago, is working with SRAM and Bikes Belong to promote the opportunity and review the applications. He says the example set by Seville could make a huge difference back home in your community.

“Seville’s transformation into a bicycling city is nothing short of amazing,” Adolfo says. “In less than four years, 120 kilometers of separated bike lanes and a robust bike share program have multiplied the number of trips by bicycle from 0.6 percent to 6.6 percent of all trips. In large part these changes came about because of great advocates and elected officials who support bicycling. Removing lanes of traffic and parking for automobiles is not easy to do anywhere, but elected officials and city leaders in Seville have pushed forward with great success and have transformed Seville into a cycling city.”

“We will introduce our Latin American elected officials to Seville’s elected officials in meetings, tours and workshops designed to highlight the benefits that the city has experienced,” he adds. “Our elected officials will have an opportunity to hear firsthand from their Seville peers about the challenges, successes and political impact of the city’s commitment to increase the levels of bicycling. Our hope is that elected officials return with a sense of how quickly change can come about and ideas about how to transform our American cities in cycling cities.”

The deadline for applications is January 14th, 5 p.m., EST. But don’t wait. There’s a benefit to being first in line — some of the scholarships will be awarded early.

Click here for the full scholarship packet. Questions? Get in touch with .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

According to the League of American Bicyclists, “The 10th National Bike Summit ended last Thursday, March 11th, with a momentous Congressional Reception, inspiring bike advocates from around the country – and Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood – to bring the American bicycle movement to the next level! The 2010 Bike Summit was a paramount event for countless reasons but there are 10 clear highlights. Drum roll please…

10. Rewards for A Decade of Service – The Summit really wouldn’t be what it is today without the ongoing support of three people we recognized for their decade of commitment to the event: Congressmen Jim Oberstar (D-MN) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) have spoken at all ten Summits, offering words of wisdom and inspiration; always challenging us to aim higher. The third award was to Bikes Belong, the title sponsor of all ten – a serious financial commitment which they exceed every year by also drumming up attendees. Thank You! Just before the Summit kicked off, at the League’s annual meeting, we also recognized more than a decade of service by outgoing Chair of the League Board, Amanda Eichstaedt. She received the Paul Dudley White award for her contribution to bicycling over the years, including service on the League board and as Chair of the board for the past three years.

9. The League’s six asks for the Congressional Lobby Day were well received by our nation’s Senators and Congressmen.  H.R. 4722, the Active Community Transportation of Act of 2010, had nine additional bill co-sponsors as a result of our meetings on Capitol Hill.

8. Bike/Ped Eligibility for Transit Funds Increased – Speaking at the opening plenary of the Summit, Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff confirmed that the eligibility of FTA funds for bicycling and walking projects has been extended. Following a Federal Register notice last year, FTA has agreed that bicycling projects that increase access and service to transit facilities are eligible for FTA funding provided they are within a three-mile radius of a transit station (one mile for walking). Eligibility doesn’t guarantee any more funding for bike/transit projects, but certainly removes a major hurdle that has prevented it in the past.

7. The Bikes Belong Coalition Political Action Committee (Bike PAC) – the bicycle industry’s bipartisan political action committee – had 10 members of Congress join the meeting!

6. Bikes Belong rolled out their new campaign People for Bikes – a brand-new initiative to put more people on bikes more often.

5. We had two members from Capitol Hill join us for the 10th Annual Congressional Bike Ride – Congressman Jack Kingston (R-GA) and Senator Merkley (D-OR)!

4. Representative Tom Petri (R-WI) pedaled a pedicab at the League’s National Bike Summit the afternoon of the Lobbying Day.

3. Google announced at the Opening Plenary Session at the National Bike Summit an addition to their suite of online directions -  Google Maps biking directions! “This new tool will open people’s eyes to the possibility and practicality of hopping on a bike and riding,” said Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists.

2. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood energized and thanked the crowd at the League of American Bicyclists National Bike Summit on March 11, 2010 declaring, “You have a full partner in Ray LaHood.” On March 15, LaHood issued his new Policy Statement on Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodation Regulations and Recommendations. LaHood then made the most substantial statement the DOT has ever made about bicycling and announced, a “sea change. People across America who value bicycling should have a voice when it comes to transportation planning. This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized.”

And finally, the number one reason the 10th Annual Bike Summit Rocked…
1. More than 725 bicycle advocates, educators, enthusiasts, and industry leaders attended the 10th Annual National Bike Summit and had more than 425 scheduled meetings on Capitol Hill! That is approximately 600 more Bike Summit attendees than we had 10 years ago!

To recap, the National Bike Summit was a great success, and the League is confident in the progress we will make in the year to come in conjunction with the Bike Summit! The League thanks all of our sponsors, advocates, supporters and industry leaders who turned out in record numbers to support the cause we all know will make America a healthier, better place to live – bicycling”.

For more summit news and information visit http://www.bikeleague.org/conferences/summit10/index.php

Livable City was awarded a $10,000 Bikes Belong grant to help return Sunday Streets, a program that creates a fun, car-free place for people to be active, to San Francisco this summer. Last year’s two events drew over 15,000 people each; this year, there will be six events in four different neighborhoods. Sunday Streets is supported by a broad range of city agencies, advocacy organizations, local businesses, corporate sponsors, and local bike shops that provide funding and free rentals for participants.

For more information, click here…