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Entries tagged: Biketexas

This month, many Alliance leaders traveled to Washington, DC, to lobby their members of Congress during the National Bike Summit. But the politicos on Capitol Hill aren’t the only ones making critical decisions about biking and walking funding, policies and programs. State legislatures are in full swing and member organizations are providing a strong, vocal presence for bicyclists and pedestrians in virtually every state across the nation.

One example comes from BikeTexas. Just this past Monday, more than three dozen members of the statewide organization traveled to Austin for the biennial “Cyclists in Suits Lobby Day.” With neon bike pins shining from their lapels, they educated their elected officials on important bills and showcased the large constituency for bicycling in the Lone Star State.

“Cyclists from all over Texas split into small teams and met individually with transportation staffers in every legislative office at the Capitol — all 181 of them — to discuss key pieces of bike-friendly legislation filed this session,” Emma Cravey reports on the BikeTexas blog. “Chief among the bills shared was HB 1105 / SB 513, the Complete Streets bill. This legislation would ensure that new road construction and reconstruction projects consider all road users in their design — meaning cyclists, pedestrians, bus riders and the disabled — not just motorists… Volunteers also shared information about HB 1943, which would provide utility right-of-way for bike trails in Houston and El Paso, and HB 1583, which would require cyclists to use a red rear light at night.”

According to BikeTexas, legislators and their staff were “receptive and interested,” and advocates celebrated their success with a happy hour after a productive day creating and cultivating relationships with their elected officials.

Click here to follow the progress of key bills in Texas or read more about BikeTexas’ campaigns.

Photo: Cyclists in Suits 2011 Lobby Day (BikeTexas)

Blog contributed by Alliance intern, Camie Rodan

This month, Congress is gearing up for a crucial vote that could negatively impact funding for biking and walking projects. In this uncertain time, it is critical that advocates reach out to their elected officials and show them that these programs are popular, cost-effective and beneficial for our communities.

For some advocates, this urgent need prompted questions such as: How do we make initial contacts with our elected officials? And what is the best way for us to make our case? How can we ensure that our meetings with our Congressional Delegates are effective?

To help answer these questions, we invited a Congressional legislative assistant and two experienced advocates to share their insights and suggestions during our first Mutual Aid Call of 2011 on “Working with your Congressional Delegates.” Panelists included Lois Moss, executive director of Walk+Roll, Robin Stallings, executive director of BikeTexas and Tyler Frisbee, legislative assistant to Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon). They shared their experiences and provided some helpful tips on how to contact and interact with elected officials on Capitol Hill to build a mutually beneficial relationship.

Missed the call? We’ve got you covered! Here’s a tip sheet that gives you the important takeaways. (We’ll be uploading the entire call at that link, too.)

Be sure to mark your calendars for our next call on February 23. We’ll be discussing the Do’s and Don’ts of Lobbying for Advocacy Organizations.

The Lone Star State may be a Republican stronghold but BikeTexas proved once again this week that cycling crosses party lines.

On Wednesday morning, a fleet of bicyclists from both sides of the political spectrum departed the National Conference of State Legislatures’ Annual Summit in Louisville for a scenic, eight-mile tour through the Kentucky city.

The 6th Annual Bipartisan Ride — led by both Republican and Democratic legislators from Texas, Kentucky and Minnesota — included 23 senators and representatives from eight states.

“The NCSL ride gives legislators from Texas and around the country a chance to experience the joy of cycling, which is an excellent first step toward achieving our legislative goals,” Robin Stallings, Executive Director of BikeTexas, said in a press release.

Bike Texas inaugurated the ride back in 2005 and they’ve kept the tradition alive by bringing their fleet of bikes to subsequent NCLR Summits. Because the conference moves each year, Texas advocates partner with a local organization in the host city. This year, Bicycling for Louisville made the event bigger than ever, not only planning the route but also rallying more than a dozen expert cyclists to marshal the ride.

Click here to read more about BikeTexas and see photos from the Bipartisan Ride.

Late last month, the Texas Department of Transportation announced the recipients of more than $50 million in Safe Routes to School grants.

BikeTexas got a bundle: $1.4 million.

Of course, the seven-figure grant wasn’t out of the blue. The bicycle-advocacy organization has a long history pushing for Safe Routes to School in the Lone Star State. In 1999, when Minnesota Congressman James Oberstar needed a red state to gain bipartisan support for Safe Routes in the 2005 federal transportation bill, BikeTexas delivered. “We helped draft legislation in Texas and got it passed in 2001 and that became part of the federal Safe Routes program,” says Robin Stallings, the group’s executive director (pictured).

Even before that bill passed, BikeTexas created a curriculum that trains teachers to instruct students on bicycle and pedestrian safety. The success of the program led to a number of significant grants — including $1.3 million from the U.S. Department of Education between 2004 and 2007 — allowing BikeTexas to reach more than 200,000 kids each year. “We’ve worked in probably 120 school districts and we’ve trained about 4,000 teachers in bike safety — elementary PE teachers — who, in turn, have trained quite a lot of children,” Stallings says.

But even for the seasoned grant recipients, the $1.4 million — the result of three successful proposals — is significant.

“It’s big,” Stallings says.

It won’t just continue BikeTexas’ current education programs, but, hopefully, expand its reach. “One of the exciting things is that we’ve been concentrating on 4th and 5th graders, but we’re going to be able to broaden that and reach more kids with relevant material from K to 8,” Stalling says. “So it’s not a one-time thing; they get more on-going reinforcement.”

And TxDOT didn’t just back BikeTexas’ proven programs; it funded an innovative proposal, too. “The Safe Routes to School: Our Rich Texas History Program” will be a unique, online tool that combines physical activity with state heritage. “We’re going to develop a website so kids can log-in to learn about walking and biking, and, in the process, virtually travel along a historic or current Texas route or trail,” Stallings says.

To read more about BikeTexas and access their Safe Routes to School materials check out their information-packed website.

BikeTexas recently announced that on October 1, 2009 they began development of the new BikeTexas ParentsPlus Program. Accoring to BikeTexas, “The program is funded through a Texas Department of Transportation grant, and will provide parents, plus other adults concerned with bicycle and pedestrian safety, the certification training and resources necessary to develop neighborhood bicycling and walking events. These events will incorporate safety messages in a fun and healthy venue and will bring the safety lessons to the larger community, thus amplifying their effect.

The BikeTexas ParentsPlus Program includes: (1) training parents, plus other adults concerned with bicycling and walking safety, using the developed ParentsPlus training materials; (2) developing some of the safety materials in both English and Spanish; (3) continually revising and distributing the training materials; and (4) publishing print and web-based resource materials to reach a broader audience.

These activities will increase public information and education efforts on the rules of the road, use of safety equipment, and motorist awareness for sharing the road. They will also improve public education and information on safe walking and safe bicycling practices.” Read more from BikeTexas here.

According to BikeTexas, the new Texas Trails Specialty License Plate will benefit biking in Texas. “Once they are made available to the public for use on cars, motorcycles, trucks and trailers, the proceeds ($22 of the $30 annual fee) will benefit the BikeTexas Education Fund (501c3) Community Trails* programs.

The organization is now seeking help to choose the final design for the plate and help raise the fee required by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to begin production. BikeTexas must choose and submit the final design to TxDOT before Thanksgiving and must raise the $8,000 necessary to offset the fee. You can cast your vote (as many votes as you wish) on which design you like best and your $2 per vote, tax-deductible donation will help BikeTexas pay the required fees. Plus, your vote(s) will count towards which plate is chosen to represent Texas’ Trails! Click here to vote!

For more information on the new license plates, visit BikeTexas.

On July 23, state legislators from across the U.S. took part in the 6th National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Bipartisan Bike Ride, organized by BikeTexas and the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. The 100 participants, including 14 state senators and 21 state representatives from 23 states, rode eight miles through scenic downtown Philadelphia. BikeTexas coordinates this annual ride in partnership with the local advocacy organization. According to Robin Stallings of BikeTexas, “dollar for dollar, this is the most effective lobbying activity we do to advance the state-level legislative bicycle agenda.”

To learn more about the event and view photos visit www.biketexas.org