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The Alliance is finalizing the last details of the 2012 Benchmarking Report: Bicycling and Walking in the United States and invites you to join us as we prepare for a national release of the report in January.

The report contains data on the state of biking and walking in the 50 states and 51 largest U.S. cities including data on biking and walking levels, safety, funding, policies, advocacy, and programs.

The release of the report is an excellent opportunity for you to engage the media and local decision makers and let them know how your state or city stacks up. This report will reveal where your city or state is leading and where you fall behind. The report contains numbers and illustrations that will provide data in support of your efforts and help you advocate for a greater investment in biking and walking.

The Alliance is inviting advocates interested in working with us on a coordinated national release of the report to sign up for one of two information calls:

• December 13 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. EST
• January 11 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. EST

Those who sign up will receive a sneak-preview of the report. On the call we will review the report highlights, discuss media talking points, and answer questions.

If you can’t make either of these calls but want to get involved, e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

This year, Advocacy Advance received $1.3 million in grant proposal requests for $100,000 available funds. It was difficult to have to turn down so many innovative and energizing campaign proposals from strong advocacy organizations around the country, and we strive to keep you updated on other grant opportunities. The Bikes Belong Community Partnership Grants is one of these opportunities.

The Bikes Belong Grant Program is aimed at providing funding to facility projects such as bike trails, lanes, paths and parks, and advocacy projects that promote bicycling or that increase funding and support for bike infrastructure.

The Community Partnership Grants are designed to foster and support partnerships between city or county governments, non-profit organizations, and local businesses to improve the environment for bicycling in the community.  Grants will primarily fund the construction or expansion of bicycle facilities such as bike lanes, trails, and paths. The grants committee will also consider advocacy projects that promote bicycling as a safe and accessible mode of transportation.

The application deadline is August 26, 2011.  For more information, visit the Bikes Belong website, and good luck!

Representative Earl Blumenauer(OR) just introduced the Active Community Transportation Act, H.R.4722, on March 2nd 2010. This groundbreaking bill creates a competitive grant program with $2 Billion to help communities build bicycling and walking networks. For the first time, communities would be able to compete for multi-year funding to build active transportation systems, just as they do for transit and road infrastructure.

“Too often we take for granted the value of being able to bike and walk to work,” said Blumenauer. “It’s unfortunate that many communities don’t have the infrastructure in place to make active and healthy forms of transportation more accessible. The ACT transportation grants will make it easier for people to get out of their vehicles and onto sidewalks or bikes, boosting both heart rates and community vitality.”

In conjunction with the National Bike Summit the Alliance is asking that you call your representative next Thursday, March 11th at the same time that over 700 Summit participants will have in-person meetings in congressional offices for a Virtual Lobby Day. For all the details, visit the Alliance action center.

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) worked with six counties and agencies in Pennsylvania and New Jersey to secure $23 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grant Program.

This multi-jurisdictional project, called Generating Recovery by Enhancing Active Transportation in Pennsylvania and New Jersey (GREAT-PA/NJ), will help complete a network of biking and walking trails throughout the region, focused on connections to urban hubs in Philadelphia and Camden. The Bicycle Coalition and PEC assembled the proposal along with Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities and Mayor Nutter’s Metropolitan Caucus. The proposal received letters of support from more than 52 elected officials, institutions and non-profit organizations, including all four senators and eight members of congress in the region.

For more info visit the BCGP blog.

On November 19th, the Virginia Bicycling Federation (VBF) claimed a well deserved victory for the future of the state’s active transportation network. Major funding was unanimously approved by Virginia’s Commonwealth Transportation Board where bike and pedestrian projects will be a priority. According to VBF, funding will be focused on the following categories:

• Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities
• Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety and Education
• Landscaping and Scenic Beautification along Corridors
• Preservation of Abandoned Railway Corridors for Conversion to Trails (rails to trails and rails-with-trails)
• Rehabilitation of historic transportation buildings, structures and facilities
• Acquisition of scenic or historic easements and sites, including historic battlefields

Bike advocates and VBF addressed the Board in support of these changes and will continue to be active in ensuring the implementation of these core transportation projects. To learn more about VBF and upcoming projects visit www.vabike.org

On April 17th, Nancy Schulz, Executive Director of the Vermont Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition, had the chance to present to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood at the Vermont State House. In her presentation, she highlighted the pent up demand for funding needs for biking and walking infrastructure and education, and how his help is needed to get increased funding in the transportation bill. Sec. LaHood responded to Nancy by saying he will incorporate a “Livable Communities” program into the next bill so that people who want to bike, walk, jog, and “get out of cars” will be able do so.

For more information, click here…

According to Bicycle Colorado, “The Colorado Transportation Commission voted this month on the 2009-10 Safe Routes to School grant applications. Bicycle Colorado will be in 17 different schools to provide its proven in-class and on-bike skills and safety instruction to students. The grant funding requests this round totaled $5.6 million - more than 4 times the amount of funding available and demonstrating the desire and need throughout the state for bicycle and pedestrian safety education for children and safer roads and sidewalks surrounding schools and neighborhoods.”

For more information, click here…