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Entries tagged: Iowa Bicycle Coalition

Last week, I mentioned recent research from Resource Systems Group and Local Motion on the economic impact of biking in Vermont, which revealed that, in 2009, bicycling and walking created at least 1,400 jobs, $41 million in personal income (wages) and $83 million in revenue. In Iowa, those numbers are even higher.

According to “Economic and Health Benefits of Bicycling,” the spending of recreational cyclists generates $364.8 million in direct and indirect impacts to the State of Iowa. And that’s just the economic aspect. When it comes to health, bicycling saves the state $73.9 million in healthcare costs for those who cycle recreationally, while bicycle commuters cash in on another $13.2 million in health care cost savings.

The findings were so impressive they surprised even Mark Wyatt, executive director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition: “The return on investment was much larger than expected.”

Released just before the Iowa Bike Summit, Wyatt used the data to urge continued investment in biking infrastructure, trails and programs. “More opportunities for Iowans to bicycle will help Iowa become the healthiest state,” Wyatt said. “We know a lot of Iowans have bicycles, but may not have ridden them in some time. We need to find ways to encourage more bicycle riding.”

Download the full report from the Alliance Resource Library.

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.

Two weeks ago, 13 advocates from seven Midwest bike/ped organizations gathered in Davenport, Iowa for an Alliance Winning Campaigns Training.

Hosted by the Iowa Bicycle Coalition and facilitated by veteran bike/ped advocate Dave Snyder and Alliance CEO Jeff Miller, participants had two and a half days to develop their campaign strategy, learn from fellow organizers, and – of course – bike along the Mississippi River.

“This training helped me become a better leader and advocate for bicycling,” said Jessica Giard from the South Dakota Bicycle Coalition. Giard not only worked through the development of a complete streets campaign, but also said she plans to apply what she learned to other aspects of her burgeoning organization.

Campaigns that were addressed by other training participants included 3-foot passing laws, Safe Routes to School, mandatory training for all crossing guards in Iowa, and working with a state DOT to update drivers’ license manuals and exams to include questions about biking and walking.

Not knowing what a campaign was before the Friday evening session of the course, Ruth Myers from Active Transportation Alliance in Chicago said she now has a clear blueprint, identified targets, manageable goals, and is well on her way to work on improving Chicago metro stations to be more accessible to cyclists and pedestrians. “Whether you are a novice advocate or an old hand, you’ll learn something from this course,” she said.

Heed the advice of Wes Ridgeway from the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation: “If you want to participate in projects in a positive way, please take this training.” Join the many organizations and advocates who have participated in and grown from the Alliance’s Winning Campaigns Trainings and sign up for the upcoming training in Baltimore, MD, May 13-15. Early registration ends today, so register online for a discounted weekend price.

This affordable training wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of our sponsors: Planet Bike, VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations, SRAM, Bikes Belong, AARP, Alta Planning + Design, Team Estrogen, Sun Bicycles and Specialized. Sponsorship opportunities are still available; click here for more information.

We hope to see you in Maryland next month!

It’s impossible to capture even a hint of the energy and inspiration of an Alliance Winning Campaigns Training in a newsletter or blog post. Over the past few months, as we wrapped up our 2010 series, we tried to give you a taste, by sharing the rave reviews of amped-up participants. But short testimonials don’t do the workshop justice. You’ve got to experience it yourself to understand the impact.

In 2011, we’re giving you six opportunities to jumpstart your next winning campaign with the guidance of our expert facilitators and the assistance of your bike-ped peers.

In 2010, the Alliance hosted its three-day trainings in six cities across North America. In total, the workshops drew 117 advocates from a wide array of organizations. By working through the workshop’s curriculum, those participants tweaked or launched 59 different campaigns to boost biking and walking in their communities.

Now that it’s a new year, it’s time for a new round of trainings. So save the date for a 2011 Winning Campaigns Training in your area:

• April 1-3: Hosted by the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, Davenport, IA
• May 20-22: Hosted by Bike Maryland, in Baltimore, MD
• June 3-5: Hosted by the Bicycle Alliance of Washington, in Seattle, WA
• August 26-28: Hosted by the League of Michigan Bicyclists, in Lansing, MI
• October 14-16: Hosted by the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, in Los Angeles, CA
• November 4-6: Hosted by the Palmetto Cycling Coalition, in Columbia, SC

Registration for each training is already open; click here to reserve your spot.

Like 2010, we’re happy to announce a measure of friendly regional competition for 2011, too. The host organization that draws the MOST participants to its training in 2011 will win a free international getaway from VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations that they can raffle off or use as a fundraiser.

In 2010, Local Motion in Burlington, Vermont, packed their Winning Campaign Training with attendees and narrowly edged out the good folks in Oakland for the free bicycling trip to Italy valued at $3,500. “This goes to show that small communities can make BIG impacts,” Adele Dienno, Local Motion’s event’s coordinator, says of the organization’s win. “Thanks to all those who came from as far away as Nova Scotia; to VBT and its president, Gregg Martson; and to the Alliance and our presenters, Jeremy Grandstaff and Ron Milam.”

Who will take home the 2011 prize? Register now for a training near you.

Aside from the automobile, bicycles are the source of more childhood injuries than any other consumer product.

But making cycling safe for kids is a no-brainer: at least 75 percent of bike-related fatalities could be avoided if the rider were simply wearing a helmet.

Yesterday, the Iowa Bicycle Coalition announced a new partnership with the Iowa Civil Justice Foundation, an association of attorneys, called Safe Cycling. The initiative will protect Iowa kids by providing free helmets at community events across the state.

“Our members are often called into service after a child has been terribly injured, or worse, while riding his or her bicycle, and those cases are truly tragic,” said Brad Lint, executive director of the Iowa Civil Justice Foundation, in a press release. “That’s why attorneys across the state are working so hard to outfit kids with the helmets that can save their lives and prevent terrible injury.”

“Bike helmets save lives,” added Mark Wyatt, executive director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition. “We encourage cyclists of all ages to wear a well-fitted helmet every time they ride, and the Safe Cycling project helps instill that practice at a young age.”

Read more about the partnership here.

The Iowa Bicycle Coalition is celebrating brand-new bike lanes in downtown Des Moines.

This month, the city striped lanes for two-wheeling travelers on Ingersoll Avenue, a main strip for shopping and dining in Iowa’s capital. This transformation will turn a busy four-lane artery into an accessible two-lane road, with bike lanes on either side.

Cyclists are excited to ride the Avenue and residents are eager to see how the new transit option impacts the local businesses. One shop-owner on Ingersoll just happens to be Frank Cownie (pictured), the city’s mayor and an avid cyclist. “We’re very hopeful as business owners that this will be quite a helpful addition,” he told KCCI News.

Click here to watch a helmet video of the new lanes, shot by Des Moines advocate Carl Voss. For more information, visit http://www.iowabicyclecoalition.org/.

Blog contributed by Adam Levine

According to the Iowa Bicycle Coalition (IBC), “Teachers or communities hoping to implement more bicycling and walking education into the classroom, the before and after school program, or recreation programs have a new resource.”  IBC has just released “Iowa Kids on the Move”, a new curriculum for Iowa schools.  The curriculum is based upon models from Portland and Fort Collins that integrate walking and bicycling into the school day. 

get a copy of this new resourcefrom their web site or from the Alliance Online Bike & Ped Advocacy Resource Library.