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The Alliance is pleased to announce the hiring of its new Advocacy Advance Program Manager: Brighid O’Keane.

Brighid moves to Washington D.C. from the Bay Area, where she recently opened the Berkeley Student Food Collective and served as its Program Director. An environmental studies graduate of the University of Colorado-Boulder, she has worked in Colorado, California, Alaska, and Thailand as a naturalist, community organizer, and alternative educator. She is on the Board of Peers for the Educational Network for Global and Grassroots Exchange, which aims to train and connect young activists nationwide. While in California, Brighid led a Global Exchange Bike Aid ride for area youth through the central coast, and a few years ago biked through Donegal, Ireland.

Brighid is excited to bring her experiences working with nonprofits, her background in organizational development, and her passion for active transportation to the Alliance. “I am glad to bring my love for biking, walking, sustainability, and grassroots organizing to the Alliance and am excited to work with all its members to get more people biking and walking in their communities,” Brighid says.

As the Advocacy Advance Program Manager, Brighid will administer the Alliance’s Advocacy Advance Grants program; coordinate and facilitate Advocacy Advance trainings; and work closely with our partners at the League of American Bicyclists as we work to double federal funding for bicycle and pedestrian programs by 2013.

Stay tuned for more exciting news about Advocacy Advance in coming weeks!

A couple weeks ago, I wrote about my field trip to Vienna, Virginia, to help the Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling launch their Guide to Public Road Design and Bicycling Accommodations. It’s an incredibly useful resource for advocate across the country; it demystifies the complicated road design process for folks who don’t have an advanced degree in engineering.

But it’s also a great example of the impact of Advocacy Advance — a partnership between the Alliance and the League of American Bicyclists. As I mentioned in the post, the folks at FABB were among the first recipients of an Advocacy Advance Grant, and they turned a small nugget of money into advocacy gold.

Well, just a few days after my trip to Vienna, another Advocacy Advance recipient marked a major milestone, too.

Established in 2000, the Central Connecticut Bicycle Alliance quickly built a winning foundation. In less than a decade, they created and grew the Discover Hartford Bicycling and Walking Tour into an annual event that draws 1,000 participants. They cultivated local Bike to Work events and successfully advocated for a three-foot passing law at the Connecticut state legislature. By 2009, they were ready to take the next step. They were ready to go statewide.

To assist that transition, the Alliance awarded the CCBA a $15,000 Advocacy Advance Startup/Capacity Building Grant in November 2009. In just one year, they’ve made tremendous progress.

On April 2, the CCBA took on a new name: Bike Walk Connecticut. With that title change, they also came up with a vibrant, colorful and creative new logo. This summer, they launched their search for an executive director and started gathering furniture to set up a formal office. Then, just this month, they hosted their first statewide summit — with great success. According to BWC’s latest newsletter:

On November 13th, 150 people who want a bike- and walk-friendly Connecticut gathered at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain to attend Bike Walk Connecticut’s first statewide summit… Speakers included state legislators, a DOT bureau chief, doctors, lawyers, planners and law-enforcement officials… Mary Collins, award-winning author of ‘American Idle: A Journey through our Sedentary Culture’ opened the summit recounting why she wrote the book and what she learned about the causes and effects of inactivity on individuals and society as a whole. Tim Blumenthal, president of the Bikes Belong Coalition, closed the event explaining what’s happening on the federal level and why it’s so important that all of us who care about a bike- and walk-friendly Connecticut let our local, state and federal elected officials know what we want.”

Way to go, Bike Walk Connecticut!

Check out pictures here. 

Last week, on the very same morning, we celebrated the past, present and future of the Advocacy Advance initiative.

When I arrived at the Patrick Henry Library on Thursday morning, I was still putting the finishing touches on the Alliance’s press release announcing SRAM’s continued support (to the tune of $1.2 million) of Advocacy Advance — a partnership between the Alliance and the League of American Bicyclists.

But the reason for my Virginia field trip was to congratulate the recipients of one of the very first Advocacy Advance Grants. Last year, the Alliance awarded the Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling a $9,600 grant to create a new handbook on the complex subject of road design. The folks at FABB took the challenge and knocked it out of the park.

A perfect example of the intent of Advocacy Advance, the Guide for Reviewing Public Road Design and Bicycling Accommodations is simple to read, nice to look at and absolutely essential to any advocate working for better bicycling infrastructure. It demystifies the complicated process and gives folks who don’t have an engineering degree the knowledge they need to get engaged in the process that shapes their streets.

For the public launch of the guide, a diverse group of advocates and officials braved a downpour to celebrate. Bruce Wright and Fionnuala Quinn (pictured above), the two FABB advocates who played the lead role in the creation of the guide, had plenty of people to thank, from members of their own organization to transportation planners at the county and state level. But every one of the speakers turned the tables and praised Wright and Quinn for compiling such a valuable resource for bike advocates across the country.

Shane Farthing, the executive director of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, said his copy of the guide is already dog-eared and well-worn. In fact, he said, it was one of the first things he read when he took the top job at WABA. But it’s not just advocates who are pouring over its contents. Doug Miller, from the Virginia Department of Transportation, said he took a stack of guides to a VDOT district meeting and it made quite the impression on his colleagues, too.

Andy Clarke, president of the League, noted that FABB, a small volunteer group, had to compete against the proposals of numerous big-city organizations with sizable staffs and budgets to receive the Advocacy Advance Grant. But the Guide to Road Design, Clarke said, has had perhaps the biggest impact of any grant awarded thus far. “The stuff that makes life better for bicyclists is done at the local level,” he said. “And this will be really useful.”

In fact, the guide is proving so useful — and in-demand — that FABB is working on a template that would allow your organization to use the information and structure of the guide and simply tweak some of the contents to fit your city, state or region.

In the meantime, if you haven’t read it yet, click here to download the guide from our Resource Library. For pictures of the event, check out the Alliance Flickr page.

Like everyone else in Washington, D.C., bicycle and pedestrian advocates expected a Republican surge in last week’s midterm elections. We knew a conservative Congress would have major implications for the next federal transportation bill. We were bracing ourselves for new faces and fresh challenges on Capitol Hill.

What we were not expecting was the loss of one of our most dependable and powerful champions — Minnesota Congressman Jim Oberstar.

Oberstar was elected to Congress in 1974, and, since his very first term, served on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. For three decades, the Minnesota Democrat pushed to get bicyclists and pedestrians recognized and treated as “intended users” of our public roads. In the last wave election in 2006, when Democrats took control of the House, Oberstar was elected chairman of the transportation committee. A few months after he claimed leadership, he told a crowd at the National Bike Summit: “We’re going to convert America from the hydrocarbon economy to the carbohydrate economy.”

Well, now we’ll have to do it without him. In a race decided by a mere 4,000 votes, Oberstar lost his reelection bid to Republican Chip Cravaak.

Jonathan Maus, reporter and editor of BikePortland.org, might have summed it up best. “Oberstar’s loss signals the end of an era for America’s bicycle movement,” he wrote. “[He] was a titan of non-motorized transportation.”

Andy Clarke, over at the League of American Bicyclists, outlined the Congressman’s key role in a variety of bike-ped victories. “Over the past 20 years, you can trace many of the gains we’ve made straight back to the desk of Jim Oberstar,” Clarke wrote. “Broad eligibility for transportation funds, the Safe Routes to School Program, state bicycle coordinator positions, the requirement to plan for bicyclists at the state and regional level, the non-motorized pilot projects — all started with him.”

Oberstar wasn’t out of bold, new ideas, either.

Last year, the Minnesota Democrat released the House transportation committee’s first stab at our nation’s next — and already overdue — federal transportation bill. The bill roundly criticized our over-reliance on automobiles. It established an Office of Livability, which would study cyclists’ rights and dramatically expand research on biking and walking. The bill also gave significant support to the creation of a U.S. Bicycle Route System.

Unfortunately, we won’t have Oberstar advancing such progressive and needed ideas when Congress tackles transportation reauthorization next year.

In his concession speech, the 18-term Congressman spoke at length about his transportation legacy, giving equal attention and pride to improvements and projects for cyclists and pedestrians as he did major bridge and highway projects.

“The Lake Walk in Duluth will survive long after my service,” Oberstar said. “People will be walking and biking and enjoying a better quality of life… The extension of the Sunrise Prairie Trail will link Canada and the Twin Cities with a continuous bicycle facility that will be the envy of the nation… The Paul Bunyan Trail, for which I have great affection, when we first started promoting it had 40,000 users. Last year, it had 650,000 users and was an engine of economic growth and stability.”

His legacy extends far beyond the borders of Minnesota. It’s not just the hundreds of thousands of people who bike and walk the Paul Bunyan who are flooding his inbox with their gratitude. Oberstar is — and should be — getting thank-you notes from every corner of the country.

Deb Hubsmith, the executive director of the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, was among the first to write an open letter to Oberstar last week. “Through your 36 years of inspired leadership as a Congressman, you reformed the transportation system to make it multi-modal, institutionalized walking and bicycling within state Departments of Transportation, and ensured that the safety of children on the trip to and from school is a priority for transportation planning and construction,” Hubsmith wrote. “Thanks to your leadership, foresight and hard work, many thousands of schools and communities across the country are now making it safer for children to walk and bicycle to and from school, and in everyday life.”

Caron Whitaker, at America Bikes, hopes many bicycle and pedestrian organizations follow Hubsmith’s lead. “[Oberstar] was a bulldog on our issues and in a position to push for us with leadership,” she wrote last week. “We should consider how to thank him.”

Please take a moment this week to send the Congressman a note on behalf of you or your organization — jim.oberstar@mail.house.gov. Another, and perhaps even more important, way to thank Oberstar, though, is to start building on his legacy. To do that in a difficult and divided political climate, we need to start mobilizing at the local and state level to educate our newly elected U.S. Senators and Representatives. “We want to make sure these new members of Congress are aware that there is a well-organized constituency for bicycling and walking in their district/state,” Whitaker suggested. “They may not have formed their positions on transportation yet; now is a good time to introduce them to our issues.” So, reach out to your Congress member and set up a meeting before they head to Washington.

At his press conference, Oberstar said he’ll find a way to continue his service to the American people, though it won’t be from Capitol Hill. “There will be opportunities for public service,” he said. “I’ll reflect for awhile and look for something in the public arena.”

Clarke, for one, hopes the Congressman saves room in his schedule to take advantage of the fruit of his labors; set aside some time to cruise the Prairie Sunrise or Paul Bunyan trails he worked so hard to fund and promote. “If anyone deserves to enjoy the simple pleasure of a bike ride,” Clarke wrote, “it’s Jim Oberstar.”

Photo: Congressman Jim Oberstar

The League of American Bicyclists and the Alliance for Biking & Walking are pleased to announce a new, three-year campaign to double federal funding for bicycling and walking by 2013. The Advocacy Advance initiative is backed by renewed support from SRAM, an innovative maker of bicycle components.

The League and Alliance have been awarded up to $1.2 million from SRAM over the next three years to unite active transportation advocates across the nation and give them tools and resources to secure increased funding from existing federal transportation programs for critical bicycle and pedestrian projects.

“At SRAM we believe that bicycles improve the environment, ease congestion, reduce the cost of transportation and create healthier communities,” says Stan Day, SRAM CEO. “The biggest barrier to increased bicycle use in daily lives is the lack of appropriate infrastructure, and local bicycle advocates are working to break down those barriers across the country. The Advocacy Advance campaign will empower those advocates to dramatically improve conditions for bicyclists.”

The Advocacy Advance partnership was created two years ago, with major funding from SRAM. Under that banner, League and Alliance staff research issues vital to the bicycling community and create reports that give advocates the data and knowledge they need to effectively promote bicycling. The partnership also awarded more than $500,000 in direct grants, technical assistance and scholarships to build the capacity of local and state bicycle advocacy organizations and jumpstart innovative campaigns.

Building on these successes and stepping up to a new challenge, the Advocacy Advance Team is now strategically targeting federal funding. While bicycling and walking make up 12 percent of all trips in the U.S., those modes receive less than two percent of federal transportation dollars. By 2013, that will change.

“Our initiative to double the federal investment in bicycling and walking projects in three years is both bold and essential to creating more livable communities,” says Andy Clarke, president of the League of American Bicyclists. “SRAM’s commitment to Advocacy Advance demonstrates its leadership in the industry, and its faith in the powerful partnership between the League and Alliance to accomplish this goal.”

“We know local bicycle and pedestrian advocacy leaders have both a remarkable passion and the community connections to make real change on the ground,” says Jeffrey Miller, Alliance President/CEO. “The Alliance and the League are committing to work even more closely with those leaders to deliver strategic training, assistance and grants so they can make communities better places to bike and walk.”

More details about Advocacy Advance will be released in coming months.

For many, riding a bicycle isn’t just a healthy means of transportation; it’s a moral imperative.

With international talks faltering and federal policymakers stalling on strong action to stop climate change, many of us are taking responsibility for our own carbon footprints. We know that 70 percent of oil is burned for transportation and that our obsession with car culture contributes nearly 30 percent of U.S. greenhouse gases.

By bicycling, we take ourselves out of that world-burning equation. But how do you get more people in your community to start subtracting Vehicle Miles Traveled, too?

A new report for the Advocacy Advance Team lays it out step by step.

In “Climate Change and Bicycling: How bicycling advocates can help craft comprehensive Climate Action Plans” our crack researchers at the Alliance and the League of American Bicyclists explain the process and provide examples from across the country.

“Climate Action Plans are strategic and comprehensive tools to combat climate change by reducing Green House Gas (GHG) emissions,” writes Darren Flusche, a League policy analyst and a lead author of this report. “They are being written and implemented by cities, states, and universities in lieu of aggressive federal action. Bicycling is a convenient, enjoyable, and efficient way to make short trips — 40 percent of all trips in the United States are two miles or less — and it does not emit CO2. As a result, policymakers are increasingly turning to promoting bicycling as a way to meet GHG reduction targets. Bicycling advocates can help shape Climate Action Plans to include pro‐bicycling policies.”

True to its title, the report gives a comprehensive overview, including:

• How pro‐bicycling policies have been written into the Climate Action Plans of states, cities, and universities,
• Examples of plans that include bicycling
• How bicycling advocates can best support these efforts
• How to ensure that governments follow through on the promises made in their plans.

Check out the full report here and get in touch with .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for more information.

Attending the National Bike Summit gave the folks from the Peach State a juicy idea.

In March, a group of bicycle advocates from Georgia traveled to Washington, DC for the 10th annual networking and lobbying event hosted by the League of American Bicyclists. They didn’t just meet their bike-ped peers from across the country; they also recognized a need within their own state borders.

“When the dust settled after a hectic schedule of running the halls of both the Senate and the House, there was a general consensus among the Georgia delegates that once a year just ‘ain’t enough,’” Ali Mangkang of the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition wrote last month. “From there, an idea took shape, though mentioned casually at first, that Georgia should aim for its own statewide summit — a meeting of enthusiasts, retailers, advocates and policymakers representing Georgia’s many bicycling communities.”

Well, the folks at Savannah Bicycle Campaign found a venue in their fair city and Georgia Bikes took the lead in organizing the agenda. Joe Seconder, a board member for Georgia Bikes, had the wind at his back from the start. “Here in Georgia there has been an up swelling of grassroots efforts through individuals and organizations to encourage greater bicycle accommodations in a holistic and systemic fashion,” he says.

The summit on October 9th isn’t exclusive the grassroots organizers, though. In addition to the advocacy track, the event has workshops targeted to government officials and trail riders. “Advocates, elected and public officials, business leaders and concerned bicyclists will come together in a forum; setting the stage for statewide bicycling gains,” Seconder says. “We’ll network, collaborate, educate and empower advocates and attendees, identifying common issues in our local communities and setting priorities for the statewide efforts of Georgia Bikes in 2011.”

If other events are any indication, the gathering could mean big gains for the southern state.

“Georgia joins a growing list of states that are holding their own statewide bike summits, in addition to participating in the national summit,” Mangkang wrote. “Most notably, Oregon and Wisconsin have produced highly successful models for state bike summits. Both states also rank among the most bicycle-friendly states in the country. States with far lower rankings have seen the benefits of holding a statewide summit, too. In 2008, West Virginia ranked last in the LAB annual survey of bicycle friendly states. After holding a statewide symposium their ranking increased by eight spots in the 2009 survey.”

Read more or register for the event here.

In the next few days, officials could swipe millions of dollars from bicycle and pedestrian projects in your state.

Don’t let your Department of Transportation send crucial federal funding for biking and walking back to Washington, DC!

Last week, Congress passed a jobs bill that contains a $2.2 billion rescission of transportation funds from state DOTs. In many states, the DOT will likely target bike funding programs to send those dollars back to Washington — unless local advocates speak up and make sure that doesn’t happen.

States must report which program funds are affected by August 25 and the law gives officials maximum flexibility to choose which unobligated balance of funds are rescinded. So we need you to take action this week.

Funds may be rescinded from the following programs:

- Transportation Enhancements
- Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ)
- Recreational Trails
- State Planning and Research
- Surface Transportation Program
- Metropolitan Planning

The US DOT is urging state DOTs to reach out to stakeholders, which makes this a perfect opportunity to remind your state’s DOT of the value of bicycle and pedestrian projects. One request we have of state DOTs is that they follow the “proportionality clause” of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 – this ensures that cuts be made equitably across programs.

What can you do? Flood your governor with calls and e-mails to showcase the importance of bicycle and pedestrian facilities — and prove we’re paying attention! Tell your governor: Don’t let the state DOT disproportionately cut funding for Transportation Enhancements, recreational trails, and bicycle and pedestrian projects.

Read more from America Bikes, then visit the League of American Bicyclists Action Center to craft and send a message to your governor. Learn more about rescissions in this Advocacy Advance report.

Blog contributed by Alliance intern Adam Levine. Photo courtesy of the League of American Bicyclists.

The long-awaited bike lanes on Pennsylvania Avenue opened in grand style yesterday.

A long list of dignitaries cut the ribbon and took off for a ride down the protected, center-lane route, including District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer and Minnesota Congressman James Oberstar.

Speaking to bicyclists and advocates from across the city, Fenty declared that “we believe there is room here for everyone—on four wheels, two wheels and on foot.” LaHood added that “America’s Mainstreet” is now “America’s Bikeway!”

The new bike lanes have been in flux for several months, opening and then closing to deal with technical glitches. “Before we officially opened the bike lanes, we wanted to make sure they provide safe areas for cyclists, motorists and pedestrians, and now I’m confident that they do,” explained Gabe Klein, the head of the DC Department of Transportation.

Pennsylvania Avenue is just the latest addition to DC’s network of bike lanes, which city officials hope to increase from 50 miles to 80 miles. The significance of the location, however, did not go unnoticed. “There is no better place for the District of Columbia to demonstrate its commitment to traffic safety than right here on America’s Main Street,” Fenty said.

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

The Greater Eugene Area Riders (GEARS) is celebrating the announcement by the League of American Bicyclists that Eugene, Oregon has become one of only 10 cities in the nation to be designated a Gold level bicycle friendly community. After being designated at the Silver level in 2004, Eugene’s continuous commitment to bicycling has been reinforced with the award in October of 2009.

According to GEARS, “We have seen some great changes in the past few years at both the city and community level to earn this award. Here are a few of the projects GEARs has been active in coordinating, participating in, or is simply excited about:

  * Implementation of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Strategic Plan
  * Formation, meetings, & events of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC)
  * Growth in special events including a larger Bike Day celebration, the Spring Roll Ride, and Breakfast at the Bridges events
  * Completion of three successful Walk and Bike Summits
  * Growth in the Safe Routes to School program including several active SRTS schools, a growth from 8 participating schools for Walk + Bike to School Day to 29, the formation of the SRTS Team, and the start of Kidical Mass!
  * Hosting of several Webinars by the City of Eugene for the community and the BPAC
  * Opening of a new multi-use bridge over I-5 and work on one over Delta Hwy.
  * Creation of a new and updated bicycle/pedestrian map.
  * Work with the City to improve the “leaf collection program” to increase safety for cyclists.
  * Starting the Eye-to-Eye campaign; a share-the-road education program.
  *Growth of the Business Commute Challenge for National Bike to Work Month in May.

To celebrate these and other GEAR achievements, GEAR joined the City of Eugene City of Eugene and Mayor Kitty Piercy on Octover 22nd for a happy hour celebration entitled “Eugene Goes Gold!.” For more information, visit http://www.eugenegears.org/archives/1109.

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