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Entries tagged: League Of Michigan Bicyclists

Last year, the League of Michigan Bicyclists (LMB) worked to ensure that the new Michigan State Rail Plan included bike-friendly provisions for traveling cyclists — and won. The new plan recommends that two- (or three-) wheeling travelers be allowed to bring their bikes aboard trains chugging through the Great Lakes State. But there’s one small hitch: It’s just a recommendation, not a mandate.

Now, the LMB is using the rail plan momentum to convince Amtrak to do the right thing for cyclists.

“LMB added bikes on trains as one of our advocacy priorities last year,” says John Lindenmayer, LMB’s Advocacy and Policy Director. “Cyclists, however, have been clamoring for sometime for the right to travel with their bikes on Michigan Amtrak lines. Since Amtrak has implemented roll-on bike service in other states, we decided to launch this petition drive to ensure that Amtrak hears directly from the Michigan cycling community.”

Adding fuel to the fire, Michigan was recently awarded federal funds to purchase news cars, and the LMB wants to see those new cars outfitted with bike racks, and the older cars retrofitted to accommodate bikes.

“The petition is to help ensure that on board bicycle accommodations are included in these new cars and to urge Amtrak to retrofit existing cars with on board bike racks,” Lindenmayer says. “Our state is home to a number of bicycle tours in or near Michigan communities serviced by Amtrak. These communities could benefit from increased tourism spending, particularly from vacationing Chicago residents. Allowing passengers to travel from community to community and then bicycle to their final destinations will also help enhance multi-modal transportation options across the state.”

The petition has already garnered more that 1000 signatures, and still going strong. According to Lindenmayer, that success has been driven largely by the LMB’s strong social media following. Most of those signature happened over the course of one weekend through the use of Facebook and Twitter to expand the message.

Click here to read more about the petition and to sign the petition.

One of the cardinal rules of safe cycling is signaling. Whether changing lanes or making a turn, every bicyclist is taught the critical importance of indicating his or her movements on the streets with a simple hand gesture.

Historically, two-wheeling travelers have indicated a right turn by extending and bending their left arm, as if giving the queen’s wave. But times are a-changing and many cyclists have come to prefer a more intuitive signal: pointing with their right arm. According to the League of American Bicyclists, 32 states have altered their traffic laws to legalize the new signal.

Now, Michigan advocates are working to bump that number to 33 — but also ensure that the left hand signal stays legal, too.

In May, advocates from the League of Michigan Bicyclists presented state legislators with a white paper, urging them to enact a “common-sense update to the Michigan Vehicle Code (MVC)” that would allow for the extended right arm signal. Policymakers took notice and a bill was introduced that would do just that. But there’s a hitch: The bill would also eliminate the current method for signaling right turns and the upturned left arm would no longer be recognized as legal. So the LMB, along with the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance (MTGA) and the Michigan Mountain Biking Association (MMBA), jumped into action to make sure both options stay on the table.

This week, LMB Associate Director John Lindenmayer provided testimony on the bill, drawing on a position paper submitted by all three organizations.

“We believe that legalizing the new method of signaling and encouraging cyclists to use it is a positive move,” the paper noted. “Not only do automobile drivers better recognize a cyclist’s intentions when they point in the direction they plan to turn, it is also easier to teach children to point in the direction they plan to go… [But] LMB, MTGA and MMBA would like to see the MVC updated to legalize the actions of the many cyclists who already instinctively point to the right without penalizing current law-abiding cyclists who use an upturned left arm. Thousands of out-of-state cyclists visit Michigan each year, who may only know or use the universal upturned left arm signal that is currently legal in all 50 states, and required in 18 states. By striking the original language, cyclists could be penalized by law enforcement for unintentionally violating a traffic law that would be unique only to Michigan.”

If you’d like to take action, LMB is urging the cycling community to contact Representative Paul Opsommer, House Transportation Committee Chair, at paulopsommer@house.mi.gov.

Subscribe to the LMB’s blog to get updates on the bill.

• This week, America Bikes released a new study that proves building bicycle and pedestrian facilities creates significantly more jobs (46 percent) than road-only projects. With the debate on a federal transportation bill imminent, this report provides valuable insight about the important economic benefits of biking and walking. It’s a (quick) must-read; download it here.

• Another new resource out this week came from the Safe Routes to School National Partnership. Their Safe Routes to School Local Policy Guide highlights numerous and diverse local policies that support SRTS programs by encouraging safe walking and bicycling and physical activity by children. (Want to learn more about local SRTS policies? Join us for a Mutual Aid Call on July 27.)

• The advocates at the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition debuted another video associated with their Connecting the City campaign, which envisions 100 miles of separated bike facilities in the heart of the city. Check out “Stephanie’s Story” and “Crosstown Bikeways for Everyone!” here.

• Bike share systems are spreading quickly across North America. The AP profiled the trend in a great piece this week. Watch it here.

• For statewide organizations, a specialty license plate can be a significant and sustainable source of funding. If you missed our Mutual Aid Call with Robin Stallings of BikeTexas, Nancy Tibbett of Bicycle Indiana and Tim Bustos of the Florida Bicycle Association, click here to listen to the recording and download the Tip Sheet.

• Speaking of funding: Want a glimpse into the process of grantmakers and foundations? Check out this interesting article from the Stanford Social Innovation Review on “The Elusive Craft of Evaluating Advocacy.”

• As I’ve mentioned in past weeks, we’re working hard to update, improve and add to the Alliance Resource Library. This week we got help from…
  • The Safe Routes to School National Partnership, which helped us fill out our SRTS Program Resources section with a number of helpful reports, presentations and curricula
    
  • The League of Michigan Bicyclists, which shared a handful of materials related to fundraising rides, like a route marking guideline sample and contract forms.

As always, we’re eager to share your best practices and model resources for the benefit of all Alliance members. Contact Carolyn@PeoplePoweredMovement.org if you can help!

Receiving an Alliance Advocacy Award in recognition of their tireless efforts for the Michigan Complete Streets Coalition has only increased the momentum of the League of Michigan Bicyclists.

Last week, the City of Ann Arbor and Burt Township adopted Complete Street Policies, increasing the count of Complete Street ordinances and resolutions in Michigan to 32. As noted on the Michigan Complete Street Coalition’s website, according to census data, Michigan’s 32 Complete Streets policies means that 24 percent of Michigan’s population will be living in a community that aims to be easily accessible by all modes of transportation. This number will surely continue to increase with LMB’s hard work. Just yesterday, Lathrup Village launched a Complete Streets program, with the ultimate goal of adopting a Complete Streets ordinance.

Shortly after the City of Ann Arbor’s adoption of its Complete Streets Policy, the city’s transportation program manager Eli Cooper explained the adoption of the policyamidst Ann Arbor’s on-going recognition from the state and national organizations for its biking and walking programs. “Ann Arbor has a ways to go to realize its vision of providing comfortable travel for all users regardless of age or ability level,” says Cooper.

Acknowledging this need for change just might help Michigan transform its current image as the automobile capital of the world to the active transportation capital of the world, and will certainly create an example for other communities looking to make a positive change for bike-ped transportation.

Photo: John Lindenmayer and Rory Neuner accepted the Alliance’s Winning Campaign of the Year award for their work with the Michigan Complete Streets Coalition.

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.

This on-the-ground, up-to-the-minute story was written by John Lindenmayer, Associate Director of the League of Michigan Bicyclists, and is posted in conjunction with our partners at the National Complete Streets Coalition.

It’s hard to think of Michigan without thinking of the automobile. But we’re doing our best to change that.

For far too long, local and statewide car-centric transportation policies focused on accommodating motorists alone and failed to address the needs of non-motorized roadway users – including pedestrians, bicyclists, older citizens and persons with disabilities.

This outdated mode of thinking must change.

Now, Michigan has the chance to join 13 other states in passing Complete Streets legislation. Today, the House Transportation Committee is scheduled to vote on two bills — HB 6151 and HB 6152 — that require planners and engineers design roads to accommodate all users, regardless of age or ability. Such legislation, by creating safer, healthier and more livable communities, will make Michigan a place where people want to settle. It will attract both tourists and new residents. It will boost the economy and spur economic revitalization. It will help Michigan regain its rightful place as a leader in transportation – all modes of transportation.

Many communities – including Lansing, Flint, Jackson and Midland – have already adopted local complete streets ordinances/resolutions or have drafted non-motorized transportation plans. Additionally, more than 70 diverse organizations, nonprofits and businesses have partnered with the Michigan Complete Streets Coalition to voice their concerted support for statewide complete streets policies.

The coalition is led by the League of Michigan Bicyclists, the Michigan Environmental Council, and AARP. Coalition members represent health and fitness groups, such as the Michigan Fitness Foundation and the American Heart Association; the disability and aging community, like the Michigan Development Disabilities Council; environmental groups such as the Michigan League of Conservation Voters and the Michigan Land Use Institute; bicycling organizations, such as the Program to Educate All Cyclists; and the transit community, such as Transportation Riders United.

This growing coalition exemplifies the strong grassroots support for complete streets policies throughout the state, especially on the statewide level. The past two hearings on the Complete Streets bills have had a great turnout, with standing-room-only space at each meeting. Additionally, more than 30 organizations and businesses – some aligned with the coalition, others independently – have submitted written or verbal testimony in support of the legislation.

They believe, as we do, that passing statewide Complete Streets legislation will make Michigan a safer, healthier and stronger place to live.

UPDATE from Michigan advocates: “The House Transportation Committee passed both bills out of committee, with substitute language (H-2 6151 and H-2 6152). They both passed unanimously, with a pass by Representative Paul Opsommer.”