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Entries tagged: Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition

The state of California has nearly 37 million residents — and scores of League Cycling Instructors. But how many of those certified bike educators are women? Melissa Balmer of Women on Bikes SoCal in Long Beach did some digging and discovered, in Southern California, there are just 20 female LCIs. This week, her organization launched an effort to change that.

Launched in November 2012 with the aim to encourage, engage and empower women to bicycle, Women on Bikes SoCal is a collaboration of Bikeable Communities, Bikestation, Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal of Long Beach and the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition. Though still in its early stages, WoBSoCal charged out of the gate with a bold agenda and innovative inaugural campaign: Let’s double the number of women and girls riding bikes by 2017. On Monday, they launched Phase 1 of their efforts by announcing the first-ever women-only LCI certification training.

Backed by scholarships, 12 women will be chosen for the program and, in return, will donate 25 hours of bike safety training to their communities. With a target training date of June 2012, Chris Quint, whose traffic video Cyclists’ Eye View is included with all training materials provided to LCI’s by the League of American Bicyclists, will serve as the lead trainer for the program, with the support of three female LCI’s.

So how does training women to teach increase female bicycling mode share? As the Alliance’s 2012 Benchmarking Report highlights, women accounted for only 24 of bike trips in 2009. And, according to Andrea White-Kjoss, founder and COO of BIkestation, empowering female instructors is key to closing the bicycling gender gap. “Bicycling is intensely personal, and it follows that, though there is overlap, the needs and desires of bicyclists differ by gender,” White-Kjoss said. “Women trainers have a distinct connection to what it takes to cycle as a woman — and they will create a curriculum that addresses the needs of women cyclists and will teach in ways that resonate with other women. It’s called targeted marketing, and it works.”

Jen Klausner, Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, agreed. “As an LCI, a coach, and a longtime observer of the gender gap among bicyclists, I’m proud to be part of this very beginning of a program with great promise,” she said. “This is an unprecedented opportunity for women interested in the growing bicycle culture to really be on the forefront of social change, by earning the certification and then contributing to a regional campaign aimed at getting more women on bikes.”

Stay tuned to Women on Bikes SoCal for updates. And check out the latest edition of their e-magazine, which features Klausner and Alexis Lantz of the LACBC (pictured).

And, if you haven’t already, sign up for the first-ever National Women Cycling Forum on March 20, 2012, here in Washington, DC.

Thanks to our supporters at Specialized, this holiday season will be particularly merry for more than two dozen community bike shops and Alliance members.

Community bike shops and earn-a-bike programs are on the rise across the country, taking in recycled rides that would otherwise be landfill fodder and wrenching them back into shape for residents who need them most. In many cases, youth and low-income adults get their bike for free if they learn the skills to refurbish and maintain their bicycle. With increased interest in affordable, healthy transportation, these shops are growing quickly — and need supplies to keep pace with demand.

Enter Specialized. In mid-November, they let us know that, in remodeling some of their concept stores, they were looking for a new home for a variety of shop equipment. Understanding the importance of advocacy, they wanted to put the high-end racks, benches and more in the hands of Alliance members. They even offered to ship the items for free.

We immediately put out the word to our members with community bike shops — and got a quick and positive response. Now, organizations like the Fort Collins Bike Co-op, Bici Libre Community Bike Space in Los Angeles and the Revolve Community Bike Shop in Kansas City will ring in the New Year with new equipment to advance their efforts.

“This donation by Specialized will no doubt prepare us for the promise we believe 2012 holds for the Revolve Community Bike Shop,” Elizabeth Bejan, executive director of Revolve, told us. “If the four full months we were in operation in 2011 is any indication, we will need to have handy as much of our Earn-a-Bike inventory and supplies as this former auto repair turned bike repair shop can hold.  As is their custom, Kansas Citians responded generously to news media about us with donations of bikes and accessories and with their time as volunteers. The Specialized shop equipment will allow us to showcase the donations and re-gift them to those who need them. Not only that, but our deserving volunteers get to work and learn in a fun and safe environment.”

Thank you, Specialized!

The Alliance held its most recent Winning Campaigns Training in Los Angeles last week, hosted by the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC). Thirty biking and walking advocates from 18 organizations, two states, and two countries came together to participate and propel their campaigns toward success.

Most of the participants were local members of the LACBC Regional Partnership and have been working together for months and years to build a cooperative network of L.A. bike-ped advocacy. Additional participants from Sacramento, Idaho, and Mexico added diverse perspectives that led to rich discussion and enthusiasm. Ron Milam, an organizational consultant and the founding Executive Director of LACBC, joined me in facilitating the workshop.

The Alliance’s signature training uses proven curriculum, targeted specifically to the unique needs and experience of bicycle and pedestrian advocates. They are intended for any potential campaign leader who would benefit from gaining the tools to craft and manage powerful advocacy campaigns. Manuel Zavala, of the Montebello Bicycle Coalition, summed it up well: “This training gave me the confidence to conduct a proper campaign!”

“I have been absolutely changed, empowered and inspired by this training to become a more effective campaign manager,” added Andy Rodriguez, LACBC’s Bilingual Bicycle Safety Coordinator.

“Every Alliance-facilitated training or retreat I’ve attended has been inspiring, but this training has been my favorite,” said Carol Feucht, Membership and Online Media Manager for the LACBC. “Seeing so many groups, particularly LA county’s fledging regional groups, at this training signifies how far the regional bike-ped movement has come.”

The weekend included a walking tour of the area and through the site of Occupy L.A., and a bicycling tour that highlighted a recent campaign win for the LACBC: the 7th Street Bike Lane. Supported by an Advocacy Advance Capacity Building Grant, LACBC will continue its bilingual education and outreach to build a larger and more equitable network of bike lanes and bicycle-friendly streets in South, Northeast, and Central Los Angeles.

The workshop was a great preparation for the California Bike Summit, held in L.A. November 4-6 and hosted by the California Bicycle Coalition. Los Angeles County is also the location of the 2012 Pro Walk / Pro Bike Conference and Alliance Leadership Retreat, both held in September in Long Beach.

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, Clif Bar, Team Estrogen, Sun Bicycles and Specialized. Additional support from Kaiser Permanente allowed the Alliance to offer 15 scholarships to the LA training.

Register now for the Alliance’s next Winning Campaigns Training, hosted by Palmetto Cycling Coalition, in Columbia, SC from November 4-6.

In line with a goal to double federal funding for biking and walking, Advocacy Advance is awarding more than $100,000 in direct grants to four organizations.

Using the grants to tap into federal funding streams and build their political influence, recipients will work to triple bicycle mode share in Atlanta, Ga., dramatically improve infrastructure in Pittsburgh, Pa., empower Latino cyclists in Los Angeles, Calif., and create a new model to win state dollars in Delaware.

Since 2009, Advocacy Advance—a partnership of the Alliance for Biking & Walking and the League of American Bicyclists—has awarded more than $500,000 in direct grants to 25 state and local advocacy organizations. This year, more than 60 applications with proposals totaling more than $1.3 million were received in the two grant categories: Model Grants and Capacity Building Grants.

Model Grants provide multi-year support for efforts that significantly increase federal investment for biking and walking. Capacity Building Grants catalyze the growth of advocacy organizations. Based on the organizations’ successful track records and innovative strategies, 2011 grants will be awarded to Bike Delaware, Bike Pittsburgh, the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition and the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition.

“We are excited to support these grantees, as they help lead the way towards a more equitable and rational use of limited federal transportation funds, especially as the lessons we learn will be applicable to accessing state and local funds,” said Andy Clarke, president of the League of American Bicyclists.

“Receiving this Model Grant is a testament to the decade of work we’ve poured into building strong relationships with key city, county, regional, and state transportation officials - and winning the cultural battle that bikes belong in the transportation mix,” Scott Bricker, Executive Director of Bike Pittsburgh, said. “Now it’s time to identify and fund specific projects that will keep bike riders safer and result in more people bicycling.”

Advocacy Advance Grants are made possible thanks to generous funding from SRAM and Planet Bike.

2011 Model Grants

Bike Pittsburgh
Receiving the largest grant ever awarded through the Advocacy Advance program, Bike Pittsburgh will use $40,000 per year, for three years, to leverage partnerships, identify key bicycle and pedestrian projects and get them funded. Advocates will work closely with the City of Pittsburgh on MOVEPGH - Pittsburgh’s first comprehensive transportation plan - to ensure the plan includes recommendations for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure projects that are eligible for federal funding. Advocates will also work with county officials to get projects in surrounding municipalities in the queue for federal funding.

Atlanta Bicycle Coalition
The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition (ABC) will receive $35,000 per year, for three years, to double federal spending on bicycle and pedestrian projects and programs in the Atlanta region, and triple the bicycle mode share from 1 to 3 percent. To meet these ambitious goals, ABC will hire additional staff and work with the local metropolitan planning organizations, and the Georgia Department of Transportation, to tap into two federal funding streams currently underutilized for bicycle and pedestrian projects - the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program and the Highway Safety Improvement Program.

2011 Capacity Building Grants

Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition
The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) will receive a $15,000 matching grant to hire a dedicated bilingual education/outreach staff member to empower Spanish-speaking residents who lack access to bike safety and advocacy tools, and build political power for improved bicycling in L.A. by better including populations of color.

Bike Delaware
Bike Delaware advocates recently won $5 million in new dedicated funding for bicycling in Delaware in 2012 - more money than the state has ever allocated in the past. A $10,000 matching grant will help Bike Delaware create a national model to increase state bicycle and pedestrian funding by creating an action plan for state bicyclists, advocating legislation, monitoring and communicating with DelDOT, and tracking progress.

In addition, Advocacy Advance will grant $25,000 in Rapid Response Grants throughout the year to help state and local organizations take advantage of unexpected opportunities to win, increase, or preserve funding for biking and walking.

Learn more about Advocacy Advance at AdvocacyAdvance.org.

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.

Earlier this year, the Alliance recognized the work of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition with one of our national Advocacy Awards. The LACBC took home the Best Practices plaque, in part, because of the advocates’ work to elevate the voices and call attention to the needs of low-income cyclists in underserved communities. This week, the organization took another innovative step by creating new maps that highlight bicycle crash hotspots.

Using data extrapolated from the TIMS database, LACBC intern Jimmy Nghe created a series of downloadable maps that show how crash fatalities are unevenly distributed in areas of higher density and lower income neighborhoods in the City of Los Angeles. The visuals drive home a critical point: Transportation planners and policy-makers have generally failed to address many of the problems of dangerous streets where the highest need lies.

“We see large discrepancies in where higher rates of crashes and bicyclist injuries/fatalities lie: in marginalized, low-income areas of Central and South LA,” Allison Mannos, LACBC’s Urban Strategy Director, explains. “We created these maps to start a nationwide conversation with other advocates, planners, and members of the public. These maps are the first time that, as a movement, we have put our heads together to pinpoint environmental injustices as they relate to bicycling on a neighborhood level.”

The advocates emphasize that these maps show only a rough relationship between population density, income, and rates of collisions involving people who bicycle or walk. More data needs to be collected to show causation. But the maps are a clear indication that the City of LA needs to heed the example of LACBC and invest more resources in underserved neighborhoods.

“This presents a major environmental and social injustice,” LACBC suggests. “Through the installation of more facilities in these neighborhoods, the City of Los Angeles will not only reduce deaths and injuries to low-income people who bicycle, but reduce the overall number of bicycle-related fatalities and injuries citywide.”

Click here to read more and see all three maps.

New this week in the Alliance’s Online Resource Library…

• Allison Mannos of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition worked with Adrian Leung in writing an insightful article on “Bicycling is for Everyone: Connections Between Cycling in Developing Countries and Low-Income Cyclists of Color in the U.S.” for Streetsblog. Definitely required reading for organizations looking to expand their advocacy efforts to underserved communities.

• Yes, it’s dense (and 200 pages!) but AASHTO and the National Conference of State Legislatures just released an information-packed report that offers an overview of state transportation governance and financing in all 50 states and provides a “rich diversity of approaches… to address states’ transportation challenges and effectively serve the public good within what often are complex intergovernmental arrangements.”

• Many members of Congress understand that America is dangerously addicted to oil. A House task force on livable communities just published a short paper that highlights the importance of sustainable transportation for America’s future and includes Safe Routes to School and Complete Streets as policy solutions.

• If you couldn’t attend our Mutual Aid Call on “Bringing More Women into the Movement” last week, you missed a great discussion. But don’t worry: Click here for a handy Tip Sheet and call recording (to be uploaded shortly).

• Bike sharing is all the rage and cities across North America are excited about bringing Bixi and B-cycle to their communities. Check out this positive analysis from the National League of Cities.

• Love ‘em or hate ‘em, PETA knows how to get attention for its campaigns. Get some insight into their strategies — for better or worse — in their handbook on Effective Advocacy.

• Many advocacy organizations — the Alliance included — print plenty of materials to promote events and trainings. Here’s a short list of eco- and employee-conscious online printers courtesy of Progressive Exchange in Washington, DC.

• Have you donated to the Alliance 15th Anniversary Campaign yet? We joined other organizations, like Adventure Cycling and the Palmetto Cycling Coalition, in using Razoo for our online fundraising effort — a site that just happens to be listed on the “Top 12 Online Fundraising Platforms for Donors & Non-Profits” from Mashable.com

• Skittish about an upcoming interview? Never been on the radio before? Listen to this podcast from ThirdCoast featuring Kevin Hardman, the executive director of the Wisconsin Bicycle Federation, who’s cool, calm and collected as he gives a great overview of his group’s advocacy efforts.

If you have resources to share with other Alliance members, please e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Have a great weekend!

On April 1st, the Los Angeles City Council considered – and passed – an allocation of $1.2 million in funding for a citywide Safe Routes to School Plan.

Safe Routes to School programs are state and federal funding programs aimed to improve bicycle infrastructure within a two-mile radius of schools, including funding for education and encouragement programs. According to the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, 25 percent of school-aged children living in the City of Los Angeles are overweight, and parents driving their children to school accounts for 15 – 25 percent of the city’s morning traffic congestion. According to Jennifer Klausner, the Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, “Approving the funding for this plan is a progressive step toward making the streets around our schools safer and more inviting for children and families bicycling and walking to school.”

The plan will fund the first year of a two-year study that will use collision data to prioritize the city’s efforts and develop a meaningful approach to make communities more walkable and bikeable by pushing funding to the areas that need it most. The current approach has 15 city districts competing to submit projects to LADOT for each round of state DOT funding, and the areas in need of SRTS dollars don’t always win funding. According to Jessica Meaney, the California policy manager of Safe Routes to School National Partnership, the passage of this plan will create a more efficient strategy. “The city of LA is huge,” Meaney said. “It takes a lot of effort to prioritize areas of highest need. This strategy is looking to the long term.”

Included as part of the City of Los Angeles Bicycle Plan, a $5.47 million plan that will also fund new bike lanes, bike racks, and bicycle-friendly pavement markings, the SRTS plan will be financed with the Measure R local return dollars that LACBC and allies fought for last year. The passage of this plan will make the city more competitive, ensuring that it will receive future state and federal SRTS funds.

Keep up-to-date on the SRTS program in Los Angeles by following the Safe Routes to School National Partnership Media Center and the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition blog.

To shine the spotlight on the progress and victories of the bicycle and pedestrian advocacy movement, the Alliance for Biking & Walking is pleased to announce its 2011 Advocacy Award winners. Since 2009, the Alliance has solicited public nominations and recognized the individuals, organizations and business leaders who are propelling our People Powered Movement. This year, we honor the following winners from across North America.

Advocacy Organization of the Year- Bike Pittsburgh

On its face, Pittsburgh is a tough place to ride a bicycle. The streets are steep and twisting, and the winters are long and brutal. But bicycle mode share is up and the Steel City is charged up with new enthusiasm for active transportation. Why? Bike Pittsburgh. The advocates at BikePGH have been working hand-in-hand with government officials to get new infrastructure on the ground, partnered with the local companies to get the business community on board and created innovative programs, like Car Free Fridays, that are getting more people on bicycles. But BikePGH excels at more than the nuts and bolts of basic organizing. The members of their small staff are the best kind of ambassadors for the movement: They’re friendly, energetic and welcoming. The work and attitude of BikePGH are making Pittsburgh a mighty appealing place to ride… despite the tough terrain.

Advocate of the Year: Jackie Douglas, LivableStreets (Boston)

This award goes to an individual who has shown tireless commitment to promoting bicycling and walking in his or her community and serves as a role model for other advocates across North America. In 2010, there was no advocate more tireless or worthy of modeling than Jackie Douglas from LivableStreets in Boston. Having risen from the ranks of intern, Douglas never rests as executive director, working to improve conditions for cyclists and pedestrians; increase membership for the organization, bring in grant funding for its programming and act as the face of LivableStreets at near-daily public meetings, volunteer gatherings and public speaking events. For Douglas, working overtime is the norm and that tireless dedication shows in the sophistication and success of LivableStreets campaigns, including a Better Bridges initiative that’s tackling the tough task of getting better provisions for bicyclists and pedestrians on the region’s river crossings. Despite her busy schedule, Douglas is generous with her time, frequently sharing her experiences and insights with other advocacy leaders in Advocacy Advance reports and Alliance Mutual Aid Calls.

Business Advocate of the Year: New Belgium Brewing Company

In 2010 alone, New Belgium Brewing Company raised more than $330,000 for bicycle advocacy organizations with a nationwide event that blew the minds of more than 70,000 residents in 13 different cities. The Tour de Fat festival is an ingenious way to celebrate and elevate bicycle culture - and give back to the bike-ped movement. In each Tour city, New Belgium selected area nonprofits to receive the proceeds from the beer sales, funneling thousands of critical dollars into local advocacy efforts to improve biking and walking. In addition to the Tour de Fat, New Belgium Brewing promotes biking to the brewery for employees and visitors; provides a free bike to each employee upon their first anniversary; provides funding to many bicycling-related non-profits through its Community Grants program and sponsors dozens of bicycling events around the country.

Winning Campaign of the Year: Michigan Complete Streets

At the start of 2010, Michigan had just one local complete streets ordinance. By the end of the year, there were more than 20 communities with complete streets policies and the Governor had signed a new statewide complete streets law. That incredible and rapid transformation was sparked and spurred by advocates from the League of Michigan Bicyclists, who helped to create a powerful Michigan Complete Streets Coalition with more than 100 diverse member organizations. That powerful, unified voice led to the passage of a statewide complete streets bill, the adoption of policies in a number of communities and a new priority within the state Department of Transportation to plan streets that safely accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians. Thanks in large part to this Winning Campaign, the state that spent the last century focused on all things automotive is now leading the way in the Great Lakes region.

Best Practices Award: Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition

The Best Practices Award goes to an organization that serves as a model for other bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations. In 2010, countless individuals and a number of advocacy organizations drew information and inspiration from the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition. The LACBC’s City of Lights initiative elevated the conversation about “invisible cyclists” - men and women who ride bicycles but whose voices aren’t heard and needs aren’t acknowledged because of language or economic barriers. Through thoughtful outreach and, more importantly, true collaboration, the LACBC is changing the dialogue among city officials about urban planning, bringing new cyclists into the movement and, expanding the scope of the bike-ped movement to address critical issues of social and economic justice.

Susie Stephens Joyful Enthusiasm Award: Stephanie Routh, Willamette Pedestrian Coalition

The Susie Stephens Joyful Enthusiasm Award commemorates Alliance co-founder, Susie Stephens, commemorating her passion for biking and walking as fun and economical means of transportation and her commitment to creating a safe environment for all street users. This year we honor Stephanie Routh, executive director of the Willamette Pedestrian Coalition. In just two years, Routh has transformed the group from struggling-to-be-noticed to well-networked, in the news, and in demand for participation in regional active transportation forums. Stephanie has embraced this role with great enthusiasm, increasing the membership and volunteer base, building bridges to diverse communities and partnering with other active transportation organizations.

Innovation Award: Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling

The Innovation Award goes to an organization that’s pioneering or inventing new ways to promote biking and walking. In 2010, the Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling released a groundbreaking new resource: Guide to Reviewing Public Road Design and Bicycling Accommodations for Virginia Bicycling Advocates. The 28-page booklet simplifies and streamlines the confusing road design process with easy-to-follow flow charts, handy check lists and explanations that make sense to folks who don’t have a masters degree in urban planning. Almost immediately, FABB’s innovative guide was in high demand. Over the past six months, it has been widely distributed, well received by both advocates and transportation officials, and now FABB advocates are working on a template that other organizations can use to tailor the guide for their specific states and transportation jurisdictions.

Allison Mannos is working to reframe the concept of environmental justice. With the City of Lights program, Mannos and the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition are not just empowering immigrant cyclists, but challenging local officials to recognize the transportation needs of low-income neighborhoods as a critical social justice issue. Last week, the evolving initiative earned some ink and air time from GOOD magazine.

In the thoughtful story, GOOD highlights the history and objective of the still-young program. “The goals of the City of Lights program are ambitious, but the group started small, in response to complaints that immigrant bicyclists were riding on sidewalks at night (which is legal in the city of Los Angeles) but without lights or reflectors (which is not),” reporter Alex Schmidt writes. “City of Lights began distributing lights at day labor centers and were soon inundated with questions about routes and the intricacies of bike repair. Their next step was to open a weekly educational and bike repair workshop at a day labor center, south of downtown. In October, they were successful in getting the city to install bike racks in some of the poorest neighborhoods of Los Angeles. All small steps, the organizers concede. But they could be crucial ones in building momentum for big picture environmental justice.”

The article does a great job delving into that big picture issue, speaking not only with day laborers but an organizer with the Bus Riders’ Union. It explains Mannos’ efforts to integrate low-income neighborhoods into the city’s Master Bike Plan — an idea city officials were open to but had no idea how to implement. “So Mannos looked for models she could follow around the country but found next to nothing,” Schmidt reports. “She ended up doing the legwork herself, talking to 20 urban planners and submitting recommendations for how to target bike planning to lower-income areas. She recommended that the census, transit dependence, obesity and concentration of industrial sites all to be taken into account to determine the course of the city’s bike planning. She borrowed a recommendation from Seattle’s Master Plan, which offered suggestions for targeting amenities to low-income communities.”

To Mannos, that’s what the City of Lights ultimately aims to do. It’s not just about blinky lights and bike racks and weekly repair workshops. It’s about making bicycling — a necessary mode of transportation for those who can’t afford a car — safe and accessible for everyone.

“I think environmental justice is going to broaden to become increasingly more about urban planning, not just about factories and other important issues,” Mannos says in a companion video produced by GOOD. “It will be about the day-to-day lives that we lead and that’s shaped by housing, transportation and land use. My interest in that and in the City of Lights is how to address the people who don’t really ever get taken into account in these planning issues even though transportation is a major part of a low-wage worker’s life.”

Read the full story from GOOD here or learn more about the City of Lights program on its blog.

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.

The event was three weeks ago, but we’re willing to bet that folks in Los Angeles are still smiling about CicLAvia.

On 10-10-10, the City of Angels hosted its first open streets event, closing a 7-mile stretch to automobiles and throwing open the floodgates for car-free fun. The public rushed in: An estimated 50-100,000 participants showed up on foot, on bikes, on inline skates and plenty of other creative means of self propulsion to reclaim their public space.

The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition was a key partner in making the event possible and (wo)manned a pit stop in MacArthur Park. Over the course of the day, advocates supplied bicyclists and pedestrians with water, energy bars, air for their tires, LACBC brochures, and route information. But mostly they reveled in the unprecedented and off-the-chain atmosphere.

“Several families stopped by — many from the first ever MidDay Ridazz Family/Kids’ ride — and it gave us hope to see some of the future leaders of the bicycle movement out on their bikes, experiencing how fun and efficient bicycling can be,” membership manager, Carol Feucht, wrote on LACBC’s blog. “Props to the one kid who explained to a pit stop visitor and me what sharrows were and where we could find them. That’s a future LACBC employee right there!”

Over on Streetsblog LA, writer Damien Newton noted that, even residents who didn’t directly participate, benefited from CicLAvia. It wasn’t just the cyclists and pedestrian who were inspired by the wide open roads. The success of the event trickled far beyond the streets themselves. “CicLAvia touched hundreds of thousands of people, even if it was just that they heard laughing on their streets instead of cars honking their horns,” Newton wrote. Organizers hope to make that millions in 2011. Four days after the event, still basking in the success, the CicLAvia board met. They’re still in the early planning stages, but LA residents could be treated to as many as half-a-dozen LA open streets events next year.

The sooner the better: Feucht joked that Angelinos already are suffering from CicLAvia withdrawal, pondering the creation of a support group to ease the pain until the next event. “Our cheeks hurt from smiling so much, and we can’t wait until the next one,” Feucht added. “Sunday, October 10, 2010 will be remembered as the day Angelinos came together to reclaim their streets by playing in them.”

For a tiny dose of that day’s energy, check out the StreetsFilms above.

Last summer, the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition launched its City of Lights program to assist and empower the area’s many immigrant cyclists. The new initiative quickly led to the creation and distribution of more than 600 Spanish guides that cover the fundamentals of safe cycling.

Bridging the language gap is just the first step, though. The far bigger leap is addressing the lack of bicycling infrastructure in Central LA. But early in the campaign, City of Lights volunteers recognized a serious problem — with a relatively cheap and simple solution.

“Despite the affordability of cycling to work, some day laborers have told us about an unwillingness to bike to the day laborer center because of the threat of bicycle theft,” the City of Lights blog noted back in December. “The fences and poles that laborers use to lock up their bicycles often do not provide adequate visibility or assurance to potential cyclists.”

It wasn’t just the day laborer center that lacked safe parking options, either. When the City of Lights crew conducted a survey in late 2009 they discovered that the Pico-Union and Westlake neighborhoods — two of the city’s most densely inhabited areas with more than 140,000 residents within a five-mile radius — had a mere 53 bike racks. The scoping led to a list of 40 proposed bike parking locations submitted to the LA Department of Transportation, and a new Bike Parking Community Resource Guide for advocates and business owners.

Last week, LACBC celebrated a key victory in its parking campaign. Video cameras rolled and volunteers cheered as LADOT pounded four new bike racks into the pavement outside the CARECEN day labor center.

“This is a really important site, because it was the birthplace of City of Lights,” says Allison Mannos, the LACBC’s urban programs coordinator. “It also sets a precedent for low-income cyclists and working people who don’t own cars that their needs for safer neighborhoods, worksites, and streets are just as important. Having bike parking encourages such long-running ‘accidental environmentalism’ that working class people, such as day laborer cyclists, practice everyday.”

With the City of Lights program gaining steam, city officials promised CARECEN is just the first site of many to come. “LADOT is proud to partner with LACBC, CARECEN, and Councilmember [Ed] Reyes in providing adequate bicycle parking opportunities to some of the Angelinos who are most in need,” said Rita L. Robinson, LADOT General Manager.

Learn more about the exciting work of the City of Lights program here.

Photo: Allison Mannos, LACBC urban programs coordinator, celebrates with CARECEN’s Jose Veliz.

After nearly six years of delays, Los Angeles finally has its first sharrows.

This month, the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition celebrated the painting of the white icons that alert motorists of cyclists’ rights to the shared lane.

“For LACBC this marks a very important victory and we’re hoping today will be turning point for Los Angeles,” the LABC blog noted on June 11, the day city workers put paint to pavement. “Sharrows have been used in cities all across the U.S., in Canada and even in Australia. Los Angeles however had still not seen a single official shared lane marking.  But today we can say that LA has sharrows and they are here to stay.”

The LA Department of Transportation is planning sharrows on six streets, but the first pilots — on Fountain Avenue and Fourth Street — already are causing some debate. For instance, exactly where in the lane should the sharrow be painted for optimal efficacy? Eleven feet from the curb? Fourteen feet from the curb? Last week, the LABC weighed in on that, too.

“We understand the community’s concerns about proper placement of sharrows and we agree that in addition to getting sharrows on our streets the goal is to ensure that best practices are achieved,” the blog explained. “Moving forward, LACBC recommends that LADOT carefully consider alternate placement locations for sharrows depending on the lane width, traffic volume, size of parking lane, and other important factors that determine where they should be placed in order that sharrows are used effectively.”

Surf over to the LABC blog for more information.

In the wake of the stunning police behavior at the local Critical Mass ride last month, the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition hand delivered a strong message to the Mayor. The LABC called out Antonio Villaraigosa on the discrimination and disrespect area cyclists face at the hands of his police department and municipal government.

In less than a week, the Mayor responded, breaking his silence and standing, on the record, with cyclists.

In the LABC letter, Jennifer Klausner, the group’s executive director, says the needless violence at Critical Mass isn’t an isolated incident.

“Los Angeles police take cues from our built environment,” Klausner writes. “Our current street configurations and their lack of infrastructure for bike transportation show that bicyclists are not valued and not welcome here. We urge you to work with the LADOT to immediately implement multiple high-profile bicycle lane projects already approved… Further, we urge you to step forward and publicly voice your support for bicycling as a valid means of transportation in the City of Los Angeles. Your silence on bicycling issues has led many in the city’s cycling community to conclude that you oppose bicycling on our streets, and provides tacit support for those who do, both within the LAPD and other city departments, and with the public at large.”

The mayor responded quickly, specifically asking the group to post his message on its blog.

“Bicyclists have every right to use our City streets and to be treated with courtesy and respect — both by drivers and law enforcement,” Villaraigosa says in the statement. “I fully support LAPD Chief Charlie Beck’s efforts to improve the relationship between cyclists and police officers, and I was very disappointed to hear about the confrontation in Hollywood on May 28. The video from that night is disturbing. The LAPD is conducting a full investigation of this incident, and I have complete confidence in Chief Beck’s commitment to making the City’s streets safe for everyone.”

Will his “commitment” turn into action? Keep track of developments and read the full letter on LABC’s blog.

According to the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, “Last week, The South Bay Bicycle Coalition (SBBC) and LACBC were notified that they were awarded a RENEW grant from the LA County Department of Public Health to create a regional South Bay Bicycle Master Plan. This plan would aim to create an inter-jurisdictional bikeway system and connect cities in the South Bay region of Los Angeles.

To read more about it go to: lacbc.wordpress.com/2010/03/30/success-in-the-south-bay-south-bay-bicycle-coalition/

For some important facts about some of LACBC’s recent grants go to: lacbc.wordpress.com.”

The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) has just released a new report about cyclists and pedestrians across the city of Los Angeles, CA. L.A. Bike Count: Every Cyclist Counts is an in depth assessment of the use of the city’s public streets by bikers and walkers on a typical day for commuting and recreational purposes.

To produce this report, LACBC brought together and trained over 100 community volunteers who contributed hundreds of hours and counted over 14,000 cyclists and 60,000 pedestrians at over 50 strategic locations citywide. The count also included gender, helmet use, sidewalk riding, and riding on the wrong side of the street. All this information can be found in the report and is key in influencing and guiding future decision making about where to focus engineering, education, enforcement, and other improvements to increase bicycling and walking in LA.

Key findings, as mentioned in LACBC’s press release, include:

• Overall, women riders were in the minority, accounting for just 15% of all riders observed across the three time periods studied. This translates to a male-to-female ratio of 6:1. These findings speak to the need for safer streets to encourage women, children, and other risk-adverse groups to feel welcome on our public roads.
• Helmet use was highest during the weekday morning period (7:00 - 9:30 AM) when 49% of riders wore helmets. These baseline data may be useful for targeting educational campaigns promoting bike safety.
• Overall, 4% of bicyclists were observed riding on the wrong side of the street in any given intersection. However, only 2% of riders in intersections with bike infrastructure rode on the wrong side.
• Where bike paths and bike lanes are present, 17% of riders were seen riding on sidewalks, compared to 52% where there is no bike infrastructure.

To view the full report and description of LACBC’s efforts, visit http://la-bike.org/index.html

The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) is proud to announce that their involvement with the cities of Glendale and Burbank have led to momentous results in the two cities becoming bicycle friendly communities.

According to LACBC, “Due to our participation in Glendale as part of the Safe and Healthy Streets PLACE Grant, Glendale has started to take visible steps in becoming more bike friendly.” The most recent advancement is the newly painted sharrows, or shared roadway markings on some of Burbank’s neighborhood streets. These ‘sharrows’ are a relatively new street marking for bicyclists whose main purpose is to guide cyclists to ride outside the car door zone, where they could potentially collide with a door opened by a motorist.

In Burbank, LACBC welcomed the new Bicycle Master Plan that was adopted on December 15th, 2009. According to LACBC, “This plan offers visionary and creative options for the planning of bicycle infrastructure in Burbank and Los Angeles. LACBC was present at the adoption and brought up important points about how Burbank and Glendale could potentially work together to ensure mutually beneficial outcomes and good connectivity between the two cities.”

For more information visit http://www.la-bike.org/

According to the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC), “LACBC has worked steadily to increase bike safety among low-income cyclists at the Carecen Day Labor center in Macarthur Park. We have distributed over 100 front and rear bike lights, taught 2 bilingual bike safety workshops and will be hosting bilingual bike maintenance workshops in July and August.  We plan to host bike rides and other events for the summer, in the hopes of expanding to another day labor center.

Learn more about City of Lights Program

For more information on LACBC, click here…

More than 1,600 cyclists participated in Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition’s 9th Annual L.A. River Ride, making it the largest River Ride ever! The event is LACBC’s largest fundraiser and raises awareness of the need for bike path connectivity along the LA River.

For more information, click here…

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