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Yesterday, the National Complete Streets Coalition released an inspiring and informative new report, examining and rating more than 200 local and state Complete Streets policies from across the country. “Complete Streets Policy Analysis 2010: A story of growing strength” underscores the tremendous growth of the movement and highlights exemplary policies as helpful guidance for policy makers and advocates working on complete streets in their communities.

Just a few hours after the report’s release, the Alliance hosted the first discussion of this important analysis on our Mutual Aid call “Complete Streets: What Makes a Model Policy?” Stefanie Seskin, local and state policy manager for the Coalition and author of the report, kicked off the discussion with an overview of the findings and some insight into what it means for the movement.

“It’s really exciting to see this movement take off and see so many policies adopted that hit the 10 elements of an ideal Complete Streets policy,” she said. “We have at least one policy in 47 states and a state-level policy in 24 states, plus Puerto Rico and DC. Most of the policies have been adopted at the city level — about two-thirds — and the most common have been in suburbs of 300,000 or fewer. Most of the major cities are either in the process of adopting Complete Streets policies or have adopted them in the past few years. But small towns are well represented, too. One in five policies are in rural or small towns.”

But while the quantity is impressive, the new report also analyzes the quality of the measures, based on the 10 elements of an ideal Complete Streets policy. According to Seskin, the trend is toward “more comprehensive policies with more accountability” and the analysis identifies model policies for each element and the top policies overall. (Kudos to advocates in Connecticut, Minnesota and Missouri, who had multiple policies make the top 15!)

You can still catch Stefanie’s entire presentation by listening to the call recording.  And, of course, check out the blog post and full report from the Coalition.

In August 2008, the state of Massachusetts embarked on a massive $3 billion effort to shore up more than 100 dilapidated bridges. Advocates at LivableStreets in Boston seized the opportunity to bring the needs of bicyclists and pedestrians to the surface.

It just so happened that the most visible and badly deteriorated bridge was right in their backyard. The Longfellow Bridge connecting Boston and Cambridge was the centerpiece of MassDOT’s Accelerated Bridge Program. But, according to the Boston Globe, transportation planners didn’t have any intention of addressing the on-street design elements. Until they started getting an earful from advocates at Alliance organizations, like LivableStreets.

“Officials had been proceeding with plans to rebuild the Longfellow largely as is, but they put those plans on hold in May, acknowledging a growing chorus calling for something bolder — to make the Longfellow more of a bike-and-pedestrian-friendly extension of the Esplanade,” the newspaper reported last month.

LivableStreets was a key player in growing that chorus for a better, more bike-ped-friendly bridge. Since the start of the Accelerate Bridge Program, they organized supporters to write letters, attend public meetings and add their input. Because of that visible interest, the DOT established a task force to study the issues and make recommendations. Steven Miller, a board member for LivableStreets, was among those invited to the table.

It turned out, the task force wasn’t just for public show. In that same November article, Miller told the Globe that “the Department of Transportation deserves real credit for being open and listening and ending up much more flexible than anyone had anticipated in the beginning.’’ Last month, the task force released a raft of recommendations, many of which recognize the needs of non-motorized users.

Luisa Paiewonsky, the Department of Transportation’s highway administrator, told the Globe that the task force had prodded the DOT to take a more “modern outlook” on the bridge work and “substantially improve” conditions for folks commuting on two wheels and two feet. “There was strong consensus on the task force that the bridge needed to be able to better serve all of the groups and get them across the bridge safely,’’ Paiewonsky told the newspaper.

That’s the kind of language LivableStreets likes to hear. But their campaign is far from over. More details outlining how they’ve come this far and how they plan to move forward are included in the latest Advocacy Advance Report — Bridging the Gaps in Bicycling Networks: An Advocate’s Guide to Getting Bikes on Bridges.

Not to sound like a broken record, but the report is a must-read. And once you’ve put it down, we’re thinking you might want to chat with the report authors and inspiring advocates. So join us tomorrow for the “Learn from the Bridge Access Report” Mutual Aid Call at 3 p.m. EST. Jackie Douglas (pictured), the director of LivableStreets, will join us as a panelist, along with Eric Rogers of the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation and Don Sparks from Charleston Moves.

Add your ideas and experiences to the discussion on this critical topic. Click here to register.

Blogs are on the rise, print is in decline and the line between who’s a journalist and who’s just blowing smoke has become razor thin. So how do you get your message out in a constantly shifting media landscape? The Alliance hosted a Mutual Aid Call this week to tackle the topic.

As panelists, we hosted Tanya Snyder, a longtime radio reporter, print writer and the new editor of Streetsblog Capitol Hill, and Rachael Kefalos, the executive director of the Palmetto Cycling Coalition in South Carolina. For folks who couldn’t make the call, here are some of the tips from these media-savvy ladies.

Tips from Rachael…

Make sure your story is newsworthy.

• Special events and organized rides are one possibility. “This time last year we moved office by bicycle,” she says. “Because it had an interesting spin to it, it really caught the attention of local media, and, from that, grew several volunteers and partnerships.”

• Whenever the PCC holds bicycle education classes, Rachael makes sure she gets the listing in local calendars and after any training certifications she sends out a release congratulating the new League Cycling Instructors. The same goes for leadership changes on the PCC’s board — a press release to the state’s business journals might snag some coverage, especially if a newcomer has some name recognition.

• Finally, Rachael says, research reports and studies can lead to a wider discussion about the issues. “At the Charleston paper the [Alliance] Benchmarking Report instigated a really interesting project,” she said. “The journalist ventured out on bike to ride across the county, which is 90 miles. He did in one day and along the way he tweeted and took video footage and kept up a blog after. Out of that came a lot of really interesting dialog and several other stories he wrote about bicycling.”

Write a great press release.

• Rachael still relies on the standard press release, making sure she answers the five Ws (who, what, when, where, why) and comes up with a punchy, eye-catching headline.

• Never send the press release as an e-mail attachment, Rachael suggests, but cut and paste the text into the body of the e-mail, as well.

• And if there’s one key aspect of a winning press release, she adds, it’s good quotes “from real people, not just the bike-ped coordinator from the DOT, but somebody on the ground, who’s relatable.”

Build relationships with local reporters.

• “The most important principle for me is not just working with reporters but forming a relationship with them, which, in my experience really allows you be become a reliable resource,” Rachael says.

• Be sure to include your direct phone line and cell number on your business card and, when you meet a reporter make sure you get their direct line or cell, too, because it’s tough to track down in individual in a busy newsroom.

• If you get coverage, make sure you show your gratitude. “I always follow up with a thank you letter and phone call if a story was written or ran on the six o’clock news,” she says. “And even if an article is written about something not necessarily related to biking, I’ll send an e-mail saying, ‘That was a great article about traffic congestion,’ or whatever, just to extend that olive branch and make sure they know, hey, I’m here and I care about these things — don’t forget about me!”

Tips from Tanya…

Identify your intent.

• Make sure you know why you’re trying to get coverage. What’s your message and who do you want to get that message? For instance, if you’re trying to pressure lawmakers, make sure you’re targeting media that they read. Use their name. That’s sure to get their attention.

• Make sure you pitch the right reporter. If you haven’t identified the reporter at your local paper or station who covers transportation issues, talk to the assignment editor. “They’re the person policing all the assignments in that organization,” Tanya says.

• Don’t confine yourself to the city and state news section. “Be creative about what kind of coverage you can get,” Tanya says. “Biking and walking can be a lifestyle story. It can go in the art section if you have a certain action or event you’re doing. Maybe it goes in the business section if you’re talking about boosting the local economy. It can be in the sports section. So don’t limit yourself to the news section. There are many other pieces of the paper or broadcast that people are paying attention to.”

Think like a reporter.

• When you’re pitching a story, consider your news peg. Why is this relevant today, this week, this month? Anniversaries can be helpful. If there was a tragedy in your community last year and the dangerous conditions or inadequate infrastructure still exist, call attention to that issue on the one-year anniversary.

• Piggy-back on major news. “If there’s a big issue out there, like a highway expansion, put out your response,” Tanya suggested. Reporters will be looking for new and different perspectives; take advantage!

Find the right voice.

• “Get reporters in touch with real life stories…  not talking heads,” Tanya says. “Talking heads are useful, too. If I want stats or history or background, I want to talk to experts as well. But it’s easy for me to Google a bike coalition and find an expert. It’s much harder for me to get in touch with someone who just had an experience that maybe didn’t make the news.” Find the individuals in your organization or community who can be a compelling face for your issue — and are willing to talk to reporters.

• Make your soundbytes stand out. “Make sure everyone who talks to the media ha a good soundbyte,” she says. “We have an infinite use for 10-second, witty remarks.” Don’t come up with quotes that sound bureaucratic. Sum up your issue in a couple of sentences that stick to your mission and message, but push the envelope in style and substance. (One call participant suggested the Alliance work up a resource of witty soundbytes to serve as inspiration. We’re on it!)

• Write your own story. “There’s a huge need to just feed the beast, as reporters say, and get more and more content on the website, on the newscast,” Tanya says. “So if you can help us feed the beast and write something that’s good and not completely party line, we might take it. If it sound s one-sided or a commercial for your organization, probably not, but if you’re doing analysis of an issue, we might take it.”

For more tips, check out the “Working with the Media” materials from Rachael’s presentation at the 2010 Alliance Leadership Retreat.