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Entries tagged: Rapid Response Grants

When you think of New Orleans, what comes to mind? The tragic reminds us of Hurricane Katrina and the devastation that followed it and still remains. The celebratory conjures up images of parades, trombones, and music flowing into the streets. Those streets – destroyed, recovering, or flourishing with jazz – are the focus of Bike Easy, and local advocates are working to ensure that bicycles are included in how we use them.

Last week, the Louisiana State Legislature drafted a bill that would create $40 million in new revenue to invest in infrastructure improvements in New Orleans’ “Hospitality Zone” (The French Quarter and Central Business District). The bill would allow a citywide election on tourist tax increases that are estimated to bring in over $12 million per year. The timing is aligned with the 2013 Super Bowl, which will be held in NOLA.

The Department of Public Works has been asked to start designing these projects that include resurfacing projects and on-street bike parking infrastructure in NOLA’s historic district.

“The good news is that several improvements are being considered for pedestrian crossings such as pedestrian heads, new medians, pedestrian sanctuaries and tree plantings to calm traffic,” says Jamie Wine, Executive Director of Bike Easy. “However, only a few will have the minimum in bicycle facilities (shared-lane markings) and minimal way-finding signage, even though there is room on the street for much more progressive treatments such as cycle tracks and bicycle lanes.” Currently, a traffic study is required to eliminate a lane of traffic or parking.

Bike Easy has been awarded a $3,000 Advocacy Advance Rapid Response Grant to support their advocacy efforts to include bicycle infrastructure in these improvements. They will use funds to conduct a grassroots campaign and to lobby elected officials and Department of Public Works planners and engineers to allocate money for traffic studies.

In the long-term, these critical corridors are important to connect the Mississippi River Trail across the downtown core with bike lanes, boulevards and separated facilities.  Using new state funding sources to improve bicycle facilities on these roads will also demonstrate implementation of Louisiana’s Complete Streets Policy, passed last July and encourage a change in agency culture to include bicycles by default in road projects.

Advocacy Advance will be in NOLA in November for an Action 2020 Workshop to further work with advocates, agency staff and elected officials to identify opportunities to increase federal transportation funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects in New Orleans and Louisiana.

Inquiry proposals for Advocacy Advance’s Capacity Building Grants are due this Friday, March 9.

This year, $25,000 in grants will be awarded to support the development and professionalization of state and local advocacy organizations to increase rates of biking and walking. These matching grants, funded by Planet Bike, can be used for campaigns that will support organizational development, hire staff, increase membership, and other tools to foster a sustainable advocacy organization.

Refer to the Advocacy Advance Grants FAQs document for a summary of the common questions, as well as additional information on the grants and application process.

Advocacy Advance is pleased to offer an additional $35,000 in Rapid Response Grants in 2012 to help state and local organizations take advantage of unexpected opportunities to win, increase, or preserve funding for biking and walking.

Advocacy Advance — a partnership of the League of American Bicyclists and the Alliance for Biking & Walking, funded by SRAM — has awarded more than $600,000 in grants and scholarships to member organizations since 2009. In addition to grants, the Advocacy Advance team provides resources, technical assistance, coaching, and training to bike/ped advocacy organizations around the country.

If you have any questions, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call her at 202-621-5442.

This week, the Federal Highway Administration announced a huge pot of money won’t be doled out by Congressional earmarks, but rather by a competitive, merit-based process that will direct dollars to the most effective projects. And the best news: Bicycle and pedestrian projects are eligible for virtually every dime.

The $422 million is coming from 11 funding programs and applications are due June 3. The programs include:

• Delta Region Transportation Development – $10 million
• Ferry Boat – $47 million
• Highways for LIFE – $20 million
• Innovative Bridge Research and Deployment – $4.5 million
• Interstate Maintenance – $100 million
• National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation – $9 million
• National Scenic Byways – $43.5 million
• Public Lands Highways – $98.5 million
• Rail Highway Crossing Hazard Elimination in High Speed Rail Corridors – $21 million
• Transportation, Community, and System Preservation – $61 million
• Truck Parking Facilities – $7.5 million

How do ferry boats and Highways for LIFE relate to bike/ped projects? Darren Flusche, policy analyst for the League of American Bicyclists and Advocacy Advance team member, spells it all out on the League’s blog. “Bicycle and pedestrian projects are eligible for almost all federal-aid transportation programs,” he notes, but, perhaps the most promising pot is the $61 million available through the Transportation, Community, and System Preservation program.

“TCSP could potentially be a significant opportunity for bicycle and pedestrian projects, an FHWA official told me,” Darren writes. “Many previous TCSP projects have benefited pedestrians and bicyclists. States, MPOs, and local governments can receive grants for projects that will ‘improve the efficiency of the transportation system, reduce environmental impacts of transportation, reduce the need for costly future public infrastructure investments, ensure efficient access to jobs, services and centers of trade, and examine development patterns and identify strategies to encourage private sector development patterns which achieve these goals.’ Livability is the first criterion listed.”

We know May is a busy month, not just with Bike to Work events, but with federal asks, too. We also understand that a June 3 deadline for applications is a tight window. But this is a huge opportunity to draw down federal dollars for bike/ped projects. As Darren points out on the blog: “If advocacy groups are aware of eligible projects, they should work with the appropriate elected and agency officials to develop a proposal.”

If there’s a project in your area, please take advantage of the knowledge and resources available from the Advocacy Advance program and its staff. Also, check out the description of our Rapid Response Grants if you need quick, short-term funding to get an application together.

For questions or assistance, contact Brighid O’Keane, the Alliance’s Advocacy Advance Program Manager, at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Join us this Thursday, April 7th at 3 p.m. Eastern for a question-and-answer call for prospective applicants for Advocacy Advance Capacity Building Grants. Click here to register for the call.

Capacity Building Grants support the development and professionalization of state and local advocacy organizations to increase rates of biking and walking. Click here for a detailed outline, including guidelines, criteria and other requirements.

Advocacy Advance is a partnership of the Alliance and the League of American Bicyclists. This year, a total of $125,000 in awards will go to organizations applying for Model, Rapid Response, and Capacity Building Grants. Visit the new Advocacy Advance website, to learn more about our three types of grants.

If you have any questions, contact Brighid at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). If you can’t make it, a recording of the call will be posted early next week. If you missed last week’s Q&A call on Model Grants, click here for the recording.

By Brighid O’Keane, Advocacy Advance Program Manager

Advocacy Advance is pleased to announce that the 2011 grant cycle is now open.

This partnership between the League of American Bicyclists and the Alliance for Biking & Walking, funded by SRAM, has awarded more than $500,000 in grants and scholarships to Alliance member organizations since 2009. In addition to grants, the Advocacy Advance team provides necessary resources, technical assistance, coaching, and training to bike/ped advocacy organizations around the country.

The third year of Advocacy Advance brings a new focus to the grant program. A total of $125,000 in awards will go towards organizations with campaigns aimed at maximizing federal transportation spending on biking and walking at the state, regional, and local levels.

Inquiry forms are now accepted for the Model and Capacity Building Grants. In addition, Rapid Response Grants will be awarded on a rolling basis for organizations met with unexpected opportunities to win, increase, or preserve funding for biking and walking. Visit our website to learn more about the grant goals, timeline, and application process.

If you have any questions about the Advocacy Advance partnership or the 2011 grants, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), and we will happily assist you in your application.