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Entries tagged: Texas

Whether it’s in our Mutual Aid Calls or at our Leadership Retreat, we talk a lot about building an inclusive bike-ped movement that engages and involves all members of our diverse communities.

Advocates in the Lone Star State are putting that goal into action.

At its 75th Annual State Convention, the Texas NAACP honored Bike Texas with a President Award — “For going above and beyond the call of duty to develop interest in biking and green benefits from biking in the African American Community.”

The recognition was well deserved. “BikeTexas has a history of nurturing diversity, and bringing leaders into the bike culture,” the advocates note on their blog. One way they’re connecting with the black community is through organized rides with the NAACP in cities like Kileen and Houston. So it was only fitting that the advocates got folks pedaling at the NAACP Convention, too.

“Leaders from several NAACP chapters participated, including an enthusiastic group of collegiate chapter leaders,” Bike Texas wrote on its blog. “NAACP President Gary Bledsoe and Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price also participated in the ride. Brenda Chuleewah, Bike Texas’ Teacher Training and Program manager, was impressed with all of the women on the ride, saying the group was a broad mix of gender and age.”

According to Bike Texas: “This is the first time in the history of the NAACP that a bike advocacy group received an award for helping to create more diversity in the cycling culture. Bike Texas is honored to be a part of this historic moment.”

Keep track of Bike Texas’ efforts on its blog.

Photo: Robin Stallings, Executive Director of Bike Texas, receiving the award from NAACP president Gary Bledsoe.

When I was 16 years old, my family moved from Bern, Switzerland to Houston, Texas. Talk about culture shock. While there’s a lot to celebrate about the Lone Star State, active transportation ain’t exactly on the short list.

But that’s changing fast — thanks to the efforts of a growing number of bike-ped advocates and supportive policymakers.

Last week, an Action 2020 Workshop in my previous hometown of Houston captured and built on that progressive energy. Presented by Advocacy Advance, a partnership of the Alliance and the League of American Bicyclists, the workshop attracted nearly 60 stakeholders from 41 different organizations to discuss how to increase funding for biking and walking across the Houston region.

Read a recap from Darren Flusche, policy analyst at the League of American Bicyclists, on the Advocacy Advance blog. Or check out the review from BikeHouston, one of the event hosts.

With more Action 2020 Workshops planned in the New Year, click here to see if Advocacy Advance is coming to your region.

Winning Campaigns Trainings give you more than tips and tactics to plan a successful campaign. The Alliance’s three-day boot camp for advocates leaves participants energized, excited and prepared to take on new campaigns that reshape their communities.

Since 2009, the Alliance has worked with nearly 300 advocates from across the continent at our signature workshops. By working through the Winning Campaigns Training curriculum, those participants tweaked or launched hundreds of different campaigns to boost biking and walking in their communities.

Over the past few months, as we’ve held the first half of our 2011 series, we tried to give you a taste of this energy by sharing the rave reviews of participants. But, while we can give you a hundred testimonials, you have to experience the training yourself to understand its impact on how you plan and execute your campaigns.

In 2012, we’re giving you four opportunities to jumpstart your next winning campaign with the guidance of our expert facilitators and the assistance of your bike-ped peers. As you begin to plan out your 2012 budget, don’t forget to include space to attend this transformative training.

• January 13-15 in Tucson, AZ; Hosted by Living Streets Alliance
• April 27-29 in Boston, MA; Hosted by Livable Streets Alliance
• June 8-10 in Houston, TX; Hosted by Citizens’ Transportation Coalition
• October 19-21 in Kansas City, MO; Hosted by BikeWalkKC

Registration for each training is already open. Reserve your spot today.

And don’t forget about our final two training in 2011. The Alliance will be in Los Angeles, October 14-16, and in Columbia, SC, November 4-6.

This month, many Alliance leaders traveled to Washington, DC, to lobby their members of Congress during the National Bike Summit. But the politicos on Capitol Hill aren’t the only ones making critical decisions about biking and walking funding, policies and programs. State legislatures are in full swing and member organizations are providing a strong, vocal presence for bicyclists and pedestrians in virtually every state across the nation.

One example comes from BikeTexas. Just this past Monday, more than three dozen members of the statewide organization traveled to Austin for the biennial “Cyclists in Suits Lobby Day.” With neon bike pins shining from their lapels, they educated their elected officials on important bills and showcased the large constituency for bicycling in the Lone Star State.

“Cyclists from all over Texas split into small teams and met individually with transportation staffers in every legislative office at the Capitol — all 181 of them — to discuss key pieces of bike-friendly legislation filed this session,” Emma Cravey reports on the BikeTexas blog. “Chief among the bills shared was HB 1105 / SB 513, the Complete Streets bill. This legislation would ensure that new road construction and reconstruction projects consider all road users in their design — meaning cyclists, pedestrians, bus riders and the disabled — not just motorists… Volunteers also shared information about HB 1943, which would provide utility right-of-way for bike trails in Houston and El Paso, and HB 1583, which would require cyclists to use a red rear light at night.”

According to BikeTexas, legislators and their staff were “receptive and interested,” and advocates celebrated their success with a happy hour after a productive day creating and cultivating relationships with their elected officials.

Click here to follow the progress of key bills in Texas or read more about BikeTexas’ campaigns.

Photo: Cyclists in Suits 2011 Lobby Day (BikeTexas)

Late last month, the Texas Department of Transportation announced the recipients of more than $50 million in Safe Routes to School grants.

BikeTexas got a bundle: $1.4 million.

Of course, the seven-figure grant wasn’t out of the blue. The bicycle-advocacy organization has a long history pushing for Safe Routes to School in the Lone Star State. In 1999, when Minnesota Congressman James Oberstar needed a red state to gain bipartisan support for Safe Routes in the 2005 federal transportation bill, BikeTexas delivered. “We helped draft legislation in Texas and got it passed in 2001 and that became part of the federal Safe Routes program,” says Robin Stallings, the group’s executive director (pictured).

Even before that bill passed, BikeTexas created a curriculum that trains teachers to instruct students on bicycle and pedestrian safety. The success of the program led to a number of significant grants — including $1.3 million from the U.S. Department of Education between 2004 and 2007 — allowing BikeTexas to reach more than 200,000 kids each year. “We’ve worked in probably 120 school districts and we’ve trained about 4,000 teachers in bike safety — elementary PE teachers — who, in turn, have trained quite a lot of children,” Stallings says.

But even for the seasoned grant recipients, the $1.4 million — the result of three successful proposals — is significant.

“It’s big,” Stallings says.

It won’t just continue BikeTexas’ current education programs, but, hopefully, expand its reach. “One of the exciting things is that we’ve been concentrating on 4th and 5th graders, but we’re going to be able to broaden that and reach more kids with relevant material from K to 8,” Stalling says. “So it’s not a one-time thing; they get more on-going reinforcement.”

And TxDOT didn’t just back BikeTexas’ proven programs; it funded an innovative proposal, too. “The Safe Routes to School: Our Rich Texas History Program” will be a unique, online tool that combines physical activity with state heritage. “We’re going to develop a website so kids can log-in to learn about walking and biking, and, in the process, virtually travel along a historic or current Texas route or trail,” Stallings says.

To read more about BikeTexas and access their Safe Routes to School materials check out their information-packed website.

For the first time, Bike Texas co-hosted the Texas Trail and Active Transportation Conference with the Texas Trails Network on February 3-6, 2010.

Attendees included renowned speakers, city and state bike/pedestrian and Safe Routes to School coordinators, trail builders and advocates, elected officials, engineers and planners, and bike shop owners from around the state.

Bike Texas made clear at the conference that many of the improvements they want to see for biking and walking will only come with policy changes, and the vision and leadership of elected officials.  The combined attendance of speakers and attendees made the Texas Trails and Active Transportation Conference a great success and is sure to positively influence the state’s future in increasing walking and biking.

For more information visit BikeTexas.org

BikeTexas recently announced that on October 1, 2009 they began development of the new BikeTexas ParentsPlus Program. Accoring to BikeTexas, “The program is funded through a Texas Department of Transportation grant, and will provide parents, plus other adults concerned with bicycle and pedestrian safety, the certification training and resources necessary to develop neighborhood bicycling and walking events. These events will incorporate safety messages in a fun and healthy venue and will bring the safety lessons to the larger community, thus amplifying their effect.

The BikeTexas ParentsPlus Program includes: (1) training parents, plus other adults concerned with bicycling and walking safety, using the developed ParentsPlus training materials; (2) developing some of the safety materials in both English and Spanish; (3) continually revising and distributing the training materials; and (4) publishing print and web-based resource materials to reach a broader audience.

These activities will increase public information and education efforts on the rules of the road, use of safety equipment, and motorist awareness for sharing the road. They will also improve public education and information on safe walking and safe bicycling practices.” Read more from BikeTexas here.

According to BikeTexas, the new Texas Trails Specialty License Plate will benefit biking in Texas. “Once they are made available to the public for use on cars, motorcycles, trucks and trailers, the proceeds ($22 of the $30 annual fee) will benefit the BikeTexas Education Fund (501c3) Community Trails* programs.

The organization is now seeking help to choose the final design for the plate and help raise the fee required by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to begin production. BikeTexas must choose and submit the final design to TxDOT before Thanksgiving and must raise the $8,000 necessary to offset the fee. You can cast your vote (as many votes as you wish) on which design you like best and your $2 per vote, tax-deductible donation will help BikeTexas pay the required fees. Plus, your vote(s) will count towards which plate is chosen to represent Texas’ Trails! Click here to vote!

For more information on the new license plates, visit BikeTexas.

According to Bike Texas, the 2009 Safe Passing Bill, Senate Bill 488, was passed April 21 by the Texas State Senate by a vote of 28-2. Bike Texas says the strong showing of 75 cyclists at their annual bike lobby day, “Cyclists in Suits”, was a, “powerful factor in the sudden movement on Safe Passing in the Senate.” This was also a success for BikeDFW who rallies more than 40 people for a bus trip to Austin for the lobby day. Congrats!

For more information, click here…

According to BikeDFW (Dallas/Fort Worth), “April 20, 2009 will be a very important date in the history of bicycling in Texas. This is the day that bicycle riders in Texas go to Austin and help get the Vulnerable Road User bill passed into law. It is time for this to happen and will help future generations of cyclists and road users enjoy some piece of mind when they are out there enjoying our passions.” BikeDFW is again organizing their annual bus trip form Dallas and Fort Worth to Austin, TX to talk with their state representatives about bicycling. They will meet up with Cyclists in Suits’ organizers at Bike Texas, get briefed on how to talk to legislators, and head out to lobby for bikes.

For more information, click here…

According to the Texas Bicycle Coalition, ”The 2009 Safe Passing bill was filed in the Senate by Rodney Ellis (D-Houston) and John Carona (R-Dallas) as SB 488 on January 15th, and the companion bill was filed in the House by Linda Harper-Brown (R-Irving) as HB 827 on January 27th. The new Safe Passing Bill protects “vulnerable road users” including a pedestrian, runner, physically disabled person, child, skater, construction and maintenance worker, stranded motorist, equestrian, and person operating a bicycle, motorcycle, or unprotected farm equipment.”

To learn more about this proposed legislation for cycling, visit Bike Texas...