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Entries tagged: Women

Last week, at the 2012 National Bike Summit, the Alliance and the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals hosted the first-ever National Women Cycling Forum — and it was a huge success. More than 200 people attended the gathering, and the diverse panel of women from advocacy, history, diplomacy, racing, engineering and retail inspired and informed us with their unique experiences and insight.

We hope to continue that conversation with a free webinar on “Empowering Women to Bicycle for Transportation” on Wednesday, March 28th at 3 p.m. Eastern.

Since APBP inaugurated the Women Cycling Project in 2010, thousands of women have participated. This year’s webinar highlights programs and approaches that encourage women to bicycle on a more regular basis. Learn about Cycles for Change, the Minneapolis program that educates and empowers women of various cultures to use bicycles as transportation; Birmingham’s Magic City Cycle Chix, whose mission is to encourage women to mountain bike; and more.

The webinar will also include a brief update on:

• Outcomes of the National Women Cycling Forum
• Plans for the interactive Women Cycling website
• Update on transportation legislation in Congress

Sign up here! If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

The Alliance is pleased to announce the winners of the 2011 People Powered Movement Photo Contest.

With three new categories in 2011—Women, Diversity, and Open Streets—more than 1,700 photos were submitted from photographers across North America. After a public voting period, finalists and winners were selected by a diverse panel of judges and Alliance staff.

“To increase biking and walking, advocates need access to quality photos that convey the power and possibility of a self-propelled lifestyle,” said Carolyn Szczepanski, Alliance Communications Coordinator. “The images submitted to the People Powered Movement Photo Contest will serve as a practical and inspirational resource for state and local leaders across North America.”

Rachel Schell, a photographer from Spokane, WA, won the overall grand prize for “Flying” and will receive an all-expenses-paid, 10-day bike trip to Tuscany, Italy, from VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations. Liv Ames from San Jose, CA, won second place overall for her photo “Vancouver Foot Traffic,” and Russell Roca of Corvallis, OR, took third place overall for his “Biking Family” image.

Partnering with the Alliance to share these images with a wider audience, Momentum magazine is featuring winning photographs from all seven contest categories in its March/April 2012 issue. “The best and most captivating way to encourage biking and walking is to see others doing it, so the second best way is to see this in photos,” said Mia Kohout, publisher of Momentum magazine. “We’re excited to have the opportunity to publish such outstanding works, and we’d like to extend a special congratulations to the winners!”

Visit www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org/photocontest to view winning photos in all categories. All photos will be incorporated into the Alliance Photo Library by April 1.

PHOTO: Grand Prize winner, “Flying” by Rachel Schell

Sue Macy, author of Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way), will appear as the keynote speaker at the inaugural National Women Cycling Forum. The forum will be held on March 20 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in conjunction with the 2012 National Bike Summit.

Women still cycle at much lower rates than men in the United States—making up just 24 percent of bike trips in 2009. But that trend is shifting. This Forum will be the first national gathering specifically dedicated to raising awareness about and discussing how to engage more women in bicycling.

“This critical topic and rising energy is gathering momentum across the country as more women of all backgrounds are starting to ride or getting more involved in the movement,” said Carolyn Szczepanski, Communications Coordinator for the Alliance for Biking & Walking. “We’re eager to start a continuing conversation aimed at increasing the number of women who bicycle for transportation and recreation.”

Sue Macy will provide unique inspiration to kick off that discussion. Among other accolades, Wheels of Change was named to the 2011 Best Books lists from the Washington Post and the San Francisco Book Review. “Ms. Macy wrote a captivating book about the bicycle’s historic role in women’s empowerment, and we hope this forum will be the catalyst to begin closing the gender gap in today’s cycling environment,” said Kit Keller, Executive Director of the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals.

In addition to the keynote presentation from Macy, other confirmed speakers include:

• Elysa Walk, General Manager, Giant Bicycles Inc.
• Marla Streb, former World Mountain Bike Champion
• Andrea Garland, Planner, Alta Planning + Design
• Veronica Davis, Founder, Black Women Bike D.C. 
• Kimberly White, Youth Advocate, Recycle-A-Bicycle
• Nelle Pierson, Events Coordinator, Washington Area Bicyclist Association

Registration is free, and everyone is encouraged to attend. Sign up at www.nationalwomencyclingforum.eventbrite.com.

On March 21, the conversation will continue with a Women Cycling Social at Busboys & Poets from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Both events are co-hosted by the Alliance for Biking & Walking and the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals and generously sponsored by Giant Bicycle Inc., CLIF Bar, the League of American Bicyclists and the National Center for Bicycling and Walking.

For more information, questions, or sponsorship opportunities, contact Carolyn Szczepanski at (202) 449-9692 x2 or Carolyn@peoplepoweredmovement.org.

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.

It was a day or two into the 2010 Alliance Leadership Retreat when Alexis Lantz stood up during lunch. The Planning and Policy Director from Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition had a proposal that energized every female leader in the room: The convening of a Women’s Caucus (pictured above).

That gathering at the Leadership Retreat was short, informal — and incredibly inspiring. There was so much to talk about: issues we face as women within our own organizations and the broader movement; how we increase the number of women in bicycle advocacy and boost female mode share out on the streets; how we stay better connected in the time between retreats and summits, building community and sharing ideas to deal with collective challenges and opportunities.

The Women’s Caucus carved out just a tiny window within the tight schedule of dozens of other sessions, but, at least speaking for myself, it was the most powerful and memorable moment from the entire weekend. With little time to develop specific next steps, we had to keep the outcome simple. The main consensus: Let’s keep the conversation going.

We knew we weren’t the only ones talking about these issues. Shortly before the Leadership Retreat, in mid-2010, the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals conducted a Women Cycling Survey — and participation was through the roof. More than 11,000 women in the U.S. shared all sorts of information about why they bike, what would make them bike more and a wealth of other opinions and experiences. The insight gained from the (non-scientific) survey was not only revelatory; it was also an incredible spark for a lively discussion at conferences and online.

Clearly, women want to talk about bicycling. And our voices are getting more numerous and more prominent.

According to the Alliance 2012 Benchmarking Report, women are still vastly outnumbered by men, accounting for just 24 percent of bike trips in 2009. But that trend is shifting. A growing number of women from all backgrounds and communities are beginning to ride and getting more involved in the bicycle movement. As female leaders and cyclists, we’re eager to learn from our peers, share our experiences and explore ideas to engage more women.

So, like we said at the Leadership Retreat, let’s continue the conversation. Attend the first-ever National Women Cycling Forum on March 20, 2012 from 2-4 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, DC.

Hosted by the Alliance and APBP, this forum will provide insight from a diverse panel of women in bicycle advocacy, engineering, government and industry. It will foster collective discussion about best practices, creative ideas and potential next steps in addressing the pervasive gender cycling gap at a national and local level. And it will invite input on the Women Cycling Project—a joint effort of the Alliance and APBP to create a new, interactive, online presence for women cyclists and advocates.

This event will be held in conjunction with the 2012 National Bike Summit—and your presence at this annual event has never been more important. Congress is making important and long-term decisions about the next federal transportation bill and women’s voices and stories are essential to preserving billions in funding for bicycling projects and programs across the country. We’re on the brink of losing the hard-fought progress of the past 20 years and we need a HUGE turn-out at this year’s summit. (Register by February 20 to save $100.)

When you make your DC travel plans, make sure you arrive in time for the National Women Cycling Forum on Tuesday, March 20 from 2 to 4 p.m. This event is open to all interested attendees—both women and men. Sign up for the Forum here, so you’ll get all the details in coming weeks, including the line-up of panelists. And, please, start sharing the link as widely as possible!

Plus, mark your calendars for a Women Cycling Social on Wednesday, March 21 from 6 - 8 p.m. at Busboys and Poets, a very cool venue just a few blocks from the Summit hotel. Stay tuned for details.

Interested in sponsorship opportunities? Have additional questions? Contact Carolyn@PeoplePoweredMovement.org.

According to 2009 data, women account for just 24 percent of bicyclists in the U.S. But, on Monday night, female cyclists of all ages and abilities packed the house for a new event hosted by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association.

An innovative evening of collective brainstorming, the Women’s Bicycling Forum convened nine female panelists who shared their bicycle stories and discussed ideas to close the gender gap. Nearly 80 ladies showed up to observe the lively conversation among the diverse bicycling “experts” and toss in their two cents on the timely and important topic.

The forum was the brainchild of Jesse Cohn, WABA’s Women’s Outreach and Advocacy Intern, a new position the organization created this fall. I had the pleasure of meeting with Cohn as she interviewed a number of women in the DC region about what keeps ladies from getting on bikes and how we can convert the large pool of interested-but-concerned riders. I cited some of the work of other Alliance member organizations, like the new Family Biking Guide produced by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and the “Women on Wheels” bicycle education classes offered by Marin County Bicycle Coalition.

For Cohn, the one-on-one insight was a prelude to a more public conversation. As she noted on the WABA blog: “I conceived of the Women’s Bicycling Forum as a way to jumpstart a conversation about this huge topic, bringing together a group of women to discuss the barriers and brainstorm the solutions.”

At least in DC, women are clearly hungry for that discussion; the response was so fast and furious WABA had to claim a bigger room in the West End Library.

To kick off the evening, Cohn set the statistical stage, noting that DC is actually a leading city when it comes to gender parity; more than 30 percent of area cyclists are women. But that pales in comparison to countries like Denmark and the Netherlands where the split is 50-50 — or higher. “We can aim for that one-to-one ratio,” Cohn said. “It is possible.”

That sentiment was shared by the panel, which included:

• Fionnuala Quinn, an engineer with Alta Planning + Design and Vice Chair of the Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling
• Katie Knight, General Manager of Revolution Cycles
• Kate Ryan, reporter for WTOP radio station
• Veronica Davis, urban planner and founder of Black Women Bike DC
• Ellen Jones, Director of Infrastructure & Sustainability at the DowntownDC Business Improvement District and former executive director of WABA
• Heather Deutsch, trail planner for the DC Department of Transportation
• Tracy Hadden Loh, Director of National Transportation Enhancements Clearinghouse at the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
• Liz Sherwood, manager at Bicycle Space
• Katie Sihler, Program Director for goDCgo

The conversation and interaction among the panelists was both engaging and inspiring as they spoke truthfully and passionately about their experiences and ideas. The energy was palpable and WABA captured some of the choice quotes with their live Twitter feed from the event.

Just one of the comments that earned an audible amen from the crowded room came from Tracy Hadden Loh: “This is a movement that’s almost totally led by white men,” she said. That certainly sounded familiar to me.

In 2010, at the Alliance Leadership Retreat, a number of female advocates came together as a Women’s Caucus, and addressing the perception and reality of a male-dominated movement was one of the key issues that drove the discussion. We already knew we weren’t the only ones who considered this an important topic. The Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals had just completed its Women’s Cycling Survey — and garnered insight from 13,000 women across the U.S.

The consensus at the informal Caucus was clear: We need to create a stronger network of female leaders by providing a venue where we can discuss our experiences, share best practices and get more women involved in the movement. Since then, I’ve been working with a number of advocates and Kit Keller, the executive director of APBP, to create just such a space that centralizes knowledge and fosters community among women bicyclists.

Stay tuned in coming weeks for ways you can get involved in the Women’s Cycling Project. In the meantime, read more about the Women’s Bicycling Forum on the WABA blog.

Photo credit: WABA

Online voting opens today for the 2011 People Powered Movement Photo Contest.

Presented by the Alliance for Biking & Walking, the contest has received more than 1,500 photo submissions from participants across the continent. Now you’re invited to help decide who will win an all-expenses-paid biking or walking trip to Italy and a host of other prizes.

The second People Powered Movement Photo Contest aims to both celebrate the beauty and energy of active transportation and continue to build an online library of high-quality images that can be used by bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations across North America.

Starting today and running through November 30th, members of the public are invited to vote for their favorite photos on the contest website. Each participant can vote for up to 10 photos in each of the seven contest categories.

Once the public vote has nominated the contest finalists, a panel of expert and advocate judges from across the continent will then determine the winners.

The overall grand prize is an all-expenses-paid, 10-day biking or walking trip to Italy, from VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations. Additional prizes include, a new bicycle from PUBLIC Bikes; bags from Ortlieb; lights from Planet Bike: gear from Fyxation; helmets from Bern. All first-place photos will also be featured in a 2012 issue of Momentum magazine.

To view the photos and cast your vote, visit www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org/PhotoContest

There’s just ONE DAY left to enter your best images of biking and walking in the 2011 People Powered Movement Photo Contest.

The submission period ends TODAY, October 31st, at midnight EDT. Don’t miss your chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip from VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations!

The 2011 Photo Contest aims to both celebrate the beauty and energy of active transportation and continue to build an online library of high-quality images that can be used by bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations across North America. Categories include:

• Advocates in Action
• Biking
• Biking and Walking
• Diversity / Equity / Building an Inclusive Movement
• Open Streets / Ciclovias
• Walking
• Women

Additional entrants in the Women, Diversity and Open Streets categories are particularly encouraged!

Individuals can submit up to 20 photo entries via the contest website until midnight, TONIGHT, October 31. From November 1st to 31st, public voting will determine the finalists in each category. A panel of expert and advocate judges from across the continent will then determine the winners.

The overall grand prize is an all-expenses-paid biking or walking trip to Italy, from VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations. Additional prizes include: A new bicycle from PUBLIC Bikes; bags from Ortlieb ; lights from Planet Bike; gear from Fyxation; helmets from Bern and more! Plus, all winning photos also will be featured in the March 2012 issue of Momentum magazine.

Enter TODAY at www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org/PhotoContest

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me at Carolyn@PeoplePoweredMovement.org.

Photo: You could win a biking (or walking) trip to Italy from VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations!

Imagine riding your bike through Tuscany, Italy — pedaling through picturesque medieval villages, cruising down country lanes lined with olive trees, hopping off your bike to explore white beaches and sip wine in local vineyards.

Picture yourself strapping on your walking shoes and traversing the cool, shaded hillsides of Italy’s Amalfi Coast, wandering through chestnut forests and lemon groves and learning culinary secrets from locals, with shimmering azure waters never out of view.

Well, here’s your chance to turn your best pictures of biking and walking into the trip of a lifetime!

The Alliance invites you to submit your images in the 2011 People Powered Movement Photo Contest. This contest aims to both celebrate the beauty and energy of active transportation and continue to build an online library of high-quality images that can be used by bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations across North America. Categories include:

• Advocates in Action
• Biking
• Biking and Walking
• Diversity / Equity / Building an Inclusive Movement
• Open Streets / Ciclovias
• Walking
• Women

Additional entrants in the Women, Diversity and Open Streets categories are particularly encouraged!

Individuals can submit up to 20 photo entries via the contest website until October 31. From November 1st to 31st, public voting will determine the finalists in each category. A panel of expert and advocate judges from across the continent will then determine the winners.

The overall grand prize is an all-expenses-paid biking or walking trip to Italy, from VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations. Additional prizes include: A new bicycle from PUBLIC Bikes; bags from Ortlieb ; lights from Planet Bike; gear from Fyxation; helmets from Bern and more! Plus, all winning photos also will be featured in the March 2012 issue of Momentum magazine.

Enter today at www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org/PhotoContest

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me at Carolyn@PeoplePoweredMovement.org.

Don’t fall asleep at the wheel and miss your chance to win an all-expenses-paid biking or walking trip to Italy! Enter your best pictures in the 2011 People Powered Movement Photo Contest today.

With more than $8,000 in prizes for the winning entries, the Alliance invites professional, amateur and advocate photographers to celebrate the beauty and energy of active transportation and continue to build an online library of high-quality images that can be used by bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations across North America.

Don’t wait: There’s just one month left to submit your photos in the following categories:

• Women: Historically, men have far outnumbered women in active transportation in the U.S. - but that’s changing quickly. We want to see college women pedaling to class, female professionals using bike share to commute to work, mothers walking their kids to school, female advocates and engineers leading the charge to make their communities more bicycle and pedestrian friendly and more…

• Diversity / Equity / Building an Inclusive Movement: This category includes photos of the faces and efforts of the incredible diversity of people, from all racial and economic backgrounds, who walk and bike for transportation and recreation in their unique neighborhoods. Submit your images of Major Taylor Bicycle Club events, social justice rides, transportation equity rallies, outreach efforts to non-English-speaking communities, classes and bicycle giveaways at community cycling centers, recycle-a-bicycle programs and more…

• Open Streets / Ciclovias: Open Streets temporarily close streets to automobiles, allowing residents to walk, bike, skate, dance and utilize the roadways in countless creative and active ways. From Los Angeles to New York to Miami, Open Streets have become an effective and high-energy means to build community, promote active transportation and reconnect neighborhoods divided by traffic. We want to see how your community is engaging in this growing movement.

• Walking: Photos of walkers and pedestrians moving their feet for fitness or mobility.

• Advocates in Action: Images of biking and/or walking advocates making the case for active transportation.

• Biking: Photos that showcase the joy and utility of bicycling for transportation and recreation.

Individuals can submit up to 20 photo entries via the contest website until September 31. From October 1st to 31st, public voting will determine the finalists in each category. A panel of expert and advocate judges from across the continent will then determine the winners.

The overall grand prize is an all-expenses-paid biking or walking trip to Italy, from VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations. Additional prizes include: A new bicycle from PUBLIC Bikes; bags from Ortlieb ; lights from Planet Bike; gear from Fyxation; helmets from Bern and more! Plus, all winning photos also will be featured in the March 2012 issue of Momentum magazine.

Enter your photos by September 31 at http://www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org/PhotoContest.

With more than $8,000 in prizes for the winning entries, the Alliance invites all members of the public to submit their best images of biking and walking to the 2011 People Powered Movement Photo Contest.

The contest aims to both celebrate the beauty and energy of active transportation and continue to build an online library of high-quality images that can be used by bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations across North America.

In 2009, more than 2,000 photographs were submitted in the first Alliance photo contest. Today marks the launch of the 2011 contest. Once again, categories include biking, walking, and advocates in action. New in 2011, the People Powered Movement Photo Contest invites photos in additional categories, including:

• Women
• Equity / Building an Inclusive Movement
• Open Streets (Ciclovias)

From August 1st to September 30th, individuals can submit up to 20 photo entries via the contest website. From October 1st to 31st, public voting will determine the finalists in each category. A panel of expert and advocate judges from across the continent will then determine the winners, to be announced in March 2012.

The overall grand prize is an all-expenses-paid, 10-day bike trip to Tuscany, Italy, from VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations. Additional prizes include:

• A new bicycle from PUBLIC Bikes
• Bags from Ortlieb
• Lights from Planet Bike
• Gear from Fyxation
• Helmets from Bern
• Socks and subscriptions from Bicycle Times

All winning photos also will be featured in the March 2012 issue of Momentum magazine.

To learn more or enter, visit PeoplePoweredMovement.org/PhotoContest

It was a social ride, but Wendi Kallins couldn’t help falling into the role of instructor. The Safe Routes to School director for the Marin County Bicycle Coalition was accustomed to helping kids get comfortable on bikes. But this was a different audience.

“I went biking with a gaggle of my women friends, all of whom hadn’t been biking for a long time, and all were very nervous,” Kallins says. “I’m not an instructor myself, but I started telling them how to change gears and get control of their bikes and they all said, ‘Oh, this is so much better.’”

So last spring, inspired by the effect of that informal education and hoping to reach more interested women, the MCBC created a female-focused training that caters to the entire spectrum of lady cyclists. This weekend, Women on Wheels will roll out its second round of classes.

The California advocates tailored the beginners’ course on the fundamental bike skills outlined in John Ciccarelli’s widely used curriculum. With many adults having mothballed their bikes since youth, that first class filled up fast; so fast that some ladies had to be placed on a waiting list. The three-part training lived up to the excitement, too. The feedback, Kallins says, was overwhelmingly positive.

“They were really comfortable with the pace and the lack of competitiveness that often comes when you have a mixed group,” she explains. “Men tend to want to push themselves and women are more interested in getting the skill sets. Not that women don’t push themselves, but men seem to take more risks. So everyone was very comfortable and really enjoyed it. They took numbers and wanted to keep in touch to keep riding together.”

Many of those women were also ready to move beyond the ABCs of bicycling. “Some of the women in the beginning class said it was too basic for them,” Kallins says. The MCBC was ready for that; the Women on Wheels program also offers an intermediate track. The three-part course builds participants’ confidence and directly addresses some of the practical challenges of riding in Marin County.

“One of the things that was most popular was the hill climbing,” Kallin says of hte intermediate class. “Because, where we live, if you can’t climb a hill, you won’t get very far. So they learn to get up those hills — and get down.”

This weekend, MCBC is kicking off another series of Women on Wheels classes. But Kallin is already thinking about the next effort to get more ladies on bicycles. “The next level I want to do is ‘Moms on Wheels,’” she says.

“The impetus is really, with all these years of Safe Routes to School more kids are walking, but the kids who bike are the kids who come from biking families,” she explains. “Because too many moms don’t know how to bike themselves, I want to combine some elements of our Riding with Youth Class with elements of Women on Wheels, to get more moms confident about riding with their kids.”

Click here to read more about Women on Wheels.