Flusche joined the League in April 2009 and has a B.A. in history from Syracuse University and a Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in public policy analysis from New York University.
Caron Butler first hit the bike scene five years ago with his 3D Bike Brigade. Since then, his organization has provided more than 3,000 bikes for underprivileged children. “The Bike Brigade which I created in 2005, is a program that is all about getting kids on bikes, and keeping them active, healthy and most importantly out of trouble,“ said NBA All-Star Butler.
Butler, looking to expand the reach of his program, partnered with the League this year and participated in our June ride down the, then newly installed, bike lanes on D.C.’s Pennsylvania Ave. The League’s mission to create a bicycle-friendly America through advocacy and education clicked with Butler’s dreams of a country where all of our children get to enjoy the freedom and fun of riding a bicycle. The Crown Prince of Denmark Frederik André Henrik Christian, the Ambassador of Denmark Friis Arne Petersen, and Chairmen Jim Oberstar (D-MN) and Tom Petri (R-WI) also joined the ride.
Butler on the June 7 ride down Pennsylvania Ave.'s bike lane
The League and Butler’s partnership, along with the royal ride, gave the Brigade a national platform. Now, six months later, Butler has teamed with President Obama’s Million PALA Challenge — Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (reported in USA Today). The PALA will be given to youth who complete 60 minutes of physical activity a day, at least five days a week, for six weeks and log their activity online at PresidentsChallenge.org.
“I am excited to use … (the Bike Brigade) … to promote the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award. Together, we will be able to reach even more kids with the powerful message of leading healthy lifestyles and staying fit through cycling and regular activity,” said Butler.
The League is extremely proud of Butler’s initiative and commitment to get more children on bicycles. We look forward to future efforts.
Meghan Cahill League Director of Communications
Cahill joined the League in December 2008 and has a BA in Media Communications with a concentration in Italian Studies from the College of Charleston.
The call is today at 3:00 EST. Please register by noon eastern today. If you are not a member of the Alliance for Biking and Walking, email Jeremy Grandstaff at Jeremy@peoplepoweredmovement.org. He’ll give you the info you need to join the call.
To remind us all about how bicycle and pedestrian bridges can enhance the quality of our public spaces, here’s a video from the dedication of a new pedestrian bridge in downtown Scottsdale, AZ.
Scottsdale, Arizona, USA, celebrated the completion of the first bridge designed by renowned architect-artist Paolo Soleri to be constructed in the world.
Paolo Soleri, members of Cosanti Foundation, City of Scottsdale, Scottsdale Public Art, and more than 1,500 dignitaries, residents and visitors, gathered at the Downtown Scottsdale canal waterfront December 10-11, 2010, for the dedication of the recently completed Soleri Bridge and Plaza.
Darren Flusche League Policy Director
Flusche joined the League in April 2009 and has a B.A. in history from Syracuse University and a Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in public policy analysis from New York University.
Here in Washington, DC, we are well into the second year of public bike sharing, on our second major system, and have several other bike fleets or limited access systems throughout the region. I thought that some of the initial excitement would wear off, but the fact that is I can’t help but smile every time I see a CaBi in use — which is to say every time I walk outside or look out my window. This past weekend I got a peek into the inner working of the system and realized we haven’t said as much as we should about how incredible bike sharing is.
With a global recession, you might think that the brakes would be put on bike share systems – but a quick glance at the Bike Sharing Blog tells a different tale. New systems continue to pop-up and existing one’s are thriving. Perhaps the biggest advance in bike sharing in recent weeks is New York City’s Request for Proposals for a 10,000 bike system. 10,000 bikes! We’re fans of the progress and pace of NYC DOT’s work in accommodating and promoting bicycling, though we recognize the city still has a long way to go outside of the lower-half of Manhattan and Northwest Brooklyn. However, even the most hardened skeptics of the lasting impact of Janette Sadik-Khan’s efforts to improve transportation options and expand public space will have to concede that 10,000 bikes will forever change the landscape of the country’s largest city.
Bicycling makes good economic sense. Innovative improvements don’t come free, but all things considered, bicycling is a cheap date. Capital Bikeshare has been so popular that it is likely to break even in three years. Few entrepreneurial start-ups and even fewer transit systems can make that claim. Still, cities that are not willing to sign advertising contracts or that have concerns about their system’s ability to pay for itself have been seeking new ways to generate revenue.
Philadelphia bike sharing consultants CityRyde may have come up with an answer. The company has submitted tracking software for approval by the Voluntary Carbon Standard program. If approved, the software will “offer additional revenue streams to bicycle-sharing programs through the use of carbon offset credits.”CityRyde goes on to say through the program, “bike shares can track, certify and monetize carbon offset credits gained through the use of shared bicycles, adding a crucial new revenue stream to a budding industry.”
We know bicycling can and should be a part of any plan or strategy in reducing carbon emissions. With the economic downturn and current political climate, these efforts can be a tough sell. Using bike share miles pedaled as offsets may be a win-win, leading to fewer carbon emissions and a fiscally sound way to improve urban bicycling. “It’s time we stop talking about reducing car equivalents,” says League President Andy Clarke. “This is a way we can start reducing the need for cars by offering a viable alternative for many people.”
Jeff Peel State and Local Advocacy Coordinator
Peel joined the League in March 2008 as a Program Specialist for the Bicycle Friendly Communities program. Peel has a BA in American Studies from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Fresh off a successful Re-imagining Broad Street event in Memphis, advocates in Tennessee get a new Bicycle & Pedestrian policy at TDOT (helmet tip, Bike Walk TN). The updated policy:
now applies to local governments managing transportation projects with federal funding as well as TDOT staff and contractors
requires use of AASHTO and TDOT bicycle and pedestrian facility design standards
requires that accommodations for cyclists and pedestrians must be integrated into all federally or state funded transportation projects
Tennessee DOT has also been at the forefront in creating a model bicycle-tolerable rumble strip policy. As one of the state’s to be included in FHWA’s run off the road crash reduction planning efforts, we’ve received positive feedback that city, MPO and state transportation planners were steadfast to ensure that their model plan and design standards were integrated into FHWA’s efforts in their state, and ensuring that cyclist-safety is integrated into these crash reduction strategies.
These examples show that Tennessee is moving in the right direction in changing the culture of transportation agencies that will have a lasting direct effect on cycling in the state.
Bike Walk Tennessee advocates have worked hard for the progress made in their state.
Jeff Peel State and Local Advocacy Coordinator
Peel joined the League in March 2008 as a Program Specialist for the Bicycle Friendly Communities program. Peel has a BA in American Studies from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Congratulations to our Essential Tools Giveaway #2 winners — Mike Gionta, Hokan, Martin Guttenplan, Rick Butzberger, Catrine Machi, and Ricky Rodriguez! They’re getting High Visibility Mud Flaps generously donated by Rainy Day Biking.
Essential Tools giveaway #3 is in full swing! We’re giving away two prize packages of seven pairs of Coolmax (r) / Ecomade socks — more or less a week’s supply, depending on how you live your life. These socks are made from 97% recycled materials. The prize package will include Injinji, Dansko, and DeFeet socks.
Williams joined the League in April 2010. For the four years prior, he worked providing technology consulting and solutions to nonprofit organizations with Community IT Innovators.
Bridges are critical links in transportation network. As veteran Seattle bike and pedestrian planner Peter Lagerwey says about all bridges, large and small: “If you can’t get across the bridges, nothing else matters.” Seventy‐one thousand bridges in the United States are considered structurally deficient, with a major defect in structure or deck. These bridges will require replacement or rehabilitation. When that happens, bicyclists need to be ready to campaign successfully to have bicycle accommodations included in the project.
Our latest Advocacy Advance report gives bicyclists answers to tough questions engineers will ask and tells the stories of current and successful bridge-access campaigns. How did advocates get a multi-use path included in the largest infrastructure project in South Carolina? How did Missouri advocates improve accommodations on three bridges? How are Boston advocates taking advantage of a $3 billion state bridge rehabilitation law to improve bridges for bicyclists?
Date & Time: Wed, December 15, 2010, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM (Eastern)
Registrations will close at Wed, December 15, 2010, 12:00 PM (Eastern)
Register now. (Not a member of the Alliance for Biking & Walking? Email Jeremy at jeremy@peoplepoweredmovement.org to get access to the call.)
Perhaps the most famous successful bridge‐access campaign is Wonders Way, a 2.7 mile long, 12‐foot‐wide, bi‐directional, shared‐use facility on the Ravenel Bridge, over the Cooper River, Charleston, S.C.
After the jump, read an excerpt from the report to learn how to counter some of the arguments against accommodating bikes on bridges. (Read the whole report for links and sources.)
Flusche joined the League in April 2009 and has a B.A. in history from Syracuse University and a Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in public policy analysis from New York University.
As you may have heard, our nation had some elections on November 2th. And they resulted in dramatic changes in Congress. There’s been a lot of talk about what this will mean for bicycling. It’s too early to know for sure, but we know what we are going to do. We are going to get back to basics as we work with the 112th Congress and support local advocacy. It’s not going to be easy, but it has never been easy before, and as cyclists, we know that what is easiest is not necessarily what is best in the long run.
At the national level, the League of American Bicyclists is working with our partners in the America BikesCoalition to build new relationships in Congress and strengthen old ones. We are honing our message to explain the importance of bicycling to help meet our nation’s goals, such as economic development, health, the environment, and transportation. We will be looking for partners in the 112th Congress to champion these benefits.
One of the first opportunities will be the 11th annual National Bike Summit in March. Eight hundred bicycling advocates from across the country will meet with their members of Congress to educate them on the issue, introduce them to important legislation, and find ways to work together in the future. We look forward to new members from both parties joining the Congressional Bike Caucus. Bicycling is for everyone; it is not a partisan issue. What’s better than bi-partisanship? Bike-partisanship.
We are also focusing on state and local advocacy. Advocates need to be prepared to look for funding from the sources that have traditionally been used to fund bike projects and to make the case for other sources from which funds are available. With our friends at the Alliance for Biking & Walking, we are training advocates on how to access federal funding for bicycling and walking projects to complete Bicycle Master Plans, fund Complete Streets, improve safety, and meet other goals.
Investments in bicycling are cost effective and facilitate low-cost transportation, and they deserve their fair share, especially in a time of budget cuts and fiscal restraint. Therefore, we will also help advocates respond to threats to bicycling and pedestrian funding. Federal investments in biking and walking have steadily increased, as have bikinglevels. Bicycle projects and programs have been met with enthusiasm and support across the country and across party lines. With our coordinated effort, we will make sure that Members of Congress know how important biking and walking investments are to their constituents, so that they won’t abandon this progress.
The changes in Congress are real and come with a degree of uncertainty as to what to expect. But they are also a good opportunity to get re-energized, make some new friends, and prepare to defend our recent gains. Bicycling advocates have learned a lot since the first National Bike Summit in 2000. With this return to the fundamentals of organizing, the bicycling movement will become stronger and savvier still.
To get involved:
Sign up to receive League of American Bicyclists Advocacy Alerts
Write your Member of Congress to let them know you support initiatives that promote bicycling, and invite them to join you and your local advocacy organization or bike club for a ride, event, ribbon cutting, or ground breaking
Flusche joined the League in April 2009 and has a B.A. in history from Syracuse University and a Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in public policy analysis from New York University.
Access to the League’s special insurance package is one of the key benefits for our member clubs. If your club is a participant in our insurance, or you’re considering it, you’ll want to be part of our December 7 conference call about the program. We’re putting together our 2011 insurance package, and the call is your opportunity to weigh in. Please visit our Club Corner for information on how to join the call.
We’ve also recently unveiled our Club Leadership webinar schedule for the first months of 2011:
January 11: 2011 insurance package
We’ll roll out the 2011 club insurance package and answer your questions. With Marla Peters of American Specialty.
February 8: Marketing
We’ll discuss website, newsletter, and other outreach, with a focus on the upcoming Bike Month and Bike to Work Day, in May. Panelists TBA.
March 15: Organizing Rides and Volunteers
Panelists to include Mary Derks, of the Twin Cities Bicycling Club
April 12: Bike Education and Group Rides
We’ll discuss how to train and deploy League Certified Instructors in your organization, and how Bike Education can improve your reputation and community exposure, while lowering your insurance exposure.
May 10: Club Leadership 101
We’ll cover issues fundamental to any bicycle club, including incorporation and nonprofit status. Panelists from new and growing organizations will share their lessons learned.
All club leadership webinars are free to member clubs, thanks to sponsorship by SRAM. Contact Scott Williams, scott@bikeleague.org, if you’re interested in being part of these or any upcoming panels. Dates and details are subject to change.
Williams joined the League in April 2010. For the four years prior, he worked providing technology consulting and solutions to nonprofit organizations with Community IT Innovators.
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