This morning, League President Andy Clarke is addressing the Bike Safety Summit in Minneapolis, convened by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and the U.S. Department of Transportation. In his remarks, he lauds a new course for transportation in the U.S. — and outlines clear steps to making biking safer nationwide.
(From left) League president, Andy Clarke, prepares to introduce Secretary Ray LaHood at the 2013 National Bike Summit (Photo by Brian Palmer)
On behalf of the entire bicycling movement, let me say a heartfelt thank you to [US Transportation] Secretary [Ray] LaHood for his remarkable and inspiring leadership of the US DOT these past four years — not the least of which has been his hosting of these two regional bike safety summits. The Secretary has set us on a new course for transportation policy in this country: a course that is built on a foundation of smart local decision-making and investment that results in solutions that serve everyone in our communities; a foundation of safety that demands responsibility from all those who use our roads; and a fundamental belief that transportation isn’t an end in itself – it is a tool to improve the lives of people across our nation.
I also want to thank administrators Strickland, Rogoff and Mendez for their leadership of NHTSA, FTA and FHWA respectively – and, as we are in Minnesota, it would also be remiss of me not to acknowledge the huge debt of gratitude we have to three Minnesotan members of Congress who have had a profound and beneficial role in improving conditions for cyclists over the last 25 years – Representatives Vento, Sabo and Oberstar.
Mr. Oberstar complained a few years back that I had lost some credibility and authority by virtue of having lost my native English accent. To redress that, I want to draw this audience’s attention to a document released last week in the UK Parliament called “Get Britain Cycling.” The result of a lengthy parliamentary enquiry into cycling, the document has some critical lessons that are extremely relevant in the US context.
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
Veronica Davis, co-founder of Black Women Bike DC, wanted to engage her local elected leaders in National Bike Month. Her goal: Get all female members of the D.C. City Council out on bikes. She didn’t write a formal letter, or send an email to their overloaded inboxes. She simply invited the policymakers to join BWBDC on Bike to Work Day — on Twitter.
Within a few hours, Council members Mary Cheh, Yvette Alexander and Muriel Bowser had all committed to get in the saddle.
Yep, there’s power in that little bird.
Understanding that social media has become a critical advocacy tool, we created a new resource for National Bike Month this year: a social media toolkit with plenty of sample Tweets and Facebook posts to help you engage, encourage and get folks talking about bikes in your community this May. We also created an official National Bike Month Facebook timeline cover you can use, as well.
Click the image to view / download
But a good social media strategy is much more than cutting and pasting 140 characters. At the 2013 National Bike Summit, we brought together a panel of social media experts to share their insight on how to use these new (OK- maybe not so new) tools to compliment and enhance bicycle advocacy efforts. Watch the videos below for ideas and guidance from Barb Chamberlain, Mathilde Piard and Mary Madden.
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But that’s not all! Interest was so high in the topic — and the confines of a single Summit workshop couldn’t possibly capture the full breadth of social media opportunities — that we partnered with the Alliance for Biking & Walking for a full webinar on Social Media as an Advocacy Tool yesterday. Check it out below!
How have you used social media to engage folks in your community? Let us know in the comments. And stay tuned for more ideas during National Bike Month.
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
The 2013 National Bike Summit ended more than a month ago, but local advocates have taken the discussion home — and they’re seeing results.
During Lobby Day, advocates urged their elected officials on Capitol Hill to visit one of their district’s bike projects. These ‘Show Me’ events work to showcase for elected leaders what bicycling means to their home district constituents. We’re excited to see advocates following up on these requests and getting their elected officials on bikes! Earlier this month, advocates in Georgia got their local lawmaker’s staff on a bicycle, and they also helped secure a city resolution declaring the need for better bicycle infrastructure.
And this past weekend, we were delighted to hear that advocates in Indiana hosted Rep. Larry Bucshon (R) at a 10K bike ride and benefit. Darlene Wefel, of the Evansville Bicycle Club, invited Bucshon, who is a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, to Saturday’s Evansville Rockin’ River City Ride.
Wefel and Bucshon pose at the Rockin’ River City Ride in Evansville, Indiana
There were 605 riders, with routes ranging from a 5K family ride to a 100K ride, and the event raised money for the Junior League of Evansville and the Evansville Morning Rotary Club.
“The morning was very cold for the time of year with temperatures starting in the mid-30,” says Wefel. “Mayor [Lloyd] Winnecke introduced Congressman Larry Bucshon who spoke about health and being active and how important it is to the youth of our city, state, and country — that cycling and walking are great ways to keep active and healthy. He officially started the ride with an air horn. Congressman Bucshon was joined by his wife and their children to ride the family 10K route.”
Rep. Bucshon speaks at the event on Saturday.
Congratulations to Wefel and the other advocates in Indiana for their work on this event and ongoing efforts! In fact, as Bike Month nears, it’s perfect timing for you to encourage your elected officials to events in your communities! Learn more about Bike Month here.
Liz Murphy Communications Manager
Ms. Murphy joined the League in January 2013. She previously worked as a reporter covering the Justice Department. Liz has journalism and women's studies degrees from Penn State University. She commutes to work on her bright red bike daily.
If you want to confront the issue of bicycle safety, Florida, unfortunately, is the right place to go.
The Sunshine State has had 534 cyclist fatalities between 2006 and 2010, and since 1998, Hillsborough County has averaged 8 bike-related deaths every year.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced USDOT would host two Bike Safety Summits at our 2013 National Bike Summit in March. He hosted the first of those bike safety summits in Tampa, Fla., last week. The summit connected engineers, safety experts and law enforcement from state and local levels to find ways to improve cycling safety.
But that wasn’t all. The call for better biking came from beyond the traditional fold, too. It was so great to hear Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn — not someone who would identify as an avid cyclist — say the revitalization power of bikes is evident, and active mobility is essential to creating quality of life.
Bicycle Friendly Communities come in all shapes and sizes – there are currently 242 BFCs in 47 states. These cities show that through bicycling, communities can become destinations for people who want to work, live and retire. Having grown up in Florida myself, I never considered riding a bike for transportation until I moved to Washington, D.C. It was exciting to be surrounded by so many bike enthusiasts whose goal for the state is the same as the League’s – get more people on bikes.
While there were many suggestions on how to get more people riding, one thing was common in every discussion – education. Everyone agreed that it’s not just the people who are riding that need it: motorists need education on how to share the road and law enforcement need to know how to implement bike laws. Here at the League, we’re taking a comprehensive approach to get everyone involved.
We help cyclists become confident and safe on the roads through our education program. We’re working with city officials — and law enforcement — to improve conditions for bicyclists and make sure our rights are respected. And, yes, the National Bike Summit plays a role, too. Just a day after Secretary LaHood announced the Bike Safety Summits, AAA presented its new PSA, highlighting the need for all road users to safely share the road.
As for me, it made me even MORE excited about our new library of free education videos that we’ll be debuting during National Bike Month. Stay tuned!
(Photo: LaHood speaks with Buckhorn at the Florida Safety Summit).
Alissa Simcox League Director of Education
Simcox joined the League in July 2011. For the 5 years prior, she worked with the Congressional Youth Leadership Council and the National Association of Home Builders. She holds a BA in Education and Recreation and Leisure Administration from Florida State University.
Congratulations to the Griffin Bicycle Coalition and Georgia Bikes! for a successful ‘Show me event’. We believe this is the first follow up district event since the National Bike Summit. At the Summit, the League encouraged advocates to urge their lawmakers to visit a bicycle project or event to see the positive effects of bicycling in their communities.
Griffin, Georgia, held a Bike to City Hall event in chilly weather with occasional snow flurries last month to mimic the Atlanta-based “Ride to the Capitol” led by Georgia Bikes! earlier that day.
Tracie Sanchez, Michelle Cannon, Ian Flitcroft, and Bruce Reid of the Griffin Bicycle Coalition organized bike trains from four points across the city: a university, church, high school, and city park — and invited citizens to ride along, including Matt Brass from Rep. Lynn Westmoreland’s (R) office — who all joined a regularly scheduled City Commission meeting. At the meeting, the following recently approved resolution was read out loud and presented to the more than 30 cyclists. The cyclists stated their names and addresses as part of the permanent record of support for the resolution.
The Griffin-Spalding Area Transportation Committee Bicycle and Pedestrian Subcommittee is working in collaboration with the Griffin Bicycle Coalition to increase and enhance infrastructure, including the installation of sidewalks, bicycle lanes, multi-use paths, routes, signage, bicycle parking, and storage facilities. In addition, they are working to encourage walking and bicycling as viable modes of transportation, in order to reduce the dependence on the use of automobiles and improve air quality.
This is a great example of involving your Congressional office. Not only did the Congressman’s staff come out to a bike ride, but he witnessed the local government voicing their support of biking and walking!
“We are going to address bike safety head on… and we are going to pull from all our resources to do it.”
At the National Bike Summit earlier this month, Secretary Ray LaHood announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation would focus on bike safety by holding two Bike Safety Summits — and today DOT announced the dates and locations:
April 11: Tampa, Florida
April 29: Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Safety Summits will feature an expo in the morning with resources on bike safety, education, Safe Routes to School, and creating Bicycle Friendly Communities, Universities and Businesses, as well as hands-on safety training. The afternoons will include policy discussions on the built environment and planning, enforcement and education.
In announcing these Summits, Secretary LaHood said DOT would bring to bear all of its resources — including policy experts from DOT, research experts from the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration and engineering experts from Federal Highway Administration.
Research: Better data overall bicycling data- including data on the what, where, why, when and who of bicycling crashes and best practices on buidling safe, accessbile bike friendly infrastructure.
Beyond that, though, we hope the Summit in Tampa shines the national spotlight on the spate of tragic fatal crashes involving bicyclists in the area over the past several months and helps to identify some solid, practical suggestions to improve traffic safety for all road users in the region. In Minneapolis, we expect the leading efforts of local officials, advocates and Mayor R.T. Rybak to turn their city into a Gold-level Bicycle Friendly Community will clearly showcase the many benefits of making biking a safe and enjoyable means of transportation and recreation.
We thank Secretary LaHood for his continued leadership on biking and on safety — and we look forward to seeing what the Bike Safety Summit brings. Learn more, including how to register, on the Fast Lane Blog.
Photo: Secretary Ray LaHood at the 2013 National Bike Summit, credit Brian Palmer
Caron Whitaker Vice President of Government Relations
Prior to joining the League of American Bicyclists in 2012, Ms. Whitaker served as the Campaign Director for America Bikes where she coordinated and implemented America Bikes federal policy agenda. Before that, she worked for the National Wildlife Federation on smart growth, international policy, and community engagement. In addition, Caron served as a Community Land Use Planner for the State of North Carolina Division of Coastal Management, providing technical assistance to local governments and staffing a stakeholders’ council responsible for revising state planning regulations. She has a Masters in Environmental Management for Duke University, Nicolas School of the Environment and a Bachelors of Arts from Williams College.
It’s been three weeks since the conclusion of the 2013 National Bike Summit — but the buzz is still rippling across the country. With 750 people in attendance, and our most diverse and exciting program yet, there was a discernible shift in tone from Summits past.
What did attendees take away from their experience? Plenty of new ideas, a-ha moments and excitement about the future of the movement…
Although it was my eighth summit, it felt really new and fresh. Jim Sayer (pictured, left, with April Economides), Executive Director of the Adventure Cycling Association, shared his Top 5 Takeaways from the Summit (also included: a picture of a red, white and blue folding bike!).
If I were an investor in ideas or social movements, I would put a lot of money into bicycling right now. Jonathan Maus of BikePortland has a great wrap-up and gorgeous photos on his re-cap list.
The bike summit armed us with the tools we need to get businesses on board.BikeArlington‘s Zanna Worzella posts on how the facts and figures presented at the Summit make the case for bicycling. She’s pictured with the rest of the BikeArlington team and Janette Sadik-Khan, Zanna on the far right.
And StreetFilms captured the voices and perspectives of a number of speakers and attendees on how Bicycling Means Business for their communities.
But that’s not all. Across the country, advocates from New Orleans to Indianapolis are sharing what they learned and how it will impact their work. Click the links below to read more from…
Bike Easy from New Orleans has an “aha”-moment on how biking makes sense and cents.
Reading your recaps has us excited about Summit 2014 already! Want to relive the experience or get a glimpse of the fun? Visit the Summit page to check out the photo collections, watch the keynote addresses and download the workshop presentations.
And stay tuned for an exciting announcement on Monday…
Katie Omberg Events and Outreach Manager
Katie joined the League in April of 2010. For the two years prior, she worked at the Corcoran College of Art + Design as a programs coordinator. Katie has a BA in Religion from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass. She enjoys biking to work.
Challenge or charity. Fitness or friendship. There are so many motivations to start riding.
For women, the social aspects of bicycling are often a key motivation and inspiration, making rides and races particularly important in engaging and empowering more female bicyclists. At the National Women’s Bicycling Forum this month, we explored ways to break down the road blocks and turn cycling events into gateways for participation.
Sarai Snyder (L) and Nicole Preston (R) shared their insight on the “Engaging More Women in Rides & Races” session (Credit Brian Palmer)
Moderated by Sarai Snyder, founder of Cyclofemme and Girl Bike Love, the panel touched on charity and social rides, as well as racing and charity events.
Nicole Preston, national campaign director for the Tour de Cure, discussed best practices from one of the nation’s largest charity rides — which engages nearly 25,000 women of all ages and abilities. Tara McCarthy, Race Director Certification Manager for USA Cycling, announced the work of her organization’s new “Women’s Committee” to increase the number of women members and riders from its current 13 percent. And the ever-inspiring and outspoken Jacquie Phelan shared some of her unique insight as a mountain biking champion and founder of the Women’s Mountain Bike & Tea Society.
As a take-away for Forum participants and folks around the country, the group also created a hand-out with 11 tips to engage more women in your cycling events. See below.
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… And stay tuned for more recaps and resources from the Forum.
Carolyn Szczepanski Communications Director
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
Today 69 members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood asking the U.S. Department of Transportation to set a national goal to reduce bicyclist deaths. The bi-partisan letter, led by Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Howard Coble (R-NC), was signed by one-third of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and represents members from 26 states and the District of Columbia.
During the National Bike Summit this month, advocates met with their representatives and staff, asking them to sign on to the ‘Dear Colleague’ letter to Secretary LaHood. Sixty-nine of those representatives said yes. Now that’s what I call a successful Summit Lobby Day! Thank you to everyone who participated in Hill meetings on March 6th — or tweeted or e-mailed from home. You clearly made a difference. (Click here for a list of all Reps who signed on.)
Certainly, now is the time to bring some focus to bicycling and pedestrian safety. Biking is booming, as mayors and community leaders around the country are turning to bicycling as both an important transportation choice and an economic boost. To keep this trend going, we need to ensure that safe and accessible bicycling and walking are factored into future transportation plans and projects.
MAP-21, the transportation bill passed in 2012, requires U.S. DOT to act now to establish goals — performance measures — to guide traffic safety policy and funding at the national and state level for years to come. Without a specific performance measure for non-motorized safety, bicyclists and pedestrians will remain firmly in the blindspot of traffic safety.
The letter sent today shows that Members of Congress agree. This is exactly the time to establish meaningful national goals and performance measures to tackle bicyclist and pedestrian safety as part of an overall, comprehensive and multi-modal traffic safety program.
But we’re not done yet. Today Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) are circulating a similar ‘Dear Colleague’ in the Senate, asking the U.S. Department of Transportation for specific performance measures to gauge and improve bicycle and pedestrian safety. Please ask your Senator to sign on as well.
Did your member sign on? If so, please click here and send them a thank you! Or better yet post a short article thanking them in your advocacy organization or neighborhood newsletters and send them a copy.
Caron Whitaker Vice President of Government Relations
Prior to joining the League of American Bicyclists in 2012, Ms. Whitaker served as the Campaign Director for America Bikes where she coordinated and implemented America Bikes federal policy agenda. Before that, she worked for the National Wildlife Federation on smart growth, international policy, and community engagement. In addition, Caron served as a Community Land Use Planner for the State of North Carolina Division of Coastal Management, providing technical assistance to local governments and staffing a stakeholders’ council responsible for revising state planning regulations. She has a Masters in Environmental Management for Duke University, Nicolas School of the Environment and a Bachelors of Arts from Williams College.
As a bicycle commuter, Adonia Lugo noticed a clear shift in cycling when she moved from Portland to Los Angeles in 2007. For the innovative scholar, that distinction led to a whole new approach to bicycle advocacy.
“I was struck by the impact the transportation culture had on my experience of biking,” she says. “And I also started noticing how race and class distinctions played out in transportation and how, even though I was biking in a built environment really similar to Portland, other road users didn’t respect my way of getting around.”
In the “Community-Based Bicycle Advocacy” session at the National Women’s Bicycling Forum, Lugo explained some of her research into L.A.’s transportation culture — and her work co-founding CicLAvia and City of Lights (now Multicultural Communities for Mobility), both campaigns that have broken new ground and succeeded at empowering communities that are underrepresented in traditional bicycle advocacy.
For Lugo it all led to a new and critical frame to engaging more people in biking: “human infrastructure.”
What does the phrase mean? Well, human infrastructure is the existing social networks, community groups, and shared ideas about transportation that affect how people think of streets — and what is possible in them. And underlining this concept is a critical and optimistic question: “If we respect present differences, can we create future consensus?”
Too often in bicycle advocacy, we equate opposition with ignorance or misunderstanding. We jump to the conclusion that people opposed to bike lanes just don’t get it, or don’t have all the compelling facts that clearly show the merit of our positions. Lugo has been a strong voice — and has set a clear example — for shifting that thinking and, instead, actively working with community leaders to understand the cultural and community dynamics that shape perceptions of bicycling and transportation.
That’s the basis of human infrastructure. As Lugo showed at the Women’s Forum, the concept is based on two important pillars:
Research: Recognizing the multiple cultural meanings of transportation
Community-based advocacy: Starting from a respectful understanding of community concerns
One way she’s putting that concept to work is with the Seattle Bike Justice Project — an effort to aimed at “questioning the idea that bicycling is a luxury for a privileged group, or a burden for a marginalized group.” Over the course of several months, Lugo interviewed nine leaders from communities of color — folks outside bicycle advocacy circles — to better understand their ideas about biking and public spaces.
She’s also spearheaded the creation of Bicicultures, a network of scholars who study bicycling as a social and cultural phenomenon, aiming to shed light on the many bicycling cultures taking place alongside each other in our cities and towns. (Learn more and register for the group’s first event: Bicicultures Roadshow on April 16-17 in Davis, Calif.)
So how do you start these conversation and build this type of human infrastructure in your community? The panelists for the Community-Based Bicycle Advocacy session put together some key questions you can consider in your work.
Read more about the “Community-Based Bicycle Advocacy” session:
And stay tuned for more ideas, recaps and resources in coming days…
(Photo of Lugo by Brian Palmer)
Carolyn Szczepanski Communications Director
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard at the 2013 Summit. (Photo by Brian Palmer)
You can also flip through photos of the Summit on our Flickr page and watch videos of selected presentations on YouTube.
Liz Murphy Communications Manager
Ms. Murphy joined the League in January 2013. She previously worked as a reporter covering the Justice Department. Liz has journalism and women's studies degrees from Penn State University. She commutes to work on her bright red bike daily.
Looking out at the incredible crowd, it was hard to believe it had only been one year.
On Monday, I recognized many familiar faces at the National Women’s Bicycling Forum. Many folks who had attended the first event at the 2012 National Bike Summit were back to continue the conversation about engaging more women in bicycling. But even in such a short time, the Forum felt entirely different.
Instead of a two-hour panel discussion, this year’s Forum was a signature aspect of the National Bike Summit with nearly 30 diverse speakers; four in-depth break-out sessions; keynote addresses from Georgena Terry, Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth and NYC Transportation Commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan.
(From left) Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth and the New York Bike Dancers (Credit Brian Palmer)
At the start of 2013, the League made gender equity a national priority by launching Women Bike — and we’re not alone. A growing number in local advocacy organizations, leaders in the bike industry and transportation planners at all levels are tackling this divide in innovative and effective ways.
Our hope was that the National Women’s Bicycling Forum would inspire and inform those efforts — and, well, I think we hit the mark.
The keynote addresses were absolutely phenomenal; the break-out sessions were fresh and informative; and the photo booth and Women Bike Pop-up Shop added a new dynamic to the already high-energy event. We’ll be posting more in coming days but, in the meantime, watch recordings of all three keynotes below!
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Carolyn Szczepanski Communications Director
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
With 750 attendees from all 50 states and three Canadian provinces, the 2013 National Bike Summit was certainly a success. The National Women’s Bicycling Forum also saw a huge turnout, with 350 people traveling to D.C. to hear from speakers like Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan.
We trudged through the snowy weather to show Congress that “Bicycling Means Business,” explored the many ways bikes boost the economy, got inspired by women leaders from across the country, discussed issues of equity in the bicycle movement and so much more. From all accounts, you enjoyed yourselves and are headed home with an even stronger tool kit to advocate for bicycling in your communities.
If you missed the Summit or simply can’t wait to relive it, you can check out our sampling of photographs below. Thanks again to all who came to Washington, D.C., — we’ll see you back in the nation’s capital for the Summit in 2014!
All photographs by Brian Palmer. Want to see more? Check out our Flickr page here!
Liz Murphy Communications Manager
Ms. Murphy joined the League in January 2013. She previously worked as a reporter covering the Justice Department. Liz has journalism and women's studies degrees from Penn State University. She commutes to work on her bright red bike daily.
This is no longer you father’s or you grandfather’s League of American Bicyclists, president Andy Clarke said this week at the 2013 National Bike Summit.
Three new board members and representatives of the new Equity Advisory Council were on hand, and staff members took questions from League members. The staff, board, League members and others discussed the League’s new branding efforts, the quality of speakers and workshops at the Summit and the excitement around the equity work ahead.
(Board member David Madson introduces himself, as new board member, Tania Lo (blue jacket) looks on. Photo by Brian Palmer)
The new board members include:
Jay Ferm, Director of Advocacy at Planet Bike. Jay is an active bicycle advocate at the local and national levels, having served on the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin Board of Directors and as co-chair of the Mayor of Madison’s Platinum Bicycle Planning Committee from 2006 to 2008. He is an active year round bicycle commuter.
Tania Lo, Co-owner/Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Momentum Mag. Momentum Mag is an independent media company that celebrates the growing transportation cycling movement in North America with an emphasis on women and families. Tania is also the producer of award winning feature documentary Long Road North — from Patagonia to the Arctic, the story of discovery, personal endurance, cultural identities and family trials and tribulations from behind the handlebars. She is a dedicated bicycle commuter in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Nicole Preston, Managing Director at Tour de Cure. Tour de Cure is a fundraising campaign with 90 cycling events nationwide that has grown from 26,000 riders to more than 62,000. Through Tour de Cure, Nicole promotes cycling to new audiences as a means to improve health and reduce the incidence of diabetes. Nicole rides regularly, in various modes: at low speed with family on the paths around the Washington, D.C. area, at moderate speeds in various cycling events around the country and in high-speed pace lines on timed segments.
Members of the Equity Advisory Council also gave a glimpse into their work to advance cycling — and inclusion — in Long Beach, Richmond, Seattle, Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New York City, Atlanta and Miami — and their excitement to be working with the League at the national level. The council, along with Women Bike, is part of a broader goal: To change the face of bicycling by fostering true equity in the movement. Stay tuned for much more about that effort in coming weeks…
(Equity Advisory Council member Neil Walker speaks to the crowd. Photo by Brian Palmer)
The Equity Advisory Council members’ full bios can be found here.
Here’s to the important work ahead!
Liz Murphy Communications Manager
Ms. Murphy joined the League in January 2013. She previously worked as a reporter covering the Justice Department. Liz has journalism and women's studies degrees from Penn State University. She commutes to work on her bright red bike daily.
The League is currently hosting the 2013 National Bike Summit in Washington, D.C. — showing Congress that Bicycling Means Business.
Maybe you’re here in D.C. with us, defying the snowy weather. Maybe you weren’t able to make it — but you still want to be involved. Either way, make sure Congress hears bicyclists’ voices loud and clear today. (Image credit: Brian Palmer)
If you’re here at the Summit, we appreciate the time and energy you’re putting into Lobby Day today. For those of you at home, we want to make sure you’re in on the fun.
Tweet your representatives and let them know that, just because you can’t be in Washington, doesn’t mean you don’t care about bicycling.Find your elected officials’ Twitter handle at www.tweetcongress.org, and tell them to sign the letter for a performance measure for bicycle safety.Here are the official “ask” tweets you can use:
.[@RepresentativeX] Pls sign the letter to set bike safety goals #nbs13
.[@SenatorX] Pls support the confirmation of Sally Jewell for Sec of Interior #nbs13
(Don’t forget the period at the start, if you want the public to see. Without it, only your member will see the message.)
It may feel like one tweet to you, but it makes a big difference. Thank you for your help in advancing bike safety!
Liz Murphy Communications Manager
Ms. Murphy joined the League in January 2013. She previously worked as a reporter covering the Justice Department. Liz has journalism and women's studies degrees from Penn State University. She commutes to work on her bright red bike daily.
It all started with a short hashtag: #blackwomenbikeDC
From there, Veronica Davis helped form an organization to bring together black women in Washington, D.C., interested in cycling. That spurred a Facebook page, and then a Washington Post article. Now @BWBDC has more than 750 members and is at the center of a movement to empower black women to get on bicycles.
Veronica Davis gave an inspiring talk yesterday in one of four rapid-fire sessions yesterday at the 2013 National Bike Summit. Watch each of the their presentations below:
Creating an Advocacy Organization: Veronica O. Davis, P.E., co-founder, Black Women Bike DC
Marketing to the Culture Class: Active Healthy, Affluent and Aware Consumers: Howard Chang, President, and CEO, Top Drawer Creative
Driving Fast and Riding Slow: The Real Risks of Not Bicycling: Tom Bowden, Chair, BikeVirginia
A Quick Taste — The Boom in Bike Tourism and Business Districts: April Economides, President, Green Octopus Consulting; and Jim Sayer, President, Adventure Cycling Association
Liz Murphy Communications Manager
Ms. Murphy joined the League in January 2013. She previously worked as a reporter covering the Justice Department. Liz has journalism and women's studies degrees from Penn State University. She commutes to work on her bright red bike daily.
The Federal Government has announced that it will be closed today, Wednesday, March 6. We checked with the Capitol switchboard, and Congressional offices will be open. We suggest calling the offices you will be visiting to confirm your appointments.
League staff will be available at Lobby Day headquarters - Lutheran Church of the Reformation, 212 East Capitol Street, N.E., Washington, DC, 20003
Congressional Reception is still on for tonight. The Green Lanes congressional briefing at 3:30 p.m. is still on. The Capitol Visitors Center is also open today.
The Alternative Session will continue, though some speakers have cancelled.
No news yet on the Summit Ride tomorrow.
As of right now the Capital Bikeshare operations center tour will take place at 12 p.m. on Thursday as scheduled. However, if the Congressional Bike Ride is called off, we will not be leading a ride to the operations center. Those that are still interested can head straight there. The operations center is located at 1714 2nd Street SW, about a 5 minute bike ride or 10 minute walk from the Waterfront station on Metro’s green line. There is a Capital Bikeshare station located just outside the Metro exit across 4th Street.
Anyone who is interested in the tour should call Capital Bikeshare’s customer service number, 1-877-430-BIKE, in advance to confirm the tour is still on.
We’ve received some information on congressional offices that are CLOSED today. We’ll keep a running list of closures, and please keep us updated as you can on Twitter, Facebook or in the comments below.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (NY)
Rep. Charles Rangel (NY-13)
Sen. Barbara Boxer (CA)
Rep. Robert Brady (PA-1)
Rep. Bill Shuster (PA-9)
Sen. Barbara Mikulski (MD)
Rep. John Sarbanes (MD-3)
Rep. Donna Edwards (MD-4)
Rep. Steny Hoyer (MD-5)
Rep. Jose Serrano (NY-15)
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (NY-12)
Rep. James Moran (VA-8)
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (MI)
Rep. Justin Amash (MI-3)
Rep. Sandy Levin (MI-9)
Rep. John Dingell (MI-12)
Sen. Mike Johanns (NE)
Rep. Adrian Smith (NE-4)
Rep. Lee Terry (NE-2)
Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (NE-1)
Scott Williams League Director of Membership
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.
A Democratic U.S. Senator from the Northeast and a Republican Mayor from the Midwest — at the National Bike Summit this morning we saw the success of local control from both sides of the political spectrum.
This time last year, at the 2012 Summit, we were still on uncertain ground with the federal transportation bill, MAP-21.”We were up against a tremendous battle,” Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) (pictured) recounted this morning. “The rhetoric coming out of Capitol Hill when we started MAP-21 was ‘not one dime but for roads’ — and there would be no set asides or opportunity at all.”
But Cardin stepped up with a game-changing amendment — and advocates had his back in a big way. “At the end of the day, we were successful with the Cardin-Cochran provision because of the people in this room,” he said. “You’re smart. You figured out a strategy to win. Rather than just make a point, we won. The strategy is local control.”
And local leaders are stepping up, too. Sharing the stage this morning was Greg Ballard, the Republican mayor of Indianapolis, Ind. Sure, Ballard likes to bike, but that’s not the political point. “I tell people very candidly, it’s all about talent attraction — it’s not because the Mayor likes bikes,” he said.
“We’re all in competition for young talent and young families,” he explained. “And young people, milenials, are looking for bike lanes. They’re looking for trails. They’re looking for that connectivity — and that’s what I’m trying to do.”
Ballard’s vision to recruit the best talent includes a connected network of 200 miles bike lanes and trails that link the city’s cultural amenities and green spaces. It includes converting an underutilized market into a state-of-the-art YMCA facility for bike commuter to shower and change and the launch of a new bikeshare system later this year.
“There’s a lot of pent-up demand,” he said, “we just need to put in the infrastructure.”
And, well, stellar shower facilities don’t hurt, either. For the YMCA, Ballard joked: “I told them to go into the locker room of the Indianapolis Colts — that’s what I want. And that’s what I got.”
That kind of commitment at the local level is exactly the kind of control that will continue our work to build a bicycle-friendly America. Cardin, for one, is excited about the prospect: “Mayor Ballard, you’ll spend the money a lot smarter than the people in your capitol will to help your community.”
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
Bike helmet or car keys? For a growing number of Americans, it’s not one or the other. As the popularity of biking rises nationwide, more and more people are motorists and bicyclists. Today at the 2013 National Bike Summit that common cause was highlighted with a keynote address from the nation’s largest advocate for safe and efficient mobility for all of those who use the transportation system: AAA.
“At first glance, it may seem surprising that AAA would be a leading voice at the National Bike Summit, one of the biggest bicycle advocacy events of the year,” says League President, Andy Clarke. “But AAA has become an important partner in our work to raise awareness about the benefits of biking, improve the safety of cyclists, and promote and protect the rights and responsibilities of all road users.”
Yolanda Cade, Managing Director for Public Relations for AAA, debuted a new Share the Road Public Service Announcement (PSA) that highlights the dual identity of many road users: driver and cyclist.
“As the voice of over 53 million members in the U.S. and Canada, AAA welcomes the opportunity to work with the League to reinforce the safety messages that both cyclists and motorists need to take to heart — we have a shared responsibility, beyond just sharing the road,” said Cade. “We all have the same basic need: a safe ride home.”
“We share in the enthusiasm from our Canadian partners at CAA and the Share the Road Cycling Coalition and we’re pleased to bring their PSA stateside, sharing it with our members and the public,” Cade continued. “It reminds us that by showing common courtesy and respect on the road, we can ensure the safety of all road users.”
To view the new PSA, created in partnership with the Share the Road Cycling Coalition and CAA, visit www.ShareTheRoad.AAA.com .
Stay tuned for more from the Summit…
Carolyn Szczepanski Communications Director
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
While we often head to Capitol Hill thinking bicycling is a tough sell, turns out, most members of Congress already get it. And, thanks to new data gathered by Douglas Meyer, a consultant at Bernuth & Williamson in Washington, D.C., we now know what messages work and which ones miss the mark.
This morning at the 2013 National Bike Summit, Meyer (pictured at left with the League’s Caron Whitaker) presented results from 30 interviews with both Republican and Democratic staff in both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.
“These are some small but not unimportant bumps in the road,” Meyer said. ”But with a little bit of bicycle handling, advocates can get over and past them.”
There were a number of compelling findings in Meyer’s research, but the most important take-away: Biking is not a fringe movement. Advocates no longer need to pitch the legitimacy of bicycling as a mode of transportation. “You’ve been asking for a seat at the table — it’s time to sit down,” Meyer said on Tuesday.
In fact, staffers told Meyer that lawmakers’ image of bicycling has shifted from a middle-aged man wearing Lycra, to a working woman using a bikeshare program to commute to work. Adding to that credibility was the visible and vocal support of outgoing Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood, who consistently positioned bicycling as an important mode of transportation. The good news: Everyone understands that biking is a key piece of the mobility puzzle.
But Meyer’s research also revealed challenges — and opportunities. Other top findings included:
Bicycle advocates as “sore winners:” The interviews revealed that federal lawmakers generally believe bicycle advocates don’t get just how successful we were in the passage of the new transportation law, MAP-21. While opponents aimed to eliminate all funding and eligibility for bicycling, Congressional allies and grassroots mobilization kept biking in the bill. By spreading the message that MAP-21 was a loss for bicycling, has painted us as “sore winners” to many on Capitol Hill.
Dedicated funding is not the end all, be all: While many in bicycle advocacy have pushed hard for dedicated funding streams in MAP-21 and other federal legislation, many on Capitol Hill don’t take well to the idea. They say the funding trend is away from the federal level, and has moved toward local and state decision makers.
The future is a multi-modal transportation system; embrace it and use it: Rather than pitching Congress on the “bicycling movement,” staffers felt advocates would be more successful if be frame biking as a key cog in a larger multi-modal transportation system.
Asking for a “fair share for safety” doesn’t resonate: To lawmakers, asking strictly for funding sounds like a money grab. Asking for safer streets through performance measures — or a national goal — is far more compelling. After all, bicyclists are a “cheap date,” and provide tremendous return on little investment.
Click here for Meyer’s full presentation. And stay tuned for more from the Summit…
Ms. Murphy joined the League in January 2013. She previously worked as a reporter covering the Justice Department. Liz has journalism and women's studies degrees from Penn State University. She commutes to work on her bright red bike daily.
Secretary Ray LaHood is a tough act to follow… unless, of course, you’re Janette Sadik-Khan, New York City’s Transportation Commissioner and visionary behind the transformation of the Big Apple into a leading city for cycling in the U.S.
Kicking off the Bicycling Means Business theme at the 2013 National Bike Summit last night, Sadik-Khan highlighted some new and exciting data out of NYC that shows the economic boost of biking in tangible terms.
The NYC DOT dug into the data, analyzing the sales tax receipts of businesses on streets with bike lanes vs. streets without facilities. “The findings were really astonishing — and an incredibly important quiver in our advocacy moving forward,” she said. “On 8th and 9th avenues, the nation’s first protected bike lanes, since 2007, we’ve seen a 50 percent increase in sales tax revenues — 16 times the borough-wide numbers… And we’ve seen this all over the city. It’s not surprising that more and more businesses are finding that bike access provides easier access for customers and improves the retail setting of the street.”
That’s not the only good news. Bruce Katz, director of the Metropolitcan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution, called bike advocates the vanguards of the future. “In 1983, half of young Americans had a driver’s license; today it’s 29 percent,” he said. “When people live within a mile of work, nearly 40% walked or biked in 2009 — up from 25% in 1995…. These are profound shifts in a very very short period of time and I think we’re at the beginning of something even more dramatic. Over time, the big trends and forces are with this movement… This movement fundamentally represents the future of our country.”
And it’s not just in the big cities, Katz emphasized.”We’re seeing the urbanization of the suburbs — urban style density in these places,” he said during the plenary discussion. “The bulk of the country lives in suburbs and that’s why I brought up Research Triangle [in my remarks]. When Research Triangle decides it’s going to urbanize, it sends an enormous signal to all of suburban America that this is what it’s going to take to compete for talented workers… We’re talking about metropolitan America, not just urban America… It’s going to require dramatic change in the American landscape, but it’s already happening, and the people in this room are doing the political work necessary to remake streets and places.”
But, to accelerate that progress, we need more people speaking up, added Trek President John Burke. “Bike shops are seeing more people who want to ride bikes in the cities, but they want safe places to ride,” he said. “How do we link that love of cycling and the desire for safe places to ride…If we really want to change America, we need a lot more people who are coming into the bike shops and want to ride for transportation or to go out to dinner to also ask their local leaders for those facilities. Then we’ll see change very quickly… If we win in the cities, we’ll win in the suburbs.”
Stay tuned for more from the Summit…
Photos by Brian Palmer
Carolyn Szczepanski Communications Director
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
It was a bittersweet opening to the 2013 National Bike Summit last night. Greeted with (multiple) standing ovation(s), outgoing Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood, fired up the crowd for his fifth — and final — time of his tenure at the U.S. DOT.
Since he was appointed in 2009, LaHood has been a true believer in the power of biking and has raised the credibility of bicycles as transportation at the federal level. “Ray LaHood is the first and only transportation Secretary that keeps talking about bikes — even after we’ve left the room,” said League President Andy Clarke.
In fact, the Secretary’s has become such a household name in the bike community that “the President recently told me that he ran into someone who said something about Ray LaHood,” the Secretary recounted. “The president said, ‘You must be a cyclist’ — and he was.”
The bicycle-friendly Secretary isn’t done yet. In 2011, there was an 11 percent increase in bicyclist fatalities, LaHood noted. “We need to do better,” he said. And he’s starting DOT down the path toward active collaboration with bike advocates to do just that.
“DOT is going to address bicycle safety head on — and we’re going to pull from all of our resources to solve our safety challenges,” LaHood said. “Our policy experts, our researchers at NHTSA, and our engineers in the Federal Highway Administration will all work together on this. Most importantly, we want to make sure we have the cycling community behind us. As part of our ongoing safety efforts, DOT will partner with the cycling community to hold two bike safety summits in April… DOT will also work to create a standard guide for how we build modern streets, bridges and highways that keep everyone safe — including cyclists.”
But the Secretary also commended the progress of the bike movement and the vital role of advocates. “We’ll never forgot what you’ve done; what you’ve done in your communities, your vision… What a ride these four-and-a-half years with all of you. You’ve made a great difference; you really have.”
Right back at you, Mr. Secretary.
Stay tuned for more from the Summit…
Photo by Brian Palmer
Carolyn Szczepanski Communications Director
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
Three decades ago, Georgena Terry broke open many of the discussions we had today at the National Women’s Bicycling Forum with a simple but revolutionary act: building bicycles specifically for women.
The industry trailblazer joined us at the Forum today as the opening keynote speaker, captivating the audience with her no-holds-barred opinions and charming humor.
Below, watch her opening address to the crowd here in Washington, D.C., and an engaging (and sometimes hilarious) sit-down discussion with fellow female bike builder, Natalie Ramsland, Founder of Sweetpea Bicycles.
And stay tuned tomorrow for more videos and recaps from the Women’s Forum!
Liz Murphy Communications Manager
Ms. Murphy joined the League in January 2013. She previously worked as a reporter covering the Justice Department. Liz has journalism and women's studies degrees from Penn State University. She commutes to work on her bright red bike daily.
Across the country, a bicycling renaissance is afoot. Bike commuting is on the rise, new audiences are being drawn to two wheels and entire cities are being transformed by active transportation.
Yeah, it’s an exciting time to be a bike advocate.
As a leader of the national movement, the League is stepping up its game to meet that momentum. We’re giving ourselves a tune up— and looking to the future. This morning, we launched our new logo and branding at the National Women’s Bicycling Forum here in Washington, D.C.
Our new look may seem a bit familiar: It draws on our unique history and depth of knowledge, using elements of the original winged wheel logo of the League of American Wheelmen. But, with a modern edge and forward motion, it also showcases our commitment to propel the new, diverse and growing ranks of bicyclists in the United States, recognizing and representing the current and future face of the cycling movement.
The evolution of our new branding has been six months in the making — and we were so lucky to work with Language Department in New York City to bring it all together. Both incredible designers and active bicyclists, Language Department did a deep dive into the League’s heritage, our position in the bicycle advocacy landscape and the attributes that make us unique. Not only did they freshen and sophisticate our look, but helped us really hone in on who we are — and who we want to be as an organization.
Our work and our core mission — promoting cycling and looking out for everyone that rides a bike — remains the same. Our commitment to you is stronger than ever. But, with the addition of exciting new programs like Women Bike and our broader equity initiative, we are committed to opening the doors to everyone who rides — or wants to ride — in the Bicycle Friendly America we’re working so hard to create.
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
Washington, D.C. — March 1, 2013 — Last summer, Congress passed a transportation bill that slashed dedicated funding for bicycling projects and programs. But next week, hundreds of bike advocates, industry leaders and cycling enthusiasts will gather for the 2013 National Bike Summit to tell Congress that Bicycling Means Business.
Hosted by the League — March 4-6, 2013 – the National Bike Summit will showcase how bicycles are propelling healthy, cost-effective solutions for community vitality and economic development nationwide. Highlighting the powerful, bipartisan and growing support for bicycling at all levels, the Summit will feature top transportation and government leaders including:
U.S. Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood
New York City Transportation Commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan
Yolanda Cade, Managing Director of Public Relations for AAA
Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD)
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)
Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard
This year, the Summit comes at a key moment – as Congress contemplates steep budget cuts, bicycle ridership and fatalities are on the rise, and the new transportation law, MAP-21, is being implemented.
“The new transportation law requires the U.S. Department of Transportation set performance measures — or specific targets — for roadway safety,” says League President, Andy Clarke. “To address the rising number of bicyclists and pedestrian fatalities that now account for almost 16% of all traffic fatalities — up from 12% just a few years ago — we’re asking that DOT set a national goal that ensures every state work to improve the safety of people who walk and bike.
The number of bicyclist and pedestrian deaths has risen for the past two years, while overall traffic deaths has dropped dramatically.
“The good news is that bicycling and walking are on the rise nationwide — but the bad news is fatalities are also rising,” says Caron Whitaker, the League’s Vice President of Government Relations. “Against that backdrop, we need a specific national goal to reduce bicyclist and pedestrian fatalities — and hundreds of Americans will bring that message to Capitol Hill at the National Bike Summit.”
Onsite registration will be available for participants and media is invited to attend. To interview participants from your city or state, please contact Carolyn Szczepanski, League Communications Director, at (202) 355-3048 or carolyn@bikeleague.org.
Carolyn Szczepanski Communications Director
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
It’s that time of year again. Here at the League, we’re working overtime to make sure next week is one of the most memorable moment for bicycle advocacy in 2013.
We hope your plane tickets are booked and hotel lodgings secured, because we’re just days away from the 2013 National Bike Summit — and online registration ends at 5 p.m. today. (On-site registration will be available, but the price will increase!)
As the new kid here at the League, I’m not quite sure what to expect. So I asked my colleague’s what it is they love about the Summit…
Andy Clarke (pictured): Remarkable moments like Ray LaHood’s tabletop speech and Enrique Penalosa’s call to action in 2004 are obvious highlights, but what I love about the Summit is the impact it has on advocacy the 362 days of year people are NOT in Washington D.C. The Youth Bike Summit; countless state and local bike summits; more effective meetings with city, county, and state elected officials everywhere; and delivery of a powerful, consistent national message about the value of investing in better conditions for bicycling… that’s a pretty impressive outcome of the National Bike Summit that’s hard to quantify yet really inspiring to witness.
Alison Dewey: I first attended the Summit in 2006 as a participant from Boston. I remember feeling so empowered while visiting the halls of Congress and voicing my support for bicycling. It was an experience I will always keep with me and is a constant reminder that my voice needs to be one of many to improve the nation for bicycling.
Darren Flusche: I love the National Bike Summit because it is a chance to see all of the talented and energetic state and local advocates we work with during the year and get to know new ones.
Bill Nesper: Shortly after moving to Washington I attended my first National Bike Summit. What excited and surprised me then continues to do so today – the access we have to our congressional representatives and how vital personal stories are to affecting change.
Katie Omberg: I always love seeing how pumped up the first-time attendees are at the Congressional Reception, after they’ve been up on the Hill. Most everyone I talked to was riding a high of being able to do something they were unable to do only two days before. As an adult, you don’t have too many opportunities to learn something totally new, but this is one of them!
Scott Williams: I love the lobby day, and seeing the halls of the Congressional office buildings filled with bike advocates wearing their brightly colored bike pins. Even more awesome is the Congressional Reception, when all those bike advocates are feeling empowered and effective from talking about cycling with their elected officials. No other conference I have ever attended has that energy.
Nicole Wynands: I love the Summit because it is so nice to meet so many advocates and civil servants in person that we have worked with over the years.
What do you love about the National Bike Summit?Share your experiences and memories in the comments!
And don’t forget to register TODAY for the biggest bicycle advocacy event of the year!
Liz Murphy Communications Manager
Ms. Murphy joined the League in January 2013. She previously worked as a reporter covering the Justice Department. Liz has journalism and women's studies degrees from Penn State University. She commutes to work on her bright red bike daily.
The best advocates are always looking at the big picture, thinking beyond the most immediate hurdle and around the curve at what’s waiting ahead. So while the new federal transportation law was a stumbling block, we’re already warming up and getting in shape for the next battle on Capitol Hill.
To do that, we need your help.
At the National Bike Summit — just six days from now! — we’ll begin the visioning process for the next transportation bill. We’re bringing in leaders in equity, transit, Safe Routes to School and other key areas to facilitate small group discussions that will invite your ideas and insight in building a new platform for the bike movement.
The six topics will be:
Tweaking the Transportation Alternatives program
Building Equity into the Bicycling Agenda
What Next for Safe Routes to School?
Teaming up with Transit
Recreational Trails and the Off-Road Agenda
Towards Zero Deaths: A Real Strategy for Safety
Like we promised: This Summit will be more engaging, more interactive, more participatory than any in the past. Join us next week and make your voice heard!
Online registration for the Summit ends at 5 p.m. EST tomorrow! Sign up today!
Liz Murphy Communications Manager
Ms. Murphy joined the League in January 2013. She previously worked as a reporter covering the Justice Department. Liz has journalism and women's studies degrees from Penn State University. She commutes to work on her bright red bike daily.
Perhaps even more than the Lincoln Memorial or the Washington Monument, attendees at the National Bike Summit have been drawn to a new tourist attraction in town: Capital Bikeshare.
We know many of you will be itching to hop on one of the beautiful red bikes, and our friends at CaBi are making it easy for you to ride — and get a peak behind the scenes.
During the 2013 National Bike Summit, March 4-6, Capital Bikeshare will have additional corrals at its regular station at H and 8th Streets (just two blocks from the Summit hotel). That means you can pick up a CaBi at any location in the city and ride it to the Summit — without having to worry about the bike docks being full. Capitol Bikeshare will have valets there ready to take your bike and point you in the right direction.
These additional corrals will be available:
Monday (March 4): 7 – 9:30 a.m. and 4 – 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday (March 5): 6 – 9:30 a.m.
Curious about what it takes to run a bike share program? Alta Bicycle Share will host a tour of its Capital Bikeshare operations center following the National Bike Summit Ride on Thursday, March 7. Meet up with Alta Bike Share’s Eric Gilliand and Charlie Denney at Garfield Circle at 11 a.m. for a ride over to the warehouse and a noon tour. Or meet at 1714 2nd Street SW, just a 10-minute walk, or five-minute bike ride from the Waterfront Metro Station on the green line. For more information, e-mail ericgilliland@altabicycleshare.com.
Haven’t registered for the Summit yet? Sign up today — online registration ends Wednesday, February 27!
Carolyn Szczepanski Communications Director
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
“What now?” has become a common refrain since the passage of MAP-21, the new federal transportation bill, last summer.
The bill slashed dedicated funding for bicycling and walking programs, and put far more power in the hands of state and local officials in doling out federal dollars. At the 2013 National Bike Summit, we’ll bring together top transportation reformers who will share their ideas on how bicycle advocate can tap into available pots of money, and move “Beyond MAP-21.”
In this workshop, panelists will delve into local, state and national opportunities for reform. They’ll also provide new messages to help engage elected officials who may have taken a pass on MAP-21.
The panel, moderated by Dani Simons, Principal of Sustainable Streets Marketing, will include:
Mark Gorton, founder of Open Plans and publisher of Streetsblog. Gorton has been a major figure in the battle to transform New York into a more bike-friendly city. Last year, he caused a major stir with a keynote speech at the Pro Walk Pro Bike Conference, calling on lawmakers and planners to shift their priorities when it comes to transportation. (His speech appears in the video above).
Charles Marohn, Executive Director, Strong Towns. Marohn, an engineer by training, published “Thoughts on Building Strong Towns” last year, offering a new perspective on how to build sustainable cities and towns.
Ya-Ting Liu, Government Affairs Director, Transportation Alternatives. Transportation Alternatives is a leading advocacy organization in New York City, working to build and maintain safe spaces to walk and bike.
Ms. Murphy joined the League in January 2013. She previously worked as a reporter covering the Justice Department. Liz has journalism and women's studies degrees from Penn State University. She commutes to work on her bright red bike daily.
Bringing businesses aboard the bike advocacy boat can be an unsteady maneuver.
But joining forces with these powerful champions does more than provide a wind at your back — engaging businesses in bike advocacy is critical to building connected cycling networks in any community.
Understanding the importance of cultivating these allegiances, the League will get you sailing in the right direction with a workshop on “Bringing Businesses on Board” at the 2013 National Bike Summit.
We’ll have three very unique voices discussing the best strategies to get businesses on board with your local bike mission.
Kimberly-Clark’s Cycling Ambassador Rob Gusky will share what’s worked to get the bicycling program spinning at his Fortune 500 Company and new techniques to make a bike campaign irresistible from one of the most successful corporations in the world.
BikePGH’s Lou Fineberg will discuss social enterprise bike advocacy and how the organization is engaging more urban businesses while increasing bike parking, car-free Fridays, and their employer-recognition program.
Zahra Alabanza (pictured) from Red, Bike and Green will share insight from a model campaign in Atlanta to secure dedicated bike lanes in one of the oldest African-American neighborhoods in the country — by building support with local businesses.
Don’t miss this important workshop — Register for the Summit today!
Alison Dewey League Program Manager, BFB & BFU
Dewey joined the League in 2008. For four years prior to that, Dewey worked for Massachusetts- based Landry’s Bicycles and served on the board of the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition. Dewey has a MA in International Relations and Communications from Boston University and is a graduate of St. Olaf College. She spent three years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal.
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“We are going to address bike safety head on… and we are going to pull from all our resources to do it.”
Kicking off the Bicycling Means Business theme at the 
The best advocates are always looking at the big picture, thinking beyond the most immediate hurdle and around the curve at what’s waiting ahead. So while the new federal transportation law was a stumbling block, we’re already warming up and getting in shape for the next battle on Capitol Hill.
Perhaps even more than the Lincoln Memorial or the Washington Monument, attendees at the 
Bringing businesses aboard the bike advocacy boat can be an unsteady maneuver.
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