You gotta love a city that boldly professes on the side of its City Hall — “Long Beach: The most bike-friendly city in the U.S.” The industrial town just outside of Los Angeles isn’t quite to the Gold or Platinum standard just yet, but they’re certainly making incredible strides incredibly quickly. So it’s fitting that Long Beach will play host to the Pro Walk Pro Bike: Pro Place conference next month.
Hosted by Project for Public Spaces and the National Center for Bicycling and Walking, Pro Walk Pro Bike is the leading international conference on walking, bicycling, and creating great communities through placemaking. With more than 100 program sessions and mobile workshops, PWPB will not only be an opportunity to connect with hundreds of like-minded people to celebrate self-powered transportation; it will also be a chance to develop an agenda for cities and towns designed to get more people off the couch and onto their sidewalks and bicycles.
Planning to attend the National Women’s Bicycling Summit (see below)? Use promo code WSummit to get $35 off your PWPB registration. That way you can attend BOTH events for just the cost of PWPB!
Why come to Long Beach? Here are three ways the League is getting involved:
Green Lane track: The Green Lane Project, from Bikes Belong, is a new initiative working with six U.S. cities to help them build world-class cycling networks on city streets with cycle tracks and related improvements. Curated by the League, the Green Lane Track at PWPB is an opportunity for practitioners and advocates to join the Green Lane movement, learn about the importance of innovative infrastructure in building strong bicycle-friendly communities, and benefit from the lessons learned in pioneering communities. Participants will learn the essential elements of a successful campaign to get cycletracks and protected bike lanes on the ground and join the critical discussion of where we go from here.
Mikael Colville-Andersen: The League is also sponsoring the appearance of Mikael Colville-Anderson, the outspoken (often controversial) icon behind the popular blog Copenhagenize.com. As League president Andy Clarke explains on the PPS blog: “Mikael is an immensely talented presenter and speaker, very challenging and iconoclastic. Anyone who thinks they’re doing something ‘hot’ is going to get a rude awakening when Mikael comes and looks at their stuff. He is not afraid to slaughter a few sacred cows and call things out when they’re stupid, and I think we need that… He’ll do that with gusto, I’m sure, but in a very informative, helpful, and well-presented way.”
National Women’s Bicycling Summit: A separate event co-hosted by the League, the Women’s Summit will take place immediately after the PWPB conference at the same venue, from 2:30-11:30 p.m. on September 13. The Summit will provide a unique opportunity to network, share best practices and develop action steps to get more women in your community out riding. With a keynote address from Leah Missbach Day (co-founder of World Bicycle Relief) and six break-out sessions (tackling topics like equity, media and car-free families), it will provide the space for us to create a bike future where women of all backgrounds are equally represented on the streets and in the movement. Register today — this event will sell out!
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.
In addition to serving on the Women’s Summit steering committee, Fionnuala Quinn is a board member for Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling, a licensed civil engineer working for Alta Planning + Design, and an advocate on a range of bicycling infrastructure issues in her suburban community.
Fionnuala Quinn
“People who spent their natural lives riding iron bicycles over the rocky roadsteads of this parish get their personalities mixed up with the personalities of their bicycle as a result of the interchanging of the atoms.” ~ Flann O’Brien
I started riding my bicycle the four miles to school back in 1974 when we had a nine-week bus strike in Dublin. But it really wasn’t until college that a bicycle became how I got absolutely everywhere. Looking back, I took the enjoyment of cycling for granted, but now that is something I truly value. Decades have passed and I suspect that I might have developed a touch of ‘‘bicyclosis.” This is a condition identified by Flann O’Brien in The Third Policeman, which refers to a process of molecular interaction by which people who ride bicycles “get their personalities mixed up with the personalities of their bicycles.” Even if I do have a case of bicyclosis, it’s pretty harmless and “a little of it is a good thing and makes you hardy and puts iron on to you.” Yer all suitably warned.
“There are no strangers here, only friends that have not yet met” ~ William Butler Yeats
Mostly, I ride because it’s my favorite way of getting around. I like seeing street life and buildings at the pace that I can take them in and I enjoy the everyday encounters with other people as I travel. In my college days back in Dublin, I would chatter the rest of the ride in with pals I happened upon on the way. Today, it’s more likely to be at a stop on the street to catch up with one of the neighbors. Plus, living here in the Virginia suburbs, there are always the unexpected nature encounters, which add to the small dramas of being a cyclist. Just last week, I had to move a turtle to the side of the road and saw a deer with only one antler.
“The bicycle is a great good” ~ Samuel Beckett
Call me an old fogey, but I dislike inefficient design. I come from sensible stock and cycling feels like the practical way to get places. The bicycle itself is an impressive device and, with all the parts at work, it leaves you feeling like a more competent and capable person for having gotten yourself somewhere. This isn’t to say you won’t find me ferrying teenagers around the suburbs in my mini-van. But I like to arrange my life so that, when I can and as much as I can, I bike instead. It’s fast and it’s cheap and just seems like a Good Thing. I should officially note here that any and all money saved by using a bike is completely negated by husband’s purchases of fancy electronic devices for his bike. However, I figure that one way or the other between the two of us, we still come out ahead.
“On my tenth birthday a bicycle and an atlas coincided as presents and a few days later I decided to cycle to India.” ~ Dervla Murphy
While I can only wish to be even a tiny bit as daring as Dervla Murphy, bicycling does add adventure and exhilaration to everyday life far more than my mini-van ever has. The act of cycling has gone from being completely unremarkable in my Dublin days to where it can, at times, cause me to be regarded as almost the seventh wonder of the world when I arrive on two wheels instead of four. Reading through the many personal comments submitted through the APBP Women Cycling Survey, many spoke of consciously considering themselves a role model and wanting to encourage other women to cycle too, something I hadn’t really thought about. I now ride knowing that women who see me may realize that lots of trips are already bikable in our community: most of our trips are short and there are already many suitable areas to safely and comfortably ride to get places. In the meantime, I also ride thinking about how to fix and improve those areas that are not safe, suitable and comfortable for riders like me.
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 July/August issue of the League’s magazine — American Bicyclist — is now online! Features in this edition include: growing bipartisan support for bicycling, a Spanish-language PSA campaign in Los Angeles, an interview with Melissa Balmer of SoCal Women on Bikes and more!
Comments? Criticism? Feedback? Send me your letters to the editor! E-mail 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.
When we kicked off the National Bike Challenge in May, we knew our goal was ambitious: Unite American bicyclists to ride 10 million miles this summer. Well, with three months behind us and just one month to go, we’re on pace to FAR exceed even that impressive milestone. Thus far, more than 29,000 participants have pedaled nearly 9.5 million miles.
And hundreds of those riders have gotten a little something for their efforts.
Thanks to our partners at Bikes Belong and our generous sponsors, at the end of each month there’s a drawing. Thus far, more than 300 people from every corner of the country have won an array of different prizes, from Trek water bottles to Better World Club bike memberships to a year’s supply of Cottonelle bath tissue. Of course, the most coveted items — reserved for folks who have earned enough points to rise to the Gold Level — have been brand new bikes from Trek and Specialized.
July winner were just announced this week. Shelli Shipps from Kansas won a Specialized Globe and Jonathan Oakley from Indiana will be pedaling a new Trek. Last month, the two bikes went to Texas resident Howard Maher and Zulma Castaneda in California, respectively.
Chris Nelson, who lives and rides just outside of Minneapolis, Minn., was honored to be the first winner of a Specialized bike in May. “I’ve been a bike commuter on and off for 20 years,” he says. “During the past 12 months I’ve become a committed daily bike commuter — all seasons, all weather, I ride 10 miles from home to office and back. I love getting the fresh air and exercise to start and end each day.”
So, why get involved with the Challenge? “I like these events and how they promote biking,” he explains. “I tend to ride my bike because I love it, however, I get involved with the Challenge and other events that track biking (Endomondo is a great tool!) because they help give hard statistics to the impact of bikes — helping cities and states justify investing more in bike infrastructure. So my goal is to help our community justify building better routes for everybody to enjoy biking.”
Who will take home the grand prizes — including a Trek Travel trip through California’s wine country and a White Rim Trail Trip from Western Spirit — when the Challenge concludes on August 31st? Stay tuned — and keep pedaling!
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.
Yesterday, the D.C. engineer and advocate was honored as a Transportation Innovator and Champion of Change by the nation’s top brass. Davis was among just 14 individuals who were applauded by U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood as visionaries for the future of American mobility.
“We’re not talking about the past,” Lahood said at yesterday’s ceremony. “We’re not talking about building more roads and bridges. We’re talking about building new and creative communities with innovative and creative ways of getting people around those communities.”
That’s certainly what Davis is talking about.
Veronica Davis speaking at the National Women Cycling Forum (Credit: Chris Eichler)
Many people do not recognize the role that equitable and accessible multi-modal transportation options play in their everyday lives. Transportation planning and choices have the ability to impact socioeconomic conditions, personal health and overall quality of life. I seek to help others understand that the role of transportation cannot be underestimated.
As a result of many casual discussions with others about transportation options in my community, Black Women Bike DC was founded. Although it started as a twitter hash tag (BlackWomenBike), it grew into a movement within the District of Columbia. I have always been an advocate of sustainable transportation but after noticing the absence of black women on two wheels Nse Ufot, Najeema Washington and I founded Black Women Bike in May 2011. The organization has grown to over 550 African American women in Washington, DC ranging in age from late 20’s to late 60’s. The news spread to women via word of mouth and social media. Although the group takes a monthly group recreation ride to help novice riders get prepared for riding on the road, we encourage the women to use biking as an alternative form of transportation for running small errands and getting to work… Black Women Bike is building a community of women who bike in the District.
Davis wasn’t the only bike/ped visionary honored as a Champion of Change. Jason Roberts, creative director for Team Better Block, was recognized for his innovative approach to urban redevelopment. What started as a guerilla project in a struggling area of Dallas quickly turned into a national model. As Roberts wrote in his blog post:
My whole life I was waiting for someone to create the kind of community I always dreamed of. The real change in me occurred when I saw many of my friends moving away from our city. I looked at that and thought I could leave as well, or we could all start working to make it the kind of place we always wished we lived in. The change for me personally was to say, “Wait a second, who am I waiting for to fix these problems?”
In 2006, I started the Oak Cliff Transit Authority which brought together civil engineers, residents and property owners to return the streetcar as a means to revitalize our community…. A team of artists, residents, and property owners helped begin our first Better Block project, an effort to temporarily revitalize a single blighted block with any means at our disposal. What we lacked in funds we made up for in community! We set forth in building our dream walkable environment. We took our wide streets and thinned them by creating bike lanes and outdoor café seating so children and families could more easily access the area and seniors could have a comfortable place to sit. We brought in historic lighting and shade trees, and began converting the vacant buildings into pop-up business such as local cafes, markets, flower shops and art studios for kids. We filled the sidewalks with fruit stands and life!
Prior to the project we were told Dallas was too hot and lacked the culture to support a pedestrian environment. What we found was that we were no different than any other great city in the world. We just needed the chance to create an irresistible place that embraced people and promoted walking, bicycling and lingering with friends and family.
Congratulations to Davis and Roberts for recognition well-earned!
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.
Twenty years of experience has shown that bicycling and walking projects generally do better at lower levels of government. Cities and regions often value investments in bicycling and walking projects more clearly than states do. That’s why bicyclists strongly supported the bi-partisan Cardin-Cochran amendment to the Senate transportation bill. The amendment increased local control over a small portion of transportation spending – slightly less than half the TA funds – by requiring regional planning agencies, called Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO), to directly allocate funds to local projects, without being overruled by the state DOT. Although some of the details have changed, the basic principle has been retained in the final version of the law, known as MAP-21.
Local demand for bicycling and walking projects is overwhelming. Now we have a measure of local control to direct these funds, known in MAP-21 as Transportation Alternatives (TA). Half the TA funds will be distributed to MPOs and rural areas. The state allocates the other half – as long as they do not transfer it to other programs.
If this program works well over the next two years, it will send a powerful signal to Congress that we need to expanding biking and walking programs. If agencies drag their feet – it won’t look good.
To make sure we don’t go back on twenty years of progress, we need every state to immediately fully fund, staff, and implement the new Transportation Alternatives program and make full use of all of MAP-21’s programs.
We expect every state to fully fund, staff, and implement the new Transportation Alternatives program. Specifically, states should:
Fully fund: Do not transfer any funds away from Transportation Alternatives or opt-out of the Recreational Trails program
Fully staff: Preserve or increase staff support for Transportation Alternatives by maintaining state Safe Routes to School coordinators and bike/ped coordinators
Fully implement: Promptly award Transportation Alternatives grants with participation of relevant stakeholders
Fully spend remaining funds from the Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School, and Recreational Trails programs
We need these programs to get started right away and work well. If that is successful, it will be promising for the future. If not, it will be an uphill ride. Every single state matters in this. This is a great opportunity for state and local advocates to make sure resources are directed to their communities. We will be providing resources to help with this in the coming weeks.
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.
Bicycles are here to stay as part of our transportation system. While MAP-21 reorganizes and reduces funding opportunities, advocates and agency staff will need to look beyond Transportation Alternatives. This may be the Highway Safety Improvement Program, Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program, Surface Transportation Program, or a number of other federal and state sources.
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced the FY2012 grant recipients for their Bus Livability grant program. Highlighting the importance of connecting bicycles and transit, many of the approved projects include a bicycle component. Some key examples include:
Witchita, KS received $1 million for the Douglas Avenue Transit Oriented Development Corridor, including bicycle parking throughout the corridor.
Durham, NH received $94,500 for bus pullouts and connecting a bicycle lane with a recreation path to facilitate better access to the public transit system.
San Bernardino, CA received $5.3 million for a new transit center, including a bicycle station with secure parking and short-term rental and repair services.
FTA has already set up a website for information on MAP-21, so be sure to check if your upcoming project is eligible (or can be improved by including a bicycle element). A map of the awarded grants in the Bus Livability (red pins), State of Good Repair (blue pins), and Transit Asset Management (green pins) programs is below. Click here for the interactive version.
At the same time, states are recognizing and funding important bicycle programs and projects. Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley recently announced 28 Bikeways Program Grants, part of his Cycle Maryland initiative. The grant winning projects include on and off-road bicycle route connections, bike route signage, bike racks and safety improvements. Salisbury, a recent host of a Bicycle Friendly Communities workshop, received funding to complete their downtown bicycle lanes project (way to go bike-SBY!). Baltimore will be using the grant to install a downtown cycletrack. Click here for a complete list of projects.
As these two programs show, there are funds available for bicycles, but not always in the first place you look. Advocates and agency staff will need to be creative and tenacious in finding sources and getting projects funded. The Advocacy Advance team is always here to answer questions, brainstorm ideas, and help get your projects funded.
Matt Wempe League State and Local Advocacy Coordinator
Mr. Wempe joined the League in September 2011. For the three years prior, he worked as a transportation planner and Safe Routes to School Coordinator in Fort Collins, Colo. He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
In the five years from 2007 to 2011, states spent 1.8 billion federal transportation dollars on bicycle and pedestrian projects from sources other than Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School, and Recreational Trails – our “dedicated” sources.
There are two things to learn from that statement:
First, states spend federal transportation dollars. It’s federal money in the sense that it comes from the federal gas tax (and general funds) and that Congress authorizes and allocates the funds to the states. But, functionally, they have always been state and local dollars because those non-federal entities actually choose the projects. Except in rare cases, like TIGER and the earmarks of old, the federal government is not determining which projects are built in your community. Instead, it is the job of the states and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs). Therefore, it is state and local advocacy that determines if agencies are using federal funds to develop a balanced transportation system or just build highways, highways, highways.
Second, the weakening of dedicated funding sources is a cause for concern, but it need not mean the end of federal funds directed towards bicycling and walking projects. Despite the need for dramatic improvement, states have made progress over the past twenty years in integrating bicycling and walking facilities in their planning, engineering, and funding processes. We now expect state DOTs to make full use of the new Transportation Alternatives programs AND make full use of the programs under which bicycling and walking projects are eligible.
That $1.8 billion mentioned above came from programs that still exist (with some changes) in the new transportation law, MAP-21; programs intended to improve congestion and air quality, safety, and general transportation infrastructure. They are called, in order, the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ), the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), and the Surface Transportation Program (STP). The League and the Alliance for Biking and Walking have set up an entire program called Advocacy Advance dedicated to helping state and local advocates and agency staff tap into these sources – and it’s working.
Under MAP-21, implementing existing and new Complete Streets policies is important, maximizing the Transportation Alternatives program is important – and taking advantage of the full eligibility of bicycling and walking in programs like CMAQ, HSIP, and STP is more important than ever.
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.
The feeling most associated with the new federal transportation, MAP-21, is disappointment – and with good reason. It is a highway-focused bill. Dedicated funding to bicycling and walking projects was cut and it will be a fight to get what’s left spent in states across the country.
But this disappointment overshadows another truth: it could have been much worse.
In fact, we bicyclists won a number of impressive victories in the long struggle for a new transportation bill. Like every other stakeholder in the federal bill — except, perhaps, highway safety people —we were playing defense throughout the entirety of the policy debate. Those who responded to action alerts (THANK YOU!) know that we dodged several bullets aimed directly at bicycling and walking funding.
When Senators Coburn, McCain and Paul introduced an amendment to restrict Transportation Enhancements last fall, we beat back the attack. When the House proposed a disastrous transportation bill that completely eliminated biking and walking programs, we successfully protested it. When the House’s initial counteroffer to the Senate eliminated all local control over biking and walking funds, our voices helped protect the Cardin-Cochran agreement. Chapters and books could be written about the challenges we overcame.
And yet, with the outspoken support of people who walk and ride bikes all over the country, we stood strong. Here’s one example: HR 7, the bill that came out of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, completely eliminated SRTS and cut all funding to Transportation Enhancements along with federal funding for transit. Despite being a priority of House leadership the bill never even got a vote on the House floor thanks to the “Kill the Bill” campaign supported by biking, walking and transit supporters.
Nobody has been much in the mood to celebrate this, but the fact that “Transportation Alternatives” exists in the bill is a massive accomplishment. This is not to say this is a good bill for people on bikes. This is not a thank you to Congress. It’s just a fact: because League members, members of our America Bikes coalition partners, the bicycling industry, health partners, mayors and community leaders, and countless bicyclists spoke up, bicycling and walking projects still have a chance to compete for federal transportation dollars.
Bicyclists convinced the Senate to include a bi-partisan amendment known as Cardin-Cochran into their bill. People on the Hill told us that they had never seen such a powerful grassroots push for a relatively obscure amendment before. It is one thing to push for a law, but you all made your voices heard on a small but important amendment that makes it more likely that communities will building bicycling facilities. We’ll talk more about the particulars of this feature of the law – and the ways it changed in the final law – in the coming days and weeks.
We also had some important saves at the very last minute. We had been hearing pessimistic rumors about what was in the final bill, written behind closed doors. The right for metro areas to make funding decisions (“sub-allocation”) was gone. New, expensive activities like carpools and van pool were eligible for Transportation Alternatives funds, the language authorizing Safe Routes to School (section 1404) was eliminated. We had good reason to take this seriously, and we asked Barbara Boxer to stand up for people on bikes. We didn’t get everything we wanted. Far from it. But we successfully petitioned to remove a number of terrible policies from the final bill. That’s the power of bicyclists.
If some people in Congress had their way, bicycling and walking projects would not even be eligible for federal transportation funds. Thanks to everything that bicyclists have done over the past three years, we don’t live in a country without biking and walking funds.
As Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recently said, now it’s our job to work at the local and state level to make sure that our communities benefit from federal funding opportunities for biking and walking projects:
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.
Leah Missbach Day, co-founder of World Bicycle Relief, will keynote the first-ever National Women’s Bicycling Summit on September 13, 2012 in Long Beach, California. Speaking about how the bicycle can inspire both personal and cultural revolutions, Day will set the stage for an event aimed at increasing the number of women who ride bikes and empowering female leadership at all levels of the bicycle movement.
Leah Missbach Day
In 2009, women accounted for just 24 percent of all U.S. bike trips. Hosted by the League and the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals, the National Women’s Bicycling Summit will provide a unique opportunity to network, share best practices and develop action steps to close the gender gap in American bicycling. This event will be a powerful opportunity to learn from each other, build a network of female leaders from coast to coast, and work toward a bike future where women don’t account for just 24 percent of bike trips, but are equally represented on the streets and in the movement.
The Summit will be held at the Long Beach Convention Center, immediately following the Pro Walk Pro Bike conference, from 2 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on September 13. In addition to the keynote address, the Summit will feature six break-out sessions, including media, diversity and car-free families. Speakers will include:
The Women’s Summit will also include the “Cycle Chic: Past, Present & Future” urban bike fashion show, hosted by Women On Bikes SoCal and inspired by Mikael Colville-Andersen, founder of Copenhaganize.com and the world-wide Cycle Chic movement. Colville-Andersen will be a special guest at show. “We’re so delighted to pay homage to Mikael, and the influential place the bike holds right now as a design and fashion darling,” says Melissa Balmer, Editor/Initiative Director for Women On Bikes SoCal. “We hope both the Summit and the fashion show will inspire more women to become active participants in the crucial movement of bicycle advocacy.”
Tickets for the Summit are $35 and registration (open to women and men) is now open. Scholarships are available for women with financial need: For more information, contact Carolyn Szczepanski at carolyn@bikeleague.org.
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 more than 370,000 miles behind them, Trek Bicycle Corporation is the leading business in the National Bike Challenge. Their dedication to riding comes as no surprise to anyone who knows that love of bicycles goes beyond their mission to build the best bikes in the world. For Trek, bicycling is a way of life and a way to improve the lives of others. Health and Wellness Coordinator, Marcus Gagnon, took some time out from riding to share how bicycling fits into the workplace.
Obviously, as the #1 workplace, Trek has really embraced the Challenge — what made the initiative such a draw for the company?
First off, as a bike company, we are pretty good at riding! The challenge was a perfect opportunity to get everyone riding and logging miles. We have embraced the challenge aspect and the competition has introduced even more people here at Trek to riding.
As a bicycle company, cycling is clearly part of your culture: How does that manifest in the workplace?
At Trek, we are passionate about building the best bicycles in the world and riding them. We have an environment that makes it easy and convenient to ride. From our commuter room and showers for biking to and from work, to the on-site mountain bike trails it’s easy to see how you can get hooked. We also incentivize employees to ride to work and allow flexibility to ride throughout the day.
Has the Challenge improved that cycling culture and/or created a stronger sense of camaraderie among staff?
We definitely saw an impact right away as we introduced new people to biking. Departments within our organization used this platform to build camaraderie and compete against other departments.
Has the Challenge helped to increase the number of employees who ride to work?
Our numbers have spiked in the past few months and people are riding and logging more miles than ever before. For any organization looking for a way to get employees more engaged in health and wellness activities this is a great tool to have at your disposal. People love to be part of a challenge against their peers and are proud to represent their organization in the national competition.
Have you already seen — or do you anticipate — any additional benefits, in terms of employee health, reduced carbon dioxide emissions, less congestion near your corporate campus, etc?
As the wellness coordinator, I love to see people out exercising. Since the beginning of the challenge we have seen the space in our newly renovated commuter room fill up quickly, and that is a problem that we like to have! Trek takes being green seriously and was the first manufacturer in Wisconsin to exclusively use green energy to power our facility. We also believe that the bicycle is a great tool to solve some of our country’s biggest problems including pollution and obesity.
Being based in Wisconsin, Trek had the opportunity to participate in the Challenge when it debuted at a state level last year. Is it exciting to see it expand to a national effort? Has that created an additional spark to get folks to participate?
Although we are based in Waterloo, Wisconsin, we have employees around the country and we are thrilled that we can include them in this year’s challenge. People are also excited to be able to complete against other companies around the nation.
From your experience, why should other workplaces get involved in the Challenge?
If other workplaces are looking for a way to bring people together, build moral, boost productivity, and reduce pollution, then this no-brainer.
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.
Click here to watch the webinar recording. And click the pictures below to download the presentations from our panelists.
Presentation from Sarai Snyder, to be uploaded soon!
Register now for the next Club Leadership webinar on August 14 at 8 p.m. on Club Mergers. Learn more and sign up!
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 nearly 190,000 miles logged, Burlington, Vermont, has occupied the top spot of the National Bike Challenge since the online competition kicked off in May. So how did they do it? Jason Van Driesche, Director of Advocacy and Education for Burlington’s bike advocacy organization, Local Motion, shared their strategy.
Burlington loves bikes — and the Challenge is getting more folks riding!
“We have a pretty extensive network of business partners,” Van Diresche says. “By contacting companies about this exciting new opportunity, we found a champion at each company to promote the Challenge and lead their coworkers.”
To keep registration numbers up and riders engaged, even as the Challenge was underway, Local Motion got creative. They taped individual fliers to bike handle bars all over the city. Their individual outreach worked!
Of course, bicycling has always been a part of Burlington’s culture. “To a certain degree, we’ve been resting on our laurels,” Van Driesche admits. “But Burlington is getting ready to go for Gold [Bicycle Friendly Community designation]. Our mayor has asked for blue print to get us there and there is a new level of interest. A lot of people are looking to see the next level. Burlington is poised for a big leap.”
The Challenge has helped pique this interest and proves the need and interest in quality facilities.
There is still time to get involved! Local Motion is encouraging residents to sign up for the Challenge and participants to keep logging their miles. After all, folks like Van Driesche want to stay on top.
“We’re head to head with Madison, Wisconsin,” he says. “I went to grad school there. I would love nothing more than to see my new home trounce my old home. We’re in the lead now, but they’re definitely giving us a run for our money.”
Building on the success and energy of the Women Cycling Forum at the National Bike Summit, the League and APBP are co-hosting a National Women’s Bicycling Summit on September 13 in Long Beach, CA. To get you geared up about the event — and share the stories of some of the women who will be speakers, presenters and behind-the-scenes organizers — we’re bringing you a weekly Women Who Ride series.
Last week, green business consultant, April Economides, shared her story. This week, another Summit steering committee member: Dorothy Wong, an advocate, race director and elite-pro rider, competing in mountain, road and cyclocross.
Why do I ride? Why not?
I ride because nothing is better than spinning along – energizing – moving. Movement is growth, strength, freedom, independence.
I ride to inspire the future, supporting them to be stronger and smarter so they can make a difference in the world.
I ride so I can always feel like a kid and younger, the older I get.
I ride because I love making friends and learning about the lives of so many people from so many backgrounds with the commonality of the bicycle.
I ride to inspire another woman or girl to say… I can do it too!
I ride so together we can change the world… one bicycle at a time!
Learn more about the National Women’s Bicycling Summit here.
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.
At a recent city council meeting in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Councilor Greg Jamison held up a copy of the League’s Traffic Skills 101 booklet. He picked Michael Christensen out of the crowd and praised the local League Cycling Instructor for giving him new insight — “a huge educational process” — on the rights and concerns of bicyclists in his community.
In fact, the Councilor added, his time in the saddle made such an impact that “it has changed my mind” on bicycling policy.
That looks familiar! Traffic Skills 101 changed the mind of Councilor Jamison
We all know that LCIs are making our streets safer by teaching critical skills, like scanning and signaling, to cyclists in their communities. But Christensen proved this week that LCIs are powerful advocates at the policy level, as well.
allows bicyclists to ride two abreast (banned at the state level)
requires motorists give bicyclists three feet to pass and
emphasizes cyclists’ right to take the lane if it’s too narrow to share.
And that’s not all. Currently, South Dakota is one of the few states in the country that hasn’t adopted distracted driving legislation — but Sioux Falls is making progress at the local level. Just a few hours before the new bicycle ordinance passed, a council committee moved forward on a proposal to ban texting while driving.
Kudos to Christensen and the whole city council!
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 been more than six months since the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) updated its guidance for rumble stripes. While the original draft didn’t even mention bicyclists, the new guidance was helpful for addressing our needs. The League and Adventure Cycling are currently preparing an update to our rumble strip policy report, including a matrix of state policies and how they compare to the FHWA guidance. In the meantime, one Ohio advocate is making progress with the state Department of Transportation.
For bicyclists in Ohio, riding along the scenic Scioto River truly is a pleasure. Getting across the river is a bit more of a challenge, as there are only a few bridges in this area north of Columbus. Tricia Kovacs, with the Ohio Bicycle Federation, has been riding in this area for years and was dismayed when the State Route 42 bridge had rumble stripes installed. Luckily, some emails and a meeting later, she is hopeful that state engineers are starting to understand her and other cyclists’ concerns.
Credit: Ohio Bicycle Federation
Why is the bridge important for bicyclists?
Tricia Kovacs: I lead the Woodstock Bicycle Tour, hosted by Columbus Outdoor Pursuits, and we’ve been using this bridge and road for a long time. This is the only way for bicyclists to cross the river unless you’re looking to go pretty far out of your way. Even then the next available road is a state route, so you could end up in the same situation with rumble stripes on a bridge. Besides every road being open for bicyclists, a lot of us like to ride in this area because it’s really beautiful.
What was the message you took to the ODOT traffic engineering administrator?
We had been corresponding via email up until this week, when we had our first in-person meeting. He told me that ODOT has been reaching out to motorcyclists on other road issues, and wanted to ensure they are working with bicyclists as well.
We came prepared to discuss the differences between the FHWA guidance and Ohio’s current policy. This included a lot of photos we’ve taken in Ohio of rumble stripes on roads with narrow shoulders, which really seemed to make an impression. We also discussed different types of bicycles (e.g. tandem, trike) and how the current rumble stripe gaps may not be long enough for these users. Lastly, we expressed our disappointment that every state road meeting their criteria of shoulder width and speed limit is going to be rumble striped when they are repaved.
What was his response?
I think we’ll find some positive ground on the exclusion of bridges from rumble striping in Ohio. He did commit to looking further at requiring a four-foot shoulder (instead of the current two feet). Given the positive conversation, I’m hopeful on that issue. We also got a commitment that he’ll share road resurfacing plans with us in the future so we’re not playing “catch up” and can provide input before a project begins. This will be a great opportunity for OBF to create more relationships at the state DOT on this and other issues.
What are some lessons you learned that are helpful for other advocates?
Our group still has a position of “no rumble stripes”, but we’re starting to learn when and how to work with ODOT to ensure the best possible accommodation for bicyclists (e.g. wider shoulders, gaps in the stripes, narrower and shallower stripes). ODOT also needs to ensure its policy is complying with the new FHWA guidance, which is there for a reason, and as a tool for advocates.
The devil is in the details. Bicycling advocates need to get involved in the application of a state’s rumble stripe policy. We first started working on the issue in 2010, when we lobbied to be sure that the TOSRV bike route (in its 51st year), the cross state bike routes and the Adventure Cycling routes were not rumble striped. Since then, we have had to continuously contact our MPOs, district engineers, and others to represent the needs of bicyclists (especially in rural areas). It’s also a good idea to let the upper management know when their district engineers are receptive to cyclists’ needs and to thank them for their efforts.
Matt Wempe League State and Local Advocacy Coordinator
Mr. Wempe joined the League in September 2011. For the three years prior, he worked as a transportation planner and Safe Routes to School Coordinator in Fort Collins, Colo. He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
When Sandra Lupien first moved to Sonoma County, it seemed like nobody rode a bicycle. In the rural/suburban community, the number of transportation cyclists was far smaller than the dense urban centers of nearby Oakland and San Francisco. But Lupien quickly learned that biking is alive and well: In the evenings and on weekends, impressive crowds show up to participate in social and recreational rides.
Girls just wanna have fun, by Kristen Smith
As the outreach director for the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition (SCBC), Lupien discovered something else: Women are particularly engaged in her community. Though underrepresented nationally (taking just 24 percent of bike trips in 2009), women make up an impressive 46 percent of the SCBC membership.
Sandra Lupien, Outreach Director for the SCBC, who will discuss women’s participation in bicycling in Sonoma County, including membership demographics from the area’s largest bike club and SCBC’s “Biker Chicks” women’s rides program.
Sara DeShong of the Austin Cycling Association, who will provide insight on the similarities and differences of the vast niches of women-only rides in Austin, as well as problem identification and solutions from the standpoint of local leaders in the cycling community.
Sarai Snyder, founder of Girl Bike Love, who will share very specific details of how to address the issue of getting more women out to ride in groups based on her personal experience running a bicycle shop and changing the demographic of the rides and customer base from about 10 percent women to closer to 30 percent.
(Did you know the League is also co-hosting a National Women’s Bicycling Summit this September? Learn more here!)
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.
All across Idaho, Cynthia Gibson and her fellow advocates at the Idaho Pedestrian and Bicycle Alliance (IPBA) are working tirelessly to transform their home into a Bicycle Friendly State (BFS). To them, it’s not the BFS title that counts. More important are the positive developments to get them there.
Gibson and her team view the BFS scoring process holistically, and devote efforts to each area of bicycle advocacy, from the statehouse to the streets. In 2012, Idaho was 36th in the Bicycle Friendly States ranking, with a weakness in infrastructure and funding, but a good foundation in education and encouragement to start moving up the ladder.
Gibson goes for a ride with advocates in Idaho Falls
As Gibson explains, the lack of infrastructure and funding is understandable considering Idaho’s history and geography. Two of Idaho’s three Bicycle Friendly Communities are urban, while the third, Wood River Valley, has promoted bicycle tourism along its rural terrain. Rural towns dominate the state and their biking and walking needs are entirely different from the urban areas.
“They have a completely different set of problems and issues,” Gibson says. “Idaho has been agricultural for many generations. We are a conservative state. Biking just seems odd to many people. They are more comfortable with pick-up trucks or horses!”
“Our current projects are to create a presentation to demonstrate how biking and walking help the Idaho economy,” she says. “We’re also beginning work to prepare for the 2013 legislative session. The 3-foot-passing bill was introduced last year but didn’t get onto the floor… We’ll decide if we want to introduce it again and, if so, what can we do better to get it further in the process. Both projects are going to be long-term, but that’s OK.”
Gibson and her team also understand the value of leading by example. By using the existing infrastructure for biking and walking they create demand for maintenance and further construction. When they ride, they represent the best of cycling — following the rules of the road and putting safety first.
The bicycle and pedestrian movement is growing and Gibson is working hard to encourage her fellow Idahoans to get involved. “We have built momentum but we need more,” she says. “Let’s show the lawmakers that Idahoans really want better biking and walking facilities and policies. They won’t know unless we tell them and show them!”
Read more about IPBA at http://www.idahopedbike.org.
Last week, Congress did what many thought impossible – they passed a new transportation authorization bill. President Obama is expected to sign the bill into law on Friday. Unfortunately, that achievement came at the cost of a balanced bill that keeps strong dedicated funding for biking and walking projects. The new bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), weakens and cuts dedicated bicycle and walking programs. This is certainly going to slow progress towards a bicycle friendly America.
Many people are asking “What do we do now?” The answer is in the language of the bill itself and, perhaps, in an advocacy model we’ve been developing over the past several years.
Despite the best efforts of some extreme members of Congress – and thanks to the efforts of our congressional champions – bicycling and walking projects are still eligible for federal transportation funds. This means bicycling and walking projects can be built with some of the largest pots of money, like the Surface Transportation Program (STP) and the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ), as well as the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). This critical point is the key to making the most of the new bill.
But this is not new. Bike/ped projects have been eligible project types in those programs for 20 years. We have long known that creating a transportation network that includes active transportation infrastructure will require more than the 1.5 percent that was set-aside for Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to School (now combined into “Transportation Alternatives”). That’s why the League and the Alliance for Biking & Walking, with funding from SRAM, created Advocacy Advance.
The Advocacy Advance program holds Action 2020 workshops for advocates and transportation agency staff to share best practices for maximizing funding under the eligible funding programs. We’ve been to Texas, Connecticut, Georgia, Arizona and Pennsylvania and we have upcoming workshops in Missouri, Virginia, and New York. Learn more about the workshops and consider applying to bring an Action 2020 workshop to your community.
We’ve already seen the tactic of fighting for eligible funds paying off.
BikeDelaware recently scored a major win and set an excellent example for advocates in other states. They teamed up with Nemours Health and Prevention Services (a health group), several bike-friendly members of the General Assembly, and Delaware’s bike-friendly Governor, Jack Markel, to pass and fund Walkable Bikeable Delaware an initiative to dedicate state funding to vastly expand the state’s trail network. After securing $5 million in the state budget last year, the Assembly recently passed next year’s budget which included a whopping $13.25 million for walking and bicycling.
Advocates from Bike Delaware won an Advocacy Award from the Alliance for Biking & Walking in 2012 for their model, winning campaign
This is in and of itself a major win. But the leadership in Delaware has the vision and ambition to use the state dollars as a match for federal funds. They have already used Walkable Bikeable Delaware funds from last year’s budget to secure the first ever Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funds for a bike project in state history. Delaware is pointing the way forward for bicycling both in its state-level commitment to funding infrastructure and in its use of federal funds that have bicycling eligibility, like CMAQ.
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.
School’s out for summer, but the students and staff at the University of Wisconsin-Madison certainly aren’t slacking when it comes to cycling. To the contrary: The Badgers are nipping at the heels of major corporations, like Ingersoll Rand and Kimberly-Clark, in the National Bike Challenge.
More than 9,000 workplaces have signed up for the Challenge thus far, ranging from a small outfit that manufacturers outdoor umbrellas in Illinois to massive companies stretching from coast to coast, like Walmart and AT&T. But it’s not just money-making businesses that are cashing in on the many benefits of the challenge. Plenty of nonprofits and universities are participating, as well.
Ranked #8 among all workplaces and #1 among colleges, the University of Wisconsin-Madison is certainly showing its stripes as a Silver-level Bicycle Friendly University. To get a little insight on the leading college team, I got in touch with one of the Badgers’ top riders: Zachary Schuster, a very witty master’s student in Water Resources Engineering and Management.
Zachary Schuster
How did you hear about the Challenge- through the university?
My advisor told me that if I didn’t join, he would conveniently “lose” my dissertation. Actually, I have a friend who works on smart transportation policy, and he asked me to join his team. Since I’m a nice guy, I said yes.
Is cycling a prominent part of campus culture at UW-Madison?
The city of Madison is rather pro-bike, so yes. I think it comes in a close third behind Badger football and studying really hard. One of the myths of Madison is that they plow the bike paths before they plow the streets. Not entirely sure if it’s true, but it serves its purpose.
With an impressive 122 riders from UWM, how is the university promoting the Challenge?
I wish I could get extra credit or something, that would be pretty awesome. We can pretend, right? I think it’s mostly through social networking and departments with bike challenge entrepreneurs.
How has participating in the Challenge improved or increased your riding?
Oh man, I love getting points for riding my bike. It’s amazing how motivational it is to get points for ditching the car and riding instead. Unfortunately, with this biblical heat wave, riding in the car with the AC has become an increasingly appealing alternative. I blame Al Gore. Especially for my loss of bike challenge points.
Do you know the other folks riding for UWM; has the Challenge allowed you build a sense of solidarity with riders you already know/see on campus?
I know a few. One of them is going to be the Principle Investigators on my Ph.D. dissertation. I probably shouldn’t talk too much trash though, lest I want to graduate this decade. We do have a friendly competition against one of the other teams on campus. We are currently crushing them. Boom!
Any friendly rivalries in the Challenge; other universities you folks want to beat?
Universities I want to beat? Michigan? Ohio State? Michigan State? Iowa? Minnesota? If it doesn’t work out, football season will be here soon enough…
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 a somewhat relaxing week in D.C., with the heat wave showing no signs of abating and the Fourth of July breaking up the work week. People are on vacation and the parks and swimming pools are full of families. Oh, and there are bikes everywhere! It’s a nice reminder that cyclists are out there because they love it, despite the heat or any other obstacles.
With that in mind, here are some great stories about local communities’ progress. If you’re looking for some bicycling inspiration, local communities are the birthplace of great ideas (sorry, states!).
Credit: San Francisco Bicycle Coalition/Flickr
The California Bicycle Coalition has put together a great report on open streets events throughout the state. From large to small, these events are changing perceptions and getting folks to think about the bicycling in their community. Los Angeles’ event, CicLAvia, has grown to 10 miles and more than 100,000 participants. Be sure to check out Open Streets Project for information on how to host these events.
Bike Salisbury (bike-SBY) continues the momentum after our recent Bicycle Friendly Community workshop. The City Council just approved an ordinance to fund bicycle lanes on Bateman Street. This is the first phase to expand bicycling as a transportation option in the community. As bike-SBY notes, this improvement could have been stopped many times along the way, but the enthusiasm from the cycling community and Salisbury University made it possible.
Advocates in Rupert, Idaho are asking the county commissioners to approve a local three-foot safe passing law. The Idaho State Legislature has failed to pass a bill that would provide additional safety for bicyclists and others on streets. Many communities are taking a local approach to safe passing legislation stalls at the state level (see Texas for the best examples).
San Francisco has turned 30 car parking spaces into 336 bicycle parking spaces via on-street bike corrals. Unless all of those parking spaces were for buses, local businesses just got a whole lot more customers at their doorstep. (Hat tip to SF Streetsblog)
Thanks to a partnership between Granite School District and the Bicycle Collective, high school students in Taylorsville, Utah can take a class in bicycle frame building. The course is designed to teach students that something they perceive as difficult can be within their abilities and reach, plus they get a custom bike out of it.
There’s always more ideas and more people than we can report. Even Martha Stewart is getting into the bicycle decoration game if you need ideas for your next local bike parade. Be sure to send those photos to America Bikes (I personally want to see Uncle Sam on a tall bike or Washington crossing the Delaware in a Bakfiets).
Got news from your community or organization? Let me know at matt@bikeleague.org.
Matt Wempe League State and Local Advocacy Coordinator
Mr. Wempe joined the League in September 2011. For the three years prior, he worked as a transportation planner and Safe Routes to School Coordinator in Fort Collins, Colo. He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
As many blog readers will recall, in May we ran a special series in honor of National Bike Month: 31 Days, 31 Reasons. A diverse collection of bicyclists from coast to coast shared their inspiration for riding — and the more than 3,000 Facebook shares proved that I wasn’t the only one captivated by the personal stories.
So we’re bringing back Why I Ride… with a slight twist.
Building on the success and energy of the Women Cycling Forum at the National Bike Summit, the League and APBP are co-hosting a National Women’s Bicycling Summit on September 13 in Long Beach, CA (immediately following the conclusion of the Pro Walk Pro Bike conference). To get you geared up about the event — and share the stories of some of the women who will be speakers, presenters and behind-the-scenes organizers — we’re kicking off a weekly Women Who Ride series.
First up, a member of the Summit steering committee: Green business consultant, April Economides.
April, her daughter and their “bike limo”
Like many kids, I learned to ride a bike at age six, with a parent or grandparent holding onto the back of my seat until that magical moment when they let go and I kept on riding. It’s one of my clearest memories from childhood, and I think it’s because of the exhilarating feeling of freedom and independence it gave me.
Fast-forward 30 years, and not much has changed. I love to ride and find it freeing. So much so that I don’t own a car and ride practically everywhere – and in Southern California, Land of the Automobile.
So does my daughter, who is now six herself and learning to ride solo. Most of our riding, though, is on our “bike limo,” which is the fancy I name I call our tandem (also called a co-pilot or tag-along). It’s our car, if you will, getting us to and from play dates, the grocery store, and more.
We happily ride for miles, and she never seems to tire of it. Actually, she’s tired of cars. She recently complained that “cars are more complicated” and “cars aren’t fun like bikes.” Indeed, her usual happy self can get rather bored or whiny in a car.
Aside from bringing us great joy, bicycling helps us ward off laziness. When I owned a car years ago, I’d often choose it for most of my short trips – to places I could have easily biked. This inactivity had costs in addition to the fuel I was paying for. It made me less in shape and less happy. In the worst cases, this sedentary lifestyle that has become a U.S. epidemic leads to obesity, diabetes, and depression. In contrast, bicycling is stress busting and reinforces our zest for life by bringing us fresh air, fun, and exercise. It’s a simple solution to staying healthy all-around.
Speaking of simplicity, I also ride to maintain a “simple” (or “European”) lifestyle. I intentionally choose to live where I can bike and walk most places, including taking my daughter to school, running errands, commuting to work meetings, and going out with friends. This lifestyle affords me more social interaction, the discovery of nearby small businesses, and seeing and hearing the environment around me, like birds singing. Bicycling is a foundation for happiness.
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 cliche but true: A picture is worth a thousand words. During the debate about the next federal transportation bill, we talked up the benefits of biking until we were (red, white and) blue in the face. With your help, America Bikes wants to show Congress the freedom and joy of cycling in your community.
When you’re out at your Fourth of July festivities tomorrow, America Bikes hopes you’ll bring your camera and snap a few shots of your local bike parade.
Please show us your patriotism on your bike! We want to see July 4th photos of you and your bike. Or your kids and their bikes, or your great uncle and his bike, or your cats and their cat bikes. We’ll bring the best photos up to Capitol Hill to show members of Congress just how patriotic bikes can really be. Send your photos to info at americabikes [dot] org with the subject line “4th of July Bikes,” tag America Bikes in your photos on Facebook, or tweet your photos with the hashtag #july4thbikes.
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.
I still remember decorating my purple Huffy bike for our neighborhood 4th of July block party in Fair Oaks, Calif. I got that bicycle all dolled up in red, white and blue streamers and pedaled with pride down the street with my friends and my two little sisters. Sure, I loved the fireworks and the cook-out — but the best part of July 4th was riding my bike.
Decades later, I celebrate that freedom and feel that sense of pride every single day when I get on my bike. What’s more democratic than a bicycle? What’s more patriotic than getting around on my own power? What’s more all-American than the right to choose my mode of transportation — and love every minute of my daily travel?
In the “land of opportunity” everyone should be able to feel that that sense of freedom and possibility that takes hold of us every time we get on a bike. But, many of my female friends from that neighborhood bike parade don’t ride anymore. In fact, women are dramatically under-represented in U.S. bicycling, making up just 24 percent of bike trips in 2009.
Too many women feel unsafe on streets engineered for cars — and too few women are at the decision-making table, directing the future of our transportation system.
We have the power to change that. We have the power to make sure our daughters, sisters, mothers, grandmothers have the invitation and opportunity to share the joy of bicycling. And, collectively, women have the power to bring bicycling into the mainstream in communities across America.
The Summit will provide a unique opportunity for everyday bicyclists and bicycle professionals to network, share best practices and develop action steps to get more women in YOUR community out riding. It will provide the space for us to put our helmets together and create a bike future where women don’t account for just 24 percent of bike trips but are equally represented on the streets and in the movement.
Your contribution to the National Women’s Bicycling Summit will help us:
Secure speakers and presenters to share their unique insight
Support scholarships and travel stipends for attendees in need of financial assistance
Document and share these critical conversations and ideas with YOU.
The result?
The compilation and sharing of new ideas and resources to increase the number of women riding in your community
A stronger, more effective network of women leaders in bicycling from coast to coast
Strategies and campaign ideas to increase women riding nationwide
Action steps to continue the conversation at future bicycle-related events
Registration will open July 23, and we’ll begin announcing speakers and sessions in coming weeks. Stay tuned to bikeleague.org/conferences/women and connect with the Women Cycling Project on Facebook.
I bet you remember riding in a 4th of July parade or just cruising around the neighborhood with your friends. Let’s unite our efforts and make sure the little girls who are decorating their bikes today are the women riding on our streets tomorrow.
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.
Already, in the short time since the Kinzie lane was installed, bicycle mode share on that street has jumped from 22 to more than 50 percent. Last week the city took another step forward, rolling out seven more miles of separated facilities in a part of the city that, traditionally, hasn’t been served by bicycle infrastructure: the city’s South Side.
When I read the news from the Active Transportation Alliance, I immediately thought of Lacourdaire Camargo, a bicyclist who lives in Little Village, a predominantly Mexican-American community on Chicago’s Southwest Side.
Camargo bikes on the city’s South Side
A few months ago, I was working on a story for Momentum magazine about diversity in U.S. cycling and Camargo, like many others I spoke to, highlighted the need for equitable distribution of cycling infrastructure to encourage more folks from her neighborhood to ride. Working downtown, she recognized the growing ranks of urban professionals riding in to work, but very few of those folks were coming from the South Side. “Cycling is a bit more challenging on the south and west side of Chicago, because there really aren’t a lot of bike lanes or bike-friendly zones,” she said. “I feel that there’s a disparity.”
Thanks to the work of advocates and city officials that’s starting to change. According to Active Trans:
The South Side’s first protected bike lane is coming to life this week in Hyde Park. Crews are installing the lane between Cottage Grove and Lake Park, helping to connect residents of this bustling neighborhood with a direct route to the spectacular Washington Park. The lane also cruises past the University of Chicago campus, and a number of churches and schools. South Siders, you’re going to love it.
Will neighborhoods like Little Village be next in line? Stay tuned to the Active Trans blog for updates on the citywide bikeways campaign.
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.
AAA may serve millions of motorists, but the association is getting serious about helping bicyclists, as well.
Back in April, the President and CEO of AAA of Northern California, Nevada and Utah suggested “Wouldn’t it be interesting if bicycling became as mainstream as driving” in his magazine column.
Well, more good news today. According to a AAA press release…
On July 1, AAA Washington will begin providing its more than one million members in Washington and northern Idaho emergency bicycle service. AAA members now have membership benefits that cover them on their bicycle in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
AAA Washington’s new bicycle service works exactly like its emergency road service for vehicles. A member with a disabled bicycle due to mechanical failure calls the AAA hotline (800-AAA-HELP) and AAA will dispatch service. The member and their bicycle will be transported to a safe location within the distance their membership level allows: Classic – 5 miles, Plus – 100 miles, or Premier – 200 miles.
“We are excited to extend our legendary emergency road service to bicycles,” said John Milbrath, vice president of Member Services for AAA Washington. “People who live in the Northwest are avid outdoors enthusiasts and have an affinity for cycling. We think our members will embrace this new service and have a new level of comfort as they travel long distances from home knowing that AAA will be there if their bicycle becomes disabled.”
Click here to read the full release and learn more at AAA.com.
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.
There’s a new rider at the top of the individual leader board for the National Bike Challenge: Michael Lemuel. But who’s the man behind that purple and white shield, logging a mind-boggling number of miles deep in the Kansas heartland?
Well, Michael Lemuel isn’t your average cyclist (and we’re not just talking about superhuman stamina). He’s a disabled veteran on a limited income — $123 per month, plus government-assisted housing/food — who’s taken the lead in the Challenge despite suffering from epilepsy and ringing in his ears so intense that it causes chronic insomnia.
Michael was kind enough to share his story in this week’s Challenge Recap…
How and when did you start riding?
Before, I can remember. I think I was four years old. It’s one of the family stories because, the first time I rode a bicycle, my dad put the training wheels on, and I was off. Then dad decided to give me a chance with no training wheels — and they never were put back on. My earliest memory of being on a bike was at five-years-old and climbing on an old banana seat cruiser. It was way too big for me, but I’d ride it up and down the block from the moment I got out of school until my mom would call me in for the night.
Michael Lemeux
Why did you decide to participate in the National Bike Challenge?
Kaw Valley Bicycle Club (featured in last week’s recap) and Topeka Community Cycling Project (TCCP) were planning Bike Month activities with the city of Topeka. Tee KVBC president told us of the Challenge, and we were trying to get local businesses, and even government bodies, to compete against each other for fun (and bragging rights). None of the “profit” bike shops wanted to particapate so TCCP challenged KVBC (all in good fun, of course). I really only planned on helping my team compete against KVBC, but then I found my city, workplace, team and myself all in the top 10 percent with Kansas in the top 10. From there it just so much bigger than our two teams. I won’t lie: I was constantly thinking, “I’m in the top 1 percent, .5 percent, .01 percent.” It made me feel both special and important.
You ride a really impressive number of miles per day —what’s your average day like? Where do you go, where do you ride?
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.
One of the best things about bicycling is seeing the world up close and personal, rather than speeding through it behind the wheel of a car. With more than 6 million miles logged so far, the 28,000 participants in the National Bike Challenge have certainly seen a lot — and we’ve launched a Picture of the Week series to capture some of those memorable moments and everyday experiences.
This week, Amber Travsky in Wyoming sent me not one, but two, incredible photos. “I have the enviable opportunity to be able to use my mountain bike in my work as a wildlife biologist,” she wrote. “So, not only do I get in my bike miles, but I also get paid for it. Here are two photos I took while working last week.”
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.
On Friday, Congress will vote on a new transportation bill that reverses years of progress on biking and walking policy and cuts by 60 to 70 percent funding for local safety projects such as sidewalks, crosswalks, and bike lanes.
For the past 20 years, a modest portion of federal transportation investments — less than 2 percent of all transportation funding — has been dedicated to biking and walking projects that make streets more accessible for everybody, reduce preventable traffic fatalities, help boost local economic development, and create construction jobs. But, despite an outpouring of support from mayors, county executives, and the American public, the deal negotiated by a small number of Congress members behind closed doors eliminates much of this popular funding.
“This new transportation bill is bad news for biking and walking,” said Caron Whitaker, campaign director of America Bikes. “Across the country, people are biking and walking more, and vehicle miles traveled are decreasing. Young people are delaying getting their driver’s licenses and the real estate market shows that people want to live and work in areas where they can walk and bike safely. Yet this new bill ignores current trends and includes drastic and disproportionate cuts to biking and walking.”
“These drastic cuts to biking and walking funding do not save the federal government any money,” said Andy Clarke, president of the League of American Bicyclists. “Rather, it keeps current levels of funding and directs funds away from street safety projects. Moreover, it’s ironic that Congress is calling this a jobs bill. Biking and walking infrastructure projects create 46 percent more jobs per federal dollar than traditional road projects, yet this bill attempts to reduce the number of such projects across the country.”
“With these devastating cuts, children’s lives are in danger,” said Deb Hubsmith, director of the Safe Routes to School National Partnership. “The annual cost to hospitalize children for injuries due to bicycle and pedestrian collisions is more than the entire amount of Transportation Alternatives funding in the new transportation bill, and Safe Routes to School will only get a fraction of those dollars.”
“Bicycling has developed broad and increasing support from local governments, health care leaders, small business, and, most importantly, the American people,” said Tim Blumenthal, president of Bikes Belong. “The effort to make bicycling safer and easier for all Americans—a push that includes cost-effective investments in infrastructure–will continue to grow.”
For the America Bikes coalition’s full statement on the new bill, click here.
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.
UPDATE: I’ve taken out the SRTS and Recreational Trails data since these programs should be 100% bicycle and pedestrian spending. Sorry for any confusion.
Now that requirements to dedicate federal funds to bicycling and walking projects have been weakened, we all need to make sure our state leaders prioritize active transportation rather than revert to road-only thinking.
So, which states are the best at using these funds now?
The League compiled federal bike/ped funding data reported by the states from 2007-11 (the data doesn’t separate out bicycles and pedestrians). We used this data to get a better picture of which states prioritize bike/ped projects that create transportation choices, make sure kids get to school safely, reduce congestion, improve air quality, and make our streets safer for everyone.
Below are the top states by program. Click here to download the entire spreadsheet.
The percentage of STP and HSIP funds spent on bicycle and pedestrian spending are generally fairly low. However, both of these sources offer a considerable amount of transportation funding. Even though a state may spend only a few percentages of these sources on bicycles and pedestrians, this can still constitute tens of millions of dollars and shouldn’t be overlooked. The states also deserve credit for having project funding criteria and processes that support spending these funds on bicycles and pedestrians.
All eyes are now on the states. If your state is on this list, now is the time to ensure it continues to dedicate resources to bicycling and walking. If your state does not appear on this list, it is more important than ever to make the case for bicycling and walking to your governor and department of transportation. We are here to help with that.
Elsewhere in cycling advocacy…
Thanks to hundreds of vocal supporters and the leadership of the California Bicycle Coalition and CA State Sen. Alan Lowenthal, the California Assembly passed SB 1464 creating a three-foot safe passing law. The legislation was crafted to address the issues Governor Brown raised in his veto of a similar bill passed last year.
Matt Wempe League State and Local Advocacy Coordinator
Mr. Wempe joined the League in September 2011. For the three years prior, he worked as a transportation planner and Safe Routes to School Coordinator in Fort Collins, Colo. He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Blog
You gotta love a city that boldly professes on the side of its City Hall — “Long Beach: The most bike-friendly city in the U.S.” The industrial town just outside of Los Angeles isn’t quite to the Gold or Platinum standard just yet, but they’re certainly making incredible strides incredibly quickly. So it’s fitting that Long Beach will play host to the Pro Walk Pro Bike: Pro Place conference next month.
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