Local control of federal bicycle and pedestrian funding means state advocates and support will be more important that ever. Summit attendees at the “How to Save Cycling at the State Level” session learned about successful state advocacy and ways to work with their governor, legislature, and agency staff to continue investing in bicycling and walking.
Shailen Bhatt, Delaware Secretary of Transportation spoke about how cycling is a key investment for DOTs, Dorian Grilley with Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota shared how states can become bicycle-friendly fast, and Robert Ping with Safe Routes to School National Partnership discussed how bicycling is about people, not just funding and infrastructure. Dan Grunig with Bicycle Colorado moderated and spoke of the importance of funding and support at all levels of government.
Advocates in the room were clearly energized and already thinking about . Here’s a quick summary of what we learned:
The majority of funding for bicycles and pedestrians comes from the state and local level
Elect a bicycle-friendly governor and legislators – invite them to your events so they can publicly share that support
Progressive DOTs are thinking of bicycles as a wise investment – “The way you run a DOT is ask ‘what’s my return on investment’”
Don’t reinvent the wheel – learn and borrow from others
Partner, partner, partner – public health departments, parent groups, local mayors, outdoor enthusiasts, and more
Talk about your values – traffic safety, children’s health, economic benefits, freedom of transportation choice
Make sure states spend their bicycle funding – only about half of available SRTS funding is currently being utilized
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.
We hope that Congressman Earl Blumenauer, one of Congress’s most vocal champions for bicycling for years, feels like he has a little bit more company these days. Yesterday, he shared the stage with representatives from both parties, as well a republican transportation secretary working in a democratic presidential administration, all of whom are now helping lead the charge for bicycling. Today Rep. Blumenauer was visited by representatives from the Oregon delegation to the National Bike Summit to discuss transportation re-authorization and how to make Portland better for bicycling.
“It is always energizing to see the Hill flooded with over 800 bicycle advocates,” Congressman Blumenauer said after the meeting. “This year, more than ever, is a critical time to have bicycle advocates, businessmen and women, public health advocates and others here, reminding Congress why they and bikes matter.”
Mr. Blumenauer’s constituents, led by Gerick Kransky of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA), awarded him with a Leadership Award from the League of American Bicyclists. It is always good to see friendly faces from home. “The Oregon group, of course, has a special place in my heart,” Blumenauer said. “Their commitment, advocacy and dedication over the years has been such an important part of the Oregon story, and has helped push forward not only Oregon, but all 50 states.”
The Portland constituents, including Jerry Norquist of Cycle Oregon and BTA board member Stephen Gomez, then sat down with Mr. Blumenauer’s staffer, Tyler Frisbee, as the Congressman rushed off to a meeting with Secretary of State Clinton. The day before, Frisbee had spoken to Summit attendees about what to expect during Hill meetings and how to frame the Congressional ask, so they quickly got down to the business of how to keep pushing Portland forward.
While the rest of the country looks to Portland as an example of what’s possible, Portland’s bicycling community is pushing forward to address the city’s remaining bicycling challenges. Once the low-hanging fruit has been picked, reaching the remaining fruit requires redoubled effort. “While most of the country is trying to get to good bicycling conditions, Portland is trying to go from good to great,” said Jonathan Maus of BikePortland. “It’s just as hard; it’s just different work.” BTA’s Gomez pointed to the large number of walking and bicycling fatalities in the state every year to show how far they still have to go before achieving their Vision Zero goal of no traffic fatalities.
Now Portland’s advocates are trying to find more pro-bicycling company for Congressman Blumenauer.
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.
Today the League of American Bicyclists presented Leadership Awards to 13 members of Congress for their strong support of healthy, active transportation options for all Americans.
Bike Walk Mississippi presenting a Leadership Award to Sen. Thad Cochran
Over the past year, these champions from both sides of the aisle have worked to preserve popular, cost-effective programs that make bicycling safe and accessible for rural and urban residents across the nation.
“Unlike so many issues on Capitol Hill, bicycling truly transcends political party, bringing Republicans and Democrats together to protect and promote the health and safety of their constituents,” said Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists. “We commend our Leadership Award recipients and call on all members of Congress to follow their lead and unite around a federal transportation bill that continues investment in bicycling programs that create jobs, cut healthcare costs and save Americans money.”
Today, during the 2012 National Bike Summit, constituents presented Leadership Awards to the following members of Congress.
Congressman Blumenauer is a national champion for active transportation and, as Co-Chair of the Congressional Bike Caucus, is a strong voice in Congress for bicycling and walking. He was one of six House members to sponsor the Petri Amendment to H.R. 7 — the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act — to preserve federal funding for bicycling and walking programs in the transportation bill.
Congressman DeFazio is a strong voice for bicycling and walking on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. His fiery leadership has been invaluable. He was a strong supporter of the Petri amendment to H.R. 7 the bi-partisan amendment to preserve federal funding for bicycling and walking programs in the transportation bill.
Congressman Johnson has been a longtime supporter of Safe Routes to Schools and showed courage and leadership in joining Congressman Petri in sponsoring the Petri amendment to preserve federal funding for bicycling and walking programs in the transportation bill.
Congressman LaTourette is a champion for federal complete streets policies and was one of the bi-partisan leaders that joined Congressman Petri in sponsoring the Petri amendment to H.R. 7. Congressman LaTourette’s efforts for bi-partisan solutions to pass the transportation bill are highly regarded by the bicycling community.
Congressman Lipinski has been a strong leader on bicycling issues in the House and joined Congressman Petri in sponsoring the Petri amendment to H.R. 7 to preserve federal funding for bicycling and walking programs in the transportation bill.
Congressman LoBiondo is a co-sponsor of the Complete Streets bill in the 112th Congress and has been a longtime supporter of active transportation options for people of all abilities. We are thankful for his support of the Petri amendment to H.R. 7 to preserve federal funding for bicycling and walking programs in the transportation bill.
Congressman Petri is co-chair of the Congressional Bike Caucus and, in the face of adversity, showed great leadership in championing the Petri amendment to preserve federal support for bicycle and pedestrian initiatives in H.R. 7.
As Ranking Member on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Congressman RaHall is a strong voice for Transportation Enhancements and Recreational Trails program. He voted for the Petri amendment to preserve federal support for transportation enhancements and recreational trails in H.R. 7.
Senator Cardin’s leadership was instrumental in crafting a creative solution to maintain funding for Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to Schools in the Senate’s transportation bill and to ensure that cities and counties continue to have a voice in how federal dollars are spent on these important programs.
Senator Cochran has been a longtime supporter of Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to Schools and joined Senator Cardin to sponsor an amendment in the Senate to maintain funding for those programs and to ensure that cities and counties continue to have a voice in how federal dollars are spent on these important programs.
Senator Brown consistently supports bicycling initiatives and was a co-sponsor of the Cardin-Cochran amendment in the Senate to maintain funding for Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to Schools in the Senate’s transportation bill and to ensure that cities and counties continue to have a voice in how federal dollars are spent on these important programs.
Senator Klobuchar has consistently supported federal funding for bicycling and walking programs and recently showed her leadership on these issues by sponsoring the Klobuchar amendment to ensure that the Senate transportation bill included funding for the important Recreational Trails Program.
Over the past several years, Senator Snowe has served as Co-Chair of the Senate Bike Caucus and throughout her career has consistently supported the bicycling community. We are sorry to see her leave the Senate, as we will lose a truly great friend.
For photos of award presentations and to interview Bike Summit participants, contact Carolyn Szczepanski, League Communications Director, at (816) 509-0774 or carolyn@bikeleague.org. Learn more about the National Bike Summit at: http://www.bikeleague.org/
Carolyn Szczepanski Communications Director
Szczepanski joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
Maybe you’re here with us in Washington, D.C., at the 2012 National Bike Summit. 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.
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 members of Congress and let them know, 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 you bike and you vote!
Here are some sample tweets you can use:
Hey [@RepresentativeX]: #ibikeivote, Support clean extension of the transpo bill and Petri amend #nbs12
Hey [@SenatorX]: #ibikeivote, Pls support clean extension of the transportation bill #nbs12
Hey [@RepresentativeX]: Remember the freedom of ur first #bike? Support bike funding in the #transportation bill! #ibikeivote #nbs12
It may feel like one tweet to you, but it makes a big difference. Thank you for your help to Save Cycling!
Carolyn Szczepanski Communications Director
Szczepanski joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
The National Bike Summit is certainly centered around the ask. We gather in Washington, D.C., so we can meet our members of Congress face-to-face and tell them how important bicycling is to us and our communities. But the Summit is also a chance to meet and connect with bike advocates, enthusiasts and officials of all stripes.
On Tuesday, I got to hang out with the Bike Snob NYC, who hosted the first official signing of his new book “The Enlightened Cyclist” here at the Grand Hyatt. Last night at Barnes and Noble, Summit attendees had the chance to hear from an expert on D.C. cycling: Matt Wittmer, author of “Where to Bike DC.”
So what makes the nation’s capital a great place to bike? Wittmer shared some of his insight in a quick Q&A.
Author Matt Wittmer
What makes D.C. a unique cycling city?
The fact that D.C. offers so many institutions of cultural and historical import within such a short distance and that they can almost all be taken in by way of safe, easy cycling routes is one factor that makes the nation’s capital a unique cycling city.
I also think the District should be celebrated for its mostly seamless transition over the last decade from a city with few cyclists to a city with too many to count. Dedicated effort and dollars have evolved the city’s cycling scene from streets virtually devoid of all but the hardiest of riders to a multi-modal grid now crisscrossed by thousands of local riders and tourists from around the world each day.
D.C.’s cool, too, in that if offers trails such as the W&OD Rail-trail and the C&O Canal Towpath that give riders natural, unimpeded access to rural riding both within the greater metropolitan region and onward to it’s fringe. Geography also puts the city’s cyclists within easy reach of mountain riding to the west and possible coastal excursions to the east.
What was the most interesting or exciting cycling spot or route your discovered while researching this book?
I had known about the fantastic riding centered around Poolesville, Maryland before getting hired to write my book, but I hadn’t cycled there all that much. One ventures there for a respite from the bustle of the city and finds open, rolling roads, exhilarating climbs, and long views toward Sugarloaf Mountain and across the Potomac into Virginia.
Having been a cyclist for years yourself, do you think the interest has increased in recent years — and have you seen that in the response to your book?
Most definitely in the 20 years since I became, first, a long-distance touring cyclist and, second, a committed commuter, the numbers of cyclists riding America’s roads in all styles has grown exponentially.
Before moving back east, I lived in the far west in coastal California and Portland, Oregon for much of the ’90s and the advances in cycling infrastructure I saw there at that time presaged what we’re seeing in cities across the country now.
When gas prices soared in ’07 and the effects of the recession began to hit home soon thereafter, no doubt DOTs in many major cities (that hadn’t to that point considered cycling a viable means of transportation) then began investing more money in cycling infrastructure and biking programs and making concerted efforts to give folks greater reasons to get around by bike.
How does “Where to Bike DC” fit in with the growing number of Where to Bike guides?
D.C.’s is one of the first three Where to Bike guides in print in the United States. Currently there are five books in production here alone–New York, Portland, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Mountain Bike, and Orange County. The series started in Australia and now reaches three continents. As an added bonus, the books are now offered in both e-format and as iTunes applications.
What’s your hope for this book?
I feel more alive when I cycle and want people to experience that joy in their own lives. My hope is people will discover/rediscover/reinforce how wonderful, how essential, and how fundamentally enjoyable cycling can be. I hear a variation of the following all the time. Cycling is the best way to see D.C. It’s fast, easy, and convenient. It brings you right to the doorstep of your destination, gives you a daily dose of the outdoors, saves money, reduces stress, etc., etc., etc.
As far as cycling in D.C. goes, it’s almost always all good news. What the city has to do is make sure it continues to factor its cyclists into the transportation equation, add and update to its cycling infrastructure, all while keeping its cyclists safe. Cyclists, for their part, should respond in kind by respecting the rules of the road and encouraging their friends to join them on two wheels.
Szczepanski joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
Standing-room only crowds attended three National Bike Summit panel sessions called, “I Bike, I Vote: Here’s My Ask,” to hear about the official Summit request of Congress and learn how to build relationships with Congressional staffers.
Caron Whitaker of America Bikes and Margo Pedroso of the Safe Routes to School National Partnership briefed the audience on the House and Senate transportation bills and Kristina Kibler of the International Mountain Bike Association discussed the Recreational Trails programs.
Two Congressional legislative assistants, Tyler Frisbee (Rep. Blumenauer) and Ben Brockschmidt (Rep. Tim Johnson), provided the perspective of Congressional staffer. The bottom line? Build relationships with the staff – they’ll be your best advocate with the member of Congress – and follow up, follow up, follow up.
The advocates asked great, informed questions and were clearly ready to make the case to Congress tomorrow. “It was so impressive to have three different sessions full of knowledgeable and committed advocates,” said Margo Pedroso. “I look forward to following up with Hill offices after they have heard from these impressive advocates.”
Here’s our ask:
House:
Will you support a clean extension of the transportation bill?
Will you vote for the Petri Amendment?
Senate:
Will you support a clean extension?
If the Senator voted for MAP-21, which included the Cardin-Cochran Amendment, say thank you!
Darren Flusche League Policy Analyst
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.
Szczepanski joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
Will Generation Y be known as the Bicycle Boomers? If you ride the streets of Washington, D.C., where young professionals socialize at stoplights on their Capital Bikeshare commute home, you might think so. If you read the studies that suggest the upcoming generation is driving less than their parents — as a proactive lifestyle choice — you’d certainly think so.
And, if you study demographics, like Jason Dorsey, The Gen Y Guy, you’d have some very promising news for a ballroom full of bicycle advocates.
Jason Dorsey, The Gen Y Guy, at the National Bike Summit
Today at the 2012 National Bike Summit, The Gen Y Guy gave bicycle advocates some insight into the minds and habits of the Millenials — the 79.8 million Americans born between 1977 and 1995. According to Dorsey, bicycling fits a critical trend for Gen Y: For many, lifestyle supercedes work.
“The 79.8 million Millennials in the U.S. are a lifestyle-driven generation,” Dorsey told me. “Increasingly, we’re seeing bike usage as a symbol of that lifestyle-centric mindset. Bike usage allows Millennials to live close to work, play, friends and community while retaining the freedom Millennials desire. Combine this generational mindset with clear economic and health benefits and it’s easy to see why Millennials are gravitating towards bike-friendly areas. Forward-thinking communities and companies should act now to incorporate bike access and offerings as a tool to attract, retain, and engage talented Millennials.”
As local mayors and business leaders compete for Gen Y’s talents — and dollars — one sure bet: Get bike-friendly.
Click here to see a full interview with Jason Dorsey on the CBS Early Show.
Carolyn Szczepanski Communications Director
Szczepanski joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
Launched today at the 2012 National Bike Summit by a powerful alliance of the Kimberly-Clark Corporation, the League of American Bicyclists, Bikes Belong and Endomondo, the National Bike Challenge aims to inspire and empower millions of Americans to ride their bikes for transportation, recreation and better health.
The Challenge is simple: Sign up as an individual or as a team, log your miles, share your stories and encourage others to join you. Riders will compete for prizes and awards on the local and national level, including a Grand Prize trip through California wine country from Trek Travel. Already, organizations in 26 states have committed to participate and have started warming up for the May 1 start date on the Challenge website:nationalbikechallenge.org.
“The League is excited about this unique opportunity to share the many benefits of bicycling and offer a fun, engaging entry point for new riders,” said Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists. “There’s nothing like riding a bike with your friends and colleagues and the National Bike Challenge will create a new social network of cyclists stretching from coast to coast.”
The online initiative was piloted by Kimberly-Clark (K-C), Endomondo and the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin in 2011. The idea was sparked by K-C research engineer, Rob Gusky, and Kimberly-Clark extended the competition to its 57,000 global employees. The Challenge proved to be a great team building and wellness activity for K-C’s sustainability efforts globally. Participating K-C employees logged 357,739 miles globally, with U.S. employees pedaling 182,210 miles. The success in Wisconsin led to a bigger vision: Taking the challenge to the national level.
“We’re pleased to be the national sponsor of the Challenge as it supports the wellness of our employees and the communities we serve, while contributing to improved air quality by replacing car travel with clean, healthy bicycle trips,” said Jan Spencer, K-C’s senior vice president of continuous improvement/procurement/ sustainability. “This year, K-C is providing an extra incentive for our global team members: The Kimberly-Clark Foundation will donate 10 cents to the League of American Bicyclists for every mile logged by a K-C employee during the 2012 Challenge.”
The platform for the National Bike Challenge was created by Endomondo, a social fitness network with 7.5 million users worldwide. “Riding a bike for transportation is among the top five activities among our European users, and we look forward to helping expand this kind of biking in the U.S. with this campaign,” said Mette Lykke, Co-Founder of Endomondo. “Logging your miles is easy and the social interaction with co-workers, family and friends really makes it fun and motivating to get up and ride.”
“Bikes Belong is delighted to be a part of the National Bike Challenge, which provides all the tools to help more people ride bikes more often,” said Bruno Maier, vice president of Bikes Belong. “We’re looking forward to seeing all the different types of riders who participate. The Challenge is a great way to encourage people to live healthier lives.”
Szczepanski joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
If you think your calls and emails to members of Congress fall on deaf ears, Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) would like to set the record straight. The co-chair of the Congressional Bike Caucus kicked off the opening session at the Summit this morning with an empowering, promising message: When bicyclists talk, Congress listens.
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (Credit: Chris Eichler)
Along with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood (read about his remarks here), Blumenauer was joined by a bi-partisan group of cycling leaders: Rep. Tom Petri (R-WI), Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD), and Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR). They all agreed that the support of advocates has been — and will be — crucial in passing a transportation bill that continues to move the country forward, instead of sliding back.
Before he was a Congress member, Blumenauer worked to create the infrastructure and local policies that turned Portland into America’s leading cycling city. “But I came to Congress with a little different goal: Working with you to make cycling a political movement,” he said.
“We’ve taken these issues to members of Congress in way they hopefully understand, and worked with you in making these messages louder and more direct,” he said. “We’ve gone after some of the people who have chosen to attack cycling — and we’ve gotten their attention.”
Especially in the past few months.
“You being part of this political cycling movement made a huge difference last month,” he said. “We were faced with what [Transportation] Secretary [Ray LaHood] described as the worst transportation bill in history. It was an outrage. It wasn’t just attacking cycling, but would throw out Safe Routes to School, the transit guarantee and was backed by arguably the most powerful person on Capitol Hill — the House Speaker John Boehner — Republican leadership and the committee.”
“But you were part of a coalition that stopped it dead in it’s tracks.”
Thanks to advocates, thousands of calls and emails flooded Capitol Hill. Blumenauer was able to share with his House colleagues a letter signed by 600 diverse organizations, from Bikes Belong to the U.S. Chamber of Congress. “It pointed out how far out of touch they were and how wrong the policy was,” he said.
And it worked.
“Before it could be taken to the floor,” Blumenauer said emphatically, “it crumbled.”
Moving forward, Congressional leaders like Blumenauer, Edwards, Petri and DeFazio spoke of their commitment to fight for a bill that preserves important programs for biking and walking.
Congressman Petri on the link between infrastructure and economic growth: “We all know our nation needs first-rate infrastructure to support a first-rate economy. That means we need to invest in various modes in an adequate way — and we’re really not doing that now… If we continue to under-invest, we’ll see the growth of the economy stagnate and we won’t leave the next generation with the opportunities we have. It’s my firm belief that we should be working to achieve the highest common denominator, to meet the variety of needs in our communities, not the lowest.”
Congresswoman Edwards on cycling for transportation: “I became a cyclist not by choice. It was because I had to; I didn’t have a car. I had a three-year-old I needed to get to daycare and I needed to get to work. So I would strap him on back of my bike and ride to daycare, and then ride to the bus stop and call the metro system to tell them I needed to put my bike on back of the bus. I did that every single day. Even then, I didn’t describe myself as a cyclist. I needed transportation to get to work… I think the work you’re doing today, the advocacy you’re doing today will help so many more members of Congress understand that, sure, we have fun riding a bike, but, for so many of us, it’s about transportation. It’s about quality of life.”
Congressman DeFazio on advocates’ ask to Congress: “Tell them, yes, in the United States of America we can afford to build a 21-Century transportation system that’s less congested, more energy efficient and includes alternatives that get people out of their cars… Go up there with a passion because this is a fight. This is a fight like we haven’t seen before and we can’t lose.”
Carolyn Szczepanski Communications Director
Szczepanski joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
The 2012 National Bike Summit got off to an energizing start this morning with an opening session featuring high-powered members of Congress and the man Representative Earl Blumenauer called the best Transportation Secretary we’ve ever had: Ray LaHood.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood (Credit: Chris Eichler)
No, the Secretary didn’t hop on the table like he did two years ago, but he did fire up the more than 800 attendees. In no uncertain terms, LaHood called for the U.S. House of Representatives to follow the lead of the U.S. Senate.
The bill passed by the Senate, he explained, is good for cycling. It’s good for livable, sustainable communities. It’s good in providing transportation options for all Americans. And, most immediately, it’s good for the economy.
“The transportation bill is a jobs bill; it’s that simple,” he emphasized. “We’re right on the eve of the spring construction season and… we need to put our friends and neighbors to work. The spin-offs that come from passing a transportation bill put thousands of people to work for two years.”
Later on his blog, the Secretary specifically commended the work of bicycle advocates to get that done.
“This week, nearly a thousand League members have come to Washington, DC, for the National Bike Summit,” he wrote. “The theme for this year is “Save Cycling,” and it’s an important task. This is a thrilling time for bicycling in America – there are now 57 million cyclists on the road, and we are truly building a transportation system that makes it easier, safer, and more convenient to ride your bike… At the Department of Transportation, we’re happy to support innovative policies to give more Americans the option to embrace cycling, and we’re working to end prejudices that treat riding and walking differently from other forms of transportation.
“The time has come to time to invest in a 21st century transportation network,” he continued. “This week the advocates from the National Bike Summit will be sharing a similar message with their legislators on Capitol Hill. I thank them for their effort–and for the warm welcome today–and I wish them well.”
Szczepanski joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
She had to wait almost an entire year, but a very excited Oklahoma student got her moment of glory on the stage of the 2012 National Bike Summit tonight.
Last year, more than 5,000 fifth graders from 17 different states participated in the Saris Poster Contest by submitting original artwork centered around the theme “Bicycling is fun…and healthy too!” May, a student from Edmond, Oklahoma, won the Grand Prize with her colorful and creative poster (below), earning her family a free trip to the 2012 National Bike Summit.
“At Saris Cycling Group, we believe that bicycling can enhance the quality of life throughout the United States,” said SCG President Chris Fortune. “This contest is one way we’re able to engage youth in thinking about the bicycle as a solution to many of our current social and economic issues.”
Poster winner May and League President Andy Clarke
It certainly got May excited about bicycle issues — and advocacy. “I think it’s so cool that I get to promote a fun and healthy activity like bicycling AND hang out in D.C.” she said.
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. Congratulations, May!
Carolyn Szczepanski Communications Director
Szczepanski joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
In his first book, the notorious Bike Snob “systematically and mercilessly realigned the world of cycling.” One of the bike world’s most popular, prolific and profoundly humorous blog personalities, the Bike Snob (Eben Weiss) lampooned the “missteps, pretensions, and absurdities of bike culture while maintaining a contagious enthusiasm for cycling itself.”
Now he’s back with his second book — and gave his first official book signing this afternoon at the 2012 National Bike Summit.
“The Enlightened Cyclist: Commuter Angst, Dangerous Drivers, and Other Obstacles on the Path to Two-Wheeled Transcendence” is a primer for cyclists of all stripes — especially those addicted to the Bike Snob’s laugh-out-loud hilarious blog posts that poke fun at all aspects of the cycling lifestyle. In the Enlightened cyclist, the Snob explores the frustrations and triumphs of the daily bike commuter with his trademark snark and insight. “It’s different than my last book,” Weiss told me (before he, yes, signed my copy). “That was generally about cycling and about our relationship with it and my relationship with it and a little bit of history about it.”
The Bike Snob at the Bike Summit
“This book,” he continued, “is more about the practical aspects of cycling, about commuting. Commuting is this portion of your day that can be fraught with danger and misery and death. It’s the only time that any of us are really threatened with death on a daily basis, unless you’re a soldier or fireman or police officer or something. So this is about that feeling and how to turn that around and make it better.”
“People who ride bicycles are really a step ahead because we’re getting around in a way that we love. We’re riding because we love to do it. There are all these angry people on the streets, yelling at each other, but we’re a little above them — slightly less miserable — because we’re doing something we love. So this is about how to make your life better by making commuting a happy part of your day.”
Click here to find a book signing near you or to order your copy — for the first step toward cycling enlightenment.
Carolyn Szczepanski Communications Director
Szczepanski joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
Perceptions of bicycling are shifting rapidly and radically. No longer is cycling a niche hobby for Lycra-clad athletes. Especially in cities like D.C., biking is tipping the scales as a healthy, hip and mainstream mode of transportation.
Unfortunately, the numbers tell us this bicycling boom has yet to fully engage a powerful — and interested — audience. In the U.S., men still ride at three times the rate of women.
(From left) Elizabeth Kiker (League of American Bicyclists, moderator), Marla Streb, Elysa Walk, Cornelia Neal, Veronic Davis, Nelle Pierson, Andrea Garland
Streetfilms was there to record the event, which will be posted on the Women Cycling Project website by early next month. In the meantime, though, a few key points from the distinguished keynote and panelists.
Elysa Walk, General Manager of Giant Bicycles Inc., talked about her efforts to nurture female leaders within the bicycle industry without compromising their unique leadership styles, and make products that appeal to women so strongly that the bike itself is inspiration to ride.
Marla Streb, a former World Mountain Bike Champion who now works with the pro Team Luna Chix, discussed overcoming the challenges of being a female pro in a strongly male-dominated sport and how she’s become a mom of three who only drives once a month (hint: cargo bike!).
Cornelia Neal, from the Infrastructure and Environment Program at the Royal Netherlands Embassy, provided insight on the Dutch political will to invest in infrastructure that makes bicycling safe for riders of all ages, creating an environment where kids pedaling to school and women doing errands by bike is the standard, not the exception.
Veronica Davis, Principal and engineer at Nspiregreen LLC and co-founder of Black Women Bike, emphasized the importance of marketing and messaging, both ensuring that diverse communities see themselves in the images and representations of cycling and explaining our issues in a way that illuminates how biking improves communities for all residents — not just those on two wheels.
Andrea Garland, planner with Alta Planning + Design, suggested the need for more women in bicycle advocacy and engineering to get more involved — and outspoken! — in their local advisory committees, because, when women put their ideas on the table (like, say, Safe Routes to School), success isn’t far behind.
Nelle Pierson, Events Coordinator for the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, elevated the importance of women feeling welcome and comfortable in bike shops — and empowered to fix and maintain their bikes themselves.
Szczepanski joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
This week, a record-breaking number of Americans will flood the halls of Congress to “Save Cycling.” The 2012 National Bike Summit, March 20-22, will bring together more than 800 cyclists from 49 states to show policymakers that bicycling is an important transportation option for a powerful and growing constituency in communities across the nation.
Hosted by the League, the Summit convenes as Congress considers how to spend billions of dollars on the future of our transportation system. Bicycling represents a popular, equitable and growing mobility option that creates jobs, cuts healthcare costs and protects American families from skyrocketing gas prices. Still, members of the U.S. House of Representatives are poised to eliminate dedicated funding for cost-effective programs that make bicycling safe and accessible in urban and rural communities across the country.
The 2012 National Bike Summit will showcase and harness the dramatic impact bicyclists have on Capitol Hill. Already, grassroots advocates, local business owners and people who ride bikes triggered dramatic changes in the Senate transportation bill.
“Two months ago, the Senate bill would have gutted critical funding for local bicycle projects, eliminated programs like Safe Routes to School and eroded the rights of all American cyclists,” said Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists. “But tens of thousands of people called and wrote their members of Congress and their voices were heard. Now more than ever, cyclists have become a powerful, organized constituency that is redefining our streets as safe, public spaces for people, not just speeding automobiles.”
In the midst of deep political divides, bicycling also represents a rare, truly bipartisan issue. The Summit will bridge political ideology and bring together representatives from both sides of the aisle. Speakers during the 2012 National Bike Summit will include:
The National Bike Summit will be held at the Grand Hyatt Washington (1000 H Street NW, Washington, D.C.) on March 20 and 21, and moves to Capitol Hill on Thursday, March 22.
The Summit opens with a banquet on the Tuesday evening; education sessions and advocacy training are held on Wednesday; Capitol Hill meetings fill Thursday; and the event concludes on Friday with a Congressional Bike Ride. See the full agenda at: http://www.bikeleague.org/conferences/summit12.
For press access, please contact Carolyn Szczepanski, Communications Director, at 816-509-0774 or Carolyn@bikeleague.org.
Carolyn Szczepanski Communications Director
Szczepanski joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
UPDATE: Due to anticipated high turnout, the SCCRTC Bicycle Committee is looking for an alternative meeting location. Please contact the RTC at info@sccrtc.org for the meeting location.
Nothing can quite compare to rumble strips when it comes to ruining a beautiful bicycle ride. Adventure Cycling and the League have previously written about rumble strips and the difficulties they pose to cyclists. We were very happy to see the Federal Highway Administration revise their May 2011 guidance that would have promoted rumble strip installation on many rural roads and even some urban roads across America.
Touring Cyclists on Highway 1
So, it was a bit of a shock when we heard from Adventure Cycling and League members that the California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) is planning to install rumble strips on a portion of the Highway 1 between Davenport and Santa Cruz. Highway 1 – also known as the Pacific Coast Highway – is part of one of the most active bicycle touring routes in the country and a major draw for international tourism.
To its credit, CalTrans has one of the best rumble strip policies when it comes to accommodating bicyclists. So we did some research and found out the following:
This 11-mile section has been identified as a high collision area, including at least one bicycle fatality. Rumble strips are the proposed safety improvement to address run-off-the-road and head-on crash incidents.
CalTrans policy only allows rumble strips where there will be more than five feet of shoulder clearance for cyclists. CalTrans data indicate that the shoulder width in this area is approximately eight feet, though this has been disputed by local cyclists and regional transportation planners.
This is a “candidate project” that will not go to construction for another 18-24 months and includes both center-line and shoulder rumbles. CalTrans has committed to working with local cyclists, and presumably following their policy, as project planning progresses.
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission has received over 70 contacts on this issue. The SCCRTC is working with CalTrans to ensure accurate shoulder width data and has requested the collision data justifying the need for rumble strips. The SCCRTC Bicycle Committee will be discussing the project at their April 9 meeting.
While we recognize the safety benefits for motorists under certain conditions, we are concerned about their use on Highway 1. The League and Adventure Cycling will be submitting letters to CalTrans respectfully requesting that:
CalTrans not install rumble strips on Highway 1 at this time.
CalTrans work to provide a five-foot wide road shoulder on Highway 1 clear of sand and other debris while still accommodating parked vehicles and ocean access for residents and visitors.
CalTrans continue to work with cyclists to ensure that Highway 1 remains one of the country’s premier bicycling routes.
We encourage local cyclists to speak out on this issue (reference the three points above as a start). Here are some ways you can make sure CalTrans hears your voice:
Contact CalTrans District 5
Jim Shivers
District 5 Public Information Officer
Phone: 805.549.3237
Email: Jim.Shivers@dot.ca.gov
Monday, April 9 at 6:30pm
Regional Transportation Commission Conference Room
1523 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz (above Chef Works)
As we learn more, look for updates to this blog.
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.
The big four leaders – Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Ranking Member Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and Senators Max Baucus (D-MT) and David Vitter (R-LA) – on the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee included a 2nd ‘manager’s amendment’ that modifies their surface transportation bill, known as MAP-21. As we reported last week, the first manager’s amendment included the Cardin-Cochran Amendment, which ensured bicycling and walking projects had a fair shot to compete for funding. This second one includes two changes on issues of concern to cyclists: the amendment will modify the mandatory side path clause and reserve funds for Recreational Trails activities unless a state opts out.
Mandatory Side Path Clause
When the Senate initially released MAP-21 in November, we immediately noticed a clause (p. 226) that would force cyclists off of roads on federal lands with a speed limit over 30 miles per hour onto “an adjacent paved path,” if one was within 100 yards. Recognizing the terrible precedent that this would set, over 14,000 bicyclists and supporters signed a petition to have the clause removed. That was followed by an advocacy alert in February.
With the help of this grassroots outcry, the League of American Bicyclists and the Adventure Cycling Association have been working closely Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Al Franken (D-MN) to improve or remove the federal lands mandatory sidepath language. Both Senators introduced an amendment, which was not accepted, and Senator Merkley has continued to work with the EPW committee to improve the language.
The result is a compromise. The language in the Senate bill now says:
(d) BICYCLE SAFETY.—The Secretary of the appropriate Federal land management agency shall prohibit the use of bicycles on each federally owned road that has a speed limit of 30 miles per hour or greater and an adjacent paved path for use by bicycles within 100 yards of the road unless the Secretary determines that the bicycle level of service on that roadway is rated B or higher.
While we are disappointed that the so-called ‘bicycle safety’ clause is still in the bill, this compromise means that states now have some ‘out’ to enforcing the law and a process by which bicyclists can demonstrate the restriction does not apply to their roads. (Here’s a little background on Bicycle Level of Service.)
This battle is not yet over. We will continue to work with both the House and Senate on this issue. Since this clause does not appear in the House bill, whatever that may look like, this issue will have to be resolved in conference. We hope to remove or further improve it at that time.
Recreational Trails Program
The International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) and the Coalition for Recreational Trails have been pushing aggressively to protect Recreational Trails funding in the Senate bill. While this protection was not included in the first manager’s amendment, it was addressed in this one.
The Recreational Trails program is written into Additional Activities – but state DOTs have an option to opt out.
If the state does not opt out, $85 million comes out of Additional Activities for the Rec Trails program nationally.
1% of that is used to cover administrative costs
The state must comply with the program’s existing regulations
Thank you again to everyone who has followed this with us and sent action alerts. Time and time again we hear from Congress that they hear from you more than almost any other transportation-related constituents. That makes a huge difference.
There is still plenty to do before the House and Senate agree on a transportation bill. We hope you will join us next week at the National Bike Summit to show Congress how important this bill is to bicyclists.
Darren Flusche League Policy Analyst
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.
Are there transportation projects in your community that showcase innovative bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure? Are there projects in your city or state that highlight how cost-effective investment in bike/ped accommodations can increase active transportation, reduce congestion and improve quality of life?
Ten years ago, the Sierra Club released a report that took a critical look at 49 transportation projects across the country to determine whether they were headed in the right direction for the 21st century. Now, in a new report, we’re taking another look to see which transportation investments move us forward and which ones keep us stuck on fossil fuel.
Tell us which projects you think make the grade and which ones take us down the wrong path.
We’re looking for projects in the works, ideas still on the books, and some recently built projects. Transit, roads and bridges, freight, or pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure everything is fair game!
Submit your nominations through the quick, online form by Friday, March 16.
Photo: Green bike lane in San Francisco (Credit: Matt Roth)
While Congress creates the framework, the most important decisions about the use of federal funds are made at the state and regional level. As the capacity of statewide bicycle advocacy groups has grown, many leaders have started to look beyond their long list of individual project victories and ask an important question: How can we use our limited resources to have a long-standing, wide-ranging impact in communities across the state?
One answer: Get involved in the process that determines the use of billions of dollars in federal funding.
Money is like water. It flows easiest through the well-worn grooves and established channels that have been carved over the years. When it comes to federal funding streams, the policies and process at the state and regional level determine whether bicycle and pedestrian projects sink or swim.
In recent years, organizations like Bike Delaware, the League of Illinois Bicyclists, and the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation have gotten involved in this critical process. In the latest report from Advocacy Advance — Improving the Process: How Statewide Organizations Are Winning Federal Funding for Bicycling and Walking Projects — Darren Flusche, League Policy Director, explores the success of those organizations and how statewide groups can have the biggest impact.
“There’s increasing interest among advocates to take on more complicated and potentially more impactful campaigns,” Darren explains. “Many are turning their attention to the ways federal funding is spent locally. Campaigns that focus on the policies and practices that influence federal spending can have lasting impact. Instead of enabling just one bicycling or walking project, it can set the stage for years of bicycle and/or pedestrian projects to be built.”
There’s clearly the need and interest for best practices for advocates at the state level. “Advocates at several statewide organizations approached us to ask about what statewide groups are doing well and how federal funding campaigns differ at the state level compared to cities and regions,” he adds.
Drawing on the models of Delaware, Illinois and Missouri, the four-page report highlights and explains steps organizations can take to get more involved and, ultimately, increase federal funding for bike/ped projects.
“The basics are the same at the regional and the state level,” Darren says. “You need to know who sets the policies and makes the project selection decisions. You need to know who influences those people, what to ask for, and when to ask for it. But operating at the state level gives advocates an opportunity to fix state DOT policies that impact every region. In addition, advocates can share best practices among all of the regions in the state. State organizations have the opportunity to make systematic change on a large scale.”
As Congress debates the transportation bill, there’s a lot of uncertainty about the future of transportation programs. But one thing is clear: Bicycling advocates will have to learn how to compete for scarce resources against all types of transportation projects. The examples and suggestions in this report, taken from real successes in the field, provide an essential guide. And, as always, the Advocacy Advance Team is available to offer more information and technical support.
A new transportation bill is 889 days late, according to our pals over at Transportation for America, so excitement is running high that the Senate might actually vote this week on a new bill – MAP-21 (S.1813). Of course, there’s still the little matter of the House bill having imploded in recent days, so I doubt President Obama is clearing his schedule for a bill signing ceremony just yet. But progress is progress and we hope that Senate moves quickly to pass their bill as amended by Senator Reid – because that version of the bill includes the Cardin-Cochran amendment which preserves dedicated funding for bicycling and walking.
Inclusion of Cardin-Cochran in MAP-21 is a really big deal. Thanks to the outpouring of support for the bipartisan amendment that was heard loud and clear in every Senate office, Senate leaders took this welcome step late Friday, and it truly is a testament to the value and influence of effective grassroots action, a strong Capitol Hill presence, and timely input from local elected officials and business leaders. Thank you to everyone who called and wrote; and thanks to Senators Cardin and Cochran who were wiling to step up and make this possible.
As with any bill this size, there are still a few things that we’d have the Senate fix in MAP-21 that haven’t yet been addressed by the amended version. Two that stand out, and which may yet be the subject of debate and votes on the Senate floor, are the sidepath provision and the Klobuchar amendment.
The proposed mandatory sidepath law on federal lands remains in the bill. We’re working closely with Senators Jeff Merkley and Al Franken to remove or amend this section to make it less onerous (not to mention that it is unnecessary, groundless, impractical and inequitable to boot) and preserve our rights to the road in our Federal lands. Take action.
The Klobuchar amendment would go beyond Cardin-Cochran and preserve the recreational trails program pretty much as is – complete with its own revenue stream from ORV fuel taxes. This would be a big boost to our friends at IMBA, for whom this is a critical program. Take action.
For those of you with bandwidth remaining, check out other actions and amendments being tracked by Transportation for America – and, of course, come to the National Bike Summit, March 20-22, to get the very latest information and to play your part in our great democracy, in person.
Andy Clarke League President
Clarke was appointed to the position of Executive Director in April of 2004 after successfully leading efforts to create, interpret and implement the various transportation programs that are available to improve conditions for bicycling and walking as the League’s State and Local Advocacy Director.
We’ve just won a big battle for biking and walking in the Senate. After several long weeks of intense work from advocates around the country and our partners at America Bikes, the Cardin-Cochran Amendment has been accepted as part of the base Senate transportation bill, MAP-21.
If MAP-21 ends up becoming law, the language from this amendment will ensure that local governments, school systems, and metropolitan planning organizations are able to access much-needed funds to make bicycling and walking safe and accessible.
With the acceptance of the Cardin-Cochran amendment, here is how MAP-21 would work if it becomes law:
Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School, and Recreational Trails are consolidated into a new program called Additional Activities.
State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) will make their Additional Activities funding available to metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) and local governments. Here’s how they’ll allocate the funds:
The state DOT will allocate 50% of the Additional Activities, based on population, to MPOs and rural areas. MPOs will then distribute the funds through a competitive grant program for projects in their communities.
For the remaining 50% of Additional Activities, the state DOT would host its own competitive grant process for projects. Local governments, school districts, and others would be eligible to compete for this funding.
If it becomes law, this legislation would ensure that local governments and communities have a voice in the transportation decisions that affect their streets. The safeguards included in MAP-21 would ensure that communities of every size benefit from making their own localized transportation decisions for safe streets.
Huge thanks everyone who helped make this happen, including:
Senators Cardin (D-MD) and Cochran (R-MS) who sponsored the original amendment.
Environment and Public Works Committee Leadership who accepted the language into the base bill:
Senator Boxer (D-CA)
Senator Inhofe (R-OK)
Senator Baucus (D-MT)
Senator Vitter (R-LA)
And of course, all everyone who called and emailed in support of this amendment. Your voices made this possible!
In order to make this law, the Reid Amendment must pass the Senate. Please urge your Senators to vote for cloture on the Reid Amendment!
And of course, help us spread the word about the mandatory sidepath law on federal lands. We are still fighting to get it removed.
We still have a lot of work to do to on the House side to make sure the transportation bill is as good as it can be for bicycling. Please join us at the National Bike Summit, March 20-22.
Thank you again for your continued support and hard work to making biking and walking in America safe and accessible.
Please note: There was no vote on the amendment – it was one of a very small number of amendments (out of 200+) that were rolled into a managers amendment – so there will be no roll call vote. Because of the great grass roots effort, the amendment made the short list of amendments that were included.
Read this Huffington Post article for more about the Senate bill.
Update:
The Cardin-Cochran amendment strengthens the “additional activities” program of MAP-21 which includes the programs currently known as the enhancements, safe routes and recreational trails programs. However, there is an additional amendment – the Klobuchar amendment – that may still be offered to further protect just the rec trails funding.
Darren Flusche League Policy Analyst
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.
CNN gets the scoop from League President Andy Clarke and Jacob Wolf Barnett from Revolution Cycles about how more people are responding to high gas prices by hopping on their bikes.
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.
In November, we asked you to sign our Right to the Road petition against the “mandatory sidepath” provision in the Senate transportation bill. The restrictive clause would limit cyclists from riding on roads on federal lands under certain conditions. Read more here and here. Now, we are asking you to contact your Senator directly.
We have carried over 14,000 signatures to Capitol Hill, but it’s not enough.
We are happy to report that Senators Jeffrey Merkley of Oregon and Al Franken of Minnesota are leading an effort to have this provision removed. However, some other Senate offices still aren’t convinced that their constituents care about the issue.
We now need to ask you to contact your Senator directly on the matter. You can use our action center to send an email to your Senators, or call the Senate switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to speak to your Senate office.
If you call, simply tell the staffer you speak with that you’re opposed to restricting bicycle use on federal lands – the law unfairly and unreasonably restricts cycling at a time when we should be encouraging bicycling for transportation, health, recreation, air quality and a host of other reasons.
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 leadership of the Alliance for Biking & Walking, Bikes Belong, and the League of American Bicyclists has agreed that uniting the three organizations would dramatically improve their effectiveness in increasing bicycle use in U.S. communities. Leaders of the three groups issued a joint statement summarizing the outcome of their recent meeting in San Diego, February 13-14.
“We can transform communities across the United States and accelerate the creation of a more bicycle-friendly America by combining the programs, resources, and members of these three leading organizations,” said Chris Fortune, Chairman of the Bikes Belong board and member of the transition team empowered to facilitate unification of the three groups. The transition team comprises representatives of each organization and will be working with the boards, staff, and members of each group to implement the process.
“There is a lot of work ahead,” acknowledged Hans van Naerssen, Chair of the League’s board and a member of the transition team. “We must determine how to combine the diverse strengths of a powerful alliance of state and local organizations, a storied national user group, and a vibrant industry association in a way that preserves their unique attributes and realizes the game-changing potential of a single entity.”
“Our enthusiasm to take this momentous step for the movement is matched by a commitment to do this right,” said Noah Budnick, board Chair of the Alliance for Biking & Walking. The boards of all three organizations must ratify the agreement. Once (and if) that occurs, the transition team will work with a variety of board, staff, partners and advisors to determine the initial programs, membership structure, and staff needs of the new organization. “Changes will be implemented carefully and respectfully over time”, continued Budnick, “and it is important to say that all existing contractual agreements will be honored and the continuity of existing memberships is assured.”
Andy Clarke, President, League of American Bicyclists
202-822-1333 / andy@bikeleague.org
Jeffrey Miller, President/CEO, Alliance for Biking & Walking
202-445-4415 / jeff@PeoplePoweredMovement.org
Andy Clarke League President
Clarke was appointed to the position of Executive Director in April of 2004 after successfully leading efforts to create, interpret and implement the various transportation programs that are available to improve conditions for bicycling and walking as the League’s State and Local Advocacy Director.
Today is the last day of early bird registration for the National Bike Summit, and we want to make sure you know just why your voice is needed in Washington.
REASON 7: The Congressional Bike Ride! Enjoy the activity that brought you to Washington: riding your bike. Meet Congressional staffers, local activists, and decompress from a week well spent in the Nation’s Capitol.
Andy Clarke, League President, addresses the crowd before the ride
REASON 6: Learn from the Leaders! With 18 break-out sessions to choose from, keynotes, panels, etc., the National Bike Summit is the senior seminar for bicycling advocates and enthusiasts. Check out the agenda to see what all you can discover!
Andy Clarke of the League of American Bicyclists, Jay Walljasper of the Project for Public Spaces, Caron Whitaker from America Bikes, Chris Kegel from Wheel & Sprocket, and John Burke of Trek
REASON 5: Get pinned! The eye-catching bike pins made famous by this fine sir are in abundance. Let people know you stand for cycling with style!
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) shows off his bike bling
REASON 4: Better connect with your members, clients, and Representatives! Luncheon Keynote Speaker Jason Ryan Dorsey is the expert at reaching Generation Y.
The're babies, I tell you!
REASON 3: Want to meet the person who designed your bike or funded your town’s bike lanes? They’re here! Come join them! From top-rate advocates to small shop owners, they’re at the National Bike Summit. See and be seen.
Gary Fisher. Need I say anything else?
REASON 2: You can help us in defeating the House Transportation Bill. You must be sick of hearing about just how terrible this bill is. And you know what? So are we! Let’s end this tragedy once and for all. Full post on this–including video–here.
(drumroll, please) REASON 1: Meeting your representatives in Congress. These personal relationships are what bring about change! Sitting down and having a conversation about bicycling can do amazing things.
Look at this personal relationship with Rep. Steven C. LaTourette (R - OH)! He's now a huge bicycling supporter.
Now that you know why you need to come, let me tell you how to come! Register now for the final day of early bird pricing by clicking here. And once you’ve done that (or if you’ve already done that, wink wink) make sure to let your friends, colleagues, and grandmother on facebook know. Join the event, like us, and twitter #nbs12
Katie Omberg Membership and Events Associate
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.
Thanks, in part, to the powerful advocacy of bicyclists, members of Congress from both parties are speaking up for bicycling and walking. Bi-partisan amendments to improve the House and Senate transportation bills are being submitted in the both chambers of Congress. In the House, Representatives Tom Petri (R-WI), Timothy Johnson (R-IL), Steven LaTourette (R-OH), have teamed up with Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Dan Lipinski (D-Il), and Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) to offer a bi-partisan amendment to protect bicycling and walking funding, streamline project delivery, and increase local access to funds. In the Senate, the bi-partisan Cardin (D-MD)/Cochran (R-MI) Amendment, which would increase local decision-making, is gaining addition co-sponsors from both parties.
Ohio bicycling advocates meet with Congressman Steve LaTourette (R-OH) during the 2011 National Bike Summit
In Massachusetts, the state-wide advocacy organization MassBike has been working hard to line up Congressional support for bicycling and walking. For months, building on existing relationships, they have been in communication with their state’s Senators, John Kerry (D) and Scott Brown (R), to explain the challenges they face in the state and the need for policies like those contained in the Senate amendment. Massachusetts bicyclists have made dozens of phone calls and sent several hundred emails through the League’s system. Last week, both Senator Brown and Senator Kerry agreed to be co-sponsors. (Read more at MassBike.)
This is a testament to the power of bicycling & walking and the teamwork of the state’s bicycling advocates. ”Our collaboration with other advocacy groups is what created the overwhelming groundswell of calls and emails reported by our Senators and Representatives,” said MassBike Executive Director David Watson. “Hearing personal stories from individual bikers and walkers generates a level of Congressional interest beyond what the advocates can achieve on their own.”
In meeting after meeting on the Hill, members of Congress tell us that they are hearing more from their constituents about the bicycling amendments than about any other transportation-related amendment. “Both the House and Senate transportation bills have been mired in amendments and concerns, but the work of the grassroots has really kept bicycle and pedestrian funding at the forefront. Almost every article about the transportation bill lists the changes to biking and walking funding as one of the top concerns,” says Caron Whitaker, Campaign Director for AmericaBikes. “We may be only 2% of the funding but at the moment we’re more than 2% of the bandwidth.”
So…what’s happening with the bills?
This week both the House and the Senate postponed votes on their bills until after next week’s recess: In the House, the delay is due to apparent lack of yea votes; in the Senate it is, in part, because of a host of amendments not related to transportation.
This means that lawmakers are in their home states. Now is a good time to schedule a visit to your members of Congress to make the case for bicycling and walking investments .
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.
“Laws are like sausages,” said Otto von Bismarck, “It is better not to see them being made.” Yesterday, Barbara Boxer, chair of Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said about the transportation bill, “Everybody who says it’s like making sausage, it’s a lot uglier than that.”
To be sure, there has been plenty during the recent debate over the re-authorization of the surface transportation bill to make a sane person crazy: a formerly bi-partisan issue has become at times bitterly partisan; there has been delay after delay since the previous law, known as SAFETEA-LU expired in September, 2009; there is no consensus on how to pay for our nation’s transportation infrastructure; there’s been a string of short-sighted attacks on bicycling and walking, transit, and other investments that help us travel more safely, more cleanly, and, often, more happily.
But there have been many truly inspiring moments as well.
Bicyclists have really stepped up. At all levels – in local communities, in states, and nationally, and at universities and businesses across the country – we have seen a tremendous outpouring of energy. It has come from a wide range of people interested in promoting cycling, including transportation experts, health advocates, safety advocates, bicycling buffs, and even those concerned about the military preparedness of our young people.
In the past month alone, people using the League’s advocacy tool have sent 50,000 messages to their members of Congress in support of bicycling and walking in the transportation bill. Over 14,000 individuals signed our petition to protect cyclists’ right to the road in response to a mandatory side-path clause in the current version of the Senate bill. State and local advocacy organizations have done really impressive outreach in their districts and states, mobilizing countless more cyclists through custom alerts. And local leaders, like mayors, business owners, and university officials, have been making critical calls to their elected officials to explain how important bicycling and walking are to our communities. We are now asking people to start setting up in-district meetings with their representatives when Congress is on recess next week.
“We’ve proved that we can turn out a really good volume, a high number, of emails and calls,” says League President Andy Clarke. “What sets us apart is this unique blend of individual bicyclists, bike shop owners, suppliers, and businesses that get the fact that federal investments in bicycling are important to them. It’s not just a special interest – it’s a public interest issue.”
Darren Flusche League Policy Analyst
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.
Today, we wrote to League members and supporters in a few key House districts to ask for their help in getting the votes needed to pass the Petri/Johnson amendment. This is the same amendment (see fact sheet) to restore dedicated bike/pedestrian funding that was narrowly defeated in Committee two weeks ago, and which has now been offered again as the bill moves to the floor of the House. We are expecting that vote as early as Wednesday, but it could get moved to later in the week.
We remain opposed to the overall bill, H.R. 7, because of its regressive attacks on transit, environmental protections, planning and bicycling. If you did not receive an e-mail from me to take action, please do so here. However, our bipartisan champions in the House want to send a clear message to the House leadership and Chairman Mica that dedicated funding for bicycling and walking programs are an essential part of a balanced national transportation system – and that these are cost-effective, job-creating programs that give local elected officials access to transportation funds that are otherwise out of their control.
This message of support for bicycling and walking needs to be heard loud and clear. If the House bill passes with the amendment, it strengthens our hand as the House and Senate bills are “conferenced” to come up with a single bill. If the House bill fails, passing the Petri/Johnson amendment strengthens our hand in the inevitable “extension” debate that follows: the current program expires on March 31 and must be re-written or extended by that time. There is a fear that another extension will not be clean, i.e. Congress won’t simply keep the existing program as is, they will start to play with the programs and funding.
Over on the Senate side, the bipartisan Cardin-Cochran amendment is gathering support to restore dedicated bike/ped funding and preserve local control over this small sliver of transportation funding. We are hearing that MAP-21, the Senate bill, won’t now make it to the floor until the week of February 27. We will keep you posted.
One thing remains constant: your voice matters. Individual calls, e-mails and visits to Congressional offices really do make a difference. This is an election year, after all, for every member of the House of Representatives. Use our on-line advocacy tools to contact your Members of Congress, but remember that next week most members will be in their home districts and states – waiting for your visit; and March 20-22nd we can help you schedule a visit as part of the National Bike Summit here in Washington, D.C.
Andy Clarke League President
Clarke was appointed to the position of Executive Director in April of 2004 after successfully leading efforts to create, interpret and implement the various transportation programs that are available to improve conditions for bicycling and walking as the League’s State and Local Advocacy Director.
Don’t forget to do something nice for your bike today.
Darren Flusche League Policy Analyst
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.
Thank you for responding to another round of attacks on bicycling and walking. Your voices are being heard on Capitol Hill: House and Senate offices are hearing loud and clear that the current proposals for a new highway bill just aren’t acceptable. Both bills threaten to end 20 years of progress in promoting more walkable and bikeable communities.
Congress is about to eliminate infrastructure programs that demonstrably create jobs, improve safety, provide transportation choices, and promote the most energy-efficient of all travel modes: walking and bicycling. All of this without reducing the cost of the overall bill. The Senate bill reduces the small percentage of transportation funding currently targeted to bicycling and walking, and allows States to simply opt-out of bicycling and walking programs entirely – preventing local agencies from investing in these critical transportation safety projects.
Along with our colleagues in the America Bikes coalition, the League has issued an action alert urging Congress to reject entirely the proposed highway bill (H.R.7) in the House of Representatives, and to support the bipartisan Cardin-Cochran amendment to the Senate bill to preserve local control over transportation funds.
The Senate and House Bill are unprecedented attacks on the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. Take action today, pass the action alert to your friends and family, and register for the National Bike Summit this March 20-22 in Washington, D.C. This event is critical for bicycling, and we need cyclists to speak up and let their Members of Congress know how important bicycling is to them and their community. Contact your Senators and Representatives today – tell them that we bike, and we vote. Together we can save cycling!
Andy Clarke League President
Clarke was appointed to the position of Executive Director in April of 2004 after successfully leading efforts to create, interpret and implement the various transportation programs that are available to improve conditions for bicycling and walking as the League’s State and Local Advocacy Director.
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