What does the fiscal cliff have to do with biking? From a distance, very little. But look closer and biking is, indeed, perched on a potential precipice…
With the debt ceiling coming due in February, the fiscal cliff deal expiring March 1 and the current budget expiring on March 31, Congress will be looking for any and all possible budget cuts. Though the new transportation bill, MAP-21 passed last year, there could still be some attempts to eliminate funding for biking. After all, we’ve been down this road before.
In the past several years, we’ve seen a small number of lawmakers use the budget process as an opportunity to cut funding for biking. Since 2009 there have been at least six (unsuccessful) attempts during the budget process to either weaken programs that fund biking and walking, or eliminate funding to biking facilities outright.
The irony: None of the anti-bike amendments that were suggested or voted on would have actually cut spending if enacted. They would just shift that funding into road building.
The truth: Investing in bicycling facilities and complete streets is a cost effective way to improve transportation, health and safety and to boost local economies. Improving the economy IS in the federal interest.
I don’t need to tell you that. But we do need to tell Congress that.
Avoiding this scenario will require bicycling advocates to do what we do best. Two years ago, when the 112th Congress came in their main goal was to cut spending — and that’s exactly what they did. In March 2010, the House of Representatives approved a series of cuts to transit, to Amtrak and to several other programs. But, despite the dramatic cuts to several related programs, biking and walking programs survived intact.
That was no accident. In 2010, bicycling and walking advocates met with more than 100 members of Congress in their districts and more than 400 members during the National Bike Summit — within weeks of that budget process. Now, the drumbeat to cut spending is even stronger. We need to be prepared to tell the story of the importance of biking to safety, transportation and to local economies.
The National Bike Summit is a critical opportunity for people who ride bikes to have our voices heard — and let Congress know that Bicycling Means Business.
There’s just one week left to register with the reduced, early-bird rates and save $100. Don’t wait; sign up today!
Caron Whitaker Vice President of Government Relations
Prior to joining the League of American Bicyclists in 2012, Ms. Whitaker served as the Campaign Director for America Bikes where she coordinated and implemented America Bikes federal policy agenda. Before that, she worked for the National Wildlife Federation on smart growth, international policy, and community engagement. In addition, Caron served as a Community Land Use Planner for the State of North Carolina Division of Coastal Management, providing technical assistance to local governments and staffing a stakeholders’ council responsible for revising state planning regulations. She has a Masters in Environmental Management for Duke University, Nicolas School of the Environment and a Bachelors of Arts from Williams College.
Often there’s an unfortunate gulf between the worlds of advocacy and racing. That won’t be the case at the National Women’s Bicycling Forum.
We’ve got an incredible line-up of speakers, including Tara McCarthy, Race Director Certification Manager at USA Cycling. After attending our Women’s Summit in September, McCarthy was fired up to share her work to increase the number — and leadership — of women in event directing.
Who taught you to ride a bike and where?
My dad taught me how to ride a bike in our backyard. It was a steel, green, solid plastic wheel bike with no training wheels.
How did you get into racing and what kind of racing do you do?
My racing started with triathlons because a friend did them, and now I race road, mountain and cyclo-cross.
There’s a stereotype that the racing world is predominantly male — is that changing?
I think this is changing. There are many organizations and events that cater specifically to women and the number of women participating is very encouraging.
What’s your role at USA Cycling — and what excites you about engaging more women in event directing?
I’m the race director certification manager so I get to help event directors make their events better through education.
What’s been your biggest success or source of pride in your work in the past, oh, year?
Building an education program from the ground up.
Who inspired you to get on your bike?
My good friend SyRae and my mountain bike club WMBA of Colorado Springs.
What’s the most amazing thing you’ve ever seen or done in a race?
Watching Georgia Gould at the Windham World Cup run her bike into the finish for third place after a flat on the last lap. While it was incredibly sad to see, her competitive spirit was phenomenal.
What’s one word that describes biking for you?
Challenge
Fill in the blank: In a perfect world, biking is _____?
Accessible
Where did you ride today?
Unfortunately, on my rollers – I’m just getting over being sick!
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 new federal transportation bill, MAP-21, reinforces the critical importance of state and local bicycle advocacy.
Now that Congress has passed the law, the game is played at the state regional level. Our Advocacy Advance team is working with advocates in each state who are coordinating efforts to ensure state Departments of Transportation and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) make bicycling and walking a priority. While it’s critical that agencies use all of the federal-aid programs available (as we explained on this webinar), it’s also important to understand the Transportation Alternatives program.
Why? Even though its small in terms of total dollars, the largest percentage of funding goes to biking and walking.
It’s not a simple process, so we created a helpful infographic on how the TA program funds flow from states to your communities:
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 you part of a business that like bikes? If your company supports cycling, get your Bicycle Friendly Business application in now! The next BFB deadline is TOMORROW, January 11 at midnight PST — so don’t delay.
Facebook employees “Like” bikes!
The application is quick, online and recognizes the many simple ways a business can support bicycling: providing showers at work, offering secure bike parking, celebrating Bike to Work Day, supporting a bike club and more.
Why apply in this round? The next round of awards will be announced in April, so this could be a great addition to your Bike Month celebrations. Plus, in addition to getting helpful feedback from League staff and have your company listed on our website, you’ll also be plugged into a network of nearly 500 BFBs throughout the country, including Facebook, Apple, Burton Snowboards, Hewlett-Packard Company, Williams-Sonoma, National Geographic Society and many more.
Dewey joined the League in 2008. For four years prior to that, Dewey worked for Massachusetts- based Landry’s Bicycles and served on the board of the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition. Dewey has a MA in International Relations and Communications from Boston University and is a graduate of St. Olaf College. She spent three years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal.
You know the rules of the road when you’re out riding. Maybe you even teach bike skills as a League Cycling Instructor. But do you know all the bicycling laws in your state?
Since coming to the League in August, I’ve reviewed more than 2,000 laws related to bicycling. From planning and taxation to funding and traffic, I dusted off and dug in to statutes and administrative codes in each and every state. By researching those primary sources and tapping into great resources compiled by bicycling organizations and agencies, I was able to pull together a comprehensive database of laws.
There are plenty of laws shared by all states; and plenty of laws that are intuitive for both bicyclists and other road users. Our highlights focus on eleven categories of laws that most states have, but differ in ways that can have important impacts on bicyclists and other road users.
These highlights are meant to help bicyclists go beyond knowing the rules of the road and understand the laws that are significant to bike advocacy efforts. While not comprehensive, they provide easy access to the laws of all 50 states and the District of Columbia and are supplemented by updated links to comprehensive state and local advocate legal resources.
Throughout my research I found incredible lawyers, legislators, and bike advocates working hard to make sure the law works for bicyclists. Now that we have a large data set regarding laws for bicyclists throughout the country, we will not only be a hub for best practices but work with you to get model, bike-friendly legislation passed in your state. By combining the passion and knowledge of the legal and bicycling community, we hope to not only ensure that you know your rights and responsibilities on the road – but that laws contribute to making biking better.
Look forward to more blog posts highlighting advocate-backed legal innovations and discussing legal issues soon. In the meantime, see how your state stacks up at bikeleague.org/bikelaws.
Photo: League Cycling Instructor training in Portland, Maine, by Jeff Scher
Ken McLeod Legal Specialist, Advocacy Advance
Ken joined the League in 2012 after graduating from William & Mary School of Law. He is a licensed attorney in the state of Virginia. During law school he worked for a private law firm in Cambodia and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Prior to that, Ken worked at a law firm in Orange County and a legal services provider in Seattle. He graduated from Pomona College in 2007 with a BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. He began using his bike regularly after college and has been car-free since February 2012.
Maria Boustead created PoCampo bags — and spoke at the National Women’s Bicycling Summit in September!
Sheila Moon, Po Campo, My Alibi, Moxie Cycling, Cali Bike Tours… the list could go on and on and on. Across the country, a growing number of established and start-up companies — run by women — are gearing up creative products, services and solutions for bicyclists.
With a theme of “Women Mean Business,” we want to showcase some of these businesses at the National Women’s Bicycling Forum on March 4!
Are you a female entrepreneur with a bike-related business? We want to feature you and your product(s) in the Women Bike Pop-up Shop!
In exchange for selling your wares at this full-day event from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Washington, D.C., we ask that you pay $100 and donate 10% of your proceeds to the League’s Women Bike program. (The $100 fee includes the $85 registration to attend the event, too.)
We have capacity for 20 vendors — with three feet of display space each. Our selections will be based on ensuring a diversity of entrepreneurs and product offerings, but the sooner you apply the better your chances! Applications are due January 23. Selected participants will be notified by February 1.
Can’t make it to the D.C.? You can still be involved!
We’re integrating photos into the Pop-up Shop, too. Just take a picture in the context of your business — posing with your product, standing in front of your storefront — with a sign that says “#WomenBike Means Business.”
Share the photo on Twitter with the #womenbike hashtag or send directly to carolyn@bikeleague.org.
Haven’t register for the Women’s Forum yet? Sign up now!
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.
For Steve Kahn of Danny’s Cycles in Scarsdale, NY, it’s “to help secure a future of cycling for my kids.” For other shop staff, it’s to boost their bottom line and grow their customer base by sharing the benefits of bike investment with members of Congress.
For 25 shop owners and managers, the NBDA is providing scholarships to cover the cost of registration and travel (up to $625). To be eligible to apply, you must be a first-time Summit attendee and your shop must be a member of NBDA. If you or someone you know would like to be considered, make sure to get in your application fast! The deadline is 5:00 EST this Thursday, January 10th.
“I love this event, ” says Jannine Fitzgerald, co-owner of Fitzgerald’s Bicycles in Victor, ID. We’ll sure you will too!
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.
The National Bike Summit has a long history of being the premier advocacy event of the year — and we couldn’t be more excited about the line-up for 2013.
First of all, thank you to the many people who shared great session ideas in our call for proposals. We wish we could incorporate all of them — and did our best to include at least some aspect the vast majority of your diverse submissions.
In line with our “Bicycling Means Business” theme, we’ll have specific tracks exploring the economic benefits of bicycling and how to take advantage of federal funding through the new transportation law, MAP-21.
But that’s not all.
We want to move beyond static Powerpoint presentations and engage YOUR ideas, too. So this year, you can role play effective communications tactics to engage your elected officials, sharpen your press strategy with an interactive storytelling workshop and, perhaps most importantly, help us develop a “Bicycling Agenda for 2014 and Beyond.”
The workshops compliment an exciting group of plenary speakers, as well. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) will join Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and other political leaders — and we can’t wait to hear Yolanda Cade of AAA.
Stay tuned for the announcement of more keynote speakers, four exciting pecha kuchas, and the complete Summit schedule later this 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.
Jacquie Phelan calls it like she sees it. And, as one of the most important trailblazers for women in mountain biking, she’s seen a lot.
A commuter turned racer, Phelan took the male-dominated mountain world by storm in the 1980s. “For more than five years, she went unbeaten, and easily bested 90 percent of the men, as the pack was unsegregated in those early years,” the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame raves. Phelan was also the founder of National Off Road Bicycling Association in 1982, keynote speaker of the inaugural IMBA meeting in 1987, created the Women’s Mountain Bike & Tea Society (WOMBATS) in 1987, and raced on four world championship teams from 1990-1993 during her “second wind.”
In just a couple of months, the mountain bike legend and outspoken advocate for gender equity and industry reform will join us at the National Women’s Bicycling Forum. To learn a little bit more about Jacquie, I interviewed her Esquire-style (ironic, right?), asking her to finish the bolded sentences below. As always, Phelan didn’t disappoint…
My love affair with bikes started late. I learned at nine, under harsh conditions. For me it was a sentence: Mom refused to drive any of the six Phelans. In Los Angeles, that’s child abuse. Or at least we thought so. We were obliged to ride.
What got me interested in riding competitively was two movies, and one sentence from a fellow commuter in San Francisco in 1980. Breaking Away and Chariots of Fire got me all dreamy and some guy said he’d taken a half-hour to catch me on the hilly San Francisco streets.
For me, mountain biking is an industry that has lost its way. It was supposed to be about sustainable fun, repairable machines, durable equipment. I mean…really durable. Thanks to most other mainstream bike companies, things must be thrown away regularly, under the guise of newer and better.
I created WOMBATs because the bicycle world is a patriarchal world. Sports is a surprisingly conformist, gender-role rigid milieu, and athletes are rewarded for ability to conform and not question. To something as huge and impossible to battle as ‘patriarchy’ my only response was: make a funny retort, and doll it up with tea and pearls, because it would remind me of my truly radical ‘moms’ in the 1860s, 70s, 80s, 90s — the ones chaining themselves to 1600 Penn Ave. and getting beaten by cops, etc. They were rich white women, by the way. But not considered ‘persons’ in a legal sense.
Some of my proudest moments were when I was included in a museum display at the San Francisco International airport. Joe Breeze curated the exhibit, entitled “Repack to Rwanda.” My bike’s in it, and Charlie’s first bike is in it, and in the context of those late-70s bikes — all modelled after the 30′s Schwinn boy’s bike — Charlie’s aluminum slope-tube, superlightweight, drop-bar, correct-frame geometry (now industry standard) looks absolutely visionary. Here’s a story I wrote about it. That’s a vicarious buzz. For me, my proud moments are when someone includes me in an event. Once, the promoter of TransPortugal flew me over to de-segregate his race (only men had raced this most rigorous of ultra-endurance races). Another time, the organizers of the reunion of the first-ever world championship — it happened in France three years before the Americans had their mis-named first ever world championship in Durango — had me over this past June for the 25th reunion. As a genuine old Bat, I enjoyed swanning around Villard de Lans and even ‘racing’ the old course. Beat a very jet lagged Joe Breeze, until I got off course and finished a bit early. See? Racers —always competing.
I’ll never forget Brian Stickel yanking me off the start line at Mt Snow, or Tom Spiegle booing me on the podium at the race the day before. Or Charlie Cunningham [my husband] momentarily forgetting his party-phobia, and pedaling up Mount Tamalpais on a full-moon night, to meet me at the top (I’d come up from the other side) and escort me down the moonlit dirt roads. Or my first speaking gig down at UC Riverside: An avid rider in the local club flew me down, because he thought the locals would enjoy a wild storyteller. It was the first time I got to travel without having to race also. It was magic.
I almost gave up when… I never almost gave up! Even when I can’t find sponsors for my activities (I’m paid directly by my victims, er, students), I can still ride, have opinions, have small impact, say the truth as I see it. Oh wait, both Charlie [my husband] and I almost gave up when the company he founded, Wilderness Trail Bikes, was taken from him after 25 years of giving his life and creativity to it. Which was also timed with my breast cancer diagnosis.
What sets me apart from the crowd is I am more of a social animal, with a super well-developed Play Ethic. So it’s natural I never really got with the Sponsor Is The Boss program. Especially, especially, when SUV companies used mountain biking as a platform for their uniquely planet-destroying vehicles! And ALL the teams had an SUV company. That’s when I really think the sustainability aim of bicycles, biking, commuting, and advocacy went off the rails. The bicycle had been shoved into the background of the story.
Some of my strongest allies and inspirations are Frances Willard, Kay Ryan, Anais Nin, Charlie Cunningham, Major Taylor, Talia Lempert, Wilma Subra, John Stilgoe and the great Sheldon Brown.
My biggest challenge as a woman in the sport is being taken seriously about stuff like race course safety (hello Bill Cockcroft!) and equal prize lists. This still hasn’t been worked out. Women don’t get to compete equally in the Olympics on bikes, the field is always half the men’s field.
I always tell women in my workshops that it’s ok to be afraid. I’m always a little scared.
If women are to gain equal footing with men in the bike movement we have to have our own magazines, our own companies, our own rich sponsors.
The most exciting thing I’m working on right now is learning to write, and maybe getting my first real job.
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.
Riding my bike gives me a lot of time to think. I sometimes think about what is to come in the day, what happened yesterday, what I need to do in the coming weeks. But, ironically, most often my mind wanders to remembering other times on my bike.
One of the most cherished memories I have on my bike is a trip I did while working as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Senegal after graduating from college. It was a time of great freedom, fun, and growth. My bike was my primary mode of transportation during these years and so many times my mind drifts back to these years and the many bike trips I had throughout the beautiful country. One trip often comes to mind first.
That’s me on the right
This epic bike trip was over a decade ago but I still remember it quite clearly — over the mountains of Kedegou, Senegal across the border into Maliville, Guinea and into the heart of West Africa. I traveled with two of my friends, also in Peace Corps at the time, and had five awesome, grueling, bloody, and happiest days of pedaling in my life. A friend once told me “your 20s are for yourself, live them as fully as possible.” I was living these days fully, with plenty to spill over.
My friends and I had mapped our route with the resources we had; no computer at our fingertips only a map in a pocket and the confidence of encountering cow herders and other people along the way to point us in the right direction. We knew there would be Pulaar-speaking villages at which to stop and seek shelter. By this time I was two years into my service and had a decent handle on the prevalent West African language along with the culture, customs and traditions. Greetings are an important part of any culture, but even more so in the slower paced life of rural Sub-Saharan Africa.
If you know how to arrive in peace and are considerate enough to ask about one’s health, family, work, children, and other aspects, you are a friend and will be treated as family. After a proper greeting and being accepted into a home, the bags of Koala nuts we carried were enough to express our gratitude to our unexpecting hosts. In exchange we would be given dinner, water, a bed to sleep, and water to bath. This made our travels very light. Three young women on bikes – we had it covered.
We were all very comfortable on our Trek 820s – mountain bikes that we were each issued at the start of our service. That bike was a critical component of the agriculture work I did as a Seed Extension Agent. I remember it like a cozy pair of slippers. I had worn it on so many trips that I could hop on and immediately feel at home. It was my transportation to the local market, my connection to socialize with friends, and it was my easiest way to collect mail. My bike transported me not only to destinations but to mental well-being. I had spent the previous two years putting more miles on that bike than any other I’d had before. This was my first real connection to cycling — my first true love of a bike.
One of the things I like most about riding my bike is the connections it creates. When pedaling I become more connected with nature, more connected with the weather, and more connected to the people I encounter. Unfortunately, during this trip I also became connected with swarms of Tsetse flies (think horse flies). I would end a day with bloody wrists due to those miserable pests. Why they chose to just nibble at my wrists, I’ll never know. Maybe it was the shallow veins or the stillness of my wrists while I peddled. Riding over loose gravel, tall grass, and often time large boulders, my pace didn’t allow me out-race these blood-thirsty flies. We hardly stopped until the cooler hours of the afternoon because of the painful bites. Shade would sometimes be enough to elude them, but not often enough.
We stopped and chatted with women carrying water from the streams or wells and were always able to stay hydrated in the hot African sun by simply asking to fill our Nalgene bottles. We made it to Maliville, Guinea, tired but energized that we traveled the 60 kilometers over mountains, across rivers and through fields to make it. Three women off the beaten path, hundreds of miles from a true road, with more freedom on a bike than any other mode of transport could have provided.
While I know I still have a lot of years on my bike, I don’t think I will ever again have the freedom to experience such an adventure again. I partly live for others now — my kids, my husband — and the reality of jumping on a bike and heading off into an unknown like I did in my 20s is difficult to imagine. I’d like to think I’ll have the opportunity again. But if not, I am confident knowing that if such an adventure happens only once in a lifetime, I lived it to the fullest when I could.
Alison Dewey League Program Manager, BFB & BFU
Dewey joined the League in 2008. For four years prior to that, Dewey worked for Massachusetts- based Landry’s Bicycles and served on the board of the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition. Dewey has a MA in International Relations and Communications from Boston University and is a graduate of St. Olaf College. She spent three years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal.
Raising money can be a tough gig. To build a bicycle-friendly America, we need the financial resources, but making the ask isn’t always easy — or successful. Over the past few weeks, though, I’ve been inspired by two women who turned their passion and dedication for cycling into significant funding for local bike projects.
The Hains Point 100
First, here in the nation’s capital, the Washington Area Bicyclist Association is launching a new Women & Bicycles program. (The League’s Women Bike program is working closely with WABA, so, don’t worry — you’ll hear plenty more about this innovative pilot project in coming weeks and months!) Of course, to implement the program the organization needed to raise some cash. Inspired by the effort and wanting to help in some way, Megan Jones — a WABA member, bike commuter and triathlete — came up with a self-professed “crazy” idea: The Hains Point 100. While everyone else was kicking back, spending a cozy pre-holiday weekend eating cookies and wrapping present, Jones would ride 100 miles to raise money and awareness for the Women & Bicycles initiative.
Now, I’m privileged to live just a few blocks from Hains Point — a three-mile, low-traffic, paved loop that hugs the Potomac river. It’s an absolutely divine place to ride, but 100 miles? 33 times around? Even the glittering water and glimpses of the Washington Monument get old on that many go-rounds — especially when the temperature is barely inching into the upper 30s.
But, in literally a matter of days, word of the effort rippled across the metro region. Dozens of people committed to come and ride all 100 miles — or just a few laps — with Jones. Shortly after the fundraising needle passed $1,000, a private donor came forward with a $4,000 match challenge. By the end of 2012, the Women & Bicycles campaign had far exceeded that, banking more than $10K for the new effort. I only made it 10 laps before my frozen toes cried mercy (that’s me being swallowed by my ginormous blue scarf in the picture above), but Jones did all 100 miles with a smile on her face (and a Women Bike button on her jersey!).
Then, a few days later, Frank Peters of cdmCyclist, shared the story of April Morris. In September, the deaths of two women bicyclists on two consecutive days in Newport Beach, Calif., reverberated across the country. Both local residents and bicyclists from across the region came together in grief, concern and an impassioned desire to make their streets safer. April Morris led the charge to turn that outpouring into action.
Morris, who lives in nearby Anaheim but bikes Newport Beach streets, worked with the city council to set up a memorial ride for the two women who died. When she started organizing, her definition of a successful ride was 250 people. On the day of the event, the police stopped counting when they hit 1,200 riders.
Memorial Ride
But beyond riding, residents and area bicyclists wanted to do more to ensure safer streets. Again, working with the city, Morris helped to spearhead a groundbreaking fundraising campaign that combined municipal and individual donations to shore up the Newport Beach Bicycle Safety Improvement Fund. For every $1 contributed by a private donor, the city matched it 3-to-1. With dollars coming in from surrounding communities and even other states, the fund has swelled to more than $300,000.
Did Morris (pictured right) get some push back? Sure. Did she let it stop her? Heck no. “If I could do anything to prevent another death from happening on the streets of Newport Beach, that was my goal,” she told Peters on his radio show. “I do know [the two victims] would have been proud of what we’re doing and what’s happening with the money.”
Peters dubbed Morris his Advocate of the Year and, I gotta say, her interview — the energy and authority in her voice — got me all fired up. Click here to listen.
Speaking of getting fired up (you knew it was coming…), show your passion to get more women riding by registering for the National Women’s Bicycling Forum, coming up on March 4, here in Washington, D.C.
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.
The National Bike Summit is a great event for everyone in the U.S. to attend, but it’s also a wonderful conference for bike enthusiasts from around the world. John Weston, a Member of Parliament representing an area in southwest British Columbia, attended the Summit in 2012.
Weston is a huge bicycle advocate, and not only attended the Summit, but also spoke at Velo-City and organized the first Bike Day on the Hill in Ottawa. He also started an event to better keep in touch with his district, called Ride the Riding. While riding across his district, he met, rode, and spoke with various constituents. And if he didn’t already have enough feathers in his helmet, Weston lobbied the House of Commons to provide a bike shelter for MPs and staff who ride to the office.
Below is my interview with Weston, which shines some more light on this conservative MP’s love of cycling!
MP John Weston (2nd from R) and League president Andy Clark (R) at the 2012 National Bike Summit Bike Ride
What brought you to the Summit?
Eleanor McMahon, of Ontario’s Share the Road, encouraged me to attend. I was also keen to meet one of my inspirations as a legislator – Congressman Earl Blumenauer, and his staff. Also, the Summit has a reputation that speaks for itself!
How many years have you been coming to the Summit?
Last year was my first.
Is there anything you learned/saw at the Summit that really stuck with you?
Ironically, I was most impressed by the session on how to lobby a legislator. I gained new respect for the staff around me. As the speakers pointed out, they are the “institutional memory” when my busy schedule fails to let me understand stakeholders’ viewpoints. I also loved the ride around D.C. and have created the Bike Day on the Hill, an annual event on Parliament Hill to promote cycling.
What is your favorite part about the Summit?
The bike ride!
Have you been able to use any of the lessons or anything else from the Summit after you left DC?
Yes, many! The most overriding one is the importance of cycling as a national agenda item, even in a country such as Canada, where many of the relevant rules and regulations are enacted at the provincial and local government levels.
What advice would you give to someone considering coming to the Summit for the first time?
Look closely at the agenda and decide what is most relevant. Try to connect with a veteran Summit goer to better understand what’s in store — reading the material in advance does not do the Summit justice!
Will you be attending in 2013?
Probably not, but I have encouraged my Bike Steering Committee members to attend on my behalf.
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.
If you participated in the 2012 National Bike Challenge and want to get more folks involved in 2013, we’ve got an opportunity for you! We’re currently working on a new welcome video for the Challenge, and want to feature you and your story.
For a chance to be featured, record just a 5 – 10 second video. Film it on your bike, at your desk, wherever! In your e-mail (NOT in the video; no titles, background music, etc. please!), make sure to include your name, city and state, and the name of your team or workplace (if you would like that to be included).
Videos should be submitted to katie[at]bikeleague[dot]org by Friday, January 11th. Thank you for your participation, and we look forward to having you in the Challenge in 2013!
Katie Omberg Events and Outreach Manager
Katie joined the League in April of 2010. For the two years prior, she worked at the Corcoran College of Art + Design as a programs coordinator. Katie has a BA in Religion from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass. She enjoys biking to work.
In 2012, Sarai Snyder started a global movement to get more women riding.
Almost single-handedly, the Boulder resident and founder of Girl Bike Love created Cyclofemme, a worldwide call to inspire women to ride on Mother’s Day. In its first year, more than 163 events were celebrated in 14 countries and the buzz was off the charts. At Interbike, Sndyer’s table was a constant stream of eager women and men itching to get temporary tattoos of the elegant logo and more information about the innovative idea.
This year, Snyder aims to double the participation in Cyclofemme. How? By harnessing the power of… you.
A longtime presence in the bicycle movement, the Cyclofemme founder recognized perhaps the most important ingredient in getting more women on wheels: an invitation. How many of us started riding because a friend or family member took us on a ride, helped us buy the right bike or pedaled with us on our first commute to work? The power of personal outreach and encouragement can’t be understated — especially if we aim to get more women on bikes.
“The pledge is a reminder that, if we want to see more people riding bikes, we have to make a conscious commitment to invest our personal energy toward that goal,” Snyder says. “Women are great influencers as mothers, teachers, and mentors. By inspiring more women to ride bikes, not only are we growing our numbers; we are also effectively creating strong ambassadors to use the bike for positive social change.”
The pledge is simple but inspirational:
I believe in the power of the pedal for positive social change; for building a healthier, happier, smarter world.
I pledge to be an ambassador of the bicycle; to honor the past; celebrate the present; empower the future of women in cycling.
I promise to start the revolution; to live the change I want to see; to rally another to ride with me.
That revolution is spreading nationwide. Already, hundreds of women and men have signed the pledge — including, of course, yours truly.
Download the pledge here to make your commitment to women’s cycling.
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.
Inauguration is still a few weeks away, but today marks the official start of the 113th Congress. And, while the president secured a second term, the 2012 election resulted in some significant changes on Capitol Hill — changes that could have a big impact on bicyclists.
As we prepare for the National Bike Summit and the next transportation bill, it’s a good opportunity to introduce the key players in transportation policy. One of the most important committees is the House Transportation & Infrastructure (T&I) Committee, which will see new leadership and an influx of new members.
Taking over as the new Chairman, Representative Bill Shuster (pictured) will assume the gavel when the session begins. A Republican from Hollidaysburg, Penn., Shuster is a 10-year veteran in Congress with a long-running focus on transportation. Over the past two years, Shuster has played a critical role on the committee. He started the 112th Congress by joining then Chairman John Mica on his transportation listening tour, and played an active role educating freshman Republican T&I members through the bill process. Although he did speak out and vote against the Petri Amendment (to reinstate dedicated funding for biking and walking) in committee debate in January 2012, Shuster has a reputation for being a practical dealmaker.
Since the announcement of his Chairmanship, Shuster has talked about the need for a bi-partisan effort on the next transportation bill and has already met with Ranking Member Nick Rahall (D-WV) to discuss committee business. Shuster and Rahall have had a strong working relationship in the past as Chair and Ranking member of a T&I sub-committee — which should bode well for the upcoming Congress. Shuster has also acknowledged the need to address the financing question and has suggested that nothing — including a raise to the gas tax — should be off the table.
In addition to Shuster taking on a new role, 20 new members will be joining the committee. In the last Congress, T&I had 59 members with 33 Republicans and 26 Democrats. Starting today, the committee goes up to 60 members, with the Democrats gaining a 27th seat. In addition, both sides saw significant changes to their rosters from last year. The Republicans losy 10 members to retirements, election losses or committee changes, and Democrats lost 9 members. As a result, a full 1/3 of the committee will change over, providing an opportunity to reset the dialogue on biking and walking. How those new members think about transportation can change the dynamics and priorities of the committee — and we hope you can help make the case for bicycling by attending the Summit!
For Republicans, many of those leaving T&I are departing after only two years on the committee. Almost all of the veteran Republican members are staying on the committee, including two important bicycling advocates: Representatives Tom Petri (WI) and Frank LoBiondo (NJ). The notable exception is the retirement of Tim Johnson (IL) who was a sponsor of the Petri Amendment and strong supporter of biking and walking in general. The new Republican members include one second-term member, Representative Daniel Webster (FL-8). The other nine are freshman, including: Representatives Steve Daines (MT-AL), Rodney Davis (IL-13), Thomas Massie (KY- 4), Mark Meadows (NC-11), Markwayne Mullin (OK- 2), Scott Perry (PA-4), Trey Radel (FL- 19), Tom Rice (SC-7),and Roger Williams (TX-25).
Congressman Tom Petri speaking at the 2012 National Bike Summit
On the Democratic side, it’s a bit different. None of the nine who left T&I were freshman in 2010 and several of those joining the committee are also veterans of Congress, who either lost their congressional or committee seat when the Republicans took control in 2010, and are now returning. These include: John Garamendi (CA-10), André Carson (IN-7), Janice Hahn (CA-36), Rick Nolan (MN -8), Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-1), and Dina Titus (NV-1). The remaining seats will be filled by freshman this year: Sean Patrick Maloney (NY- 18), Elizabeth Esty (CT-5), Lois Frankel (FL- 26), and Cheri Bustos (IL-17).
As we learn more about these members and the new dynamics of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, we would also like to ask your help:
For those who live in the district of any of these new T&I member: Let us know what you know! Does your new member of Congress commute by bike? If he or she has been in public office before, what were his/her transportation priorities? Did transportation come up during the campaign? The more we know the better prepared we can be here in Washington.
Come to the National Bike Summit this March: Whether your Representative is on T&I or not, creating a buzz around biking on Capitol Hill will help set the tone for next year.
Visit your member’s district office, or invite your member for a bike ride or a tour of local bike facilities — and let us know what you learn!
I look forward to hearing from you!
There are a few changes in the Senate transportation Committees, and on the Appropriations Committees in both the House and Senate that are still being worked out. Look for future blogs to learn more.
Caron Whitaker Vice President of Government Relations
Prior to joining the League of American Bicyclists in 2012, Ms. Whitaker served as the Campaign Director for America Bikes where she coordinated and implemented America Bikes federal policy agenda. Before that, she worked for the National Wildlife Federation on smart growth, international policy, and community engagement. In addition, Caron served as a Community Land Use Planner for the State of North Carolina Division of Coastal Management, providing technical assistance to local governments and staffing a stakeholders’ council responsible for revising state planning regulations. She has a Masters in Environmental Management for Duke University, Nicolas School of the Environment and a Bachelors of Arts from Williams College.
I got into the office this morning to find the first copies of the next issue of American Bicyclist, our bi-monthly magazine, on my desk. The issue is still making its way to members’ mailboxes, but, with the National Women’s Bicycling Summit just two months away, I can’t help but share a glimpse of my interview with our opening keynote speaker: Georgena Terry.
Georgena Terry
Long-time members will know that Terry has graced the pages of our magazine in the past — one of only two women [!] honored as the Top 25 Agents of Change in American Bicycling in the Fall 2005 issue. And that title was well-deserved. It wasn’t until the early 1980s, when the inquisitive engineer starting tinkering with bike frames in her basement, that anyone even thought to construct a bicycle that fit the shorter torso and narrower shoulders of the average woman. Both an entrepreneur and an advocate, Terry dared to follow her passion and ingenuity and grew a basement operation into an internationally known brand: Terry Precision Cycling.
I was honored to chat with Terry about her role in the movement and her take on women’s cycling. Here’s an excerpt of our conversation…
What originally inspired your love of cycling?
I really jumped into it seriously back in the mid-70s, when the gas crunch came along. I just thought, “Wow what a great time to buy a bike.” I hadn’t had one since I was 17 years old. I was living in Pittsburgh when I bought that bike and it was love at first ride; a total sense of freedom. And the fact that Pittsburgh had a incredible bicycle club — the Western Pennsylvania Wheelmen — sealed the deal. Those people were so fantastic, so nurturing, so appreciative of what a new cyclist goes through to become a safe and educated cyclist. It was really my social world until I moved up to Rochester.
You were the first to design a bike that addressed the comfort of women riders; how quickly did that catch on?
In 1985, I took five bikes, a full size range, to the Great Eastern Rally and women started walking up to me saying, “What do you mean you have bikes made for women? What’s
the big deal?” But once they test rode them I started selling those bikes before the booth officially opened. I recently had the pleasure of seeing one of those original bikes at the Wild Goose Chase ride. The woman was so excited to show it to me; she even had her original bill of sale with her!
What are some of your proudest moments?
Starting a damn industry [laugh]! I’m dead serious! Nobody comes out and says that but, my God, if I hadn’t started this do you think all the other manufacturers would be making women’s bikes? That’s my proudest moment!
What has changed since you started and what’s stayed the same?
In terms of women cycling, I think women are a lot more vocal now and consider themselves a market apart from men. Women are just coming to that point, which wasn’t the case when I introduced my products. As far as the industry, there are a lot of products for people to choose from and I think we get so hung up on the marketing that sometimes we miss the purity of riding a bike. I’m reading Grant Petersen’s book right now (Just Ride) and I agree with a lot of what he has to say: Just get out there and ride!
What do you think we need to do to reach more women?
I still think a lot of work is done at the dealer level and, honestly, I’m still hearing the same stories I heard when I first started: A woman walks into a bike shop and says I want a bike and they want to sell her the cheaper bikes or they assume she wants a hybrid because she’s a woman. They don’t necessarily listen to what she has to say. That theme hasn’t gone away. I don’t want to criticize, but there’s an opportunity that’s being missed…
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 love football. And, as a University of Florida alum, I’m always happy to see the SEC setting the standard this time of year. But, inspired by a recent USA Today cover story, I took a timeout from the bowl game action and did a quick analysis of where the League’s Bicycle Friendly Universities stack up by conference. It’s not a headline you’re likely to see in the Sports section but, when it comes to bike-friendliness, the Big West dominates.
While the Big Ten conference still leads in total number of awarded schools at eight, the conference is also the standout in quality, with four California universities at the Silver or Gold award level: UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara (Gold), UC Irvine and CSU Long Beach (Silver). The University of California at Davis has been prioritizing bicycling and walking since the 1960s (documented in 1966 by Ansel Adams). For example, on the core of the UC Davis campus is closed to auto traffic, leaving beautifully open boulevards for people bicycling and walking to class. When I visited the university a few years back, I was absolutely blown away by the great bicycling culture and accommodations, like bicycle roundabouts filled with people daily. A survey conducted by the university showed that 39% of those traveling to campus on an average weekday do so by bike (45% of students and 22% of faculty and staff).
UC Davis in action. Photo credit: UC Davis
Like UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara has been working hard at this since the 1960s and has built a great campus for getting around by bike and foot (and skateboard!). UCSB is said to have the highest percentage of human-powered commuters of any suburban national university in the U.S. Policies like the Parking Permit Ban, for those living within two miles of campus, the excellent cycling network and convenient bike parking make going by bike on campus the easiest option.
UC Santa Barbara – picking up recycling by bicycle. Photo: UCSB
It has to also be noted that the PAC-12 is a close second with the only Platinum-level BFU, Stanford, and six other universities across the West. Stanford is a standout for its biking network, educational outreach and promotion of cycling on campus for students, faculty and staff. The return on investment is clear with the university’s bike commuter data showing 22% of people bike commuting and the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey showing a five-year average bike commuter rate of 40% between 2005-2010. Impressive stuff!
And it all goes to show what college football has proved for decades: Investment pays off. As the USA Today story explained, the SEC’s domination on the green is no surprise: “(It’s) the commitment they’ve made, financial support-wise, to be one of the best, if not the best,” said coach Chris Ault, whose Nevada team plays in the Mountain West. “To the Southern teams, football is just a different animal than most places in the country. Not that it isn’t important in all other places, but down there it truly is a way of life.”
It’s great to see universities across the country stepping up and making cycling a way of life, too! Read more about the BFU program here.
Bill Nesper League Vice President of Programs
Nesper directs the Bicycle Friendly America Program, which includes the Bicycle Friendly Community, Bicycle Friendly State, Bicycle Friendly University and Bicycle Friendly Business recognition programs. Bill first joined the League as a Membership Assistant in 2002 and moved in 2005 to manage the League education programs and Bicycle Friendly Community Program.
It took Congress nearly three contentious years to agree on a new federal transportation bill — but Advocacy Advance didn’t waste a single day.
Immediately after the passage of the new law, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century, the League launched Navigating MAP-21 to ensure that advocates and policymakers understand what the new law means for bicyclists — and how to best utilize the programs to continue building a bicycle friendly America.
In short order, the Advocacy Advance team put together a wealth of resources explaining how the new programs work, how much money each state will get and how to best organize at a state and local level to make the best of the new bill. And grassroots advocates stepped up to the plate, mobilizing quickly in dozens of states and beginning the long-term work to maximize funding for biking under MAP-21.
But the team didn’t stop with online resources and technical assistance — they brought the knowledge to the people. More than 500 participants attended the incredibly successful Navigating MAP-21 workshops in eight cities. From Atlanta, Ga., to Anchorage, AK, those workshops had a huge impact, leading to more than $10 million in new funding for bike/ped projects in local communities.
The Advocacy Advance team has plans to do even more in 2013 (if that’s possible!) — with a new staff member, a system to track federal funding, at least 10 workshops and a whole suite of new resources. After all, we’re just getting started Navigating MAP-21.
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.
This March, we’ll celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Bicycle Friendly American program. But 2012 marked a key moment in BFA history, too.
For the first decade, the BFC program ranked communities at the Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum levels. But, because of the tremendous progress, innovation and enthusiasm from communities nationwide, we realized it was time to set the bar higher. In September, we launched our effort to help communities become world-class cycling cities, moving beyond platinum to our new Diamond designation.
Portland is one of three cities pursuing Diamond BFC status
But Diamond wasn’t the only shining achievement for the BFC program in 2012. Kicking off Bike to Work Week, we announced the largest round of BFCs in the program’s history, including two new Gold-level BFCs in Durango, Colo., and Missoula, Mont. With the second round of awards in October, major urban centers — including Los Angeles, Miami and Nashville — earned a spot among the bicycle-friendly ranks. And that’s significant: Two-thirds of America’s largest cities are now BFCs.
The Bicycle Friendly University program continued to grow in 2012, too, welcoming prestigious institutions like Duke, Yale and Princeton. Taking a page from the classroom, the Bicycle Friendly States program debuted Report Cards and new maps highlighting where states are making the grade — and needing improvement.
So what’s in store for 2013? A partnership with the Alliance for Biking & Walking on the BFS program, a new multi-location BFB application process, and more. Stay tuned!
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.
For me, the most inspiring and exciting moment of 2012 was standing at the podium at the National Women’s Bicycling Summit, looking out at a packed room of female leaders from across the country. I barely got the word “Welcome” out of my mouth when a woman in the crowd yelled, “It’s about time!” — and the audience exploded in cheers and applause.
The first step was the National Women Cycling Forum at the 2012 National Bike Summit. Hosted in partnership with the Alliance and APBP, the two-hour panel drew more than 300 attendees and quickly became the talk of the Summit. Galvanized by the insight of leaders like Elysa Walk (General Manager, Giant Bicycles), Veronica Davis (co-founder of Black Women Bike DC) and Marla Streb (former world champion mountain bike racer), we knew this was a conversation we needed to pursue.
(from left) Marla Streb, Andrea Garland (Alta Planning + Design), Cornelia Neal (Royal Netherlands Embassy) and Elysa Walk
So, less than a week after the Forum, I started planning a full-day event: The National Women’s Bicycling Summit in Long Beach, Calif. Once again, the response exceeded even my high expectations. The six break-out session, ranging from Marketing to Political Engagement to Women in Bicycle Sports, included an incredible and diverse line-up of speakers and more than a few folks flew all the way across the country to attend the one-day event.
Seeing women at the podium, showcasing our expertise, was a powerful signal of our leadership in the movement and the energy and momentum were the perfect catalyst to launch Women Bike as a full-scale program in 2013. Watch a video about the event below.
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 May, we officially launched the National Bike Challenge — a new, nationwide initiative to inspire and empower millions of Americans to ride their bikes for transportation, recreation and better health. The friendly, online competition far exceeded its 10 million mile goal and transformed the lives of countless Americans.
In line with the 2012 theme of One Ride, Many Reasons, we curated the personal reflections and inspirations of a diverse collection of bicyclists from coast to coast for our daily 31 Days, 31 Reasons blog feature. We also partnered with Sierra Club and the National Council of La Raza to release a new fact sheet on Bike to Work Day that showed U.S. bicyclists save a staggering $4.6 billion by biking instead of driving.
Elizabeth Williams of Cali Bike Tours shared her story in the 31 Days, 31 Reasons series
This year was also a first for two other major events. On Mother’s Day, thousands of women (and men) united for Cyclofemme — a global initiative to empower more women to ride and build the community of female bicyclists. And the inaugural Bike to School Day was a tremendous success, too, with more than 700 events across the nation.
Bike to School Day in Savannah, Ga.
We’re already getting excited for Bike Month 2013. Click here for the dates and our Bike Month Guide!
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.
As Andy noted last week, it’s been a banner year for the League and we’re looking forward to having an even greater impact in 2013 with a bigger budget, additional staff and new programs. But before we charge into the new year, we wanted to take a look back at some of the most notable accomplishments of 2012.
Advocates with Congressman Earl Blumenauer (Photo by Chris Eichler)
And our voices made a huge difference. Last summer, when the debate about the next transportation bill came to a boil, there were some members of Congress who wanted to strip funding for biking and walking altogether. But thousands of bicyclists nationwide flooded their members of Congress with e-mails and phone calls in support of the bipartisan Cardin Cochran amendment. And it worked! We not only made a bad bill far better, but proved in no uncertain terms that we’re a powerful constituency that cannot be ignored.
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.
Well, it’s 12/21/12 and, despite the Mayan prediction, we’re all still here. But, proving that winter isn’t the end of the world for bicycling, Anchorage residents got a preview of the apocalypse thanks to a parade of cycling zombies this past weekend.
Photo by Andre Camara
The inaugural Zombie Apocalypse Winter Bike Ride, hosted by the non-profit Green Star, drew more than 60 costumed cyclists for a five-mile ride on road, trails, and even across a frozen lagoon.
“In recent years, an increasing number of people have been riding their bikes in winter, whether in bike races on single-track trails or to commute to work, creating a new snow-sport sub-culture in Anchorage,” Christina Grande, Green Star’s Community Outreach and Communications Coordinator, explained. “Seeing this trend, staff at Green Star thought it would be fun to organize a winter bike ride to celebrate and generate additional enthusiasm for winter bike commuting with an emphasis on safety.”
“The zombies met at a local Anchorage cafe for coffee and treats in the morning,” Grande continued. “Then the group took to the streets and trails decked out in true zombie fashion…blood, detached limbs, ripped clothes (with a puff jacket underneath most costumes). Halfway through the bike ride, the group rode across a frozen lagoon popular with ice skaters, racing around the rink with one very surprised ice skater! The ride wrapped up at a local restaurant and pub where bike valet parking for zombie bike riders was available thanks to Bicycle Commuters of Anchorage (BCA).”
Happy apocalypse to all!
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.
Monday was a big day at the League’s world headquarters. Not only did a contingent of staff ride a cart-load of donated essentials to nearby Miriam’s Kitchen, but we also celebrated the holiday season with a few games, libations and seasonal foods.
Heading out with our donated items!
In the midst of the merriment, our board of directors approved an ambitious and exciting budget and work plan for 2013. OK, so technically the board wasn’t literally in the midst of our holiday party and they didn’t get to share in the libations, but they did adopt an exciting budget (8.5% bigger than this year) with additional staff positions and an inspiring commitment to increasing the diversity of our organization and incorporating that commitment throughout all our programs.
We’ve had a good year in 2012 (despite that little transportation bill thing) and we’re looking forward to continuing that growth in 2013.
A big part of the reason for our success this year is the hard work and dedication of Elizabeth Kiker over the past seven years. As Executive Vice President she has spearheaded a thriving major donor program, launched the Every Bicyclist Counts resource, and led the staff in countless ways to “get the job done.” Last week, Elizabeth announced her departure from the League and there’s no doubt we’re going to miss her. Thanks for leaving us in such great shape, Elizabeth, and best of luck to you in the future!
Best wishes to everyone this holiday season, and here’s to a great year for cycling in 2013.
Andy Clarke League President
Andy 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. Before joining the League in February 2003, Clarke was on contract to provide technical assistance to the highly regarded Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center on site at the Federal Highway Administration. He is on the Board of Directors for America Bikes, and a member of the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycling Professionals.
Earlier this month League President, Andy Clark, and I traveled to Boulder, Colo., and Davis, Calif. — but I was transported back to my college years in Germany.
Bicycling along the network of paths and bike lanes in these two Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Communities, I was able to comfortably ride for miles and miles without the need to bike on a high-speed road to meet up with city staff at the town hall, grab some food with local bike advocates at a downtown restaurant or attend an evening function at a museum.
In Davis, I got nearly run over by a large group of junior high school students on bikes, trying to pedal to class in time. In Boulder, we witnessed a frolicking group of young men riding around town in the evening with a boom box on the rack and lights in their wheels. These two Platinum BFCs really seem to have it all — the infrastructure, the bike culture and a compact and mixed land use that allow destinations to be quickly reached by bike.
Can it get any better than this? Well, though a good number of people bike in Davis and Boulder, more than half of the residents in cities like Copenhagen in Denmark or Utrecht in the Netherlands have adopted the bicycle as their main form of transportation. To challenge our own top cycling cities to move beyond Platinum and compete with world-class cycling cities, the League developed a new Diamond-designation. Andy and I traveled to Boulder and Davis to kick off their Diamond challenge. (Next month, we’ll pedal that challenge in the third Platinum city: Portland, Ore.
Boulder received us with overcast skies but heart-felt enthusiasm. We checked out two bright red B-cycle bikes for the duration of our stay and got quite a few miles out of them. We met with local government officials and staff, community and advocacy representatives and were treated to a three-hour tour of the city. The Diamond challenge will require the local government and the community to work together to address any remaining obstacles to cycling to encourage an additional 5 percent of commuters to bike to work or school — for Diamond designation, a 15 percent bicycle mode share among the minimum requirements.
Go Boulder Manager Kathleen Bracke is confident the city is ready to step up: “The City of Boulder/GO Boulder is excited to continue our partnership with the League and the Boulder community to advance bicycling as a way of life and look forward to working together to achieve the new Diamond level Bike Friendly Community designation.”
Mayor Matt Appelbaum agreed: “Recognition by the League energizes us to aim even higher. Boulder is looking forward to celebrating as the first Diamond-level Bicycle Friendly community in the future.”
One of the highlights of our visit in Boulder was a tour of the newly constructed 42-acre Valmont Bike Park, which is a one-of-a-kind natural-surface facility that allows residents and visitors of all ages and abilities to practice their mountain biking, BMX and cyclocross-skills. Our B-cycle bikes were unfortunately not made for this type of facility (though some have tried!), otherwise I would have taken a spin on the inviting singletrack course.
Valmont bike park
Davis greeted us with a bike light in our hotel room from Davis Bicycles! and two shiny, black city-owned bicycles. Since I arrived a day early, I got the chance to witness the installation of a new bike corral downtown, which featured a prominently displayed QR code that, when scanned with a smart phone app, takes you to the city’s bicycle website. During our stay we got to meet with Mayor Joe Krovoza, council member Brett Lee and city staff. We also caught up with local bicycle advocates, and representatives from the business community, the University of California at Davis and the Capital Corridor Joint Powers Authority. And got a great tour of the city’s bike infrastructure from Davis Bicycles! members and active transportation coordinator David Kemp.
(from right) Nicole and Andy met with Jim Allison, Manager of Planning with Capital Corridor Joint Powers Authority, to discuss accommodation of cyclists at the Davis train station and on trains (Photo credit: David Kemp)
Fortunately our rather packed schedule allowed us to stop by a city council meeting to present the City of Davis with a Silver Bicycle Friendly Business award on our way from the Bicycle Advisory Commission meeting to the holiday festivities of the Davis Bike Club. But hands down the highlight of our visit in Davis was to see the Active 4 Me program in action at a local elementary school that tracks children that walk or bike to school through bar code technology. The system also automatically informs parents that their child has arrived safely at school, addressing a real or perceived parental safety concern.
“The League’s trip to Davis truly complemented a new renaissance of pro-bicycle energy in Davis,” Kemp said. “After meeting with our elected officials, the business community, city staff, UC Davis, and bicycle advocacy groups, Andy and Nicole provided our community the positive charge and constructive feedback we needed to advance our city to the next level: Diamond! Pair this with the new, Beyond Platinum – Bicycle Action Plan and we’ll strategically propel our community, over the next five years, to work together to make Davis a world-class Bicycle Friendly Community.”
The next step for Boulder and Davis toward Diamond status will be a public survey to allow the community to chime in on the comfort and convenience of the bicycle network, perceived safety and other issues that influence people’s daily transportation and recreation choices.
“Given the City of Boulder’s ethic of ‘continuous improvement,’ we appreciate the League’s challenge for communities like Boulder to reach beyond Platinum Level to the new Diamond designation,” said Director of Public Works for Transportation Tracy Winfree. “Diamonds aren’t a girl’s best friend; Diamond Designation is.”
Click here to learn more about the Beyond Platinum program.
Nicole Wynands Program Manager, Bicycle Friendly Community & Bicycle Friendly State
Ms. Wynands joined the League in July 2011 after working for two years at the World Bank. In 2007, she was a member of the team that organized the world bicycling conference Velo-city in Munich as part of an internship with one of the leading bicycle transport planning firms in Germany. She holds a BA in Political Management from the University of Applied Sciences Bremen and a MA in Community Planning from the University of Maryland.
This holiday season, the League wanted to give back to our community here in the nation’s capital. So before our office festivities on Monday, we packed our panniers, messenger bags and baskets full of necessities for Miriam’s Kitchen, a resource for the homeless in Washington, D.C.
On our way to Miriam’s Kitchen
When we got to Miriam’s Kitchen, I went into their office to let them know we were there to drop off our donation.
“Did you drive here?” the receptionist asked.
“Of course, not! We’re the League of American Bicyclists!” I replied.
When she came out, she was shocked to see how much you can transport with some friends and some bicycles!
We rode down into their garage to the storage area, and unloaded all the goodies. Biking back to the office, about 30lbs lighter, I thought: “Biking around town with friends is always fun, but it’s even better when you’re doing it for a good cause!”
Are you helping to spread holiday cheer on your bike? Tell us about it in the comments!
Katie Omberg Events and Outreach Manager
Katie joined the League in April of 2010. For the two years prior, she worked at the Corcoran College of Art + Design as a programs coordinator. Katie has a BA in Religion from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass. She enjoys biking to work.
Help the League this month by simply doing what you love: Riding your bike!
In December, the League is the beneficiary of CLIF Bar’s 2 Mile Challenge, an online initiative to get folks to leave their cars in the driveway and use their bikes, instead.
Every time you log a trip, the League gets $2 toward a possible $10,000 grant. Our goal is 5,000 trips and, thanks to your pedal power, we’re already more than halfway there!
As of last night we had racked up:
3,535 trips logged
29,580 miles traveled
27,213 pounds of carbon dioxide saved
2,958 hours spent outdoors
the equivalent of 2 cars taken off the roads for a full year
Give a gift to the League this season by helping us take advantage of this great opportunity from CLIF Bar. Help us get to the $10,000 finish line; sign up for the Challenge today!
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.
You know the rules of the road when you’re out riding. Maybe you even teach bike skills as a League Cycling Instructor. But do you know all the bicycling laws in your state?
Since coming to the League in August, I’ve reviewed more than 2,000 laws related to bicycling. From planning and taxation to funding and traffic, I dusted off and dug in to statutes and administrative codes in each and every state. By researching those primary sources and tapping into great resources compiled by bicycling organizations and agencies, I was able to pull together a comprehensive database of laws. Click here to view bike laws in your state.
So, while we’re all fans of the Bikeyface cartoon, I was particularly excited to see a recent post that does a great job of giving context to traffic laws.
Bicycles are generally vehicles that travel at a lower speed than other traffic and are required to ride as far to the right of the road as practicable. This cartoon illustrates some of the many exceptions to this general requirement:
40 states + Washington, D.C. have an exception for a left turn
49 states + D.C. have an exception for passing
36 states have an exception for avoiding obstacles, hazards or other road conditions (such as the door zone, mythical sea monsters, and slightly less than grand canyons)
Bike lanes can complicate the rules for sharing the road. Bicycles are generally not required to use bike lanes where they are provided and there are usually limitations when they are required. Only eight states require bicyclists to use bike lanes:
3 of those states do not allow any exceptions to the rule
4 of those states allow exceptions for all of the reasons mentioned above
1 state only allows an exception to avoid hazards
Cars generally must not stop in roadways and often are specifically prohibited from parking on the roadway side of parked vehicles or parking in a bicycle lane.
49 states + D.C. have a law that prohibits stopping in roadways
The one state that lacks a statewide law enables local jurisdictions to make such laws
All states have some version of a safe passing law, requiring bicycles to be passed at a safe distance. In 21 states, a minimum distance of three feet is defined to be at least presumptively safe. Just because a state does not define a minimum safe passing distance does not change what is safe and all road users should share the road accordingly.
In addition to the general rule to ride right and the exceptions mentioned in the previous cartoon, in 28 states a bicyclist can use the full lane when the lane is too narrow to accommodate both a car and a bicycle. Regardless of whether a bicyclist is entitled to take the lane a car will still be governed by a safe passing law, preventing passes on narrow lanes as shown above.
These are great cartoons for spreading awareness about the traffic laws that affect bicyclists and drivers of motor vehicles. For better or worse, there is a great variety amongst states in the laws that govern this relationship as both parties attempt to share the road, which can lead to confusion and conflict. Greater awareness of the law by both parties should alleviate some of those issues and creative presentations like Bikeyface are shedding light on what can be a confusing issue.
Ken McLeod Legal Specialist, Advocacy Advance
Ken joined the League in 2012 after graduating from William & Mary School of Law. He is a licensed attorney in the state of Virginia. During law school he worked for a private law firm in Cambodia and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Prior to that, Ken worked at a law firm in Orange County and a legal services provider in Seattle. He graduated from Pomona College in 2007 with a BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. He began using his bike regularly after college and has been car-free since February 2012.
Whether you bomb down hills on a sleek road bike or cruise to work on a sturdy Dutch commuter, all stripes of cyclists can probably all agree: The bike is simply one of the most brilliant inventions of the past 150 years. And today is the birthday of the man who created the modern cloth from which all bikes are cut.
In 1885, John Kemp Starley invented the “Rover Safety Bicycle,” debuting a revolutionary ride that had two similar-sized wheels. In contrast to the previous high wheeler designs, the Rover was far more stable, spreading quickly from England to the rest of the world. Not only did it kickstart a boom in bicycling, but, even 120 years later, we’re all still riding bikes that are based on the Rover.
“How can you begin to capture and describe the impact of the man who’s inventive genius resulted in a product that is effectively the same today as it was more than a century and a quarter ago,” League president Andy Clarke says. “Sure, some of the materials used to build bikes have changed, but JK Starley could walk into a bike shop today and ride away on a very familiar machine! That’s a pretty remarkable testimonial to the enduring utility and value of the humble — yet utterly revolutionary — ‘safety’ bicycle.”
The Bicycle Association of Great Britain is leading today’s celebrations; click here to read all about Starley and the impact of the Rover.
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.
Last week, we met Diane Lees to hear why the Ohio bike shop owner and radio host attends the National Bike Summit. This week, I spoke with Karen Brooks, editor of Bicycle Times magazine, to get her two cents on why the National Bike Summit is a priceless experience. Why does this bicycle enthusiast and self-described “word-wrangler” attend the Summit? Read on!
Karen enjoying the cherry blossoms at the 2012 National Bike Summit
What brought you to the Summit for the first time?
Traditionally, Maurice Tierney (our publisher) attended the Summit to advocate for local mountain bikers, in the days when Dirt Rag was our only magazine. When we started Bicycle Times, I began to pay more attention to the wider circle of advocacy, and two years ago, we sponsored at a high enough level that we got two entries, so I volunteered myself to go. Primarily, I wanted to find out more about issues at the national level. I did learn a lot, met great people, and got the chance to help lobby our local representatives. Last year, I made it a priority to go based on 2011′s positive experience.
Is there anything you learned or saw at the Summit that really stuck with you?
There have been some really interesting panels, featuring speakers at the top levels of government and advocacy, that gave honest and straightforward advice. It’s also nice to hear from people who are really passionate and who have well-constructed arguments. One speaker that stands out to me still, from the 2011 Summit, was Jim Tymon, the Majority Staff Director of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He explained exactly how federal transportation funding works, the intricacies of the then-current bill, and the various potential scenarios for a new bill. It was very dense but interesting stuff. There are so many intelligent and driven people working in Washington that it’s inspiring and motivating.
It’s also been gratifying to see changes in the reception that my local advocates and I have gotten from certain representatives, from indifferent to welcoming.
What is your favorite part about the Summit?
Hmm… I enjoy the speakers and panels, but the lobbying part feels really vital. Can’t have one without the other, as the preparation really helps. It’s also nice, during meals, to sit at a table where I don’t know anybody and strike up conversations, and hear their different reasons for being there, common issues, etc. It was awesome to be able to ride a bike to and from Washington, D.C. last year, on the Great Allegheny Passage / C&O Canal rail-trail. Aside from being a fun trip, it made a real, positive impression on lobbying day — the fact that we used this resource for transportation (and recreation, too, of course!), and how we saw many thriving small businesses along the way.
Have you been able to use any of the lessons from the Summit after you left DC?
Most definitely! I feel like I have a much better handle on how to frame arguments for politicians and government staffers, and how to approach them professionally. Also, I feel so much better connected and able to ask for help, or offer it. I’m now more involved in my local advocacy organization, thanks to what I’ve learned, and having the shared experience of lobbying with the local advocacy folks. Summit contacts and knowledge have also helped a lot in finding, researching, and preparing stories for Bicycle Times.
What advice would you give to someone considering coming to the Summit for the first time?
Attend the webinars before the event for some good advice and a bit of a pep rally.
Make sure you’re rested and ready for three intense days during the Summit. Keep the partying to a minimum (until after lobbying day).
Don’t be intimidated — bike folks are friendly — but also be mindful of when it’s best to watch and learn from the more experienced advocates, particularly on lobbying day.
Will you be attending in 2013?
Yes indeed! Looking forward to it. It’s now one of the highlights of my year.
Stay tuned for a new interview each week to see why industry, advocates, and club folk all come to this great conference. The Summit is less than three months away — and now is the time to register at the early bird rate to save $100! Join Karen, save some green and make sure you’re part of the most exciting event of the year: Register today!
Katie Omberg Events and Outreach Manager
Katie joined the League in April of 2010. For the two years prior, she worked at the Corcoran College of Art + Design as a programs coordinator. Katie has a BA in Religion from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass. She enjoys biking to work.
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You know the rules of the road when you’re out riding. Maybe you even teach bike skills as a League Cycling Instructor. But do you know all the bicycling laws in your state?
What inspires bike retailers to attend the 
The 
Jacquie Phelan
Did Morris (pictured right) get some push back? Sure. Did she let it stop her? Heck no. “If I could do anything to prevent another death from happening on the streets of Newport Beach, that was my goal,” she told Peters on his radio show. “I do know [the two victims] would have been proud of what we’re doing and what’s happening with the money.”
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