| Alliance Grant Inquiries Net Over $2 Million |
 Thanks for an overwhelming response to the first round of the Advocacy Advance Grants! The Alliance received 93 inquiries from 36 states and 3 Canadian provinces, totaling over $2 million in proposals. With only $125,000 available for this round, the selection process is going to be very challenging. 26 organizations were selected to submit full proposals for the start-up/capacity-building and innovation grants. Grant winners from this first round will be announced in early June. We strongly encourage those not selected to reevaluate their proposal and try again during the next grant round this September, and to invite those who did not apply to consider for the second round. Also, on April 12th, the Alliance proudly announced the members of the Advocacy Advance Grants Review and Selection Committee. The diverse members represent a variety of public and private sectors with experience in health, bike/ pedestrian advocacy, and philanthropy. Please visit our website to view the complete list of committee members. |
| Membership Guru to Lead Training in San Francisco, CA |
In today's economy when traditional funders like foundations and businesses are tightening their purse strings, our greatest potential for expanded revenue is membership. In addition, membership brings you political power through constituents; people to speak out on your issues that are so important. When the Alliance surveyed its members earlier this year, Membership Development was the #1 requested topic. You spoke and we listened! The Alliance will host an intensive Membership Development Training, September 17-19th, in San Francisco, CA. The training will be lead by membership guru Ellis Robinson.
About the Training: The 3-day training will focus specifically on best practices in membership development and retention, will have opportunities for group discussions and sharing of success stories with peers, and offer opportunities for one-on-one consultations with Ellis. When you leave, you will have solid goals and specific actions to put in place to attract more members and raise more money. About the Trainer: Ellis Robinson has been a bicycle advocate for over 25 years and has been helping organizations build their membership for more than 20 years. In that time she has lead the Miami Valley Bicycle Committee, founded the Ohio Bicycle Federation, worked for the League of American Bicyclists, and was Membership Director for Rails to Trails. She has used her passion for cycling and membership expertise to work with national and state-wide bicycle advocacy groups to develop their membership programs. Her book, The Non-Profit Membership Toolkit, is often referred to as the "bible" of non-profit membership development. Who should Attend: This training is ideal for Executive Directors, membership, and development staff of biking and walking advocacy organizations. Board members and super-volunteers involved in membership development are also welcome. Leaders of non-profits in similar fields are welcome to attend but curriculum and examples will be focused primarily on biking and walking advocacy organizations. REGISTER TODAY HERE to take advantage of a pre-registration discount! |
| Join Discussion on Transportation Bill |
The Alliance for Biking & Walking is hosting a conference call/discussion on the Surface Transportation Authorization Bill. The first draft of the bill is scheduled to be released mid May and we want to invite everyone interested in learning about the bill to a call on May 20th. We will have several of our national leaders/lobbyists on the call to brief us on the congressional scene. We want to hear your questions and suggestions and those of other leaders from across the U.S. We'll also discuss next steps for the bicycle and pedestrian movement, both to help improve the bill and to help you prepare at the local level. Please sign up and mark your calendars now for the Transportation Bill Conference Call on May 20th at 1pm EST. For more information visit www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/events. |
| Alliance Seeks Summer Interns |
Are you, or someone you know, looking to gain real-world experience with a national non-profit promoting cycling and walking? The Alliance is now seeking to fill two summer internship positions.
Marketing & Communications Intern: The 2009 Summer Marketing & Communications Intern will have a unique opportunity to help shape and style a new photo contest program for the Alliance. In addition to coordinating and managing this new project, the internship will provide plenty of opportunities to assist with on-going marketing and communications needs of the Alliance. This internship may involve creative and engaging tasks such as drafting and editing web and print communications, coordinating and assisting with promotional mailings, creating marketing materials for programs, outreach and research for Alliance publications, outreach to sponsor and partner groups, and securing images for Alliance publications. Find more info here.
Member Services Intern: The 2009 Summer Membership Services Intern will gain firsthand experience working with the member organizations of an international coalition of biking and walking advocacy organizations. This internship involves assisting with membership outreach, national campaign coordination, prospect acquisition, database development, website updates, and resource development. Find more info here.
Deadline for applications are May 15th. Please see the Alliance Job Board for detailed internship descriptions and application instructions. |
| Alliance Members Receive Discounted Registration to National SRTS Conference! |
 Sign up now at www.saferoutesconference.org for the 2nd Safe Routes to School National Conference, August 19-21, 2009 in beautiful, bicycle-friendly Portland, Oregon! Your Alliance membership now gets you a $50 discount off registration to this conference. Register today to take advantage of the early registration rate of $300, which is available through May 15. Alliance members should e-mail lillian@bta4bikes.org for the special code to receive the discounted rate of $250. The National SRTS Conference will offer standard 90-minute workshops, plenary speakers, mobile walking, biking and streetcar tours, 180-minute interactive training opportunities that allow for more in-depth discussion, hands-on events, discussion panels, and fun evening events including a parade and a dance party. This conference will provide valuable information to advocates and other leaders to propel Safe Routes to School work onto the next level. Scholarships are available on an as-needed basis. For more information on the conference, including the draft program schedule and to register, please visit www.saferoutesconference.org. |
| Get the New Alliance Member/Supporter Stamp |
 Membership in the Alliance for Biking & Walking gives member organizations added credibility with their local partners and supporters. Now, you have the graphics you need to show off your affiliation! You can also help us with our rebranding. New versions of our logo and new member/supporter stamps are now available through our website! We encourage both members and supporters to use these graphics when promoting your membership/support of the Alliance. We also encourage those organizations who have already uploaded our old logo to their website to update with this newer version. Feel free to contact us if you don't see the format you need and don't forget to update your links to our new url: www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org Please visit our new logo/graphics page today. Thanks! |
Alliance Training Launches New Campaigns in Toronto
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 In late March, the Alliance for Biking & Walking worked wth the Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation (TCAT) and the Toronto Cyclists Union to host intensive training and strategic development sessions for advocates. During the weekend of March 27, a group of nineteen dedicated advocates, from at least four different organizations, participated in the Alliance's Winning Campaigns Training to develop campaigns to improve cycling and walking in Toronto and throughout Ontario. The training helped launch six new campaigns for various biking and walking initiatives, including a joint campaign organized by TCAT and the Toronto Cyclists Union. Photos from the event, courtesy of Yvonne Bambrick, can be viewed here. On April 4th, the Alliance returned to Toronto with Randy Neufeld, Chief Strategic Officer of the Active Transportation Alliance, to lead key members of TCAT and the Toronto Cyclists Union through a strategic development session. Nancy Smith Lea, Executive Director for TCAT, comments on the training saying, "It was a valuable experience and we have every confidence that it has set both TCAT and the Toronto Cyclists Union on course to continue to grow and thrive." For information on upcoming Winning Campaigns Trainings and organizational development services at the Alliance, visit www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org. |
| Alliance Member News |
Be sure to check out what Alliance members have been up to in the right column of this e-newsletter and on our Member News webpage. | |
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| Bicycle Colorado Succeeds with Bike Bill |
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Colorado's much needed and hard fought bicycle safety bill, SB09-148, passed the state legislature last week - a huge victory for cyclists in Colorado and Alliance member Bicycle Colorado. Among other provisions, the new law has a 3-foot passing rule, allows cars to cross the centerline to pass bicyclists when safe to do so, allows bicyclists to ride on the left or right of multi-lane one-way streets, clarifies the legality of riding two-abreast, and makes it illegal to throw something at a cyclist.
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Sharrows Debut in San Luis Obispo |
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According to the San Luis Obispo County Bicycle Coalition, "We're excited to report that the City of San Luis Obispo has installed Sharrows on Monterey Street. In fact, we saw them put down paint right in front of our office. Sharrows, or shared lane markings, are designed for streets that aren't wide enough for a bike lane but need some kind of treatment so that bicyclists stay out of the door zone and motorists share the road. Watch our new video and get up to speed on everything sharrows. We're already noticing a more friendly Monterey Street." Congrats SLOCBC!
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San Diego Opens "Western Salt" Bike Path |
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The San Diego County Bicycle Coalition celebrated the opening of the new "Western Salt" bike path with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, April 18th. There was music, tacos, elected officials, and giant scissors! Congrats SDCBC! |
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Safe Passing Bill Passes Texas Senate |
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According to Bike Texas, the 2009 Safe Passing Bill, Senate Bill 488, was passed April 21 by the Texas State Senate by a vote of 28-2. Bike Texas says the strong showing of 75 cyclists at their annual bike lobby day, "Cyclists in Suits", was a, "powerful factor in the sudden movement on Safe Passing in the Senate." This was also a success for BikeDFW who rallies more than 40 people for a bus trip to Austin for the lobby day. Congrats! |
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A Complete Street for Kona, HI |
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On April 23, 2009, Peoples Advocacy for Trails Hawaii (PATH) and the Kealakehe community celebrated a 10-year goal of building a complete street for Kona. The new Keanalehu and Manawalea streets includes sidewalks, bike lanes, and a median that connects the Kealakehe house lots, La'I Opua Villages, and the local high school. PATH will be providing pedestrian safety education, awareness building, and support for the community to help make this transition a safe one. Congratulations PATH!
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Local Motion Organizes Commuter Challenge |
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Vermont's Local Motion is encouraging local residents to leave their car at home and join the fun! Local Motion is helping to coordinate the Way to Go Commuter Challenge at www.WayToGoVT.org! Individuals who pledge to get to work or school by walking, biking, taking the bus, telecommuting, or carpooling at least one day in May are entered into a drawing for prizes including iPods, cordless electric mowers, overnight stays, golf and ski passes, and more. In 2008, 2,950 Way to Go! participants saved 212,000 pounds of CO2 and $49,000 in transportation expenses. Their goal for 2009 is for 3,500 commuters to save at least 250,000 pounds of CO2. Way to Go Local Motion!
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SFBC Gives a Golden Wheel to Sunday Streets |
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This month the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition (SFBC) will honor Sunday Streets at their annual awards ceremony, the Golden Wheel Awards. Each year, this event honors those individuals or organizations that have dedicated all of their resources to advance biking and other avenues of sustainable transportation in San Francisco. SFBC is proud to have initiated the idea of Sunday Streets, a temporary car-free event that encourages San Franciscans to "get out and get active" on selected Sunday mornings. Sunday Streets was championed by a broad coalition of organizations and has been expanded for 2009. For more information on the Golden Wheels, visit:
http://www.sfbike.org/?goldenwheel
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| Vermont Coalition Speaks to US Secretary LaHood |
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On April 17th, Nancy Schulz, Executive Director of the Vermont Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition, had the chance to present to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood at the Vermont State House. In her presentation, she highlighted the pent up demand for funding needs for biking and walking infrastructure and education, and how his help is needed to get increased funding in the transportation bill. Sec. LaHood responded to Nancy by saying he will incorporate a "Livable Communities" program into the next bill so that people who want to bike, walk, jog, and "get out of cars" will be able do so.
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| 2009 Wisconsin Bike Summit an Outstanding Success! |
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Bicycling history was made in Wisconsin on April 27th and 28th as more than 450 bicycling enthusiasts from across the state attended the 2009 Wisconsin Bike Summit in Madison. The two-day event featured talks on advocacy, legislative training, and a "Ride on the Capitol" media event, where more than 200 bicyclists pedaled from Monona Terrace to the State Capitol to speak to their Legislators about the importance of bicycling in our communities.
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