| Wish You Had 1 Member for Every 77 People in Your City? |
 San Francisco did and their wish came true! The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition recently celebrated reaching 10,000 members, one for every 77 city residents. For now SFBC claims the title of the North American advocacy organization with the highest per capita membership. How'd they do it?
Now you have a chance to come learn how in the city that's leading the way in membership development and retention. 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 with help from Kate McCarthy, SFBC's Membership and Volunteer Director. Ellis brings you over 25 of experience in bicycle advocacy and membership development, including authoring a "bible" on membership programs. Kate brings fresh tactics and experience from an organization that's setting the trends in how to grow and retain membership.
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 will 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. For more information on the training and trainer click here.
The deadline for early registration prices is Tuesday June 30th. REGISTER TODAY HERE to take advantage of the early bird discount!
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| T4 America Releases Blueprint |
The Alliance for Biking & Walking is part of the Transportation for America (T4 America) coalition and we are pleased with the new platform for the Transportation Bill - The Route to Reform: Blueprint for a 21st Century Federal Transportation Program. The Alliance, and others in the bike and pedestrian community have contributed to sections of this important document. Our nation has the rare opportunity to make significant progress on creating real reform in the next transportation bill for biking and walking. In the next bill we strongly advocate for nationwide active transportation networks to improve public health and provide access for people powered movement. We will continue to work closely with T4 America and members of congress in order to establish these important reforms as law in the next transportation bill. |
Join the Conversation: New Monthly Transportation Bill Call
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Last month over 40 leaders from across the U.S. joined a national conference call on the upcoming Transportation Bill. National advocates and lobbyists gave updates on developments while local advocates had a chance to both ask questions and give suggestions to help unify the movement. After a successful call, everyone agreed we should continue to host this important conversation. The next call on June 10th will be particularly key since the first draft of the bill is expected to be released right around the time of the call. Mark your calendar for 1pm Eastern on the 2nd Wednesday of each month (6/10, 7/8, & 8/12). Each call will have several of our national leaders/lobbyists on the call to brief us on the congressional scene and answer questions. Then you and other leaders from across the U.S. will have a chance to provide suggestions and input on what's needed on the ground where you're working. 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. Join the call, visit www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org/events to register. |
| Alliance Offers Bike Greeting Cards at Bulk Prices! |
 Are you looking for a bike-themed creative way to say "thank-you" or just "hi" to your friends, supporters, and major donors but find that commissioning art and printing nice cards gets too pricey? The Alliance has a solution for you! We're proud to introduce two new bike art greeting cards that we print in quantities large enough to offer you bulk prices. The Bike Angel and Sun Bike cards are sold in sets of 25, 50, or 100 and Alliance members receive a discounted price. Order your cards today and stay connected in style with your partners and supporters. Find them online here. |
| Campaigns Launched at Miami Training |
 This May the Alliance partnered with Green Mobility Network and the Florida Bicycle Association to facilitate our third Winning Campaigns Training of 2009. Nearly two dozen advocates from the Southeast launched several winnable campaigns! Participants left with enthusiasm to tackle their new campaigns. According to Toni Ferrell of BikeWalkLee, "This was one of the most effective seminars I have ever attended -the entire group of trainers left us energized and with a clearer direction for success." Hank Resnik of Green Mobility Network, "I was reluctant to devote this big chuck of time and I'm grateful and excited that I did." Maria Luisa De Jesus from Everglades Bicycle Club said, "I feel like I just got a new pair of wings!!" We're keeping our eye on these new campaigns which include youth bike safety education, improving cyclists harassment laws, and completing bike paths. Thanks to our Miami Training sponsors including Planet Bike, SRAM, Cannondale, and Bikes Belong, and Momentum Magazine. |
$50 Off SRTS Conference for Alliance Members
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 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. Alliance members should e-mail lillian@bta4bikes.org for the special code to receive the discounted rate of $250 before the extended early registration deadline of June 15th ($300 after June 15th). 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. |
New "People" Listserv Up and Running
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Noticed new e-mails with the subject [People]? As we work to wrap up the implementation of our rebranding, we completed the migration of Alliance resources including the Alliance Listserv. The new listserv replaces the old subject line [Thunderhead] with the new [People]. The Alliance's "People" listserv is a great place to get your questions answered by other Alliance leaders. Over 50 messages are sent each month on various topics that include requesting template materials from other organizations, debating policies, and checking in on the experience of other organizations with a particular issue. The Alliance Listserv is one of our most-used and top-ranked member benefits. If you have any trouble using the new list, visit www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org/people for more details and instructions. And, be sure to visit www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org to learn about the other benefits your Alliance membership delivers. |
Thank You and Farewell to Julie Boddorff, Communication Intern
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The Alliance sends a hearty thank you and farewell to our exiting Communications Intern, Julie Boddorff. Julie came on board in February for a three-month internship to assist with the Alliance's rebranding and general communications. From editing our new website to writing e-newsletter articles and updating our publications, Julie has been vital to the success of our rebranding efforts. Many of you have heard from her over the last few months as she's reached out to members and supporters with our new contact information, website, and graphics for your websites and materials. We appreciate the excitement, care, and creative touch she has put into all her work. We'll miss Julie, but we wish her the best in her next pursuits! |
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AARP Publishes Complete Streets Report |
A national poll finds that 47 percent of older Americans say they cannot safely cross a main street near their home. A new AARP Public Policy Institute report, Planning Complete Streets for the Aging of America, finds that a majority of transportation planners and engineers say they have not begun to prepare for the coming increase in Americans over 65 years old. The report is packed with new information and calls for adoption of Complete Streets policies to address the needs of the estimated 64 million Americans who will be over 65 in 2025.
The report also includes new resources for Complete Streets implementation, including the first-ever inventory of Complete Streets policies. AARP assesses whether they address the needs of older Americans - only about one-third do. As part of the project, AARP assembled a team of transportation experts to re-assess some recommendations of the FHWA's Older Driver Handbook, and in the report the group assert three principles for planning street projects with older drivers and pedestrians in mind.
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| 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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Complete Streets Becomes Hawaii Law |
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According to PATH (Peoples Advocacy for Trails Hawaii), "Hawaii Complete Streets bill, SB718 was signed into law (May 7th) by Governor Linda Lingle. The law requires that all new roads and roads slated for maintenance be designed to accommodate all users, including bicyclists, pedestrians, and motorists. This is a major landmark victory in our effort to create a safe, connected network for walking and bicycling." Congratulations to Alliance members PATH and the Hawaii Bicycle League for this exciting victory for biking and walking in the Aloha state.
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| Bike Walk Mississippi Awarded $50K Grant |
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| The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) has awarded Bike Walk Mississippi (BWM) a $50,000 grant! This grant will allow BWM to partner with Mississippi Safe Routes To School to customize the current SRTS Guide with Mississippi examples, create a SRTS quarterly newsletter, send a BWM representative to the National SRTS Conference and much more. BWM is also coordinating the training of 40+ LCI members across the state to increase bike safety awareness within Mississippi communities with the help of MDOT. Visit BWM for more information. |
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VA Governor Joins in on Bike to Work Day |
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According to the Virginia Bicycling Federation, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine and Richmond Mayor Dwight Jones joined hundreds of riders (on May 15th) for a Bike to Work Day ride in Richmond.
According to Champe Burnley of the Federation, "It was a great ride. Despite questionable weather forecasts, hundreds of riders from across Richmond converged on Monroe Park. Deputy Secretary of Transportation Ralph Davis commented on the benefits of bike commuting." For more information including pictures of Virginia's Bike to Work Day visit VBF's website.
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DC Bike to Work Day Draws Thousands |
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 According to the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, "Thousands of bicyclists turned out to celebrate Bike to Work Day 2009 at locations in the District of Columbia, suburban Maryland, and Northern Virginia. Over 8,000 people signed up to participate in advance of the event, which set a new record for registrations. Bicyclists gathered at a total of 26 "pit stops" featuring entertainment, food, drinks, and raffles. Experienced WABA volunteers helped lead "commuter convoys" from across the area to Freedom Plaza and other pit stop destinations. Convoy leaders assisted participants with safe riding and equipment tips as well as showing riders the best route to their destination."
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Forget Bike-to-Work Day.... |
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Sure Bike Pittsburgh (Bike PGH) had a great Bike-to-Work Day with over a hundred commuters stopping in for their biker breakfasts, and with many more on the streets. The real celebrations, however, were after work at the Bike PGH Bike-FROM-Work Day Party in conjunction with a local brewery. Over 500 participated and help haul kegs of "Pale Ale by Bike" to the shindig. See photos of the fun here.
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New Bike Lanes on the Way for Toronto
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Toronto kicked off their Bike Month with a big win for cyclists when the Toronto City Council voted 28 to 18 in favor of new bike lanes on Jarvis Street in downtown Toronto. According to Yvonne Bambrick of the Toronto Cyclists Union, "This is a big win for our city's cyclists, and for the Toronto Cyclists Union who got the wheels rolling on this issue last fall by submitting a report to Transportation that showed the viability of bike lanes, in addition to some of the proposed pedestrian realm improvements. This is particularly important because the original scope of the Environmental Assessment (EA) did not include any consideration of cyclists, and was focussed solely on the beautification of the pedestrian realm." |
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Mississippi River Trails Get Upgrades
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 For over a year, Mississippi River Trail, Inc. (MRT) has been working with area agencies to install new route marking signs within the 72-mile Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MNRRA) corridor. On June 6th (National Trails Day) they will celebrate with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening celebration led by St. Paul Mayor, MNRRA Superintendent, and an MnDOT commissioner. MRT also reports that MnDOT has received funding to sign the entire Mississippi River Trail corridor in Minnesota! Riding in the MNRAA will soon be no sweat! | |
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