| Your Help Needed for $42K Challenge |
 Forty-two bike enthusiasts taking off this month across the country, are pedaling a challenge to people along to way to support grassroots biking and walking advocacy. The 42Ride, sponsored by 42BELOW Vodka, wants tweeters to follow the ride on Twitter. If 100,000 sign up as followers on Twitter, 42BELOW will make a $42,000 donation to the Alliance for Biking & Walking, 42 cents per person.
Last week Alliance President Jeff Miller joined 42 bicyclists from across the US (and around the world) for the kick off of the 42Ride. "Everyone was very excited about the ride ahead and the fact that their efforts will also support the Alliance and the work we do with grassroots advocates," said Miller. From New York City, the 42 riders are heading westward as two groups of
21 riders, one touring the north and one touring th south.Participants will pedal an impressive total of 4,017 miles across the country, witnessing some of the most beautiful scenery the country has to offer.
The Alliance is asking all its members, supporters, and biking enthusiasts to support biking and walking by signing up to follow the 42Ride on twitter at http://twitter.com/WeLikeBike42.
If the challenge is met, the Alliance will use the $42,000 donation to further its work strengthening and uniting grassroots biking and walking advocacy organizations across North America.
Please sign up to follow the 42Ride on Twitter today and encourage your friends and supporters to sign up too!
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Biking and Walking Strong in Draft Transportation Bill
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On Monday, June 22, 2009, Chairman James L. Oberstar, Rep. John Mica, and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee introduced the committee print of the Surface Transportation Authorization Act of 2009. We are very encouraged by many of the elements contained within the bill, including: creating the Office of Livability, improving data and research, establishing the U.S. Bike Route System, and emphasizing Comprehensive Street Design Standards. In addition, our initial impression is that the reforms to the Surface Transportation Program funding and the sub-allocation of Transportation Enhancement funds may provide greater opportunities for bicycling and walking. We believe these changes will move us towards a transformative bill. There is an analysis of the bill on our website here. While the bill is not perfect, we are working and will be meeting with committee staff to tweak some of the priority improvements we've identified. The bill can be still be strengthened by including mode specific goals for safety funds, applying Comprehensive Street Design Principles more widely, and explicitly including bicycle and pedestrian projects within the Metro Mobility and Access Program. The biggest hole is that there are no funding levels in the bill. The Committee is expected to mark up the bill in late July and hopes to have better information on funding levels then. This will be a critical time to weigh in and push for additional language for bicycle and pedestrian provisions. Along with our America Bikes partners we encourage bicycle and pedestrian advocates to thank members of the T&I committee. The Alliance is again hosting a National Transportation Bill Conference Call on July 8th at 1pm EDT. Please join us on this call and register at www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org/events |
| Alliance Grants $125,000 to Start-up Organizations and Innovative Campaigns |
The Alliance for Biking & Walking is awarding seven grants totaling over $125,000 to grassroots biking and walking advocacy organizations. The grants will jump-start emerging advocacy organizations and fund innovative campaigns with the potential to dramatically increase biking and walking. Grant recipients include: Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota: A $10,000 matching grant will help the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota assemble and train a coalition to work towards statewide complete streets legislation in 2010.
Walk Oakland Bike Oakland: Walk Oakland Bike Oakland (WOBO) will receive a $15,000 matching grant to advocate for bicycle and pedestrian access in several upcoming street redesign projects.
Pennsylvania Walks and Bikes: Pennsylvania Walks and Bikes will put a $30,000 matching grant to work to help build the first statewide coalition for biking and walking in Pennsylvania. Transportation Alternatives: New York City's Transportation Alternatives will use $25,000 for a major research project and advocacy campaign focused on developing comprehensive recommendations for procedural, investigative and legislative reforms of the broken system of traffic enforcement. San Francisco Bicycle Coalition: San Francisco Bicycle Coalition will receive $25,000 to design and advocate for a pedestrian-, bicyclist- and transit-rider-centered Market Street. Their campaign will make Market Street an iconic street not only for the city, but as a model for "main streets" of big cities across North America.
League of Illinois Bicyclists: A $5,000 grant will help the League of Illinois Bicyclists educate new and existing planners on proper bicyclist accommodations, education and encouragement, and bikeway funding tips.
Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling and Washington Area Bicyclist Association: Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling (a local chapter of the DC regional WABA) will receive $9,600 to develop a handbook to help bicycling advocates understand how to best influence and play a constructive role during the design of new facilities. The Alliance thanks SRAM, Cannondale, Bikes Belong, and Planet Bike for funding that made these grants possible. We also thank our volunteer grants committee for their assistance and support. For more information about the Alliance grants program, please visit www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org/grants. Read the full press release here. |
Author of Membership "Bible" To Lead Alliance Training
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Members are the life-blood of a grassroots advocacy organization. Members provide your organization with expertise, outreach and validation, volunteer time, financial stability, and political power. If you are looking to start a new membership program, or grow and reap greater returns from your current membership program, consider attending the Alliance's Membership Development Training this fall in San Francisco.  The training, scheduled for September 17-19th, will be lead by membership guru Ellis Robinson, author of the Non-Profit Membership Toolkit (pictured here). The training will be held at the Women's Building in the heart of San Francisco's Mission District. 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. 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. Her book, The Non-Profit Membership Toolkit, is often referred to as the "bible" of non-profit membership development. Early registration ends July 30th. Find more info and REGISTER TODAY HERE to take advantage of the early-bird discount! |
Winning Campaigns Training Comes to Denver this Fall!
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This October 2-4, the Alliance is partnering with Bike Denver, and other local Alliance organizations, to bring our signature Winning Campaigns Training to Denver, CO. Join your fellow bicycle and pedestrian advocacy leaders to learn from expert coaches and each other through the Alliance's proven curriculum on choosing, directing, and winning campaigns to increase bicycling and walking. After three days, you will have a detailed campaign blueprint that will assure a victorious campaign and set up your organization for greater victories in the future. Registration includes all meals during the training and a chance to network with other local advocates in the area, as well as an opportunity to see some of Denver's latest innovations. Early registration ends September 10th. Don't miss the early registration price- Register Today! The Winning Campaigns Training is also coming to Littlerock and Richmond this fall. For details and to register please visit www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org |
Alliance Welcomes Summer Interns
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We are thrilled to have three exceptionally talented and enthusiastic interns for the Summer. Emily Eisenhart is our new Marketing & Communications Intern. A recent graduate of Northwestern University, she majored in Cultural Anthropology and International Studies. Emily has worked with several non-profit projects abroad and in the U.S. Her experience includes being a photographer and graphic designer for campus publications including the award-winning NorthByNorthwestern.com; helping found an internationally-focused multimedia exhibit, The OpenShutter Project; and serving as the director of the Global Engagement Summit (GES). As GES Director she coordinated the branding and marketing of a community development training program which recruits more than 500 student applicants from 50 countries each year. Last summer, she was awarded a grant through the Davis Projects for Peace competition to help Tadamon, the Egyptian Refugee MulticulturalCouncil, re-design their digital presence and communications infrastructure. This summer Emily will be organizing the Alliance's first ever Bike/Walk photo contest, writing for Streetside, and revamping the Alliance's Guide to Complete Streets Campaigns. Lindsay Cummings is our new Member Services Intern.  Lindsay is a senior at the University of Pittsburgh, where she majors in Environmental Studies and Spanish. She has worked with a variety of environmental organizations and efforts such as Environment America, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Cedescri, and a campaign to reduce the use of plastic bags in Pittsburgh. She is particularly interested in the nexus of environmentalism and social issues, especially in the developing world. This summer Lindsay will be coordinating logistics for upcoming Winning Campaigns Trainings, assisting with migration to a new Alliance database, and assisting with member outreach and resource development. Jordan Laney is our new Media Development Intern. A recent  graduate of University of Iowa, she majored in business finance and then worked for Chubb Insurance in Minneapolis. Jordan is looking forward to switching gears and pursuing a career in the marketing field. She recently returned from a trip to the South Pacific that included volunteering with the New Zealand Department of Conservation along with backcountry hiking trips. Jordan was a track and field athlete in college and continues to enjoy running along with biking. This summer Jordan will be coordinating the development of the Alliance Guide to Winning Proposals, assisting with the Alliance's e-mail marketing, and publishing to the Alliance's member news blog. Make sure to send your news to Jordan at Jordan@peoplepoweredmovement.org. Welcome to Emily, Lindsay, and Jordan! |
101 Complete Streets Policies... and Counting
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More than 20 local and national organizations participated in the Annual Meeting of the National Complete Streets Coalition this June. The Alliance joined other coalition members to receive updates on local, state and national complete street policies. We were inspired to hear how much this movement has grown. To date, there are 101 complete streets policies in effect in 96 U.S. jurisdictions. Of these, 48% are city policies and 17% are state policies. Seventy new polices have been added since 2006 alone! While work remains on the state level, we believe that 101 complete streets policies calls for a celebration! Congratulations to all of you who have worked tirelessly to win complete streets policies for your state or community. And thanks to the National Complete Streets Coalition for the tools, support, and resources they provide. The Alliance is committed to supporting to advancing complete streets through our winnings campaign trainings and Advocacy Advance Grants funding. For resources on complete streets and winning complete streets policies visit our Online Resource Library at www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org/library and search "complete streets". |
Alliance President Rides with Oberstar
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In early June, Alliance for Biking & Walking President Jeff Miller went to Minnesota for a unique opportunity to spend time with Congressman James Oberstar. "In addition to a four hour ride with Rep. Oberstar, several of us had dinner with the Congressman the night before and had the chance to talk about the needs and priorities of grassroots organizations and how we could help," says Miller who was joined by Caron Whitaker of America Bikes. "It was a fantastic chance to hear what he was working on for the Transportation Bill and to share some of the challenges advocates face and how his transportation bill could be most helpful," adds Jeff. The Congressman also impressed everyone by riding a solid 16mph average pace and bragging about his new 45-year hip. Thanks to Dorian Grilley of the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota and Gary Sjoquist of Quality Bicycle Products / Bikes Belong for the invitation to join the ride and for providing assistance. Photo: L to R Patrick Seidler of the Bikes Belong Board, Caron Whitaker of America Bikes, Congressman Oberstar and Jeff Miller of the Alliance on the "Ride with Jim." |
| 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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SLO City Council Adopts $4 Million Budget for Bikes |
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 June 16, 2009 - San Luis Obispo County Bicycle Coalition celebrated the adoption of a two-year budget that will add significant improvements to SLO's bicycle network. According to SLOCBC, "The budget adoption is the culmination of over a dozen public meetings where hundreds of residents made their voices heard about the need for continued bicycle and pedestrian improvements. The budget adoption also marks the culmination of the Bicycle Coalition's own Bike the Budget campaign, an organized effort to continue improving the city's bikeways." The budget will make significant progress on the Railroad Safety Trail, funds bicycle education efforts, staffing of a part-time bike programs assistant, and a fund for miscellaneous bikeway improvements.
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Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition Puts Marks on City Streets!
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June 18, 2009 - According to the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition, "A new collaboration between the Coalition and the City of South Lake Tahoe began this month with the painting of bike emblems on city streets. This collaboration will assist cyclists in navigating through town and will increase awareness among motorists that cyclists are sharing the road. The Coalition hopes to expand its painting project to other Tahoe communities and will maintain them annually."
For more good news from Lake Tahoe click here.
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Thousands of San Franciscans Take Part in Sunday Street |
June 9, 2009 - According to the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition (SFBC), a record number of people came out for the ciclovia-style Sunday Streets in San Francisco's Mission district in early June. The party stretched nearly a dozen blocks and the festivities included walking, biking and dancing. Sunday Streets was initiated in 2008 by SFBC, Livable City, and other local partners. See photos of the event here. The overwhelming turnout illustrates a yearning for more car-free recreational areas. Learn more about Sunday Streets.
http://sundaystreetssf.com/
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Santa Rosa Creek Trail Project Gets Unanimous Support
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June 23, 2009 - In a major victory for Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition, Sonoma County Supervisors unanimously voted to approve asphalt paving of a 2.1-mile section of the Santa Rosa Creek Trail, a plan set back in the early 90's. The existing gravel path will parallel the new paved path accommodating walkers, wheelchairs and all types of bike tires. The path connects two schools and is part of the county's long-term goal of a route to the coast. For more info see here. |
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Landmark Columbia Bicyclist Harassment Law
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June 18, 2009 - The Missouri Bicycle Federation is celebrating the passage of a bicycle harassment law which was passed unanimously by the Columbia City Council on June 15th, 2009, following a ninety-minute debate with about twenty citizens present. The ordinance, effective immediately, makes it a Class A Misdemeanor to throw objects at a bicyclist, or honk or shout for the purpose of frightening, disturbing, or threatening the bicyclist. The Ordinance may be modified in the next few weeks to include other vulnerable users. For more information, see here http://mobikefed.org/2009/06/columbia-bicyclist-harassment-ordinance.php |
| 1,600 Cyclists Ride LA River Ride |
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June 7, 2009 - More than 1,600 cyclists participated in Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition's 9th Annual L.A. River Ride, making it the largest River Ride ever! The event is LACBC's largest fundraiser and raises awareness of the need for bike path connectivity along the LA River. For more info visit here.
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Marin County Bicycle Coalition's Milestone: Membership Hits 1,500!
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June 18, 2009 - MCBC is well on its way to reaching its goal of 2,009 members by the end of the year. MCBC hit the 1,500 member mark by recruiting a whopping 97 people in 15 days to help increase membership. Such growth enables MCBC to take strides toward pushing the completion of the North/South Greenway, as well as the completion of the SMART bike path. Congratulations on this tremendous achievement!
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Livable City Wins Grant for Sunday Streets Program |
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May 27, 2009 - Livable City was awarded a $10,000 Bikes Belong grant to help return Sunday Streets, a program that creates a fun, car-free place for people to be active, to San Francisco this summer. Last year's two events drew over 15,000 people each; this year, there will be six events in four different neighborhoods. Sunday Streets is supported by a broad range of city agencies, advocacy organizations, local businesses, corporate sponsors, and local bike shops that provide funding and free rentals for participants. For more information, visit here.
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