| You're Invited to Participate in National Release of Benchmarking Report |
The Alliance is finalizing the last details of the much-anticipated 2010 Benchmarking Report: Bicycling and Walking in the United States and is inviting you to join us as we prepare for a national release of the report in January.
The report contains data on the state of biking and walking in the 50 states and 51 largest U.S. cities including data on biking and walking levels, safety, funding, policies, advocacy, and programs. The release of the report is an excellent opportunity for you to engage the media and local decision makers and let them know how your state or city stacks up. This report will reveal where your city or state is leading and where you fall behind. The report contains numbers and illustrations that will provide data in support of your efforts and help you advocate for a greater investment in biking and walking.
The Alliance is inviting advocates interested in working with us on a coordinated national release of the report to sign up for one of two information calls. Those who sign up will receive a sneak-preview of the report. On the call we will go over the report highlights, media talking points, and answer questions. If you are interested, sign up for the call on December 16th or January 7th . If you can't make either of these calls but want to get involved, e-mail Kristen@peoplepoweredmovement.org. |
Vote for Best Biking and Walking Photos
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Online voting is now open for the Alliance for Biking & Walking's People Powered Movement Photo Contest. Your vote can help determine the lucky grand-prize winner of a 10-day all-expense-paid VBT bike tour of Tuscany and a year's supply of CLIF BARs as well as the two runners-up who will win brand new commuter bikes. Voters will also have the chance to help choose the seven category winners who will receive Rickshaw messenger bags filled with goodies and the priceless opportunity of having their winning photo published in the 2010 March/April issue of Momentum Magazine. Public voting runs throughout December 31st and will narrow down the submissions to the top 10 photos in each category. A panel of expert judges will select the final winners.
The over 2,000 photos submitted to the seven contest categories are benefiting the Alliance for Biking & Walking's new Online Photo Library, a valuable resource that will provide free high quality images for grassroots bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations. Help support grassroots advocacy by spreading the word and vote now.
The People Powered Movement Photo Contest is made possible by 42BELOW, Momentum Magazine, CLIF BAR 2 Mile Challenge, VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations, Planet Bike, Rickshaw Bagworks, Bicycle Times, Breezer, Dahon, Cycle California! Magazine, Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, Funes Design, and JPG Magazine.
Newsletter Cut-and-Paste: Alliance organizations and partners: please cut and paste the above article into your organization's newsletters. Spread the word on this exciting contest and help get great images you can use!
Please support our sponsors who make this contest possible!    |
| Just Two Weeks Left to Nominate Your Favorite Advocates |
 There's just 14 days left to nominate your favorite advocates and organizations for the Alliance's annual Advocacy Awards for excellence in bicycling and walking advocacy. We invite you to nominate a person or organization for any of the six award categories:
- "Advocate of the Year"
- "Advocacy Organization of the Year"
- "Innovation Award"
- "Winning Campaign of the Year"
- "Business Advocate of the Year"
- "Best Practices Award"
The deadline for nominations is December 16th, 2009. Awards will be selected in February 2010 and presented in March in Washington, DC to coincide with the timing of the National Bike Summit. For full descriptions of the awards, more information on the process, and to make your nominations, visit www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/awards. |
| Renew by December 31st for a Chance to Win a Folding Bike |
The Alliance will enter those member organizations who have renewed their 2010 membership by December 31, 2009, into a raffle for a Dahon Mu P24 folding 24-speed bicycle with SRAM Dual Drive. Renew your Alliance membership by the end of 2009 and you could win a $950.00 bike to use as a fundraiser item, raffle, office bike, or however you wish.
You can renew right on our website and then choose to pay online with a credit card, mail in a check, pay by phone, or have us invoice you. With these options, renewing for 2010 is a piece of cake.
Renewing early ensures your membership doesn't miss a beat and that you don't miss out on a day of the great benefits your Alliance membership provides, such as:
- Access to members-only listserv
- Access to members-only Online Resource Library with over 800 models, templates, and resources to support your work
- Access to members-only Online Photo Library with over 300 photos
- Free Mutual Aid conference calls on topics that support your work
- On-call support and networking with top bicycle and pedestrian advocacy experts
- Discounts on Alliance training, retreats, and publications
- Discounted registration to the National Bike Summit and Pro Walk/Pro Bike
- Eligibility for special scholarship offers and contests
- Eligible to apply for an Advocacy Advance Grant (at least $250,000 to be awarded in 2010
- Opportunity for inclusion in Alliance's Benchmarking Report
- Free job postings on PeoplePoweredMovement.org
- Extra credibility of Alliance membership
- Listing and link on PeoplePoweredMovement.org
- Ability to display the Alliance logo and link on your website.
We've been crunching some numbers, and the total estimated value of your annual Alliance membership is over $2,500! So, how can you afford to miss out on these benefits. Renew today! Having trouble with renewing? Contact jeremy@peoplepoweredmovement.org
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| Online Photo Library is Live! |
The Alliance for Biking and Walking is proud to announce the addition of a much-anticipated new resource - the Online Photo Library!
The new photo library will provide high quality images of biking and walking for free to all Alliance members. Hundreds of photos are now available and ready to help bicycle and pedestrian advocates and organizations better communicate their work. Photos are available in eight categories including biking, walking, biking and walking, complete streets, advocates in action, youth, infrastructure, and inspirational. The photos are the best of the submissions to the recent People Powered Movement Photo Contest, which received over 2,000 entries. Online voting is now open for the contest, so don't forget to cast your vote!
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| Advocates Launch New Campaigns for Biking & Walking in Virginia |
 Twenty-six enthusiastic advocates launched new campaigns for biking and walking during November's Winning Campaigns Training in Richmond, VA. The training, hosted by the Virginia Bicycling Federation, drew advocates from 18 organizations across Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. Campaigns included implementing a complete streets policy, Safe Routes to School, and designating a pedestrian only space.
The training was full of energy and excitement, despite the balmy, raining weather outside. Fionnuala Quinn of Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling said, "Thanks for putting on a great training. I learned a lot about how to get organized effectively and had fun with everyone too."
Thanks to SRAM, Bikes Belong, Planet Bike and AARP for their support of all six 2009 Winning Campaigns Trainings.
If your organization is interested in hosting a Winning Campaigns Training in 2010, please visit
www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/trainingapplication. As a result of a number of requests, the deadline for proposals has been extended to December 11th, 2009. Take advantage of this extension and bring a Winning Campaigns Training to your community.
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| Alliance Seeks Interns |
Are you, or someone you know, looking to gain real-world experience with an international nonprofit promoting cycling and walking? The Alliance is now seeking to fill two 2010 internship positions. Program Intern: The 2010 Program Intern will gain first hand knowledge working with a national coalition on our programs including trainings, grants, organizational development, and resource development. Tasks may include editing training and retreat materials, reviewing grant applications, outreach to grant applicants and volunteers, updating database to assist with organizational development efforts, outreach to member organizations, compiling resources, and more. Find more info here.
Member Services Intern: The 2010 Member Services Intern will gain firsthand experience working with the member organizations of an international coalition of biking and walking advocacy organizations. Work includes assisting with membership outreach, organization coaching/development, prospect acquisition, database development, website updates, resource development, and membership/donor appeals. Find more info here.
Deadline for applications is January 3, 2010. Please see the Alliance Job Board for detailed internship descriptions and application instructions. |
| Take Action to Support Bike/Ped Funding and the Link to Transit |
The Federal Transit Authority (FTA) is seeking comments on a recently proposed policy that would expand recognition and funding for biking and walking facilities that link to transit. The proposed policy would recognize that bike and pedestrian facilities have a "functional relationship" to public transportation stops and stations. The "catchment area" around transit stops is clearly defined in this proposal as ½ mile for pedestrian facilities and 3 miles for bicycling. "This is excellent news!" says Jeff Miller, President / CEO of the Alliance for Biking & Walking. "This not only increases funding options for biking and walking in cities and rural areas, it is essentially a Safe Routes to Transit policy." Your help is needed to submit comments supporting the proposed policy. The deadline for submitting comments is January 12, 2010. Please click here to submit your comments today! |
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Join the Next Alliance Federal Policy and Legislation Update Call |
There is a lot spinning about on the federal level and grassroots input is as important as ever! The Alliance has been hosting monthly conference calls with local advocates and national leaders to keep everyone in the loop. Our next call is December 15th at 1pm Eastern and is just three days before the current extension of the transportation bill expires. In addition to the latest on federal funding, we'll be sharing updates on the USDOT gatherings, other policies the administration is working on that you can influence, as well as updates on Safe Routes to School and complete streets legislation. We'll also be updating folks on stimulus funding and asking for updates from you on local ready-to-go projects.
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Share your Input with USDOT at Regional Gatherings |
The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced a series of public meetings across the country to gather stakeholder input and public opinion on transportation policy and strategy. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood will be at each of these meetings and it is a great chance for all of us to advocate for better biking and walking. The first meeting was held December 1st in New Orleans and meetings will continue in California, the Midwest, the West, and will end on the East Coast. A memo from USDOT states, "The event will launch a series of meetings across the country that will bring together federal, state, and local officials, as well as transportation providers, users, and other stakeholders, to discuss the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization." Additional meetings between December and February will be announced soon. With the administration still working with Congress on the next transportation bill, this is an important opportunity to advance the needs of bicyclists and pedestrians. Stay tuned for additional meeting announcements.
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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 new People Powered Blog. | |
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VBF Scores Major Win for Bike/Ped Funding in Virginia |
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On November 19th, the Virginia Bicycling Federation (VBF) claimed a well deserved victory for the future of the state's active transportation network. Major funding was unanimously approved by Virginia's Commonwealth Transportation Board where bike and pedestrian projects will be a priority.Read more here.
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| Milwaukee Buses Get Bike Racks! |
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The Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin (BFW) celebrated a victory for cycling on November 19th when the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors passed a measure to put bike racks on all Milwaukee buses. Milwaukee County will provide the local match for Milwaukee's Bike Racks on Buses Program. The project will be in full swing this spring and completed by the fall of 2010. Read more here. |
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SVBC Wins Strong San Jose Bike Plan |
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On Tuesday November 17th, the City of San Jose adopted its first comprehensive bike plan with the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition (SVBC) playing a strong role in its release. SVBC, the Department of Transportation, various community organizations, and the general public have long been anticipating the plan which includes a Cal Train bike share program, a cycle track, a doubling of existing bike lanes, new safety signals, bike lockers, and an overall increase in bicycle ridership and safety. The City ultimately hopes to achieve a five percent increase in cycling and a Gold-level Bicycle Friendly ranking from the League of American Bicyclists by 2020. Read more here.
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MCBC Recognized for Economic Impact in Marin |
On November 13th, the Marin County Bicycle Coalition(MCBC) was honored for its years of improving biking and walking infrastructure with the Marin Economic Commission award. MCBC has been fighting to ensure that bicycling be recognized as a legitimate form of transportation and over the past eleven years has shown incredible leadership and service, as well as raised over $183 billion for their cause. Read more here. |
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Bike Pittsburgh Releases Bike Commuting 101 Guide |
BikePGH recently released Bike Commuting 101 to share with commuters the basics of bike commuting. The booklet explores topics like choosing a bike, how it should fit, riding safe, useful accessories, and general information that enhances the bike commuting experience. Culling the combined input of BikePGH's staff and long time members, the guide focuses on the essential elements of bike commuting using the themes of convenience, comfort, and safety. Read more here. |
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BTA Survey Reveals Trends and Perceptions of Bicycling in Oregon |
In August of this year Portland, Oregon's Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) asked its members and the public for feedback to help them plan for bike advocacy and organizational growth in the future. Over 2,000 people responded to the survey providing the BTA with data on a wide range of advocacy and education topics, bicyclists' perceptions, and organizational direction. Read more here. |
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Introducing the BikeTexas ParentsPlus Program |
BikeTexas recently announced that on October 1, 2009 they began development of the new BikeTexas ParentsPlus Program. According to BikeTexas, "The program is funded through a Texas Department of Transportation grant, and will provide parents, plus other adults concerned with bicycle and pedestrian safety, the certification training and resources necessary to develop neighborhood bicycling and walking events. These events will incorporate safety messages in a fun and healthy venue and will bring the safety lessons to the larger community, thus amplifying their effect." Read more here.
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Denver City Council Unanimously Approves New Bike Ordinances |
BikeDenver recently announced that on November 23rd Denver's City Council approved a bill to amend many sections of the Revised Municipal Code related to bicycling. The new ordinances took effect on Friday, November 27th and amend City traffic laws related to bicycles to partially conform with a new Colorado state law. The new law allows speed-restricted riding on sidewalks for the limited purpose of parking and eliminates obsolete language associated with licensing. Read more here.
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