2010 Benchmarking Report
Released
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 A new report released January 28, 2010 by the
Alliance for Biking & Walking shows that lack of investment in biking and
walking could be contributing to higher traffic fatalities and chronic disease
rates in the U.S.
Bicycling and
Walking in the United States: The 2010 Benchmarking Report reveals that in almost every state and major U.S. city,
bicyclists and pedestrians are at a disproportionate risk of being killed, and
receive less than their fair share of transportation dollars. While 10% of
trips in the U.S. are by bike or foot, 13% of traffic fatalities are bicyclists
and pedestrians. Biking and walking receive less than 2% of federal
transportation dollars.
 The report also highlights
the fact that states with the lowest levels of biking and walking have, on
average, the highest rates of obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure. In
contrast, states with the highest levels of biking and walking have, on average,
the lowest rates of obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
The report also ranks
states and the 51 largest U.S. cities in biking and walking levels, safety,
funding, advocacy, and policies.
Bicycling and Walking in
the United States was funded by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and made possible through additional
support from Bikes Belong Coalition and Planet Bike. For more information and
to download the report visit http://www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org/benchmarking.
For ideas on how to put
the 2010 Benchmarking Report to use
in your community, read the article below.
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Transform Your Organization
with Strategic Planning: Applications Due 3/3
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Is your organization
struggling due to lack of a compelling or widely held vision? Are you looking
for ways to increase your volunteers or membership? Are you looking to
diversify your membership or to engage new audiences in your work? Are you
looking to revisit your current strategy and build a more inclusive and engaged
membership?
If you answered
"Yes" to any of the above questions, then you may want to apply for an opportunity to
work with the Alliance to host a Whole Systems Strategic Planning Summit for
your organization in 2010.
Thanks to the generous
support of New Belgium Brewing Company, the
Alliance will be accepting applications through Wednesday March 3rd from organizations interested in working with us to develop their
strategic plan. In 2009, Alliance staff worked with two organizations to
develop strategic plans, using the Whole systems Approach, as part of a pilot project. Now funding
from New Belgium Brewing Company will help offset the cost to selected
organizations this year.
The Whole System Strategic
Planning approach creates an opportunity for organization stakeholders to come
together to establish a shared, clear, and compelling vision. The process
further allows participants to craft a set of actions to achieve their vision.
The results include increased buy-in from the organization's stakeholders, clearly
defined and prioritized actions for moving forward, and an energized commitment
to the organization's future.
All details on the application process and the Whole System Approach to strategic planning will be available on February 9 at www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/strategy.
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2010
Mutual Aid Call Schedule is Out
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"Give help, get
help" is the aim behind the Alliance's Mutual Aid program. In 2010, over 20 free conference calls will bring together bicycle and pedestrian
advocacy leaders to discuss topics relevant to you and to answer your questions. On the calls leaders share
expertise in a particular topic, ask questions of others, and talk about
challenges they face. In the 2010 Alliance Member Survey we asked you what
topics you'd like to talk about this year. After pouring over the results, we have finalized the 2010 Mutual Aid conference call schedule.
The 2010 Mutual Aid Call
Calendar includes topics like fundraising strategies, engaging the media,
working with city hall, getting involved with election politics, and an entire
series of calls devoted to helping advocacy organizations build membership and
capacity. For the complete schedule of calls and to register for upcoming
calls, click here.
Mutual Aid calls are free
for leaders of Alliance organizations. Register today, and get the upcoming
calls on your calendar!
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Alliance
Announces 2010 Training Dates
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We are excited to announce the slate of 2010
Winning Campaigns© Trainings. Winning Campaigns© Trainings is the Alliance's signature national training for new and veteran advocates that is held annually in different regions around North America. Find a date and
location that works for you:
 April
16-18: New Orleans, LA - hosted by New Orleans Metro Bicycle Coalition
June
4-6:Edison, NJ - hosted by New Jersey Bicycle Coalition/ East
Coast Greenway Alliance
July
9 -11: Burlington, VT - hosted by Local Motion August
6-8: Columbus, OH - hosted by Bike, Walk Ohio!/Consider Biking October
15-17: Oakland, CA - hosted by Walk Oakland Bike Oakland November
5-7: Asheville, NC - hosted by Asheville Coalition
The Winning Campaigns© Training,
trains bike/ped advocates how to:
- Set
realistic but visionary goals, choose the best strategies and tactics, and
stick to timelines;
- Map
out the power structure in your community, support and leverage allies,
neutralize and convert enemies!
- Communicate
effectively, reaching the right audience with the right message through the
right media, and
- Raise
money to strengthen your organization for the next bigger victory!
Find more details and register for a training at http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/wctraining. |
 Putting the Benchmarking
Report to Use for You
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The 2010 Benchmarking Report is hot off the press and we
hope you will dig in. The report is intended as a resource for government
officials, bicycle and pedestrian advocates, researchers, and the media
searching for comparable data and means to measure progress.
Here are a few tips for making the report
work for you:
1. See where you measure up: Scan
the report for your city or state. See how your city/state compares to others.
Are you below or above the average for other cities/states? Note where you are
leading and where you are behind.
2. Connect with the media: Consider
issuing a press release or talking with the media about this report. Discuss
how your state or city stacks up against others in bicycling and walking
levels, safety, and funding. Highlight any areas where you are leading and
opportunities for improvement. Use the data to support the work you are doing
to promote bicycling and walking locally.
3. Evaluate your efforts: Think
about where you have been focusing your efforts toward increasing bicycling and
walking and safety. Are these efforts working? Look for trends in the data in
this report. Look for benchmarks set by cities and states that are leading in
the area you are working in.
4. Set new goals: Use
the data in this report to set new goals and refocus your efforts if needed. In
this report you will find which cities/states are leading in promoting biking,
walking, and safety. You will also see what the national average and averages
for major U.S. cities are. Use these benchmarks to set goals for your
city/state.
5. Use it as a reference book: Keep
this report on your office bookshelf in an accessible location. Use it when you
are contacted by the media for statistics, or when you need facts for a
presentation or paper you are preparing. Use these data to support your work
promoting bicycling and walking in your state or city.
If you have questions about the data in this report, have feedback, or
other inquiries, please don't hesitate to contact us at benchmarking@PeoplePoweredMovement.org.
To download the report for free or to order hard copies, visit
www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org/benchmarking.
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Members Invited to Alliance DC Reception
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You're invited to the
Alliance's annual Advocacy Awards Reception in Washington, DC on March 9th.
The reception is immediately following the first evening of the National Bike Summit
and will run from 8:30 - 11:00pm. Join us for a fun night of meeting and
catching up with your fellow advocacy leaders from across North America. We
will have drinks, some new resources, and a brief presentation of the
Alliance's 2010 Advocacy Awards. Be sure to mark your calendar and stay tuned
for location details.
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National
Bike Summit Homestays and Discounts
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 Considering
coming to the National Bike Summit but not certain how you can pay for it all? Thanks again to the Washington
Area Bicyclist Association (WABA), biking and walking advocates attending the
Summit can request a homestay and save some money. Not only will this make the
Summit more affordable, you'll get the chance to make a new friend and get to
know DC a bit better. If you would like to request a homestay, please contact
Eve DeCoursey, WABA's Membership & Development Manager, at eve@waba.org.
Please include the dates you are in town (nights you are looking for a place to
stay), if you have any serious animal allergies, and if you are driving and
need parking. Let her know if there are any other people in your group
(occasionally 2 or 3 people can stay at the same household). Thanks WABA!
Also, if you haven't yet
registered don't forget that Alliance members receive a discounted registration
rate of $375 if you register by February 4th ($80 off the regular
registration price) or $475 after February 4th (a $105 savings). Be
sure to indicate you are an Alliance member when you register.
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Could Your Organization Use a Van?
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 Thanks to the generosity
of VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations, the Alliance for Biking & Walking is
proud to announce a new van donation benefit. VBT Bicycling and Walking
Vacations, who has generously given vans to a couple of Alliance member
organizations in recent years is again offering to donate a van if the fit is
good. If your organization could put a used 15-passenger van in excellent
condition to good use, we invite you to apply to the Alliance with a one-page
proposal. In the proposal, please outline: - How your organization would like to use the van (education programs,
event support, earn-a-bike programs etc.)
- How the van donation would benefit your community
- How you would recognize/publicize VBT's donation
 In 2008, VBT donated
a van to the Bicycle Coalition of Maine (BCM) who worked with an area
vocational school to repaint the van a bright yellow for a minimal cost. With a
partial donation from an area sign shop, BCM rebranded the van using their
"Share the Road" bumper sticker design (several hundred times life size). "Our
van is both a huge and popular vehicle for transporting gear and members, and
whether it is parked at an event or cruising down the highway, it is a giant
billboard for the BCM," says Allison Vogt, Executive Director of the BCM. "It
is even fun to drive because you always get other drivers and certainly
bicyclists waving and giving you the thumbs up on the road."  While the van
available for donation has been maintained in excellent condition for premium
tours, an application by your organization acknowledges you will be responsible
for maintenance, repainting, and any decals or wrap you design for rebranding
the van. While VBT will do what it can to help coordinate logistics if
possible, your organization will be responsible for picking up the van in
Bristol, Vermont. If interested, please send a one-page application with the
subject line "Van Donation Proposal" to applications@PeoplePoweredMovement.org
by February 25th, 2010.
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Alliance
Member Survey Results are In
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Thanks to
everyone who completed the Alliance's 2010 Member Survey! Your input gave us critical feedback on
what the Alliance can do to better serve you.
Highlights
from the survey results include:
- Membership:
Alliance leaders have requested more workshops targeting membership development
and retention within their organizations. Similarly, survey results showed the
need for more resources on engaging members and volunteers, how to start a membership
program, and successful membership and donor appeals.
- Fundraising:
Fundraising was a common theme in this year's survey responses. Members have
requested more Mutual Aid calls on fundraising strategies and techniques, with
a special focus on securing grants and contracts for startup and small budget
organizations.
- Most Wanted New Resources: Alliance
leaders indicated that soliciting experts outside of the bike and
pedestrian community to lead free webinars on organizational topics such as
communications, technology, membership development, etc. would be a valuable
resource. Development of a template membership database and membership
materials was also at the top of your list.
The
Alliance staff are taking a close look at all feedback received and will determine
how we can actively address as many of these needs as possible. To view the
complete 2010 Member Survey results visit our website. Keep ears and eyes open for new resources coming soon!
Also, congratulations to
Dan Jatres of the New Orleans Bicycle Coalition, the winner of our survey drawing, who won a $250 voucher good toward any single Alliance training or event in 2010!
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Thanks
and Farewell Monica
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 Many of you have had a
chance to speak with Monica Altmaier who assisted with all aspects of the 2010
Benchmarking Project including outreach, data collection, GIS, and writing. She
began in October 2008 as our Research Assistant and saw the project through to
the publication of the 2010 Benchmarking Report this month. Her ideas,
attention to detail, dedication and extra push to meet deadlines were essential
to this project's success. We are very grateful to Monica who balanced this
project with her studies at UC Berkeley. Monica will earn a Masters in Planning
this May and hopes to go on to work in sustainable transportation planning.
Thanks for everything Monica - we wish you the best in your next endeavors! |
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Pro Walk / Pro Bike® Call for Papers |
The National Center for Bicycling and Walking has announced its call for proposals to present at the 16th biennial Pro Walk / Pro Bike® Conference in Chattanooga, on September 13-17, 2010, directly following the Alliance Leadership Retreat. Proposal submissions are now being accepted through February 26. Get more information... |
| 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 People Powered Blog. | |
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Consider Biking wins "Take the Lane" Case
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On January 14, Consider
Biking helped reinforce the right for bicyclists to ride in the road, and
control a road lane if necessary. The organization provided legal defense in
Municipal Court for a cyclist who was incorrectly cited for "not riding as far
to the right as possible." According to Jeff Stephens, Consider Biking's
Executive Director, "We saw this case as a critical means to reinforce the
excellent bicycling (traffic) laws we helped Columbus enhance in late 2008."
Read more here. |
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MassBike's and Livable Streets' Efforts
Successfully Keep Sidewalks and Bike Lanes
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Livable
Streets, MassBike, and other bicycling and walking advocates claimed a victory
when the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) agreed to modify
its plans to remove a portion of the bike lane on the Longfellow Bridge last
week. Removal of the bike lane would have allowed for the installation of
sidewalks where none currently exist. After much persistence from advocacy
groups MassDOT chose to both build the sidewalks and keep the bike lane by
implementing an alternative
proposal submitted by MassBike, LivableStreets, WalkBoston, and the Institute
for Human Centered Design.
Read more here.
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LACBC Welcomes New Sharrows and Bike Plan
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The Los Angeles
County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) is proud to announce that their involvement
with the cities of Glendale and Burbank have led to momentous results in the
two cities becoming bicycle friendly communities. The most recent advancement
is the newly painted sharrows, or shared roadway markings on some of Burbank's
neighborhood streets. In Burbank, LACBC welcomed the new Bicycle Master Plan
that was adopted on December 15th, 2009.
Read more here.
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Marin County Safe Routes to
Schools Launches New Campaign
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According to the
Marin County Bicycle Coalition, "Marin County Safe Routes to Schools is pleased
to announce its new Green Ways to School campaign to combat global warming,
funded by a $175,000 grant from the Marin Community Foundation's Climate Change
Initiative. The Green Ways to School campaign will feature the new SchoolPool
on-line trip sharing program, new contests, and cash incentives for the schools
that show the greatest increase in green trips to school by walking, biking,
carpooling or taking the bus.
Read more here. |
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Portland's BTA Launches Build It Campaign
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On January 21 the Bicycle
Transportation Alliance (BTA) of Portland, OR launched a major campaign to get the Portland Bicycle
Plan for 2030 adopted, funded and built. The BTA is inviting members and
supporters to get involved in the campaign and show Portland City Council how
many Portlanders value the health, safety, and livability benefits that 25% of
bicycling would bring to the community. Supporters are invited to testify, call
or e-mail city hall, and take their picture with the Build It logo and post it
on the campaign website. Read more here. |
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More San Francisco Sunday
Streets in 2010
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According to the San
Francisco Bicycle Coalition, "We're pleased that (Mayor) Gavin Newsom announced
the 2010 Sunday Streets schedule-with even more routes, dates and neighborhoods
than last year! More than 20,000 San Franciscans enjoyed car-free streets at
each of last year's Sunday Streets by participating in healthy activities
ranging from bicycling to dancing, rollerskating to hula hooping. We expect
even more people to enjoy the event this year, which will happen on nine
Sundays starting in March and ending in October."
Read more here. |
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HO'ALA Project Awakens Need For Safe
Routes in Hawaii
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People's Advocacy
for Trails Hawaii (PATH) is launching an exciting initiative called HO'ALA - Hawaii's
Opportunity for Active Living Advancement.
The HO'ALA project aims to reduce childhood obesity by making it easy, fun
and safe to get daily exercise by walking or bicycling to school. The project will
work with 12 schools across the island to help address their traffic
safety issues and improve conditions for walking and bicycling to and from
school.
Read more here.
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Toronto Bike Summit 2009 Summary Report
and Videos Released
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According to the Toronto
Coalition for Active Transportation (TCAT), "In May 2009, TCAT organized its
second Bike Summit, a one-day bicycle policy conference. One of the goals
beyond the event itself was to share more widely the knowledge and lessons
learned with bicycle advocates, professionals, and elected officials unable to
join us in Toronto." To this end, TCAT has released an easy-to-read and
beautifully designed Summary Report of Bike Summit 2009. They have also
uploaded all of the videos/presentations from the Bike Summit to their website.
We highly recommend you check it out!
Read more here.
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Walk Oakland Bike
Oakland Hires First Executive Director
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Walk Oakland Bike Oakland is delighted to introduce
their very first Executive Director, Kassie Rohrbach. Kassie was one of the co-founders
of Energy Action Coalition (EAC), a youth-led coalition of environmental and
social justice groups. She helped grow EAC into a robust and effective organization
for change. Kassie brings eight years of coalition-building, policy
development, and organizational development to WOBO. Kassie recently
visited the staff at the Alliance DC office, and discussed her vision and goals
for WOBO. We wish her success and know that she will keep the momentum moving
forward for biking and walking in Oakland.
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