And the Photo Contest Winners Are...
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The
Alliance announced the winners of the
2009 People Powered Movement Photo Contest on March 1st. The contest
ran from September through November 2009 with public voting during the month of
December helping to narrow down the finalists. A panel of expert judges
determined the final contest winners.
 Todd Winters of Chicago, Illinois is the lucky grand-prize winner for his photo
"Walk, Ride, Run" depicting bicyclists and pedestrians on Chicago's
Lakeshore Path. Todd wins a 10-day all-expense-paid VBT bike tour of Tuscany
and a year's supply of CLIF BARs. Todd says of his win, "I am so honored
and excited to be chosen as the winner of the People Powered Movement contest.
Photography and biking are two of my favorite things. I look forward to this
great trip and the photographic opportunities that it will bring."
Alan Young from Port Moody, British Columbia won second place overall with his
photo "Biking is Cool." Alan will take home a new Breezer Uptown 8
commuter bike. Third place overall winner Eduardo Green Short, from San
Francisco, CA, wins a new Dahon Mµ™ P24 folding bike. Alan, Eduardo, and other
contest winners also will take home gear from Rickshaw Bagworks, Planet Bike,
and CLIF BAR and receive subscriptions to Momentum Magazine and Bicycle Times
Magazine. Select winners' photos are also featured in the March/April issue of Momentum Magazine.
View all the winning photos here.
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 provides free high quality images for grassroots bicycle and
pedestrian advocacy organizations.
The
People Powered Movement Photo Contest was 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, and Bicycle Retailer and Industry News.
Please support our sponsors
who made this contest possible!
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You're
Invited to Alliance DC Reception
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Who: Alliance members and supporters, advocacy leaders from across North America. What: The Alliance's annual Advocacy
Awards Reception. Join us for
a fun night of meeting and catching up with your fellow advocacy leaders from
across North America. Where: Harriet's at Hotel Harrington 432
11th Street N.W.
(corner of 11th and E Street), Washington, DC. When: March 9th. The reception is immediately
following the first evening of the National Bike Summit and will run from 8:30
- 11:00pm. Come celebrate this year's Advocacy Award winners (winners will be announced March 9th) and their
achievements for biking and walking. We will have drinks, new resources, and a
brief awards presentation. We hope to see you there!
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Register Now for New Orleans Winning Campaigns
Training
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Register for the New Orleans Winning Campaigns training, April 16-18, hosted by New Orleans Metro
Bicycle Coalition! The Alliance's proven curriculum will
help you choose, direct, and win campaigns to promote better conditions for
biking and walking in your state, province, or local community.
Located along the banks of the Mississippi River,
New Orleans is arguably the most unique city in the United States, a place rich
in history, culture, food, and music. The historic neighborhoods of New Orleans
offer residents and visitors a vibrant and enjoyable urban environment, whether
along the narrow streets of the French Quarter or under the oak trees of
Uptown. Spring in New Orleans brings countless festivals, crawfish season and
amazing weather to enjoy the city's great outdoor spaces; including Jackson
Square, Audubon Zoo, City Park or the Mississippi
River Trail. Already one of America's best-kept bicycling
secrets, come see why New Orleans is best seen on two wheels. You'll return
energized and with a blueprint for a successful campaign. Learn more and
register today!
Can't make it to New Orleans next month? There are five other Winning Campaigns Trainings that will be offered across the continent this year. Sign up for one today!
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Benchmarking Report Making
It's Mark
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If you haven't yet checked
out Bicycling and Walking in the United States: 2010 Benchmarking Report, released January 28, 2010, what are you
waiting for? The nearly 200-page report filled with data on bicycling and
walking from 50 states and the 51 largest U.S. cities has been labeled a
"Bike-Ped State of the Union." Over 2,000 e-copies have already been downloaded and 500 hard copies distributed. The hefty book is full of useful data to support
your efforts to improve bicycling and walking in your state and community. But don't take
our word for it, here's what others are saying:
"This 196-page tome that
is perhaps the most comprehensive report on all measurements related to
bicycling and walking ever published in this country in one place. The report
is truly amazing, and tracks an incredible amount of information and trends
related to bicycling and walking in all 50 states and the 51 largest
cities." -David Hoffman, Marin
County Bicycle Coalition
"There's a ton of useful
information here for state and local advocates, researchers, and
numbers-oriented cyclists." -Darren
Flusche, League of American Bicyclists
"I am finding the report
very useful as a very well organized and user friendly compendium of info on
bicycling and walking." -John
Pucher, PhD, Rutgers University
"I just saw the
Benchmarking report. It looks fantastic. The policy section especially looks
incredible and I think will be really useful to us on the federal level." -Daniel de Zeeuw, America Bikes
"A Bike-Ped State of the
Union" -Elana Schor, Streetsblog
"...the presentation is
really fresh and compelling, and the graphs and figures are SO useful!" -Elizabeth Train, Bikes Belong Coalition
"...a great resource for
those of us who are both advocates and practicioners." -Mike Lydon CNU, The Streets Plans
Collaborative
"...the research provided
will definitely support the efforts of advocacy groups across the country,
including the SFBC." -David Gartner, San
Francisco Bicycle Coalition
"I
am so very impressed with the quality and quantity of information you've
provided. Wow. Love the plentiful graphics, the way you've divided the
information into key themes, the pull quotes and other quick and easy to find
highlighted facts, and the amazing level of additional resources you've
provided as part of this critically important report. I am anxious to continue
pouring over it and looking for the many correlations and deeper understandings
this report allows the reader to see." -Risa Wilkerson, MA,
Active Living By Design, North Carolina Institute for Public Health
Download the report, or purchase a hard copy, and learn more by visiting www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org/Benchmarking
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Alliance 2009 Recap
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 Take a look back at what
the Alliance accomplished in 2009. The 2009 Alliance Annual Report is online
now. The report gives an overview of the program accomplishments and growth of
the Alliance for Biking & Walking, and highlights over 100 Alliance
organization victories in 2009.
View the Annual Report online and, if you are an Alliance member or supporter, look out for a copy in your
mailbox soon.
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2010 Alliance Leadership Retreat:
Uniting Bike & Ped Advocacy Leaders from Across North America
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 The Alliance for Biking &
Walking is proud to announce our 2010 Leadership Retreat
in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The
2010 Retreat Committee has reviewed feedback from the 2010 Alliance Member Survey and has worked hard to respond to your needs. They have
put together an outstanding event that will recharge and inspire advocacy
leaders through a weekend of networking, strategic discussions, and training
sessions. Topics that will be
addressed through this retreat include: - Increasing fundraising capacity through opportunities
and partnerships;
- Building organizational capacity, hiring that
next staff person, and strengthening the board relationship;
- Working with local and state governments,
engaging new communities, and capitalizing on the national agenda; and,
- Engaging volunteers, diversifying your members, and
growing your membership.
The retreat will also give you a chance to connect with
bicycle and pedestrian advocacy leaders from across North America, and allow
you to draw upon best practices to raise your organization to the next level. What: 2010
Alliance Leadership Retreat: Raising Your Organization to the Next Level Who: Executive directors,
staff, and leaders of grassroots biking and walking organizations across North
America When: Friday, September
10 through Monday, September 13, 2010 (prior to ProWalk/ProBike) Where: The retreat will take place at the Delta Queen Hotel, a landmark hotel
located in the heart of downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee. The last fully
operational, overnight passenger steamboat in the country, the Delta Queen has
entertained presidents, foreign dignitaries, and a multitude of celebrities. This year, she will host over 70 Alliance leaders. What to Expect: Registration
includes meals, three nights of lodging, over sixteen different workshops, strategic
discussions, and an opportunity to connect with advocacy leaders in your field.
This retreat brings advocates together to connect, build relationships, and
share knowledge that will propel your efforts to transform your community into
a great place to bike and walk. Come as a team from your
organization to learn from our expert coaches and each other. Early Registration
opens March 8-Register by June 1 and save $75 off the regular price. |
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ACT Act Introduced: Virtually Lobby Day March 11th |
Representative Earl Blumenauer just introduced the Active Community Transportation Act, H.R.4722. This groundbreaking bill creates a competitive grant program with $2 billion to help communities build bicycling and walking networks. For the first time, communities would be able to compete for multi-year funding to build active transportation systems, just as they do for transit and road infrastructure. Though many of you will be coming to DC next week for the National Bike Summit, this is a great opportunity for other leaders and members of your organization not traveling to DC to participate in an important way. Working with our America Bikes partners, we encourage your organization to participate in a Virtual Lobby Day next Thursday. Find the talking points, instructions, and full action alert here! |
BikeWalk Virginia Selected
for Alliance Communications Grant
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BikeWalk Virginia has been chosen by Todd Winters, the grand-prize winner of the
Alliance's 2009 People Powered Movement Photo Contest,
to receive a $1,000 Communications Grant.
The goal of the People Powered Movement Photo Contest was
to solicit high quality photo submissions for the new Bike/Walk Photo Library.
This library provides high quality images of
biking and walking to help advocates communicate their work. In the spirit of
enhancing communications of grassroots biking and walking advocacy organizations,
the Alliance offered the Communications Mini-Grant to the grand prize winner's
Alliance organization of choice.
Executive
Director Kimberly Perry, states "BikeWalk
Virginia is extremely grateful for the $1,000 Communications Grant. Our
organization will use funding to purchase consulting from a branding specialist
as we work to increase the impact and pertinence of our messaging. Thank you to
both Mr. Winters and the Alliance for helping us do our work better."
Learn more about BikeWalk Virginia here.
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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 People Powered Blog. | |
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Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia Wins $23 Million for Trails
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The
Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Environmental
Council (PEC) worked with six counties and agencies in Pennsylvania and New
Jersey to secure $23 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation's
Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary
Grant Program. This multi-jurisdictional project will help complete a network
of biking and walking trails throughout the region, focused on connections to
urban hubs in Philadelphia and Camden.
Read more here. |
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Better Bicycling and
Walking Coming to Manhattan's East Side
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According to Transportation
Alternatives (T.A.), "First and Second Avenues (in New York City) are about to
get a whole lot better for bikers, walkers and transit takers. In response to
T.A.'s East Side campaign, the (NYC) Department of Transportation has committed
to building better bus, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure from South Ferry
to 125th Street. Included in the agency's plans are bike lanes, bus lanes, and
improved pedestrian crossings that will not only make these notoriously
congested avenues safer, but also better-performing.
Read more here.
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Six Walk + Roll Cleveland
Events Planned for 2010
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According to Walk + Roll Cleveland, "Kaiser Permanente has provided seed funding for six Walk+Roll programs in neighborhoods
all over the greater Cleveland area!" Walk + Roll is a ciclovia-type event that
temporarily closes streets to cars and opens them to people on bike, foot, and
skates.
Read more here.
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Complete Streets Bill Introduced in Minnesota Legislature
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On
Monday, February 8th, the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota and other members of
the Minnesota Complete Streets Coalition celebrated the introduction of the
"Complete Streets" bill, (SF 2461/HF 2801) in the Minnesota legislature. Upon
introduction, the bill had widespread support from environment, health, and
transportation advocates throughout the state as well as bipartisan support in
both legislative bodies.
Read more here. |
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PATH Trains New
SRTS Evaluators
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Twenty-six new
citizen evaluators joined Peoples Advocacy for Trails Hawai's HOALA project as
trained Safe Routes to School evaluators on Thursday, Feb. 4th. HOALA -
Hawaii's Opportunity for Active Living Advancement - aims to help 12 Hawaii
Island schools reduce childhood obesity by improving the ability for children
to get to and from school by walking or bicycling. More of the story here. Read more here. |
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Senate Passes Safety Act in
Mississippi
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BikeWalk Mississippi
claimed a victory on February 8th when the Mississippi Senate unanimously voted
to pass SB3014, the John Paul Frerer Bicycle Safety Act. The new legislation
will provide additional measures to increase safety on the road for both
bicyclists and pedestrians. Critical components of the legislation include the
implementation of a 3-Foot rule and anti-harassment language to protect
bicyclists.
Read more here. |
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Missouri's Historic Katy Bridge at
Boonville Saved
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According to a press
release issued by the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation, Missouri
Governor Jay Nixon has announced an agreement to save the historic Katy Bridge
at Boonville. This comes after Union Pacific railroad moved to abandon the
railroad right-of-way through the bridge which would have threatened the legal
integrity of about 165 miles of the Katy Trail (currently used for biking and
walking).
Read more here.
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Columbus Businesses Join Consider Biking's Cycling
Corporate Caucus
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Consider Biking has
convened a Cycling Corporate Caucus representing more than twenty of Columbus'
largest employers. Since the formation of the caucus in 2009, Consider Biking
has held meetings and, in partnership with Leadership Columbus, developed a "Two-Wheel Toolkit." Consider Biking
introduced the Toolkit to area business leaders and presented information on
encouraging employees to bicycle more.
Read more here.
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Iowa Bike Bill Could Set New High-Water Mark
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The Iowa Bicycle Coalition
succeeded in pushing a new bicycle safety bill through subcommittee. Among other measures, the current
bill proposes a five-foot passing law for bicyclists on all Iowa streets. Though the bill still has a long way to
go before being signed into law, this legislation would set a new high-water
mark for bicycle safety and passing distance. For more information, check out the Iowa Bicycle Coalition's
website.
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New Sidewalks and Shoulders for Champlain
Bridge in NY
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The New York Bicycling
Coalition has won a campaign to include shoulders and pedestrian sidewalks on a
new bridge over Lake Champlain.
The bridge, which will replace the now demolished Crown Point Bridge,
will feature five-foot wide shoulders and sidewalks along the bridge's nearly
one-mile span. To learn more,
visit the New York Bicycling Coalition's website.
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SF Bicycle Coalition
Welcomes More Smooth Pavement
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The SF
Bicycle Coalition is continuing to see its re-paving project efforts pay off
with a now smooth ride from Golden Gate Park to the Pacific Ocean. The newly
paved road means a safe, smooth, and enjoyable ride for commuters and other
bicyclists and a win for the Coalition. SFBC and its team of volunteers have been
working hard to identify San Francisco streets and neighborhoods in need of
both re-paving and adequate bike lanes through their "Good Roads" campaign.
Read more here.
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MCBC Welcomes New Multi-Use Pathway
Connecting Local Schools
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MCBC's goal of
steadily improving biking and walking facilities within Marin County is gaining
momentum with a newly completed multi-use pathway in the city of Larkspur
connecting neighborhoods to local schools and parks. The new ADA-compliant
pathway replaces what used to be a dirt path that was primarily being used by
local schoolchildren.
Read more here.
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