Now Accepting Grant Applications
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The Alliance for Biking & Walking is soliciting
inquiry applications for the second round of 2010 Advocacy Advance Grants.
Advocacy Advance Grants are one-year grants awarded twice a year to Alliance organizations. Grants
support startup organizations, capacity building, and innovative campaigns to
dramatically increase biking and walking.
Alliance grants fund work that is:
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Action and outcome oriented
- Builds organizational capacity
(i.e. hiring of executive director and other key staff, membership development,
etc.)
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Accomplishes clear goals and
measurable objectives
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Builds public support,
inclusion, and involvement
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Replicable to advance the
movement
The Alliance is especially interested in projects that relate to funding, policies, and infrastructure that have been featured in the Advocacy Advance research.
To learn what organizations may apply for
Startup/Capacity Building and Innovation Grants visitwww.PeoplePoweredMovement.org/grants.The revised inquiry applications will be available
on the Alliance website in the coming weeks. The deadline for inquiry
applications is Tuesday, June 1, 2010.
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Congratulations
to the 2010 Advocacy Award Winners! |  On March 9th the Alliance honored seven organizations and individuals with
the 2010 Advocacy Awards at a special reception in Washington, DC. The awards were given to
organizations and individuals that have made significant progress in advancing
biking and walking through their tireless dedication and by demonstrating
exceptional work ethic to their peers and communities.
Congratulations to the following winners!
Toronto Cyclists Union was honored with the Innovation Award for its Newcomer Cycling Project in Toronto,
Ontario. In partnership with CultureLink, the innovative program promotes
bicycling in an inclusive and friendly manner by speaking to recent immigrants
in their own language.
Active Transportation Alliance was honored with
the Best Practice Award for
their outstanding efforts and results in regards to program growth, policy, and
advocacy. As the largest biking and walking advocacy organization in the
nation, Active Trans sets the bar high for other organizations to model.
Paul Lefrancois, president and a founding board member of the Palmetto Cycling Coalition, was honored with the Advocate of the Year Award for going above and beyond the call
of duty to transform South Carolina into a better place for biking and
walking.
SRAM was
awarded the Business Advocate of the
Year Award for its dedication to promoting bicycling advocacy in the
U.S. (as well as Europe and Taiwan). The new SRAM
Cycling Fund has dedicated $10 million over five years to bicycle
advocacy.
Kate McKarthy, of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition,
was given the Susie Stephens Joyful
Enthusiasm Award for her innovation and tireless enthusiasm to harness
the power of individuals to better bicycling.
Walk Oakland, Bike Oakland (WOBO) was given the Winning Campaign Award for its
Bike Broadway Campaign. With no safe, convenient, quick way for bicyclists to
get downtown to or from North Oakland, WOBO launched a campaign to create a
contiguous north-south route with strong support from businesses and residents.
The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia (BCGP) received
the Advocacy Organization of the
Year Award for its outstanding contributions in creating a more bicycle-friendly
Philadelphia. A small struggling organization just a few years ago, BCGP has
successfully orchestrated a major shift in attitude, policy and funding to benefit bicycling in the region.
Learn more about these winners and the Alliance's Advocacy Awards
program at www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/awards.
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Alliance Awards $125,000 in Grants
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| The Alliance announced yesterday that we awarded $125,000 in
grants to seven grassroots biking and walking advocacy organizations.
The Advocacy Advance Grants will be used to jump-start emerging
advocacy organizations and to fund innovative campaigns with the
potential to dramatically increase biking and walking. The first round
of 2010 grants was highly competitive with 45 proposals totaling nearly
$750,000. The Alliance is pleased to announce the following recipients:
A
$12,500 matching Innovation Grant will assist the Bicycle Alliance of
Washington in efforts to tap state funds appropriated at the local
level, a newly-identified potential funding source for biking and
walking projects in the state. The Bicycle Alliance will train and organize advocates in five key
communities to be certain that biking and walking benefit from this
funding opportunity.
Bicycle
Federation of Wisconsin will receive a $20,000 matching Innovation
Grant to create a district-wide Safe Routes to School (SRTS) plan and
work with four pilot schools to create and implement action plans. With
a new full-time SRTS Developer embedded in the Madison Metropolitan
School District, the Bike Fed has a unique opportunity to work
side-by-side with the Superintendent's office and closely with school
principals, students, and parents.
A
$15,000 matching Innovation Grant will bolster Bike Pittsburgh's Car
Free Fridays program. This innovative effort engages a wide range of
transportation partners to focus on a mutual goal of challenging
commuters not to drive alone to work. The event will spotlight one
neighborhood each month, engaging municipal managers to encourage
residents, shoppers, and patrons to commute, shop, and visit by walking, biking, using transit, or car pooling.
Columbus,
OH-based Consider Biking will use a $12,500 matching Innovation Grant
to boost their Corporate Cycling Caucus program. Through a top-down
strategy of having the area's biggest employers enable and encourage
their workers to bike for any reason, Consider Biking aims to increase
local bike mode share to 2% of trips by 2012.
Bike
Denver will receive a $20,000 matching Startup/Capacity Grant to launch
a comprehensive public education and outreach campaign that will
increase the number of people who bike in and around Denver. With
assistance from a professional marketing firm, the campaign will
emphasize the positive effects and emotions that result from biking and
empower more people in Denver to ride for fun or transportation.
A
$20,000 matching Startup/Capacity Grant will help elevate the Idaho
Pedestrian and Bicycle Alliance (IPBA) into an effective voice for
pedestrians and bicyclists in Idaho. This grant will help IPBA expand
workshop offerings for local advocates at a statewide conference,
enhancing the effectiveness of the many local pedestrian and bicycling
advocates and groups throughout the state. In addition, the grant will
allow IPBA to hire their first executive director, develop their
website and new media presence, and build membership.
New
Jersey Bicycle Coalition (NJBC) will use a $25,000 matching
Startup/Capacity Grant to strengthen their legislative campaign to pass
a vulnerable road user law and to ensure New Jersey's recently adopted
complete streets policy is implemented. This grant will also help NJBC
train new bike education instructors, and utilize current instructors,
to establish a statewide adult and child bicycle education program.
These
grants were made possible with generous funding from SRAM, Planet Bike,
and Bikes Belong. Learn more about these projects and read the full
press release here. |
Winning
Campaigns Training Coming Soon to NJ!
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Register now for the New
Jersey Winning Campaigns Training, June 4-6, hosted by New Jersey 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.
Edison, NJ has been voted one of "America's Best
Places to Live" by Money magazine and one of the top-20 "Safest Places for
Women" in the country, according to SELF magazine. While in Edison, you may
enjoy a visit to Thomas Edison's famed Menlo Park
laboratory, where the incandescent light bulb was perfected
and sound was first recorded. Edison is also the site of the Bicycle Tour of
Edison/Metuchen, now entering its thirteenth year. The township is in the
process of adopting a new master plan that will guide future development
through smart growth principles, creating neighborhoods that are friendly to
pedestrians, bicyclists and transit riders. Come see the changes afoot for
biking and walking in Edison and learn from Alliance trainers and your peers. You'll
return energized and with a blueprint for a successful campaign. Learn more and
register today!
Can't make it to New Jersey
in June? There are five other Winning Campaigns Trainings that will be offered across the
continent this year (including spots still open at the New Orleans training this April). Sign up for one today!
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Alliance Hiring
Communications Fellow
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The Alliance for
Biking & Walking is seeking a Communications Fellow to raise the profile of
our work and the work of our member organizations. Specifically we are looking
for a go-getter to help get the word out about important progress being made by
local and state bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations across North
America. Based out of the Alliance's
office in downtown DC, the fellow will coordinate multiple components of the
Alliance's communications.
Responsibilities will include:
Promote Alliance's programs, events, and
accomplishments to members, partners, and funders Write, edit, layout, and manage Alliance
communications including e-news Streetside,
press releases, blog, annual report, brochures, and other materials Manage various aspects of the website and
develop content Monitor listserv and blog, and contribute
feedback as appropriate Manage media contacts, follow up with media
inquiries, and track Alliance press Manage and maintain the Alliance's social
media and Internet presence including our Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and other
accounts Manage and maintain the Alliance's Online
Resource Library and Online Photo Library Assist in development of materials for
trainings, coaching, and presentations Coordinate outreach with key national and
local partners
Interviews will be held on
a rolling basis. Anticipated start date is early April 2010.
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Help Us Promote You!
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The Alliance for Biking & Walking strives to
raise the profile of grassroots biking and walking advocacy organizations like
you! Here are a few ways we are promoting your work, and how you can make sure
your organization is included:
People
Powered Blog: The Alliance's People Powered Blog, launched in
2009, reports on campaigns to increase biking, walking, and safety throughout
North America. Articles feature the efforts and victories of Alliance
organizations. Alliance members can post your news to the blog directly by
visiting the blog and clicking the "Submit Your News" button on the right. Alliance staff edit
and approve all posts, so please allow 1-3 days for your post to appear.
Alliance staff are also blogging about local successes. To make sure we get
your good news, please include news@peoplepoweredmovement.org
on your mailing list for e-newsletters and press releases.
The
Alliance Annual Report: Our 2008 and
2009 annual reports have highlighted member  victories from across North America. Selected accomplishments
are gleaned from the People Powered Blog and from the Member Success Survey
that was sent to Alliance organization leaders in the fall of 2009. This survey
asked you for your organization's top five accomplishments in 2009. Every Alliance member that
responded was included in the report. We plan to make this an annual survey,
so
look out for it later this year.
Slideshows
and Other Promotions: The Alliance maintains a
slideshow of member victories that we take with us to national and
international conferences. Pictures and captions of your victories are
displayed at the Alliance booth and other events. A shorter version of this slideshow
is featured on the homepage
of our website. Want us to include your latest victory? Send the best photo
illustrating your achievement and a short caption to news@peoplepoweredmovement.org.
We do our best to find good
stories, but you can help by promoting your own victories prominently in your
own e-newsletters and through press releases. Don't be modest, your supporters
and partners want to know what results you're achieving!
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Intern and Contractor
Opportunities with the Alliance | 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 three summer 2010 internships
and one contract position.
Program Intern:
The summer 2010 Program Intern will gain first hand experience working with an international 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 summer 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, prospect acquisition, website
updates, member resource development, event coordination, and appeals.
Find more info here.
Database/Technology Development Intern:
The
summer 2010 Database/Technology Development Intern will gain firsthand experience working with an
international nonprofit to improve our database and technology systems.
Project-based work includes assisting with the development and integration of
current Alliance Internet-based and internal technologies including our website,
listservs, forums, contact databases, and other applications. Find more info
here.
SalesForce
Customization/Development Contractor: The
SalesForce Customization/Development Contractor will assist with the
development and implementation of phases two and three of the SalesForce
application for Alliance for Biking & Walking. Specific duties include
working with the Alliance's Member Services Director to further tweak current
functionality for more automation, expand page lay-outs to meet the needs of
the organization's staff, expand current design to accommodate tracking of
Alliance programming, and design the website interface to replace the current
Alliance member registration system. Find more info here.
Deadline for applications is April 15, 2010. Please
see the Alliance Job Board for detailed internship
descriptions and application instructions.
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Build Your Organization in Chattanooga this
September
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Registration is now live for the 2010 Alliance
Leadership Retreat, September 10-13 in Chattanooga. Early registration ends
June 30, so register soon to save $55/person. All the details including the
rough draft agenda, up-to-date workshop descriptions, and registration are
available at www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/retreat.
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Congratulations to Trips
for Kids: Winners of VBT Van Donation
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 As
the weather warms, young people throughout the DC Metro area are learning the
joys of bicycling as a form of recreation, exercise, and transportation. Since 2003, Trips for Kids has
been broadening the movement by taking youth from low-income and underserved
communities on bike trips around the region. These trips introduce participants to the world of bicycling
and instill a sense of pride and accomplishment in the at-risk youth they
serve.
Now,
with the help of VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations,
the capacity of Trips for Kids to plan and organize these trips has been
greatly increased. At the Alliance
Advocacy Awards Reception this March, we were proud to announce that Metro DC
Trips for Kids will be receiving a 15 passenger van to help facilitate and
improve their programming around the city.
Trips
for Kids stood out from a host of qualified applicants for this donation both
because of their compelling mission and coherent vision for the van's use. Until now, organizing a trip outside
the city meant spending valuable staff time coordinating drivers and logistics
to bring both kids and bikes to and from the trailhead. With the donation of the VBT van, Trips
for Kids will be able to increase the scope of their programming and free up
staff to focus on the important task of mentoring youth.
"This is an amazing donation that will
allow more underserved youth the opportunity to experience the joys of cycling
in nature," says Julie Childers, executive director of Trips for Kids.
"Our at-risk youth nature rides will now be able to serve more kids who
desperately need the restorative effects of biking and connecting to nature
that our programs provide." The Alliance looks forward to seeing the new Trips for Kids
van driving eager kids around the city. A special thanks to VBT for making this
possible.
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Thanks and Farewell to
Nadege Dubuisson, Communications Intern
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The Alliance sends a
hearty thank you and farewell to  our exiting Communications Intern, Nadege Dubuisson. Nadege initially came on board in October for a three-month
internship and we were thrilled that she agreed to stay on board for another
term this spring. During her tenure with the Alliance Nadege managed the People
Powered Movement Photo Contest, new Bike/Walk Photo Library, and Online
Resource Library. She's also been a regular contributor to the Alliance's blog
and Streetside, has assisted with the Benchmarking Report, 2009 Annual Report,
press tracking, and was vital to coordinating the Alliance's 2010 Advocacy
Awards. We appreciate the enthusiasm, attention to detail, and creativity she
has put into all her work. Nadege leaves us to start a graduate program in
urban planning. We'll miss Nadege, but we wish her the best in her next
pursuits!
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APBP Webinar Discounts for
Alliance Members
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Our partners at the
Association for Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) have extended a
discounted rate to Alliance members for all 2010 APBP webinars. APBP webinars
are "professional development delivered to your desk" on the third Wednesday of
each month. The one-hour workshops provide insight, training, and expertise on
key topics of interest to bicycle and pedestrian advocates. The next webinar, "Bicycle
Parking Best Practices," April 21st from 3-4pm EDT, will feature Eric Anderson.
Eric will present the recently updated Bicycle Parking Guidelines with a
special emphasis on in-street bike parking and implementing bike parking
programs.
Alliance members receive a discounted rate of $50 (normally $75) on all
APBP webinars. The code is for Alliance members, ABW12, should be entered just
before checkout. To learn about upcoming webinars and to register visit http://apbp.site-ym.com/?page=Webinars. For more information, contact Debra Goeks (262-228-7025 or info@apbp.org).
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ACA Gift Memberships for
Alliance Organizations
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Adventure Cycling Association (ACA) wants to introduce more cyclists to the joys of bicycle
travel and benefit your organization. They are offering a limited number of
complimentary memberships to each Alliance for Biking & Walking member
organization. It's one small way to thank you for all you do to promote cycling
as a fun, healthful, and green activity. It's also a great way for cyclists to
find out more about bicycle travel and the resources Adventure Cycling has to
offer (discounts on 40,000 miles of bike touring maps, nine issues of Adventure
Cyclist magazine, support of the US Bicycle Route System, etc.).
You can use the membership for your organization (if you aren't already
a member), to recognize and thank volunteers, or for fundraising. To take
advantage of this benefit and receive five free Adventure Cycling membership
vouchers, e-mail Amy Corbin at acorbin@adventurecycling.org.
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Peopleforbikes.org Aims to Grow Advocacy
Supporters
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 At the opening of the National Bike Summit on March 9th,
Bikes Belong unveiled a new campaign: peopleforbikes.org. The goal of peopleforbikes.org is to gather a
million names of support for making bicycling safer, more convenient, and
appealing for everyone. Although
millions of Americans recognize the benefits, and love to ride bikes, only a
fraction of them have stood up to help improve bicycling in America.
Peopleforbikes.org aims to help bridge this gap by reaching out to the general
public to bring reinforcements to the bike advocacy world. Peopleforbikes.org
asks people to sign a simple pledge of support for bicycling. To reach the goal
of one million people, Bikes Belong has made the process simple,
straightforward, and free.
The campaign is just kicking off, and we need the support of
all current bike advocates to build early momentum. Visit
www.peopleforbikes.org today and tell us that you're for bikes - sign the pledge! Then, please
encourage all your cycling friends and members to sign up today!
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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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New Bike Parking Ordinance
Big Win for BikePGH
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According to Bike
Pittsburgh, "Pittsburgh City Council unanimously passed the Bike Parking
Ordinance this week. The ordinance is an amendment to the zoning code
that requires all new and "change-in-use" buildings to install bicycle parking,
just like they already must do for cars. There is also an incentive
component to the ordinance, whereby a developer can replace up to 30% of their car
parking requirement with bicycle parking. Basically, it makes sure that bikes
are considered during the planning process, instead of trying to retrofit for
them afterward."
Read more here. |
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SLO County Bicycle Coalition to
Welcome New Bike/Ped Bridge
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With strong support
from the San Luis Obispo County Bicycle Coalition, the San Luis Obispo City Council
approved the adoption of the Orcutt Area Specific Plan which is set to include
1,000 new homes, approximately 100 acres of parkland and open space, and a new
bicycle and pedestrian bridge. The new bridge will provide a safe crossing over
the railroad tracks and will allow for a stronger connection between the Orcutt
area and local businesses and amenities. Read more here.
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More Ciclovias Coming to Missouri this Summer
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According to the
Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation, "Ciclovia-the street festival where
cities close down miles of streets and residents come out to enjoy walking,
bicycling, scootering, skating, and all other manner of fun physical
activity-is coming to Missouri in a big way this summer." Read more here.
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SF Bicycle
Coalition to Welcome 12 More Trial Street Plazas and Parklets
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The SF Bicycle
Coalition recently celebrated the official opening of the "Showplace Triangle"
street plaza (at 8th and 16th streets) where San Francisco's mayor Gavin
Newsom, announced that the City's Pavement to Parks program will be completing
12 more trial street plazas and "parklets" by the end of 2010. This program
takes car parking spots and other street spaces and transforms them into
various gathering spots for the community.
Read more here. |
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First New Jersey Bike
Summit a Sold-Out Event!
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The first New
Jersey Bicycle Summit was a sold-out event held Saturday February 27th,
2010. Over 130 cyclists
throughout the state attended representing bicycle clubs, shops, advocates,
retailers, manufacturers, and other individuals committed to a bicycle-friendly
New Jersey.
Read more here. |
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Indiana Introducing Complete Streets Policy
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Bicycle Indiana has been
working hard to pass a statewide complete streets policy. Recently, their campaign celebrated a
milestone with the introduction of a complete streets policy to the Indiana
General Assembly. The bill follows the recent adoption of
a local complete streets policy in Madison County, IN. For more information about the bill and
Bicycle Indiana's complete streets initiatives, visit www.bicycleindiana.org/.
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Bike Texas
Co-hosts the Texas Trail and Active Transportation Conference
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For the first time, Bike Texas co-hosted the Texas
Trail and Active Transportation Conference with the Texas Trails Network on
February 3-6, 2010. Attendees included renowned speakers, city and state
bike/pedestrian and Safe Routes to School coordinators, trail builders and
advocates, elected officials, engineers and planners, and bike shop owners from
around the state.
Read more here.
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Over 100 Attend the St. Paul
Transportation Summit
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St. Paul Smart Trips
held its second annual Transportation Summit on March 3. According to the
organization, "Over 100 representatives of St. Paul workplaces and
neighborhoods attended the two hour networking and informational event.
Read more here.
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Tens of
Thousands Enjoy San Francisco Sunday Streets
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According
to the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, tens of
thousands of adults and kids flooded the car-free Embarcadero on this year's
first San Francisco Sunday Streets event. The second Sunday
Streets event is planned for Sunday April 11th from Golden Gate Park to the
Great Highway. According to the SF Bicycle Coalition, "the Sunday Streets route
will be hopping with activity from bicycling to dancing and rollerskating, yoga
to hula-hooping."
Read more here.
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Grant Boosts
Toronto's Newcomer Cycling Project
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Toronto Cyclists Union
recently announced that a new grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation will
give their Newcomers Cycling Project a boost. Recently awarded a 2010 Alliance
Advocacy Award for innovation, the project is part of a joint effort with
CultureLink Settlement Services to promote cycling amongst newcomer
communities. The partnership is entering into the second phase of the outreach
campaign in 2010 and the new grant will fund a full time coordinator to serve
the campaign and expand cycling outreach initiatives amongst newcomers to
Toronto.
Read more here.
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LACBC Releases Anticipated LA Bike Count
Report
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The Los Angeles
County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) has just released a new report about cyclists
and pedestrians across the city of Los Angeles, CA. L.A. Bike Count: Every Cyclist Counts is an in depth assessment of
the use of the city's public streets by bikers and walkers on a typical day for
commuting and recreational purposes. To produce the
report, LACBC brought
together and trained over 100 community volunteers who contributed hundreds of
hours and counted over 14,000 cyclists and 60,000 pedestrians at over 50
strategic locations citywide.
Read more here.
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VT and NY Coalitions Win
Major Bridge Access
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The Vermont Bicycle
and Pedestrian Coalition and New York Bicycle Coalition won a major victory
with the design of the new Champlain Bridge connecting Addison, VT and Crown
Point, NY. The existing bridge was shut down when engineers discovered critical
deterioration last fall. Significant for transportation (100 mile detour),
historic, and scenic reasons, getting bike/ped access was a huge goal for both
Alliance organizations. The modified design now includes both multipurpose
(bike) lanes and raised sidewalks.
Read more here.
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New Hampshire Launches "Commute Green" Program
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Bike-Walk Alliance of
New Hampshire (BWA-NH) is working with NHDOT on a statewide program to
encourage walking, bicycling, carpooling, and public transit use. The new program
is a six-week promotion of active and intermodal transportation, including
short trips (store, library, friends, etc.).
Read more here.
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Bike Walk Connecticut is
Launched!
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In March,
the Central Connecticut Bicycle Alliance (CCBA) celebrated multiple successes
and its fifth anniversary before a crowd of 150+ supporters, legislators, bike
and outdoor industry, trail advocates, and many others. CCBA electrified the
crowd with a public announcement that they are now Bike Walk Connecticut. With many legislative victories (3-foot
law, complete streets, etc.) and encouragement from the Alliance, CCBA is
embracing the opportunity to advocate for all bicyclists and walkers across the
state. CCBA was also an Advocacy Advance Startup / Capacity Building Grant
recipient last fall.
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