Scholarships Available for
ProWalk/ProBike and Alliance Leadership Retreat
|  Registration is now live for the 2010 Alliance
Leadership Retreat, September 10-13 in Chattanooga.
The event will recharge and inspire advocacy leaders through
a weekend of networking, strategic discussions, and training sessions. 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. Hot off the press:In partnership with the National Center for Bicycling and
Walking, we are able to offer Susie Stephens Advocacy Scholarships to leaders
of Alliance member organizations for $100 off ProWalk/ProBikeŽ registration.
While the normal ProWalk/ProBikeŽ rate is $600, you can apply for the
reduced rate of only $500. Apply here. Deadline: May 20th. The Alliance will have limited additional scholarship
opportunities available for the Alliance Leadership Retreat. Apply Here. Deadline: May 20th.Have interest in sharing your knowledge at a retreat workshop? Contact
Jeremy@PeoplePoweredMovement.org by May 15. |
America
Bikes Releases New State Fact Sheets
|
 Working with our friends at America Bikes
(the national coalition of bicycling organizations and leaders working on the
federal transportation bill), we have a key new resource for local advocates
and decision makers. These 2-page fact sheets distill the Alliance's nearly
200-page Benchmarking Report into a very user-friendly format for each of the
50 states, comparing key benchmarks at the state level against the national
average. This is a great tool to share with decision makers at the local,
regional, state, and federal level. Check out how your state compares at www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org/Benchmarking.
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Alliance
Grant Deadline Approaching
| The June 1 inquiry application deadline for the second round of 2010 Advocacy Advance Grants is fast approaching! The Alliance for Biking &
Walking is accepting applications from interested organizations for projects
that: -
Are action and outcome oriented
- Build organizational capacity (i.e. hiring of executive director and
other key staff, membership development, etc.)
- Accomplish clear goals and measurable objectives
- Build public support, inclusion, and involvement
- Are 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. 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.
For more information on the Advocacy Advance Grant Program, including past grant recipients, the
complete timeline, eligibility information, and application instructions, visit www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org/grants. |
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Kick-start
Your Next Campaign at an Alliance Training
|
 Give your organization a boost by sending your staff and leaders to an
Alliance Winning Campaigns Training. With five more to choose from in 2010, you
are sure to find a training that works for your schedule and budget.
Our 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. The trainings are set up in peer-to-peer and group breakout
sessions to improve communication and foster collaboration.
Bicycle and pedestrian advocates will learn how to: -
Choose the right issue;
- 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!
You will leave the training with a detailed campaign blueprint and the
support of the Alliance staff, ensuring a victorious campaign and setting your
organization up for greater victories in the future.
The Alliance is offering five more Winning Campaigns Trainings across North
America in 2010: -
Edison, NJ: June 4-6 (Hosted
by New Jersey Bicycle Coalition & East Coast Greenway Alliance)
-
Burlington,
VT: July 9-11 (Hosted by Local Motion)
-
Columbus, OH: Aug 6-8 (Hosted by
Bike! Walk! Ohio & Consider Biking)
-
Oakland, CA: October 15-17
(Hosted by Walk Oakland Bike Oakland)
- Asheville,
NC: November 5-7 (Hosted by Asheville Bicycle
Coalition).
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Brewery
Support Boosts Grassroots Bicycle Advocacy
|
 The
Alliance for Biking & Walking is increasing aid to bicycle and pedestrian
advocacy organizations across North America thanks to recent support from New Belgium Brewing Company. New Belgium's
pledge of $40,000 over the next two years will allow the Alliance to offer
strategic planning facilitation and guidance to at least six organizations in
addition to providing direct organization support and coaching in key states.
"New
Belgium has been a long-time supporter of the Alliance and champion of
bicycling and the environment," says Jeff Miller, President/CEO of the
Alliance. "With New Belgium's assistance, we will help some key grassroots
advocacy organizations become more focused, effective, and strategic."
Four
organizations have been selected, through a competitive application process, to
work with the Alliance to develop strategic plans in 2010. The Alliance will
guide Bicycle
Alliance of Washington, East Bay Bicycle
Coalition, San Diego Bicycle Coalition, and Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition through a Whole Systems Strategic Planning
Summit, engaging their stakeholders and developing a mutually shared vision and
action plan to propel their organization's forward. The service, valued at
$5,000, is being offered at no cost, thanks to New Belgium's generous support.
The
Alliance's strategic planning consultation helps grassroots advocacy
organizations clarify their mission, goals, strategic opportunities, and key
collaborations. The process also allows the staff and board to focus on how to
be most effective.
According to
Christine Culver, executive director of the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition,
"We have come to a place in our growth where we need to reevaluate and redefine
goals. A strategic planning process, with the support of professionals, will
allow us to determine our strengths and weaknesses and create a strong
strategic plan so we can continue to excel in bicycle advocacy and provide
effective services in Sonoma County."
For more
information, read the entire press release.
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New Campaigns Launched at New Orleans
Training
|
The April Winning Campaigns Training, hosted by New Orleans Metro
Bicycle Coalition, drew several enthusiastic advocates from New Orleans and
Baton Rouge. Advocates launched campaigns including implementing a New Orleans complete
streets policy and a Safe Routes to School program with a focus on
low-income school districts.
The training was full of energy and excitement!
The group enjoyed a great bike ride around the city that highlighted landmarks
of the potential complete streets campaign.
Many thanks to SRAM, Bikes Belong,
Planet Bike and CLIF BAR 2 Mile Challenge for their support of all six 2010 Winning Campaigns
Trainings. For a listing of upcoming trainings, please visit www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org/WCTrainings.
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Alliance Welcomes New Communications
Fellow
|
 The Alliance for Biking & Walking welcomes our new communications fellow, Carolyn Szczepanski. A newspaper and magazine reporter for
the past decade, Carolyn will work to engage the media and enhance
communication with the Alliance's more than 160 member organizations.
"As a kid, I walked to school," says Carolyn.
"As an adult, I've biked to work. I know firsthand how healthy and sustainable
transit options can transform our lives and our communities." She adds, "I'm
eager to add my energy to the efforts of grassroots organizations across the
continent."
A graduate of the University of Missouri, Columbia, Carolyn has degrees in journalism and environmental science. She's
written for OnEarth and Organic Gardening, and from 2003 to
2010, she worked as a staff writer at alternative newsweeklies in Des Moines,
Iowa, and Kansas City, Missouri, reporting on politics, sports, and community
issues.
"We are delighted to add Carolyn to our team,"
says Jeffrey Miller, president/CEO of the Alliance. "In addition to helping
enhance communication among our member organizations, we look forward to her
helping coach grassroots organizations how to better work with the media."
Alliance leader, Brent Hugh, executive director
of the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation, has worked with Carolyn over
the last couple of years and notes that she is "an accomplished journalist and
writer, able to not only communicate clearly, but also keep the reader's
interest and attention."
We hope you will help us welcome Carolyn to the
Alliance and our movement. While already getting oriented, her first day in the
office will be May 17th. Contact Carolyn at Carolyn@PeoplePoweredMovement.org.
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Thanks to Our Spring Interns!
|
This spring the Alliance was
extremely lucky to have three talented and motivated interns. In April we said
goodbye to Nadege Dubuisson, communications intern who had been with the Alliance since October 2009.
Now we say goodbye to our two other spring interns, Adam Levine and Shannon
Kelley.
 Adam Levine, member services intern, assisted with development of a
resource evaluation tool, the strategic planning application and selection
process, initial gathering of potential retreat panelists, coordinating Mutual Aid Call panelists, facilitating the recent ciclovias Mutual Aid Call, writing
outreach pieces and action alerts, and took an active role in outreach and mailings. We wish Adam the best as he pursues a masters degree in urban and regional planning at the University of Wisconsin this fall.
 Shannon Kelley, program intern, assisted with coordinating the six Winning Campaigns Training and supporting the Advocacy Advance Grants program. Additionally Shannon helped to develop a funders database for other grant opportunities. We wish Shannon the best as she begins the Teach For America program in Alabama. All three made
significant contributions to forwarding the work of the Alliance for Biking
& Walking and will be greatly missed. Thank you to Nadege, Adam, and
Shannon for your hard work and lasting contributions! |
Highlight Your Success to Benefit All!
|
A request from
America Bikes and Alliance for Biking & Walking: Throughout the summer, Congress will have a number of scheduled in-district
work periods where your member of Congress will be in their home offices.
These are perfect opportunities to schedule ribbon cutting ceremonies, ground breaking
events, or member visits to highlight both ARRA and other bike/ped related projects.
America Bikes is interested in knowing if you are planning or considering
any ribbon cutting events. If so, they would like to help publicize your event
and outreach with congressional offices this summer. Organizations will find
outstanding resources to help do an event with elected officials on the Safe Routes to School National Partnership website.
America Bikes is also seeking success stories related to any of the
projects in your state that deserve highlighting. They are exploring putting
together a list of ARRA success stories, and would appreciate examples from as
many states as possible. This list will assist in thanking congressional
leaders who helped support bike/ped funding in the stimulus bill and to show
other members of Congress what is possible by funding bike/ped projects.
Highlighting your local infrastructure and building relationships with your elected officials will benefit you and help us nationally support better funding and policies for biking and walking. All Alliance member organizations should have received a related email on
this topic with more detail. If you would like America Bikes to highlight any
ARRA success stories or bike/ped projects in your state, or if you have
questions or ideas for ribbon cutting or ground breaking events, please contact
Daniel at Daniel@americabikes.org.
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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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Columbus, OH Welcomes New
Complete Streets Policy
| |
According to Central Ohio's Consider Biking, the Mid-Ohio Regional
Planning Commission (MORPC) recently became the first large metropolitan
planning organization in the country to adopt a solid complete streets policy.
The complete streets policy, approved on April 8, 2010, will replace the
region's existing routine accommodation policy. Read more here.
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Cycling in NYC Up 28%
|
 Transportation
Alternatives has released its annual estimate of how many New Yorkers ride
bicycles daily. There are now 236,000 daily cyclists in the five boroughs. The
figure represents a 28% increase over the previous year, continuing recent
double-digit growth trends. More than 200 miles of bike lanes have
been installed in New York City over the past three years. These bike lanes are
helping to fuel the dramatic growth in cycling across the city. For more
information, visit Transportation Alternatives.
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BTA Oregon Provides Free Online Bike-Ped Curriculum
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Teaching the next generation about the benefits of bicycling and
walking just got easier for Oregon educators.
The Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) and Oregon Safe Routes to
School have partnered to develop and produce the Neighborhood Navigators
curriculum, and they are now distributing it online, free of charge to
educators.
Read more here. |
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Must Stop Bill Passes IL Senate
|
 According to Chicago's Active Transportation Alliance, "The Illinois
General Assembly passed a monumental bill, HB43, clarifying the current
law by requiring drivers to stop for pedestrians in all crosswalks -
even those that don't have a stop sign or traffic signal; and even those
that aren't marked with paint. Current law is vague and nearly
impossible to enforce.
HB 43 is clear: come to a complete stop when pedestrians are present.
Read more here. |
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San Francisco Introduces Its First
Physically Separated Bike Lane
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According to a press release issued today by the San Francisco Bicycle
Coalition, "Responding to the growing interest in bicycle transportation, the
city began installing its first physically separated bike lane on Market Street
today, the busiest corridor in San Francisco for two-wheeled transportation. White,
soft-hit posts are being added to the existing bike lane on Market Street
between Octavia Boulevard and Eighth Street, creating an exclusive path of
travel for bicycle commuters and deterring cars from illegally parking in the
busy bike lane. Read more here. |
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Bicycling/Walking Holidays Bill
Passes Missouri House
|
According to the Missouri
Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation, "HB 1691, to make Bike Month, Bike to Work
Week, and Walk/Bike to School Day/Week/Month a permanent part of the Missouri
state holidays calendar, has passed the Missouri House as a consent bill.
The bill now goes to the Missouri Senate. Read more here.
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1,800
Cyclists Ride to Georgia Capitol
|
 Nearly 1,800 cyclists participated in the 5th annual
Georgia Bikes! Georgia Rides to the Capitol event on Tuesday, March 23. Police-escorted rides departed from Decatur and Roswell led
respectively by Mayor Bill Floyd and Mayor Jere Wood as well as other mayors
and public officials from the region. Cyclists biked to raise support for
improved conditions for cycling, including the development of regional systems
of both on-road bicycling facilities and multi-use-trails. Read more here. |
BikeAthens Unveils New Athens Bike
Map
|
According
to Bike Athens, "Hot off the presses, BikeAthens' third edition of the free
Bike Map of
Athens-Clarke
County is now available for free throughout Athens. Read more here. |
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South Lake Tahoe Installs
First Bike Racks!
| |
South Lake Tahoe is welcoming 25 new bike racks thanks to a
collaboration with the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition. These are the first
bike racks to be installed by the city. According to the Lake Tahoe Bicycle
Coalition, "The first one was installed at the city administration offices
at the airport. Additional racks will be installed at city properties
where it is determined to be of high use." Read more here.
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Local Motion Hosts an Inspiring Walk/Bike
Summit
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Over 100 people attended the 2nd annual Chittenden County
Bike/Pedestrian Summit sponsored by Vermont's Local Motion. According to Local
Motion, "Keynote speaker Mary Collins, Author of American Idle:
A Journey Through Our Sedentary Culture, challenged the 110 attendees to
see physical activity in new way. After a cross country tour talking to
families, coaches, sports professionals, doctors and planners, Mary concluded
that getting out and getting active is a civil rights issue." Read more here.
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SF Bicycle Coalition Launches
"Bay Area Transit" Blog
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The San Francisco Bicycle
Coalition recently announced that they have joined forced with Streetsblog San Francisco and the SF
Chronicle to create Bay Area Transit, a new blog that will appear
on sfgate.com. According to the Coalition, "This blog is an opportunity for us
to write about our work and highlight all of the exciting new bicycling
improvements (hello Market Street separated bike lane) that are making San
Francisco a better place to ride a bike."
Read more here.
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LACBC To Create South Bay Bicycle Plan
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According to the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, "Last week, The
South Bay Bicycle Coalition (SBBC) and LACBC were notified that they were
awarded a RENEW grant from the LA County Department
of Public Health to create a regional South Bay Bicycle Master Plan. This plan
would aim to create an inter-jurisdictional bikeway system and connect cities
in the South Bay region of Los Angeles." Read more here.
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