Performance Awards $30,000 in Grants
 largest independent cycling retailer in the U.S., is celebrating its 30th Anniversaryby providing $30,000 in "Better Bicycling Community" grants. Performance worked with the Alliance to select ten communities to receive a $3,000 grant to support their efforts in making cycling more accessible in communities where there are Performance stores.
The ten organizations that will receive Better Bicycling Community grants represent geographic diversity, propose campaigns that will make bicycling more fun and accessible in their communities and involve the local Performance store in creative ways. Performance is supporting the following projects: - Bike Austin: North MoPac Bike Highway Commuter Route Campaign
- Bike Maryland: Bicycle Friendly Maryland Campaign
- Bike Utah: Salt Lake City Open Streets Initiative
- Carrboro Bicycle Coalition: Chapel Hill - Carrboro Open Streets Initiative
- Cascade Bicycle Club Education Foundation: Advocacy Leadership Institute
- Central Ohio Mountain Biking Organization: Rejuvenation of Alum Creek Phase 1 Campaign
- Community Bikes: Charlottesville Open Streets Initiative
- East Bay Bicycle Coalition: Yes on Measure B Campaign
- Living Streets Alliance: Kidical Mass Tucson 2013 Campaign
- Santa Monica Spoke: Community Outreach for Better Biking in Santa Monica
These organizations were chosen from high-caliber proposals received from fifty communities across the country. Congratulations to the awardees! View the full press release. |
New Law - Now What?
There are many challenges for biking and walking advocates in MAP-21, the new surface transportation law. But thanks to you and thousands of other advocates who called, wrote and e-mailed Congress as the bill was being written, we are still very much in the game.
With other members of the America Bikes coalition, we are committed to ensuring that states and local governments use every opportunity in the new law to increase the safety and convenience of biking and walking.
We want to set the expectation that every state will:
- Fully fund, staff, and implement the new Transportation Alternatives program. Specifically, states should:
- Fully fund: Do not transfer any funds away from Transportation Alternatives or opt-out of the Recreational Trails program
- Fully staff: Preserve or increase staff support for Transportation Alternatives by maintaining state Safe Routes to School coordinators and bike/ped coordinators
- Fully implement: Promptly award Transportation Alternatives grants with participation of relevant stakeholders
- Fully maximize the state's investments in safe, accessible streets: utilize all MAP-21 funding programs - including HSIP, CMAQ, and STP - to include biking and walking in all transportation projects
- Fully spend remaining funds from the Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School, and Recreational Trails programs
We are developing an action plan to coordinate our collective efforts for the best results in every state. We are already working on a suite of tools and resources to help you and your organization take full advantage of MAP-21.
We will alert you as those resources become available.
With your help and dedication over the coming weeks and months, the national renaissance in biking and walking will continue in communities all across the country.
Visit Advocacy Advance to learn more. |
Coming Up: 2012 Leadership Retreat
Are you registered yet? Next month, September 7-10, over 85 leaders from organizations across the continent will come together at the Alliance Leadership Retreat. This signature event only happens once every two years. Be there and be part of the discussion!
The latest agenda features thirty workshop and break-out sessions we have planned with the feedback of our member organizations. Your input has helped us design sessions for the whole spectrum of organizations we serve. Whether you are part of a walking only organization, an established or newly founded group, a state/province or locally focused group, or a community bike shop, this year's Alliance Leadership Retreat has programming for you.
In short, this is a must-attend event for Alliance leaders.
With the new federal transportation law MAP-21, organizations from across the U.S. won't want to miss this opportunity to chart a way forward, grow our networks and bring more opportunities for local and state-wide advocacy for biking and walking.
Registration ends August 12. Be sure to register today to save your spot and ensure your organization benefits from these important conversations. Have questions about the retreat? Contact Jeremy@PeoplePoweredMovement.org.
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| Come to Kansas City, Win More Campaigns | Through well-crafted campaigns, your organization will increase its reach and political power, find new funding opportunities and engage new volunteers. 
The Alliance's proven Winning Campaigns Training brings advocates and experts together to work through the process of planning - and winning - campaigns to make their communities better for biking and walking.
This October 19-21, BikeWalkKC will host the last Winning Campaigns Training of 2012. Advocates in Kansas, Missouri and other parts the Midwest should take this opportunity to attend the training and lay the groundwork for campaigns in 2013. Not from the Midwest? We'd love to have you anyway. Register now!
Whether you are new to the advocacy world or have already conducted successful advocacy campaigns, Winning Campaigns Trainings offer you an opportunity to take time out, regroup and plan a course of action that is achievable - and will bring in new volunteers, funding and media exposure.
Register for the training today! Early registration closes on Sept. 21.
Questions about the training? Contact Mike@PeoplePoweredMovement.org. |
Upcoming Mutual Aid Calls
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Our Mutual Aid conference calls are a great forum to gain insight from your Alliance peers on the specific issues and topics that are important to your organization. All calls begin at 2 p.m. Eastern and run for one hour.
This month:
Working with bike/ped advisory committees in both official and unofficial capacities, advocates can lend their expertise to push better policy decisions, help identify community target areas and generate grassroots support. On this call, we'll discuss tips to establish and improve bike/ped advisory committees that reflect the diverse interests of the community and are efficient, effective and institutionalized guides for walk- and bike-friendly policies.
Panelists
Matt Wempe, League of American Bicyclists
Molly O'Reilly, Idaho Pedestrian & Bicycle Alliance, America Walks
Ian Johnson, Living Streets Alliance, Tucson Pima County Bicycle Advisory Committee
A common concern among decision makers in state and local government is that implementing Complete Streets policies will cost too much. This can even occur when there has been enough political buy-in to establish a Complete Streets policy. On this Mutual Aid call, we'll discuss several strategies for responding to that concern, with examples and resources from communities.
Panelists
Stefanie Seskin, National Complete Streets Coalition
Other panelists, TBA
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September calls:
- September 26: The Art of Appeals
What would you like to discuss on a Mutual Aid call? Does your organization have expertise to share with peer organizations and others participating in the movement? Contact Jeremy@PeoplePoweredMovement.org with your ideas!
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| The Alliance Needs Your Support!
The Alliance for Biking & Walking exists to create, strengthen and unite state and local bicycle and pedestrian organizations - like yours. Every dollar you donate goes to trainings, coaching, strategic planning services and events that make our member organizations better advocates for the programs you care about.
Please make a personal investment in the Alliance TODAY to improve biking and walking in communities across North America.
Next month at the Leadership Retreat, we'll bring advocates from across the continent together to share victories, as well as challenges, to chart a new way forward for biking and walking. Your support makes the retreat - and all of the other Alliance programs that build the capacity of advocates - possible.
Thank you for supporting the Alliance for Biking & Walking!
Donate to the Alliance by August 15, and you'll be entered to win a FREE VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations trip anywhere in the U.S. (a $2,245 value!), and all donors receive a coupon for $200 off your next VBT trip!
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New Forum for Canadian Complete Streets Movement:
"What about scofflaw cyclists?":
Bostonians Push for Neighborhoods, not Highways:
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