At the Annual Meeting of the Network of Spanish Bicycle-Friendly Communities in Velo-City Sevilla, the League signed an important agreement between: the Network of Active Communities, managed by Velo Quebec (Canada); the Bicycle Friendly Community program, coordinated by the League of American Bicyclists (USA); the Club of Cycling Cities and Territories (France); and the Network of Spanish Cycling Cities (Spain). The purpose of the agreement is to share the successes of all our nations' bicycle-friendly communities so we can all learn best practices and expertise, develop relationships, and identify concrete actions to promote cycling in our communities. To learn more about this agreement and its benefits, read our blog.

National Bike Month is this May, and the League has several free tools for you to organize and promote your events. Visit bikeleague.org/bikemonth to find our free Bike Month Organizers kit, free promotional posters, and free logos and web banners. Also, we are the source for all Bike Month Events. You can list your community, work or school's events for free -- even if you are not a League member. Best of all, you can search for events in your area by state, city and zip code. You will be busy for the whole month of May with bike events!

Bike Month 2011
Bike-to-Work Week: May 16-20
Bike-to-Work Day: Friday, May 20

Advocacy Advance, formed in 2009, is a partnership between the Alliance for Biking & Walking and the League of American Bicyclists to boost local and state bicycle and pedestrian advocacy efforts. With support from SRAM, Advocacy Advance provides targeted trainings, reports, grants and assistance to equip advocates with the specific tools they need to increase biking and walking in their communities.

Recently, the partnership has been busy. Last month we welcomed Brighid O'Keane to the Advocacy Advance team, at the National Bike Summit we launched the Advocacy Advance Web site, and now, the application cycle is open for Advocacy Advance grants. These grants support efforts to increase bicycling and walking investments by tapping into underused federal funds.

The Houston-Galveston Area Council's Transportation Policy Council (TPC) fell short in fully funding active transportation as we had hoped but thanks to the hard work of tireless advocates on the ground, $12.8 million in funding for bike, ped, transit and livability was preserved. For further details visit HoustonTomorrow.org.

Save the date to attend the NYBC Bike Summit on April 28 in the Well of the Legislative Office Building at the State Capital. They will be recognizing Bike Champions -- legislators and others -- and calling for passage of the Complete Streets Bill. NYBC will also facilitate meetings for attendees with their legislators that day. Find out more.

Bike Maryland's HB 363 "Manslaughter by Vehicle or Vessel - Criminal Negligence" bill has moved out of the state House and on to the state Senate. HB 363 provides a misdemeanor option for those who cause fatalities by driving in a criminally negligent manner. If found guilty, motorists will be subject to imprisonment not to exceed 3 years and/or a fine not to exceed $5,000. Marylanders, take action to support safer cycling as HB 363 moves to the state Senate.

The League has been following the cycling fatality news from Tampa, Fla. closely and has been advocating support of the Bicycle Safety Action Plan. South West Florida Bicycle United Dealers (SWFBUD) -- 12 Tampa Bay bike shops united behind bicycle advocacy -- reported on March 22 that state representative Janet Cruz (D-58) is sponsoring a bicycle safety bill. SWFBUD has worked with Rep. Cruz in the past year to further the cause of bicycling in the Tampa area. Cruz has voiced her support for a paved bicycle trail along the Bypass Canal in the Tampa area and also appeared at a memorial bike ride last October 1 to memorialize the loss of bicyclists' lives on the roads of Tampa Bay.

The bike buzz that New York City, a Bicycle Friendly Community, has created with the Bicycle Access to Office Buildings Law and the creation of new bike lanes all around the city has spilled over to the business community. The Empire State Building, one of the world's and NYC's most famous buildings, announced today the completion of its dedicated bicycle storage room for its tenants. NYC has been active in sustainable living practices and bicycle-initiatives lately. The new facility supports Mayor Michael Bloomberg's initiative to encourage more New Yorkers to bike to work -- part of the city's PlaNYC strategy.

A League Bicycle Friendly Business workshop will be held in Frederick, Md. tomorrow, March 29 from 1pm-4pm. The workshop will provide guidance on how to be more bike-friendly and will assist businesses in their efforts. Registration is free.

The League's Traffic Skills curriculum is preparing new and returning riders with the the confidence they need to ride safely and legally in traffic or on the trail. However, we wouldn't be able to do it without our League Cycling Instructors (LCIs). In April we will have eight LCI Seminars, and we might set a record for the most LCIs certified in one month. Right now we have more than 80 candidates registered, and more are registering every day. We already hit our 3,000th LCI mark last November!

Learn more about becoming a LCI instructor.

Congratulations to our 2011 Club Newsletters of the Year. Each newsletter has gone above and beyond to communicate effectively and frequently with their organization's newsletters. 

 

StreetBeat & Reclaim magazine
Transportation Alternatives
New York City, N.Y

The Roadrunner
Santa Cruz County Cycling Club
Santa Cruz, Calif.

The Seatpost
Toledo Area Bicyclists
Sylvania, Ohio

Read more about our winners here.  

The League's Club Leadership Training season is packed this spring. This is the perfect time for club leaders and volunteers to get the tools they need for a successful bike club year.

Upcoming Events:
Bike Education and Group Rides (April 12: 8pm)
We'll discuss how to train and deploy League Cycling Instructors in your organization and how bike education can improve your club's reputation, increase community exposure, and lower your insurance. The panel will be led by Preston Tyree, League Director of Education. Register today.

Club Leadership Training in Memphis, Tenn. (May 6-8)
We are still finalizing the venue and speakers. Check the Club Corner over the next week or so for details and and to register.

The League now has a brokerage account and can accept stock gifts. Contact Scott Williams for more information, if you would like to consider this as a donation option. 

The League of American Bicyclists promotes bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation, and works through advocacy and education for a bicycle-friendly America. The League represents the interests of America's 57 million bicyclists, including its 300,000 members and affiliates. For more information or to support the League, visit www.bikeleague.org.