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Better bikeways, social justice, more education
Advocates set bold priorities for state bicycling agenda
 At this month's first-ever California Bike Summit, 140 advocates from nonprofits, cycling clubs, public agencies and the bicycle industry throughout California spent three days in Los Angeles sharing their knowledge, expertise and passion to help make California a safer, cleaner, healthier and more prosperous place to live through bicycling.
In small group discussions and workshops, attendees identified nine advocacy priorities for California's bicycling agenda for 2012 and
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Summit attendees set advocacy priorities
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beyond, covering bicycling and youth, Complete Streets, social justice, law enforcement, cyclists' legal protections, bike tourism, the role of mayors, and bikeway design.
We've already started acting on one of the priorities identified at the summit. We're working with Caltrans and legislative leaders to change the way bikeway designs are regulated, so that communities throughout the state can build the innovative facilities that will help us attract a million more bicycle riders in California. Watch for more news soon about our 2012 legislative agenda.
The summit program also featured workshops devoted to best practices in such areas as bike sharing, media and communications, working with bike kitchens and other grassroots groups, and bicycle education.
National advocates including Randy Neufeld, advocacy director for SRAM, Jeff Miller, executive director for the Alliance for Biking & Walking, Jim Sayer, executive director for Adventure Cycling Association, Deb Hubsmith, director of the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, and Ryan Wiggins from Transportation for America, also made presentations that provided a national context for our important work in California.
Summit takes action to save bike funding in federal bill
In fact, national events the day before the summit became part of the program. On Nov. 4, California Sen. Barbara Boxer and her colleagues on the Environment & Public Works Committee released draft legislation that would make disastrous cuts to federal funding for bicycling and pedestrian programs and projects.
During the summit's first full day, while national advocates were still meeting to craft their response, we became the first bike advocacy organization to issue a press release in response to the bill. With the help of summit attendees, we also posted a response on Twitter that flooded Boxer's office with thousands of emails.
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CBC's tweet has been retweeted 60 times so far!
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And it worked! America Bikes Director Caron Whitaker emailed us right after the summit to say, "Thanks for your press release....[Boxer] heard us. She's already made some changes and we're looking forward to working with her in the future."
But the amendments made to the bill also include an onerous addition: a clause that would force bicyclists off many roads on federal lands and onto adjacent bike paths where they exist. The League of American Bicyclists has launched a petition campaign to fight this provision.
The real action begins when Congress reconvenes in January to begin debating competing Senate and House versions of the legislation. With amendments to both bills still being proposed, it's too early to predict the outcome, but expect a very tough fight into the early spring.
Many thanks to Tern and Jax Bicycle Center for sponsoring the 2011 California Bike Summit
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