2013 Advocacy Awards - Nominations Open!
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Bike Delaware's "Walkable, Bikeable Delaware" campaign received the 2012 Winning Campaign of the Year Award
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Outstanding advocates and organizations deserve to stand and be recognized. Since 2009, the Alliance has honored the work of the often unsung heroes of the biking and walking movement in our annual Take a moment and nominate the advocates and organizations that make your community a better place to bike and walk. We will be offering five different awards in 2013, so submit your nominations today for: - Advocate of the Year
- Advocacy Organization of the Year
- Winning Campaign of the Year
- Business Advocate of the Year
- Susie Stephens Joyful Enthusiasm Award
Anyone can submit one nomination for each of the categories. Nominations will be accepted until December 18, 2012. Winners will be announced at the Advocacy Awards Reception on March 4, 2013, during the National Bike Summit. Click here to nominate outstanding advocates and organizations! |
| Attend a Winning Campaigns Training in 2013! |  A successful campaign not only makes your community better for biking and walking, it also grows your organization, leading to more victories down the road. Planning and coordinating a campaign takes a lot of work, and there are not short cuts. But there is one surefire way to make sure your campaign starts off on the path to victory: attending the Alliance's Winning Campaigns Training.
As you create your budget and plan for next year, be sure to include one of our 2013 trainings in your plans. Register for a training near you, or check out a great community you'd like to visit: Sign up TODAY to receive the discounted rate of just $75 for members. See you at a training in 2013! |
| Sign Up for the 2013 Climate Ride |  Support green energy and bicycle advocacy on next year's Climate Ride!
Climate Ride is an inspiring journey with 200 like-minded people who are united by their passion for sustainability, renewable energy, and bicycles - the ultimate carbon-free form of transportation.
Climate Ride also features an acclaimed nightly speaker series, known as the 'green conference on wheels,' where you'll hear from bright minds in policy, advocacy and innovation.
Join climate-conscious cyclists for the California ride from May 19-23, 2013, or ride from New York City to Washington, DC September 21-25, 2013. Mark your calendar and register today!
This year, Climate Ride raised $6,000 for the Alliance for Biking & Walking and a total of over $300,000 for the environment, green energy and active transportation. Designate the Alliance as one of your beneficiaries in 2013!
To participate in the Climate Ride, you'll register for $75 and then raise $2,400 for great causes like the Alliance for Biking & Walking, partners like the League of American Bicyclists and our member organizations, including Transportation Alternatives, Washington Area Bicyclist Association, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, East Bay Bicycle Coalition, Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition, Active Transportation Alliance, Boston Cyclists Union, Marin County Bicycle Coalition, Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition and Walk San Francisco.
Sign up and start fundraising today! |
Advocacy Advance Update
 After hosting a fruitful Navigating MAP-21 (formerly Action 2020) workshop in Rochester, N.Y. last week, the Advocacy Advance team is heading to New Orleans, La. for their final workshop of the year on November 2.
Advocacy Advance is working with partners in the America Bikes Coalition to maximize bike/ped funding through their Navigating MAP-21 program. To get involved in your state campaign, make contact with your state lead. Also, read the Advocacy Advance blog post on FHWA guidance that was released last week.
Additionally, Advocacy Advance awarded a $3,000 Rapid Response Grant to Bike Delaware to conduct a survey of candidates running for general assembly and for governor. Read more about this critical campaign on the Advocacy Advance blog.
Thanks to the support of SRAM Cycling Fund, Advocacy Advance still has funding available in Rapid Response Grants to help organizations take advantage of urgent opportunities to win victories for biking and walking. For more information, visit AdvocacyAdvance.org/grants.
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Thanks for Riding with the Alliance
Thanks to all those of you who participated in the October 2 Mile Challenge from Clif Bar. Although we fell short of our goal of 10,000 trips by bike for the month, we still raised over $9,000 for the Alliance. Thanks to Clif Bar for their generous support of the Alliance this October! Thanks again to all those who participated in the challenge to support the Alliance. Continue riding this month to support Alliance member East Bay Bicycle Coalition! |
Leadership Retreat Materials Available
 We know it was impossible to attend all of the great sessions at the Alliance Leadership Retreat this past September, so we've compiled materials, notes and take-aways from fifteen of the various breakout sessions for you to check out at your convenience in the Alliance Resources Library.
Even if you weren't able to attend the Leadership Retreat this time, as an Alliance member you can still access the resources from session facilitators. Did you attend or facilitate a session, and do have something to add to the resources? Email Jake at jake@PeoplePoweredMovement.org and we'll be sure to include your materials. |
Upcoming 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. This month we'll also be hosting a call with America Walks about the Walking Action Network. All calls begin at 2 p.m. Eastern and run for one hour.
This month:
Working members up the ladder of engagement is an essential piece of your organization's membership strategy. With a committed volunteer base, your organization can increase its capacity and tap into the skills they offer. And, of course, it pays to have members who increase their financial commitment as major donors to your organization. Come learn from your peers and discuss strategies to strengthen the commitments of your members.
Panelists:
Rebecca Resman, Director of Membership and Development at Active Transportation Alliance
Carol Schmidt, Membership Coordinator at Trailnet
Rebecca Serna, Executive Director at Atlanta Bicycle Coalition
America Walks and the Alliance for Biking & Walking will discuss the role we play in empowering communities to advocate for walking and walkability, and the YMCA of Greater Long Beach will provide the local perspective on developing successful walking initiatives.
In the middle of your planning, while running a campaign or during your programs, things outside your control happen. Come hear from your peers and join a conversation about how to respond to crisis as an organization.
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December calls:
- December 5: Innovative Bike/Ped Education Classes
- December 12: Best Practices in Board-Staff Relationships
What would you like to discuss on a Mutual Aid call? Does your organization have expertise to share with peer organizations and other advocates? Contact Jake@PeoplePoweredMovement.org with your ideas!
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| Welcome Andrea Milne, the Alliance's New Benchmarking Project Manager
The Alliance is proud to announce that Andrea Milne is succeeding Kristen Steele (Swanson) as the Benchmarking Project Manager.
Beginning in 2010, Andrea worked as the Benchmarking Project Research Assistant and provided research and production support for the 2012 Benchmarking Report.
In her new role as Benchmarking Project Manager, Andrea will coordinate the many partners, officials and academic reviewers to produce the 2014 Benchmarking Report.
"I'm looking forward to working more closely with advocates, researchers and implementers around the country and continuing to produce a high-quality Benchmarking Report that the biking and walking community has come to appreciate and use," says Andrea.
Work on the 2014 Benchmarking Report is now underway, and surveys for all 50 states and the 51 most populous cities will be going out soon.
You can view the press release here. Welcome, Andrea!
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Thank You, Kristen!
 | | Kristen with her son Axel |
Kristen Steele (Swanson) has contributed to the Alliance for Biking & Walking for over five years, first as Communications Director and then as Benchmarking Project Manager.
Kristen has overseen the production of all three Benchmarking Reports and has grown the Alliance's Benchmarking Project into one of the Alliance's signature offerings.
"We're so grateful for the contributions Kristen has made," says Jeff Miller, Alliance President/CEO. "With Kristen's expertise, professionalism and skilled direction, the Benchmarking Project has become the premier source for information on bike and pedestrian policies and programs across the country."
Kristen came to the Alliance in 2007 after working as the Executive Director for Charleston Moves in South Carolina. She helped author and publish many of the Alliance's resources and guides including the Guide to Fundraising Rides, Guide to Fundraising Galas, and Guide to Complete Streets. She also managed the Alliance's rebranding in 2009 and assisted with trainings and many of the Alliance's key programs.
Thank you, Kristen, for all of your contributions to the Alliance for Biking & Walking! If you'd like to wish Kristen well in her future endeavors, email her at Kristen@PeoplePoweredMovement.org.
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New Report Documents Progress in Lee County, FL:
To catalog and direct residents toward the improvements the county has made for biking in walking, BikeWalkLee has published a new report. The report includes both quantitative and qualitative information on infrastructure improvements made in the past few years as well as those planned for next year in five metropolitan areas. Read more on the People Powered Blog.
Family Biking Workshops in Marin County:
Building on their previous programs that focus on youth and family biking, Marin County Bicycle Coalition is partnering with Alta Planning + Design to offer a free Family Biking Workshop Series. At each of four sessions, parents and kids learn the basics of bike safety and riding techniques together. With plenty of opportunities to practice, kids and parents are creating a tradition around biking together as a family. Summits Rock the Southeast:
This past month, North Carolina hosted their inaugural statewide bike summit. Attended by over 150 people from across the state, the North Carolina Bike Summit connected advocates and provided an opportunity for feedback on the state DOT's bike/ped plan. The following weekend, GeorgiaBikes! hosted the Georgia-lina Bike Summit to connect communities in Georgia and South Carolina. This inter-state collaboration allowed advocates to share ideas and connect with their peers across the border.
Read more on the People Powered Blog.
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New Bicycle Friendly Communities and the 2013 National Bike Summit: On October 18 the League of American Bicyclists announced the latest round of Bicycle Friendly Communities (BFCs). With 28 new BFCs and several renewing, the total number of BFCs has increased to 242 communities in 47 states. Read the press release here. Additionally, save the date for the 2013 National Bike Summit, which will take place March 4-6, 2013. Next year's summit theme is Bicycling Means Business. Read more and register here.
People for Bikes Launches PSA Campaign:
This past month Bikes Belong launched a series of PSAs through People for Bikes to promote the economic, health, transportation and, yes, educational benefits of biking. The PSAs will be featured across the country in print, online and out on the streets. Check them out here.
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Thank you to our 2012 Elite and Premier Sponsors! | |
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