July 1, 2013
Greetings! 

At the National Bike Summit in March, we revealed the exciting new look for the League. But our sophisticated re-branding is more than skin deep. Last month, we continued our push to change the face of bicycling with the launch of our fully redesigned website, our professional suite of education videos and our first foray into live video chats, with our Google Hangout on bike equity. Keep reading to see how the League is continuing to raise the bar for bicycle advocacy!    

 

Sincerely,  

 


Andy Clarke
League President
 
 league news 
league launches new website

 

The League's new website brings our programs to life with vibrant images, better information and easier navigation. We've made our content and programming more user-friendly and added a number of new, dynamic and interactive components. Check out our Bicycle Friendly America award database or the enhanced "connect locally" search function, which helps you connect with bike resources in your neighborhood. Read more here. 
New bike education videos available to all!
The League recently released 19 education videos that cover topics from fitting a bike to riding in traffic. They are free and available to the public on our website. They're a great tool for people wanting to learn more about riding in their communities, in addition to a resource for League Cycling Instructors looking for other ways to market their classes and teach new riders!  Watch and share here! 
Building on success: women bike plans for the future
In barely one year, the League's efforts to increase the number of women riding has evolved from a two-hour discussion to a full-blown national initiative that drew more than 375 fired-up attendees to our second annual Forum in March. Clearly, there's tremendous momentum behind our Women Bike program -- and last month we brought together key stakeholders and diverse perspectives for a focused two-day strategic planning session. And, wow, we've got big plans in store! Read more.
Support the League, experience Climate Ride
Climate Ride is your chance to enjoy an incredible 5-day ride while supporting bike advocacy organizations like the League. The nation's largest environmental bicycling event, Climate Ride will roll again with the New York City to Washington D.C. ride September 21-25, 2013! The League -- and member organizations like Transportation Alternatives and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association -- are beneficiaries of the ride, so you'll be protecting the climate AND advancing bike advocacy. Don't wait; register today! There are just 20 spots left for the NYC-DC ride! Learn more.
Trek takes national bike challenge encouragement to a whole new level
League staff traveled to Waterloo, Wis., last month to visit  Trek Bicycles HQ -- and we were pleasantly surprised to see the current No. 1 large workplace in the National Bike Challenge taking ownership of that ranking. The company's headquarters is decked out with its very own National Bike Challenge staff leaderboard -- a prominent reminder to keep logging those miles! Since the beginning of the Challenge in May, Trek has racked up a total of 308,094 miles with 893 riders on dozens of teams within the company. Read more and sign up for the Challenge today!
 
 advocacy
house majority leader Eric cantor offers support for bikeable, walkable communities

Last week, on the steps of the U.S. CapitolHouse Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) unequivocally declared his support for our efforts to build bikeable, walkable, livable communities. To the delight of everyone, he even alluded to his recent discussions with Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), the intellectual pillar of the Congressional Bike Caucus. He admitted there is some bridge building left to do, but his willingness to embrace the goal was good news. Read more about Cantor's statements here.

league welcomes confirmation of secretary foxx
Last week, the Senate voted to confirm former Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx as the next Secretary of Transportation, with a vote of 100-0. The League looks forward to working with the new Secretary, and explored Foxx's statements to the Senate during his confirmation process on his transportation priorities as they relate to bicycling. See our analysis here.
lawmakers introduce new safe streets act in congress

Last month, Reps. Doris Matsui (D-CA) and David Joyce (R-OH) introduced the "Safe Streets Act," which  gives states two years to adopt comprehensive complete streets policies for transportation projects. Read our full analysis of the proposed bill here.

Webinar: Successful Women's Bicycling Forums

In a growing number of communities, organizations are using Women's Forums to kick off the discussion -- and start building campaigns. On our next Women Bike webinar, we'll explore successful models, strategies and take-home tips for effective women's panels with the organizers behind the Washington Area Bicyclist Association's Women & Bicycles Program and the Ohio Women's Bicycling SummitJoin us July 23, at 2 p.m. EDT. Register here. 

Webinar: Where are we on Transportation Alternatives?

One year after Congress passed a new transportation law, MAP-21, federal and state governments are making decisions on how to implement the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP). On this webinar, hear from the teams at Advocacy Advance and the Safe Routes to School National Partnership about the funding picture at the state and local level and how advocates can influence the process. Join us on July 22 at 2 p.m. EDT. Register here. 

 
 resources
Videos and Insight from Online Equity Discussion: "It's Not Infrastructure First"
Adding to the discussion around our recent report: "The New Majority: Pedaling Toward Equity," the League and Sierra Club hosted a live, online video chat to dig deeper into issues around equity last week. We talked about what equity really means in the bike movement, the challenges advocates face, and tangible next steps to bring this work forward on the state and national stages. Read more here and watch the discussion here!
Bike law university: mandatory use of separated facilities
 
In the latest edition of Bike Law University, we take a look at mandatory use of separated facilities. In the 1970s, mandatory use laws existed in 38 states, but, since then, many cycling advocates and state legislatures have worked together to repeal many of those laws. How many states have one today? Learn more here.
cycling to the future: lessons from cities across the globe

The very existence of the Bicycle Urbanism Symposium symbolizes the importance of bicycling in the future of American cities. In an enthusiastic keynote address, Rutgers University Professor John Pucher updated the audience on the latest innovations and practices from around the country. Read more here. 

Advocacy Advance heads to Atlanta for transit conference

The Advocacy Advance team visited Atlanta, Ga., last week for the Transit Initiatives and Communities Conference. While they were there, they learned more about lessons from legislative and ballot campaigns to increase local and state transportation fundingStay tuned this week for a blog on the trip -- and if you have any questions, e-mail Darren at [email protected].

 
 partner news
Early Registration extended for Safe routes to school national conference!
The Safe Routes to School National Conference will take place August 13-15 in Sacramento, Calif. Early bird registration has been extended to July 14! Co-presented by the National Center for Safe Routes to School and the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, this event is an opportunity to learn more and network with other advocates, officials and educators nationwide. Register today!
call for proposals: new england bike-walk summit
The New England Bike-Walk Summit has extended a call for workshop proposals at the October event. Information on how to send in a proposal can be found here. The October 4 summit in Providence, R.I., will feature League President Andy Clarke as the plenary speaker and workshops from the Advocacy Advance team. Learn more here.  
registration open: apbp professional development seminar

The Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals will host the 2013 Professional Development Seminar from September 9-12 in Boulder, Colo. This year's theme is "Dollars and Sense: Economic, Health and Social Benefits of Walking and Bicycling." Learn more.  

transportation for america releases bridge report
Last month, Transportation for America released an updated report on its analysis of bridges across the United States.  The findings are striking: 11 percent of all U.S. highway bridges are structurally deficient. If you placed all 66,405 deficient bridges end to end, you'd have one long deficient bridge stretching 1,500 miles all the way from Mexico to Canada. Learn more here.
2013 walking summit registration now open
The registration for the 2013 Walking Summit in Washington, D.C., is now open! The Summit will take place from October 1-3. Register now!
 
 just for fun
Alison the lci: school is out, bike safety class is on
School's out and summer is upon us, which means more kids on bikes more of the time. League staff and LCI, Alison Dewey, assisted with a local kid's bike education class last month after a request by two local teenagers to host the class. "I left feeling optimistic about America's youth and encouraged by the initiative two teenagers had taken to improve their community for bicycling." Alison wrote. Read more. 
 


Share this American Bicyclist Update with your cycling friends and fellow bike commuters. The generous support from the League's members make publications like this possible. Join the League today.

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.
Quick Links
� Connect locally
� Search our website

SPONSORS