Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Streetside E-News: April 2014

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From: "Alliance for Biking & Walking" <streetside@peoplepoweredmovement.org>
Date: Apr 2, 2014 12:11 PM
Subject: Streetside E-News: April 2014
To: <aquarianm@gmail.com>
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The latest news in state and local biking and walking across North America

2014 Benchmarking Report Drops April 16;
Get a Sneak Peek

The United States' biggest bundle of data and stats on biking and walking is about to debut - and you can have a front row seat. 

 

Every two years, the Alliance releases Bicycling and Walking in the United States: Benchmarking Report in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control. This report is a comprehensive resource on all things active transportation in the U.S. 

 

The 2014 Benchmarking Report will be officially released on Wednesday, April 16 - but you can get a sneak peek on our First Look webinar on Wednesday, April 9. 
 
 

From ranking all of the states and major cities on bicycle and walking friendliness to showing connections between public health and transportation, this report answers nearly every question you could have about bicycling and walking in the United States. 

 

Inaugural Southern States Caucus Regional Retreat a Success

This past weekend, Executive Directors from statewide organizations in the South met at the end of the Texas Trails and Active Transportation Conference in Fort Worth. 

 

This gathering of paid staff launches the Southern State Regional Caucus, and participants look forward to following up with colleagues in the South to strategize political strategy and build organizational capacity at the Alliance Leadership Retreat and beyond. 

 

Read Brent Buice's big takeaways on the Georgia Bikes blog »

Advocacy Advance Brings Navigating MAP-21 Workshops to Orlando, FL and Concord, NH

The Advocacy Advance team - our partnership with the League of American Bicyclists - just visited two communities on the eastern seaboard to deliver Navigating MAP-21 workshops. These workshops bring advocates and public officials together to set their communities up to maximize public funding for biking and walking under the current federal transportation bill.  

 

   

The Orlando session brought together planners, engineers, elected officials, advocates, and business leaders. In Concord, Governor Margaret Hassan, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, and Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter made appearances to emphasize the need for safe and accessible infrastructure for people who bike and walk. 

 

So far, Advocacy Advance has facilitated 21 funding workshops in 19 states, directly resulting in over $27.7 million in public funding won for biking and walking infrastructure and programs.  

 

Read more about the Orlando and Concord workshops »

Winning Bicycling & Walking Projects in TIGER 6 

The U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced its call for applications for the TIGER Discretionary Grant program. Applications for $600 million total in funding are due April 28th.

  

 

To prepare advocates and agency staff for the application process, Advocacy Advance - the Alliance's partnership with the League of American Bicyclists - held a webinar with news about the sixth round of grants and helpful tips from successful past applicants. 

 

Collaborating with Health Stakeholders

There's no doubt that bicycling, walking, and public health all go together. But how can biking and walking advocates better engage with the health community to bring robust biking and walking networks to our communities? 

  

 

On a recent Mutual Aid Call, stakeholders from the public health community shared how advocates and agency staff can communicate, collaborate, and partner with health stakeholders to increase physical activity and wellness. 

 

Missed the call? We've got you covered.   

 

Oakland Advocates Plan Winning Campaigns

Over a picturesque sunny weekend, nearly 50 advocates gathered together for the Alliance's Winning Campaigns Training in Oakland, California hosted by Bike East Bay.

 

 

Throughout the weekend, participants learned key campaign elements - everything from campaign issue definition to power mapping to how to build relationships with elected officials to fundraising. By the end of the weekend, participants had put together 24 impressive campaign plans to get started on. 

 

Learn more about the training »

The Biking & Walking Boom, in Two Maps

It's hard to shake the feeling that North America is going through a walking and bicycling revival -- in large part because advocates are working hard to make it happen. 

 

 

But has active transportation advocacy really grown that significantly in recent history? We pulled together a couple of maps to find out.  

 

See what we found when we compared advocacy organizations in 1998 and 2014 »

Webinar Recap: Twitter for Media Relations

Twitter is useful for fueling engagement with your supporters and getting the word out about your issues. But it can also be a helpful tool in another communications arena: media relations.

 

 

On a recent webinar with the League of American Bicyclists, we shared tips on how biking and walking advocates can use Twitter to connect with reporters and get active transportation issue in the news

  
In Citi Bike's Success, Advocates Played Important Role

Less than a year since Citi Bike launched, the system has seen over 6.7 million trips. During the summer and fall, New York saw an average of 31,000 trips every day on the big blue bikes. 

 

 

No one single factor guaranteed this bike share program's successful freshman year. But having a strong local non-profit organization that is invested in making the system a success was a crucial piece.  

Campaign Spotlight: The Little Trail that Could

For a small, all-volunteer organization, TRED Rome/Floyd County has big dreams. Julie Smith and her team wanted to build a network of trails around her Georgia county, but the advocates weren't sure how to start. 

 

 

Thanks to a scholarship from Georgia Bikes, Julie attended an Alliance Winning Campaign Training and learned how to plot out and complete a successful advocacy effort. Now, her trail system has funding. 

  

Upcoming Webinars and Mutual Aid Calls 
Our Mutual Aid webinars and conference calls are great forums to gain insight from peers and colleagues on the most important issues in biking and walking advocacy today.
    • When it comes to teaching kids how to ride bikes, nearly every advocacy organization offers programming like bike rodeos, skills classes or helmet fittings. But what are some innovative other ways to engage children-and their parents-in cycling safely and confidently even before children reach school age? We'll hear about options for engaging the whole family in cycling from organizations that are committed to supporting cyclists of all ages. 
  • April 8, 1:00 - 2:00 PM eastern: Federal Policy Update
    • Tune in to hear from League of American Bicyclists staff about the latest news from Capitol Hill. Presented by the League of American Bicyclists, Alliance for Biking & Walking and Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals. 
    • Every other year, the Alliance releases Biking & Walking in the United States: Benchmarking Report. This compendium of active transportation data and research combines many disparate sources into one, making it an essential source for advocates, decision makers, and reporters. The 2014 Benchmarking Report will be released on April 16, but participants in this webinar will have the opportunity to get a sneak peek.  
  • April 15, 3:00 - 4:00 PM eastern:  Going Multimodal at the Ballot Box
    • Advocacy Advance is partnering with the Center for Transportation Excellence and the National Alliance of Public Transportation Advocates on this webinar designed to provide advocates with the necessary tools to take a transportation ballot measure from an idea to a winning measure. 
    • Building a better world for active transportation doesn't just mean making bicycling safe and comfortable - it also means making our neighborhoods better for walking and for getting around with mobility assistance devices. Join this call to learn how bike advocates can use their platforms and organizational strengths to incorporate walking and accessibility advocacy into their work. 

What would you like to discuss on a Mutual Aid Call or Webinar? Does your organization have expertise to share? Email Megan with your ideas!

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Member News

Complete Streets Coalition Forms in Milwaukee

Wisconsin Bike Fed is forming a coalition of neighborhood groups, healthcare providers, businesses and political entities to create a formal Complete Streets Policy for Milwaukee. Read more »
 

Bike Pittsburgh Crowdfunding Drive with Care Campaign

The massively popular (and somewhat viral) advertising campaign featuring photos of everyday people riding bikes is up for funding in Indiegogo. Check it out »

 

New Economic Impact Study from Victoria, BC  

The new study from shows that about half of people shopping downtown arrived on foot or by bike. People who biked or walked to shops spent about as much as people who drove or took transit - findings that are consistent with similar past studies. More »

 

Virginia Passes Three Foot Passing Bill 

The new legislation marks the state's first pro-bike legislation in recent history. More »

 

Delaware to Fund "Bicycle Highway"  

The Wilmington Area Planning Council approved a transportation plan that included funding for a 7 mile, ten foot wide bike path between downtown Wilmington and downtown New Castle. Learn more »

 

Bike Easy Announces New Executive Director 

Following the departure of Jamie Wine, the New Orleans organization has named Naomi Doerner as their new leader. Naomi comes from Tulane University's KidsWalk Coalition, a Tulane University program supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Read more »

Partner News

League of American Bicyclists Launches National Bike Challenge 

The new National Bike Challenge platform includes new features for users and local organizers. New this year: a webinar for local advocacy groups interested in hosting a local challenge. Read more »

Technical Assistance Offered for Rural Design

The Citizens' Institute on Rural Design has issued a request for proposals to rural communities facing design challenges, such as Main Street revitalization and designing community-supportive transportation systems. Learn more »

Grants Available Through Voices for Healthy Kids

The American Heart Association and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation have joined forces to launch Voices for Healthy Kids. Grant opportunities within this initiative aim to make effective investments in ongoing state, local and tribal public policy issue campaigns in order to increase public policy impact on healthy weight and living among children. Learn more »

CDC Health Impact Assessment Grants Due April 28

Nonprofit organizations are eligible for these grants to support HIA studies for improved community design. Learn more »

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