Welcome to the Alliance's weekly roundup of state & local biking & walking advocacy news. Every week, we crawl the blogs of our member organizations and bring you the most interesting tidbits.
BIKE TO WORK DAY AHOY!
This week, our members are busy prepping for Bike Month and Bike to Work Day.
- In New York, 400 companies will compete in Transportation Alternatives' Bike to Work Challenge.
- Pittsburgh is organizing five Commuter Cafés.
- WABA hopes to sign up over 17,000 riders in the greater DC area.
- BTWD in Dallas / Fort Worth has grown to 9 stations this year.
- The SF Bicycle Coalition interviews a 7-year BTWD volunteer.
INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS
Massachusetts advocates are drumming up support for biking and walking infrastructure in a massive, $260 million interchange project scheduled for 2017.
Calgary is close to gaining council approval for a cycletrack network.
The Wisconsin Bike Fed reports back from the Ontario Bike Summit, where the Ontario Minister of Transportation announced a $25 million commitment to biking infrastructure.
Bike Cleveland works to implement a Pedestrian Retail Overlay.
PROGRAMMING
Pittsburgh successfully crowdfunded their Drive with Care advertising campaign.
Atlanta Streets Alive drew over 16,000 people last weekend. Woo hoo!
Ruh roh! Pittsburgh and Cleveland are facing off again for the Rust Belt Battle of the Bikes.
THE BIG PICTURE
An Active Transportation Alliance staffer was honored with the state attorney's 2014 Victim Service Award.
The greater Cleveland area got its first silver-level Bicycle Friend Business.
And the Delaware DOT was named a bicycle-friendly business!
Welcome to Ali Winn, new membership coordinator with the Iowa Bicycle Coalition.
Undriving issued the 15,000th Undriver license.
ADVOCACY AVENUE
The Walkable Bikeable Delaware Summit is fast approaching.
Oregon's Active Transportation Summit focused on equity issues.
On the left coast: SF Bicycle Coalition pushes for higher bike capacity on Caltrain.
On the right coast: bikes may be allowed on some weekend MARC trains.
Bike share is coming to Philadelphia!
Speaking of Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh will hold a blessing of the bikes, AKA a "biketism." That is adorable.
LEGISLATION LANE
On tap for Washington state's next legislative session: a real state transportation budget, distracted driving legislation, and Safe Routes to Schools.
The Connecticut Senate passed a vulnerable user's bill. Congratulations, Bike Walk Connecticut!
IN THE NEWS
Two examples of California drivers organizing against active transportation crossed my desk this week:
- Inconvenienced by an "unnecessary" pause on the way to the freeway, 400 motorists signed a petition to get rid of a new stop sign in San Diego. (U-T San Diego)
- San Francisco drivers are pushing for a bundle of car-friendly policies to "restore transportation balance." (SFGate blog)
5 ways biking and walking are getting better in the U.S. -- and one way it's not. (Treehugger)
An op-ed in South Carolina encourages the state to improve biking and walking safety. (Post and Courier)
TRAILER
Here's a great way for kids to get some exercise: riding tiny bikes with their fingers.
