Pittsburgh, PA. Image credit: javcon117 / Flickr
We're really looking forward to Pro Walk / Pro Bike / Pro Place in Pittsburgh on September 8 - 11, conveniently scheduled right after and about an hour away from our Leadership Retreat.
There's bad news, though: the program is jam-packed with awesome sessions featuring leaders of stellar Alliance member organizations. It's going to be really hard to choose where to spend your time.
Fortunately for you, we've compiled this handy guide to the sessions that we think will be most insightful for state, provincial, and local biking and walking advocates. There's still some devastating overlap between promising sessions, but this guide will hopefully make your choices at least a little more clear-cut.
Check it out!
Tuesday 9/9
Opening Plenary: Change
Why you shouldn't miss it: It's the kickoff to three days of amazing conversations about biking, walking, and placemaking, featuring big ideas about how advocates and practioners are changing the world for the better. For the first five minutes, I'll give an overview of the biggest biking and walking advocacy wins of the past two years – featuring spotlights on many amazing Alliance member organizations. Definitely get there in time to hear Adonia Lugo from the League of American Bicyclists discuss the need for an equity focus in our work.
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
State of the Lane: Protected Bike Lanes in the U.S.
Why you shouldn't miss it: U.S. cities are building protected bike lanes like crazy. Your city should jump on the bandwagon. Learn the latest lessons on design, research, and best practices in the PBL boom from Martha Roskowski of PeopleForBikes' Green Lane Project and officials from NACTO and FHWA. Breakout room 301.
Why Walking and Walkability? The Latest Info to Make the Case
Why you shouldnt miss it: Walking is good for individual and public health and for strong communities, but don't take our word for it. Join staff from American Walks, the CDC, and USDOT to learn the latest data and studies on the benefits of walkability. Breakout room 306.
On the Path to a Stronger Movement: Bike/Ped Equity from the Ground Up
Why you shouldn't miss it: Too often, vulnerable populations feel like walking and bicycling initiatives are being imposed on them, in part because they have not been included meaningfully in the discussion. Join Adonia Lugo from the League and officials from two fitness foundations to learn about integrating equity from the very start of an advocacy initiative. Breakout room 303.
1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Winning Biking & Walking Campaigns
Why you shouldn't miss it: Our very own Jeff Miller has coached hundreds of advocates on choosing and winning strategic battles for active transportation in their communities. You'll walk away from this participatory session with new tools to tackle a priority campaign back home. Breakout room 305.
How Do We Measure Up? Performance Measures for Active Transportation
Why you shouldn't miss it: When it comes to transportation reform, advocates, researchers, practitioners, and public officials can make potent teams. Join John Paul Shaffer of Livable Memphis in conversation with state DOT officials, an Alta planner, and Robbie Webber of the State Smart Transportation Initiative to contribute to writing smart performance measures for transportation agencies. Breakout room 301.
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Connecting Our Cities: Lessons for Building Protected Bike Lane Networks
Why you shouldn't miss it: Leaders from three of North America's most sophisticated bike advocacy organizations will pull back the curtain on their work to build low-stress bicycling networks in their cities. Join yours truly in a moderated discussion with Chema Hernández Gil of the SF Bicycle Coalition, Ron Burke of Chicago's Active Transportation Alliance, and Rob Sadowsky of BTA Oregon. Breakout room 301.
5:15 PM - 6:45 PM
Streetfilms University: Making Effective Transportation Videos for Your Organization
Why you shouldn't miss it: Learn tips from our favorite purple-wearing bicycle videographer, Clarence Eckerson, about making good transportation advocacy films for your organization. Gallery theater.
Wednesday 9/10
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Pragmatic and Powerful Partnerships: Cities and Advocates Working Together
Why you shouldn't miss it: There's a delicate push and pull between advocates and city officials, and it's hard for a community to really move forward without a successful balance. On this panel, city officials will pair up with the advocates who lobby them to discuss how to move forward together, especially when pursuing bike networks. Featuring Martha Roskowski of the PeopleForBikes Green Lane Project, Scott Bricker of Bike Pittsburgh, and Rob Sadowsky of Oregon's Bicycle Transportation Alliance. Breakout room 301.
Open Streets: Here to Stay
Why you shouldn't miss it: Open Streets are sweeping the continent. You'll walk away from this session with information and strategies to bring these initiatives to your community. This panel will feature lessons from the Open Streets Project's own Mike Lydon and Open Streets Oklahoma City organizer Kate Brady. Breakout room 315.
Understanding the Bicycle Project Planning and Implementation Process
Why you shouldn't miss it: If you have any doubts about the process of planning and implementing biking or walking projects, attend this session to learn about the whole pipeline from advocate Darren Flusche, public officials, and planners. Breakout room 310.
Community Engagement Approaches for Active Transportation and Equity
Why you shouldn't miss it: All-star advocates and public health experts team up to discuss lessons learned from Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities grantees. Featuring Naomi Doerner, executive director of New Orleans' Bike Easy. Breakout room 307.
11:45 AM - 12:45 PM
Six Words of Wisdom: Climbing Career Hills, Predicting New Horizons
Why you shouldn't miss it: If you're thinking about how to move your career forward in the biking and walking movement, this PowerPoint-free panel could be right of your alley. Join rockstar biking and walking advocates Kit Keller, Barb Chamberlain, Keith Holt, Martha Roskowski, and practitioners from the consulting world to talk about career paths and professional networks. Breakout room 301.
1:15 PM - 2:45 PM
Stronger Together: Multimodal Funding and Advocacy
Why you shouldn't miss it: Funding great walking and biking projects is not getting easier, but communities across the country are getting smarter about how to make it happen. You'll hear about successful efforts to drum up ballot funding and federal matches for multimodal transportation projects – and pick up a few strategies that could work back at home. Biking and walking experts Darren Flusche and Brighid O'Keane from our Advocacy Advance program will join transit advocate CeCe Grant from Americans for Transit. Breakout room 304.
Biking and Walking in the Federal Transportation Bill Post-MAP-21
Why you shouldn't miss it: If you advocate for walking and biking in the United States, the next federal transportation will will have an enormous impact on your state and community's capacity to plan and finance bicycling and walking projects. Federal policy experts Caron Whitaker of the League of American Bicyclists and Margo Pedroso of the Safe Routes to School National Partnership will read the federal tea leaves to update advocates and practitioners on the future of federal transportation policy. Breakout room 302.
City to City Lessons for Building Protected Bike Lanes: Case Studies from Austin, Memphis and Seattle
Why you shouldn't miss it: You'll gain insight into how city officials work through the processes of planning and implementing protected bike lanes. Plus: meet Zach Vanderkooy, a key player behind the scenes at the PeopleForBikes Green Lane Project. Breakout room 301.
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
What's In It For Me? How Economic Benefits Can Sell Elected Officials on Protected Bike Lanes
Why you shouldn't miss it: Now more than ever, advocates and businesses can win more high-quality bicycle networks by making a compelling case for economic benefits to local business and city budgets. Featuring Jeremy Waldrup of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, Mary Lauran Hall of the Alliance for Biking & Walking, and Michael Andersen of the PeopleForBikes Green Lane Project. Breakout room 301.
If You Build It, Will They Come?
Why you shouldn't miss it: Advocates and city officials in Vancouver have learned that sometimes, building great bike infrastructure isn't enough to get people riding. Join Alliance board member and HUB executive director Erin O'Melinn to learn about soft approaches to reach ambitious city modeshare goals. Breakout room 317.
Talk with Walking/Walkability Experts
Why you shouldn't miss it: This fireside chat, featuring Advocacy Award nominee Wendy Landman of WalkBoston, is sure to be an engaging conversation about walkability and walking advocacy efforts. Breakout room 318.
Girls in Gear
Why you shouldn't miss it: This session, featuring Advocacy Award nominee Jess Mathews from Consider Biking, promises a peek behind the scenes at a successful youth empowerment program for girls in marginalized neighborhoods. Breakout room 310.
Kickstarting A Community Project
Why you shouldn't miss it: Ever thought about crowdfunding a project at your organization? Brendan Kearney of WalkBoston, an Advocacy Award-winning organization, will explain how. Breakout room 306.
Successfully Marketing to Women in the New Media Age
Why you shouldn't miss it: This should be a great conversation with some of the most inspiring thinkers on women in the bicycling movement. Carolyn Szczepanski of the League, Barb Chamberlain of Washington Bikes, Elly Blue of zine fame, and Melissa Balmer of Pedal Love will discuss how advocates can use new media to make the bike movement more genderrific. Breakout room 304.
4:15 - 5:15 PM
Biking and Walking Safety, Attitudes, Behaviors and Trends: A Review of New Data
Why you shouldn't miss it: Explore takeaways from recent studies by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Alliance for Biking & Walking. We'll dive into methods and findings -- including data that public officials and advocates can use to make the case. With Heidi Coleman from NHTSA, Mary Lauran Hall from the Alliance for Biking & Walking, and Laura Sandt from the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center. Breakout room 301.
Getting the Money Spent: Making it Easier to Access Federal Bike/Walk Funding
Why you shouldn't miss it: Many municipalities in New Jersey were struggling to meet the federal requirements for Transportation Alternative Program funding, until advocates stepped in to assist. Learn how similar methods could work in your community. Featuring Cyndi Steiner of the New Jersey Bike & Walking Coalition, Elise Bremer-Nei of NJDOT, and Nora Shepard of the Safe Routes to School National Partnership. Breakout room 302.
Thursday 9/11
8:00 - 9:00 AM
Transforming Transportation and Health in Brownsville, Texas
Why you shouldn't miss it: Brownsville is leading the way in health. They won a Robert Wood Johnson Culture of Health Prize, just organized an Open Streets, and hosted the Advocacy Advance team for a biking and walking funding training session. Especially relevant for southern advocates. Breakout room 310.
Shared Places: Case Studies from Pittsburgh
Why you shouldn't miss it: You're in Pittsburgh. You know know what Pittsburgh is up to. Hear from Scott Bricker, executive director of Bike Pittsburgh, and two partners about three game-changing projects for active transportation. Breakout room 307.
The Circuit: Building Trails that Connect Cities, Suburbs, and Everywhere In Between
Why you shouldn't miss it: Anyone working on regional trail networks will benefit from hearing about the Circuit Coalition's work to build a 75-mile regional trail network. Featuring Sarah Clark Stuart of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. Breakout room 306.
Pecha Kucha Block 1 (Room 301)
Why you shouldn't miss it: Dave Cieslewicz, executive director of the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin, will try to convince you why Wisconsin is the best place to ride in America; Cynthia Rose from Santa Monica Spoke will share how Santa Monica doubled its bikeway network in just two years.
Pecha Kucha Block 2 (Room 302)
Why you shouldn't miss it: Stacey Beuttell from WalkBoston will discuss common pitfalls of non-walkable schools, and suggest solutions.
9:15 - 10:15 AM
California's Active Transportation Program: Coalition Building to Boost Funding
Why you shouldn't miss it: Go behind the scenes into California advocates' successful efforts to boost active transportation funding by 35% in California. Tony Dang from California Walks and Dave Snyder of the California Bicycle Coalition are among the panelists. Breakout room 306.
Pecha Kucha Block 4 (Room 301)
Why you shouldn't miss it: America Woodall from Chicago's Active Transportation Alliance will share strategies for engaging and mobilizing public health partners.
Pecha Kucha Block 5 (Room 302)
Why you shouldn't miss it: Jill Locantore of WalkDenver shares a new open source walkability data tool; The Alliance's own Megan Odett discusses strategies for building your community's family biking culture.
1:00 - 6:00 PM
Future Bike (hosted by the League of American Bicyclists)
Why you shouldn't miss it: This half-day forum hosted by the League's Women Bike Program and Equity Initiative will connect advocates and activists to create a vision for bicycling that elevates new voices, engages local communities, and reimagines how we create streets that bring us together.
Poster sessions
Monday 4:30 - 5:30 PM & Tuesday 9:30 - 10:00 AM
Neighborhood Greenways St. Louis: Low-stress Connections for Underserved Communities
Why you should check it out: Learn how Trailnet, St. Louis' active transportation advocacy organization, built local support for Neighborhood Greenways in low-income communities and communities of color.
Complete Station Assessments: Road Map to a Better Transit Station
Why you should check it out: Leslie Phemister of Chicago's multimodal Active Transportation Alliance will present a new community organizing tool to help communities evaluate their local transit stations. A must-see if your advocacy includes transit areas.
Mode Shift Revolution in Champaign-Urbana
Why you should check it out: Hear how the League of Illinois Bicyclists worked with community partnerships and the League of American Bicyclists' Bicycle Friendly America program to increase walking and biking in this college town.
Engaging State Parks on Bicycle Travel Best Practices
Why you should check it out: If your bicycle advocacy includes state parks, Saara Snow fromt the Adventure Cycling Association could have some great advice for you. Learn how state parks can incorporate bicycle travel best practices.
Tuesday 3:00 - 3:30 PM & Wednesday 9:30 - 10:00 AM
Mapping Preferred Bike Routes in the Chicago Region
Why you should check it out: Learn all about how Chicago's Active Transportation Alliance created a three-state, regional bike map based on where people feel most comfortable riding. A must-see if your organization hopes to develop maps that incorporate crowdsourced knowledge about road comfort.
Creating a Culture of Choice in Your Transportation Agency
Why you should check it out: Trailnet, St. Louis' active transportation advocacy organization, has made major strides in changing the culture at regional and local transportation agencies. Learn how from Rhonda Smythe.
Bikesafetyquiz.com: Online Quiz-Based Lessons for Bicyclists and Motorists
Why you should check it out: The League of Illinois Bicyclists developed an online bike and automobile safety quiz to educate riders and drivers. Could it be replicable in your state? Learn more from Ed Barsotti.
