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The Bike Share Boom
In recent Roundups we've covered the launch of Indego in Philly, Green Bike in Boise and expansions of bike sharing systems in many other cities. This week, the Bay Area celebrated the expansion of its program to more than 7,000 bikes by the end of 2017 and this weekend Pittsburgh advocates will help to roll out their city's Healthy Ride System, which includes 50 stations connecting 11 different neighborhoods.
Many have called bike sharing a game-changer for active transportation advocacy, embedding cycling as a public transit option, providing connections for the first or last mile and attracting new audiences that never before considered traveling on two wheels. As a movement, are we ready to engage these new riders, potential supporters and nascent advocates in our work? Are we telling stories and working with communities in a way that builds an inclusive future, not only for bike share systems, but the bike/ped movement at large?
Join us at our National Training this July — Organizing, Leadership and Digital Strategy for a Stronger Movement — to get best practices from social movement experts. Don't wait: Scholarships applications are due one week from today and early registration ends June 12.
Infrastructure Inlet
San Francisco-area advocates are cheering a massive, game-changing expansion of the city's bike share program from 750 to more than 7,000 bikes by the end of 2017.
Following a push from BikeWalkKC earlier this year, the Kansas Department of Transportation announced its inclusion of a 10-foot multi-use path on the new Centennial Bridge, "filling an important gap in the regional trail system."
The Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling are pushing for their state DOT to extend the Custis Trail, a popular multi-use path in Northern Virginia used by more than 500,000 people in 2014 alone.
In Chicago, the Active Transportation Alliance rallied more than 40 businesses to pledge support for the Kinzie Street protected bike lane.
Legislation Lane
In the wake of Governor Walker's proposal to eliminate Wisconsin's complete streets law, the Bike Fed shared the whopping price tag thus far for complete streets: 0.006% of the state's road construction costs. The advocates also kept the pressure on state legislators to vote no on a proposed bike tax.
Next door in Illinois, advocates are saying "no" to Governor Rauner's budget proposal that would slash nearly one-third of state funding for the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) while adding $120 million to the state's road construction fund.
Galvanized by illogical arguments from local media, the New Jersey Bike + Walk Coalition made its case for a safe passing law.
Florida advocates, including the Green Mobility Network, are promoting the passage of a state bill that would create the SunTrail Network of bicycle/pedestrian trails and require that the Florida Department of Transportation put $50 million per year into development of the network.
The Bicycle Transportation Alliance thanked its supporters for their help in a successful push to include $300,000 in funding for Safe Routes to School in the city budget.
Advocacy Avenue
With the Supreme Court soon to rule on gay marriage, the incoming board president of BikeSD emphasized the importance of bike advocacy with a timely and resonant comparison: "The recent rapid expansion of LGBT rights and the sharp, positive turn in the general public’s feelings toward LGBT members of our communities were not inevitable. It was advocacy."
Bike Cleveland shared its thoughts on Bicycles and Equity, noting that "environment, equity, and public health are at the heart of Bike Cleveland’s goals; we exist because we understand that bikes are tools that improve all three."
In Portland, the Bicycle Transportation Alliance and Oregon Walks, responded to a bicyclist fatality by calling for the city to adopt a strong Vision Zero commitment to eliminate all traffic deaths.
Bike Delaware demystified the term "cyclist" and made the pitch to state residents that, "if you rode a bike when you were a kid, then you were a cyclist … and can be again."
BikeHouston is galvanizing public input in the city's Bike Plan, emphasizing that its the first time in 20 years that the Bayou City is planning for bikes.
Thanks to a broad coalition of supporters, including Los Angeles Walks and the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, the city's planning commission passed a progressive Mobility Plan that includes complete streets, protected bike lanes and better transit connectivity.
Programming Promenade
The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is in the midst of Bike to Worship Week, an interfaith community event led by SFBC member-volunteers of all different faiths in partnership with the San Francisco Interfaith Council and California Interfaith Power and Light.
Bike Hutto, a member of Bike Texas, helped the small city of 14,500 people celebrate its first National Bike Month.
East Bay advocates are gearing up for the first of three Open Streets events with the Love Our Neighborhood Day tomorrow.
And it's a HUGE weekend in Pittsburgh with the first Open Streets PGH event also serving as the launch of the city's new bike sharing system.
Bike Walk Tennessee hired its first Executive Director: Matt Farr.
Emily Janas joined the Washington Area Bicyclist Association as its summer Women & Bicycles program fellow, focusing on "expanding outreach efforts to neighborhoods and populations in the greater D.C. area that are currently underrepresented in the group."
We talked to Kristen Jeffers (below), The Black Urbanist blogger, about her background and transition to BikeWalkKC.
Get a Job
The Alliance is seeking an Executive Director.
Seattle Bike Works is seeking a Development Coordinator.
The Washington Area Bicyclist Association is seeking an Executive Director.
The state and local biking and walking advocacy movement is growing. Check out the Alliance for Biking & Walking job board for listings all over North America.
Trailer
GObike Buffalo got a surprise in the mail: letters from a class that benefited from the group's Recycle-A-Bike program. We agree with Aleisha: Advocates rock.
