Over the past five years, PeopleForBikes has met and exceeded its goal of gathering 1 million names united for better biking in the United States — and their Local Engagement Portal is an opportunity for local and state advocacy groups to tap into that wealth of potential advocates in their communities. Last week, we hosted a webinar with PFB's Kristy Kibler and Sarah Braker to share more about the application process. Watch the full webinar below!
While a million people signed the PFB pledge, a significant portion are not affiliated with a local or state advocacy organization. But they're eager to make a difference in their communities. As Kibler explained, "[the Local Engagement Portal] is a way to bring reinforcements to all of your local work and gives us an opportunity to leverage our members."
So what's the process? Braker and Kibler explained the steps, including...
- The application itself, which is available on the PeopleForBikes website, must be completed first. Ideally, applications should be submitted two weeks before the requested action alert must be sent. That said, if there's an urgent issue that doesn't meet that timeline, don't hesitate to apply.
- After a quick initial review, PFB will pull together questions and respond within 48 hours of your application. Within one week, a team will review timing, content of the application, and stakeholder vetting. (Note: Having stakeholders against your issue won’t disqualify your application.)
- Once approved, PFB will create an alert with its organizational branding, but including your logo, too. Once they get local approval, they'll send it to their list. Once it's out, PFB staff will share open and action rates.
- Once the email is sent, applicants are required to stay in touch with PFB regarding developments around the campaign (for instance, a city council vote), so a follow-up email can be sent within six weeks of the action alert.
- Applicants should also be able to submit high quality photos and be willing to respond to questions from PFB staff before and after release.
It is worth it? Consider the Boston Cyclists Union, which applied for assistance with its campaign to get a protected bike lane on Commonwealth Avenue. After a successful application to the portal, PFB sent an action alert to 7,800 members on its list and 35% opened the email. Thanks in part to that mobilization, the campaign was ultimately successful. And that's just one example. (Watch the video for more examples!)
Kibler and Braker also fielded questions from the virtual audience, including
- Will PFB share the contacts for folks who take action? As of right now, no. But PFB is looking into its privacy obligations to see if sharing might be possible in the future.
- Is the Local Engagement Portal able to to target state house and senate districts? Yes.
- Are there ways for local governments to be involved? Yes, PFB is happy to work with cities, though working through an advocacy organization may be more effective.
- Are action alerted exclusively for elected officials or also transportation agency staff? Yes, we can direct it to any kind of target, given the contact by the applicant.
Want to learn more? Watch the webinar and get in touch with Kibler or Braker at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .'; document.write( '' ); document.write( addy_text12242 ); document.write( '<\/a>' ); //--> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
