Blog

According to America's top doctor, it's time to #StepItUp. To address the staggering rise in chronic diseases and reverse trends that have engineered physical activity out of the lives of too many Americans, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released a new report with five ambitious goals intended to mobilize millions.

At the opening of our 2015 National Training in Milwaukee earlier this summer, our facilitators from Fission Strategy asked participants to pair up and share personal experiences that led them to become part of our People Powered Movement. The exercise wasn't just an ice-breaker — it set the stage for a wealth of lessons on effective communications. This is Randy's story.

In this week's Roundup, California advocates launch a Bikeways to Everywhere campaign, Bike Austin interviews Google about its self-driving cars, two cities push for "minimum grid," a high-profile protected bike lane is saved in Chicago... and much more.

Research shows that the most effective and successful organizations and businesses are those that capitalize on diverse perspectives and strengths within their ranks. From key volunteers to paid staff to the board of directors, the biking and walking movement is full of leaders — how can we tap into that wealth of talent and initiative to create leadership structures and pipelines that build a stronger, more inclusive movement?

On September 27, nearly 5 miles of Atlanta streets will be liberated from cars and given over to human-powered amusement. Tens of thousands of people will experience the unparalleled energy of Atlanta Streets Alive. Will you be one of them? Join us at the 2015 National Open Streets Summit and be part of one of the country's most successful initiatives.

It was another big week for Vision Zero with Los Angeles committing to eliminate all traffic deaths by 2025 and advocates in Silicon Valley releasing a new Vision Zero toolkit. The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition came out in support of an Idaho Stop Law, and two major advocacy organizations are looking to merge by the end of the year. But, the best line of the week, went to Bike Pittsburgh in a new PSA released in partnership with their local Port Authority.

If we made a Word Cloud from the discussions about equity, diversity and inclusion in the biking and walking movement over the past year, I’d wager one word would pop out: Partnership. But all partnerships aren’t created equal. In fact, sometimes what we call a partnership isn’t that at all. For me, digging into this topic was one of the most helpful aspects of our 2015 National Training.

Earlier this month, headlines pronounced a new era of transportation choices for a city obsessed with cars. With 300 miles of protected bike lanes, the adoption of Vision Zero and a central commitment to safety, the new mobility plan passed by the Los Angeles City Council has advocates across the country talking. And with good reason. We spoke with two leaders from the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition to learn more... 

It was with a very heavy heart that we shared the passing of Deb Hubsmith, a visionary leader, vibrant spirit and founder of the Safe Routes to School National Partnership this week. Deb was at the heart and soul of our People Powered Movement -- a tireless partner and catalyst to local and national advocates -- and we are deeply grateful for her unparalleled leadership and her inspiring legacy that will impact the lives of countless Americans for years to come. As the California Bicycle Coalition put it, Deb was a "visionary among visionaries" who will eternally inspire us "to fight harder for a better world."

From Los Angeles to Minneapolis, Milwaukee to Pittsburgh, Open Streets season is kicking into high gear in communities across the United States. And we're excited to bring more than 100 leaders and organizers together at the 2015 National Open Streets Summit in Atlanta just six weeks from now. Here's a preview of the preliminary agenda.