July/August 2009 www.bikeleague.org
BIKING RULES
NYC ALSO: Teachers Biking for Health, History and Halting Greenhouse Emissions Miami Bikes, But It’s not Easy
CONTENTS
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FEATURES
Biking rules NYC
Transportation Alternatives makes tangible improvements to bicycling in New York City.
18
24
teachers bike for health
miami bikes (but it ISN’T EASY)
See how four teachers incorporated bicycling into their Fund for Teachers grant projects this summer.
One woman’s adventure about bicycling in Miami.
DEPARTMENTS
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2........................... VIEWPOINT 3........................... CHAIR’S PERSPECTIVE 4........................... LEAGUE NEWS & NOTES 9........................... BICYCLE FRIENDLY AMERICA WORKSTAND 25.......................... GIVING 26.......................... THINK BIKE BIKING EVERYWHERE ... BUT NOT TO WORK (YET) Bev Colgan
Cover shot: Parking-protected bike lanes in New York City attract new cyclists. Photo by Steve Vaccaro, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
American Bicyclist 1
VIEWPOINT
A Sad GOODBYE I was going to write about a wonderful moment on July 4th. My wife volunteered my rather limited bike mechanic services to the neighborhood kids, and I was able to adjust a few seats and handlebars to good effect. I fixed a flat tire for one lad and he didn’t stop riding the rest of the evening — or the rest of the weekend. It was wonderful to see the joy on his face, and all I had to do was fix a flat to get him back on the road again. Instead, I have to find some way to make sense of the tragic loss of Bruce Rosar, the League’s Region 3 board member, in a collision with a car at the end of a club ride the following weekend. Bruce had been on the board for just 18 months, and was a strong advocate for our education programming at the national level, just as he was an active proponent and teacher of those same safe riding skills at the state and local level. There is no bad guy in this story. No drunk or distracted driver to rail against. No injustice done to the cyclist by law enforcement or court system. All the reports indicate a momentary lapse of concentration by a strong rider who prided himself on his traffic cycling skills — and in many ways that makes it all the tougher to comprehend. Our thoughts and prayers are obviously with Bruce’s wife Margaret and his two brothers as they come to terms with their loss. Perhaps Bruce’s death is a salutary reminder that bad things can happen to even the best and strongest rider — so let’s be careful out there. Maybe it’s also one of those moments to re-evaluate what is important to us. Bruce gave back — not just to cycling but also in many other spheres of his life. Bruce wasn’t just a participant or spectator; he was active in the leadership of his local club, in a statewide active living group and was a national board member with the League. We have lost an awful lot with Bruce’s passing, but we all gained from his cheerful, inquisitive and respectful engagement in the things he loved, and for that we are grateful.
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THE LEAGUE OF AMERICAN BICYCLISTS The League of American Bicyclists, founded in 1880 as the League of American Wheelmen, promotes bicycling for fun, THE LEAGUE OF AMERICANand BICYCLISTS fitness and transportation, works through advocacy and The League of American Bicyclists, foundedThe in 1880 as the education for a bicycle-friendly America. League represents League of American Wheelmen, promotes bicyclingWith for fun, the interests of the nation’s 57 million bicyclists. a current fitness and transportation, works through and25,000 membership of 300,000 and affiliated cyclists, advocacy including education for bicycle-friendly America. League represents individuals anda 700 organizations, theThe League works to bring the interests of the nation’s 57 million bicyclists. With a current better bicycling to your community. Contact League officers, membership of 300,000 affiliated cyclists,Bicyclists, including 1612 40,000 directors or staff at League of American K Street, individuals and Washington, 600 organizations, League works to bring NW, Suite 800, DC the 20006-2850, 202-822-1333; better bicycling to your community. Contact League officers, bikeleague@bikeleague.org, fax: 202-822-1334. directors or staff at League of American Bicyclists, 1612 K Street, NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20006-2850. Phone: BOARD OF DIRECTORS 202-822-1333; e-mail: bikeleague@bikeleague.org, fax: Harry Brull, harrybrull@bikeleague.org 202-822-1334. Secretary, Region 5 (AR, AZ, CO, IA, KS, LA, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, NM, OK, SD, TX, UT, WI, WY) BOARD OF DIRECTORS Gary Brustin, garybrustin@bikeleague.org, At Large John Allen, johnallen@bikeleague.org, Region 1 (CT, MA, ME, Amanda Eichstaedt, amandaeichstaedt@bikeleague.org, NH, NY, RI, VT) Chair, Region 6 (AK, CA, HI, ID, NV, OR, WA) Harry Brull, harrybrull@bikeleague.org, Region 5 (AR, AZ, CO, Lisa Falvy, lisafalvy@bikeleague.org, At Large IA, KS, LA, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, NM, OK, SD, TX, UT, WI, WY) Bill Hoffman, billhoffman@bikeleague.org, Region 2 Gary Brustin, garybrustin@bikeleague.org, At Large (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, WV) Amanda amandaeichstaedt@bikeleague.org, ReMike Nix,Eichstaedt, mikenix@bikeleague.org, At Large gion 6 (AK, CA, HI, ID, NV, OR, WA) Bruce Rosar, brucerosar@bikeleague.org, Region 3 (AL, GA,lisafalvy@bikeleague.org, KY, MS, NC, PR, SC, TN, VA) LisaFL, Falvy, At Large Rob Sadowsky, robsadowsky@bikeleague.org, Mike Greehan, At Large Region 4 (IL, IN,mikegreehan@bikeleague.org, MI, OH) John johnsiemiatkoski@bikeleague.org, EllenSiemiatkoski, Jones, ellenjones@bikeleague.org, Region 2 (DC, DE, MD, Region (CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT) NJ, PA, 1 WV) Eric Swanson, ericswanson@bikeleague.org, AtMartha LargeRoskowski, martharoskowski@bikeleague.org, At Large Hans Van Naerssen, hansvannaerssen@bikeleague.org, Jim Sheehan, jimsheehan@bikeleague.org, Region 4 (IL, IN, MI, OH) At Large Don Sparks, donsparks@bikeleague.org, Region 3 (AL, FL, GA, Tim Young, timyoung@bikeleague.org, At Large KY, MS, NC, PR, SC, TN, VA) Phyllis Harmon, phyllis5377@cs.com, Director Emeritus W. Preston Tyree, prestontyree@bikeleague.org, At Large STAFF Paul Wessel, paulwessel@bikeleague.org, At Large Andy Clarke – President Elizabeth Kiker – Vice President Phyllis Harmon, Director Emeritus, phyllis5377@cs.com Meghan Cahill – Director of Communications STAFF Alison Dewey – BFC Program Specialist Andy Clarke – Executive Director Walter Finch – Advocacy Director Dana Dudley – Staff Accountant Darren Flusche – Policy Analyst Lou Elin Dwyer – Advocacy Coordinator Lorna Green – Director of Operations Walter Finch – Advocacy Director Anna Kelso – Policy Analyst Lora Golann – Membership Assistant Michelle Moody – Membership Director Todd McDonald – Program Coordinator Bill Nesper – Director, Bicycle Friendly Community Program Bill Nesper – Program Manager Jeff Peel – BFC Program Specialist Elizabeth Preston – Director of Communications Lisa Reitz – Membership and Events Assistant Marthea Wilson – Deputy Executive Director Sharon Thorne – Administrative Assistant Preston Tyree – Education Director LEAGUE OF AMERICAN BICYCLISTS MAGAZINE Editor: Elizabeth Preston AMERICAN BICYCLIST MAGAZINE Art Director: Studio D Design Editor: Meghan Cahill Editor Emeritus: Phyllis W. Harmon Art Director: Studio D Design Editor Emeritus: Phyllis W. Harmon
American Bicyclist magazine (ISSN 0747-0371) is published six times yearly by the League of American Bicyclists, Inc. © 2007 League of American Bicyclist magazine (ISSN 0747-0371) is published six times American Bicyclists. Reproduction in whole or in part without permisyearly by the League of American Bicyclists, Inc. © 2009 League of sion is prohibited. Article queries should be addressed to the editor at American Bicyclists. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission elizabeth@bikeleague.org. Your submission of manuscripts, photographs, is prohibited. Article queries should be addressed to meghan@bikeleague. or artwork, is your warranty that the material in no way infringes on org. Your submission of manuscripts, photographs, or artwork, is your the rights of others and that the material may be published without adwarranty that the material in no way infringes on the rights of others ditional approval. Opinions expressed by writers are their own and do not and that the material may be published without additional approval. necessarily reflect the policies of the League. Opinions expressed by writers are their own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of the League.
CHAIR’S PERSPECTIVE Amanda Eichstaedt
Chair, League of American Bicyclists
How is Bicycling Doing?
I
was coming back from the airport in San Francisco and driving up Highway 101 when I saw a large billboard for a prominent banking company that has a silhouette of a person carrying their bicycle on their shoulders — a la cyclocross. It caught my eye. In this day and age of failing banks, I find it interesting that a financial institution of stature chose an image of someone carrying a bicycle to sell their products. Go figure. So this got me thinking ... how is bicycling doing? And I mean cycling
as a whole: the industry, the advocates and the activity. General Motors filed for bankruptcy. The mainstays of the automobile industry are having a tough time. I heard recently that a friend and colleague was laid off from his job as a transportation planner because the funding for his programs, neighborhood traffic calming and bicycle programs, had been eliminated during budget cuts ... along with his job. Signs of the economic downturn are all around us. Indications are that much of the bicycle industry is taking a hit during this economic downturn but perhaps not as great a hit as many other industries. In fact, some retailers reported record months this spring. Non-profits are also struggling in this economy. Thankfully the League is holding its own and strengthening programs while continuing to build partnerships within advocacy and the industry. Funding has been secured for a joint project with the League and the Alliance for Biking and Walking to strengthen the Bicycle Friendly America program, while the National Bicycle Dealers Association is continuing support for a joint bicycle education project with independent retailers. An infusion from SRAM will help us enhance and update membership and build capacity. Bikes Belong continues
to support organizations and communities throughout the U.S., and their continued support of the League has been crucial to our current success. Gas prices also seem to be inching back up, which is always an incentive for folks to drive less and consider other modes, including bicycling. I find it comforting that during a time when more people are choosing to hop on a bike that the League has more than 1,000 certified League Cycling Instructors in the U.S. (and the numbers are consistently growing) working to spread the word on Smart Cycling. What I am experiencing from my vantage point as the League’s Chair of the Board is a real sense of hope. After seven years associated directly with the League board, I am feeling like the programs: Bicycle Friendly America, Smart Cycling, the National Bike Summit and advocacy are improving all the time. These positive signs, along with the sheer number of people riding bicycles for fun, fitness and transportation across the country, make me excited about the future. Bicycling in communities is becoming a political measurement of success. We are returning to our roots. Thank you for your continued support of the League of American Bicyclists.
American AmericanBicyclist Bicyclist 33
LEAGUE NEWS & NOTES
letters to the EDITOR
INFORMED DEAR EDITOR, Thanks for the fine article — State Update: GetAbout Columbia. I thought it did a great job of encouraging action. Robert Johnson described Columbia’s accomplishments and tactics clearly. Anne Fuller Juneau, Alaska
Too Green? DEAR EDITOR: My interest was piqued as I read Amanda Eichstaedt’s editorial (May/June 2009) regarding the possibility of being “too green.” I’m a zealot — we actually use a clothesline, ride bicycles and use our old coffee grounds for compost, but I try not to preach. I just try to inspire by way of a quiet example and hopefully an open mind. Global warming, global cooling, whatever. Let’s pollute less, exercise more, live longer and be happier. Now, who’s going to argue with that? Bruce Dix Bradenton, Fla. 4 American Bicyclist
DEAR EDITOR, After reading the Chair’s Perspective in the last issue, I thought that it would make sense to make American Bicyclist green. Zero percent or 10 percent post consumer waste paper is not green. Bob Corman Mountain View, Calif.
We Swear; We Didn’t Mean to Swear
Kindness of Strangers
DEAR EDITOR, In reading Anne Rock’s article “Confessions of a Cycling Mom,” I had to do a double-take: MILF. I am laughing (somewhat) as I write this, since I suppose in order to be offended, one must first know what the acronym MILF stands for. Maybe a little too risque for the League? Jeffrey Lynne, Esq. Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
DEAR EDITOR: While on a ride with a friend Steve, I realized that I had a broken spoke on my rear wheel. We were 35 miles from our cars and in a small town without a bike shop. The situation looked grim. Then along came Joe, my cycling Good Samaritan who just finished a 100-mile training ride. Joe then went the extra mile by riding home for an extra rear wheel that he let me borrow. I’ll never forget that particular ride. Cyclists are truly a different breed! Dave Simmons, LCI #2437 Elk Grove Village, Ill.
DEAR EDITOR, The term MILF is not something that should be used in a magazine with a family audience. It is a wellknown acronym that is not nice. Lloyd Lemons Jacksonville, Fla.
EDITOR’S NOTE: “Confessions of a Cycling Mom” was the winning essay in an external competition by Tour D’Afrique. The League agreed to print the winning essay in American Bicyclist. We apologize if the irreverent tone offended any of our readers.
Tandems DEAR EDITOR: I read with interest the piece in the May/June 2009 issue of American Bicyclist, about Clair Duckham riding to age 102. What an inspiration for us all! I do want to comment though, on a remark made by the author
when describing riding with Clair on a tandem to his 100th birthday celebration. Chuck Smith stated “I was concerned about getting up to speed for balance, as the Co-Motion tandem is rather unstable at low speeds.” I feel this statement will give your readers the wrong impression and should be clarified or retracted. Mark Owings Bellingham, Wash. CO-MOTION CYCLES’ RESPONSE: I appreciate your concern, Mark, and I have to admit I find the comment alarming. While I bristle at Mr. Smith’s remark, I believe he has a right to his opinion. The publication itself should have been more cautious, perhaps. But if I ask myself what I would expect from the editor, I find myself siding with them. So, I’m going to trust the intelligence of American Bicyclist’s readers. The article has some good, positive information about tandem and cycling in old age. Hopefully, more will come of the article’s positive attributes in the long run. Dwan Shepard, Owner, Co-Motion Cycles, Inc. Eugene, Ore.
thanks for your letters We eagerly await all of your comments — good and bad — on cycling, the League, our publications, and just about anything else you want to tell us about. E-mail meghan@ bikeleague.org, fax your letter to 202-822-1334 or mail it to us at 1612 K Street NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20006. Letters may be edited for style and length.
Staff SHARON THORNE, League Administrative Assistant
Thorne (top, right) proudly poses with the League staff after a ride.
When I joined the League in June of 2008, I had not ridden a bike since I was as a teenager. As the tenth out of 12 kids, I can remember riding around the neighborhood in Washington, D.C. with my sisters. When my kids were born, I taught them how to ride. Mia, 16, and Joshua, 14, first rode Big Wheels, then tricycles and finally, two-wheelers. Bikes were a good way for them to see friends and get around the neighborhood, just like when I was growing up. Now that my kids are teenagers, they don’t ride as much, although Mia and I sometimes exercise together — she bikes Thorne’s first ride while I run. since childhood was For the past 20 years, while working in D.C., a 20-mile League I rode the Metro every day to and from work. outing in June to the Although I hit the gym often, it wasn’t until this newly opened Woodpast June that I got back on a bike — one year row Wilson Bridge in Virginia. after joining the League. My first ride was a 20-mile League outing to the newly opened Woodrow Wilson Bridge in Virginia. Although it rained within five minutes of starting, there were some unexpected highlights. I really enjoyed riding in traffic! Getting from our office in the city all the way to the trails in Virginia — on a bike — was exciting. We even crossed the state line into Maryland! Riding in a group was also a lot of fun — and gave me a lot of motivation to hit the trails again to exercise and socialize with friends and co-workers. Part of an occasional series introducing League Staff to members. American Bicyclist
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LEAGUE NEWS & NOTES IN MEMORIAM
BRUCE ROSAR
B
ruce W. Rosar, 56, of Cary, N.C. died Saturday, July 11, 2009 while riding his bike near Apex, N.C. According to authorities, Rosar was finishing up a 62-mile ride when he attempted to make a left-hand-turn and was struck by an oncoming motor vehicle. Rosar was an active League of American Bicyclists member, practicing League Cycling Instructor and a Board member since March 2008. He is survived by his wife Margaret Rosar, also of Cary, and brothers James and Keith.
“It is a tragic irony that Bruce was one of our certified League Cycling Instructors with a passion for safe riding; he was active throughout the Raleigh/Durham area promoting cycling and cyclist safety,” said Chair Amanda Eichstaedt on behalf of the League of American Bicyclists’ Board of Directors. “He will be missed terribly and our hearts go out to his family, friends and riding colleagues.” Rosar resided in the Triangle Area of North Carolina for the past 20 years where he incorporated his
Bruce Rosar was an avid cyclist, volunteer and advocate for bicycling and a strong believer in bicycle education. He was a League Board member and LCI and active in local bicycling groups near his home of Cary, N.C.
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passion for bicycling into his daily life — riding for transportation, exercise and peace of mind. Rosar was active in bicycling advocacy and several other nonprofit causes. He served as Director of the North Carolina Active Transportation Alliance, was a founding member of the North Carolina Coalition for Bicycle Driving, Education Officer for the North Carolina Bicycle Club, an elected representative for Region 3 on the League of American Bicyclists Board and a member of the CAMPO Bicycle/Pedestrian Stakeholders Group. Rosar believed strongly in the importance of bike education. From 2001 to 2002, he was a member of the Task Force which developed the CAMPO Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan. In 1999 and 2000, Rosar counseled the Citizens Advisory Committee in developing the Bicycle Element of Cary’s Transportation Plan. Rosar was President of the North Carolina Bicycle Club during 2002 and 2003 and acted as the cycling advisor for the annual Pilot Club Bike Rodeo in Cary from 1994 to 2001. As an LCI, he taught Smart Cycling at bike rallies in North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Tennessee and encouraged businesses in North Carolina’s Research Triangle area to become more bicycle-friendly. He strived to teach adults how to cycle safely and efficiently on the roads.
Award photos by Chris Daigle
“In his 18 months on the League’s national board, he clearly demonstrated his passion for cyclist education that was so evident at the local level, and we all benefited from his thoughtful analysis of the issues,” said Andy Clarke, League President. “I will always remember the warm welcome he gave me when I presented Cary with a Bicycle Friendly Community award several years ago, and just wish I’d gotten back sooner to join him for a ride around the area.” The League will remember Rosar’s friendship, love of cycling and successes in bicycle education and advocacy. Rosar’s life can be celebrated by supporting the League’s Smart Cycling program. Visit the League Honorary and Memorial donations page at www.bikeleague.org/news/rosar_memoriam.php to make a contribution in Rosar’s memory. His family is also encouraging donations to be made in Rosar’s memory at three additional charities that were important to Rosar: Second Chance Pet Adoptions, WCPE Classical Radio and WUNC-tv. A celebration of life service for Rosar is tentatively planned for spring 2010.
League of American Bicyclists
2009AWARDS Paul Dudley White Award Palo Alto and bicycling are almost synonymous thanks to the tireless leadership and activism of Ellen Fletcher, recipient of the League’s highest recognition named in honor of Presidential cardiologist Dr. Paul Dudley White. For the past four decades, Fletcher has championed the cause of bicycling in Palo Alto and the entire Bay area. During her time on the city council, including periods as mayor, she passed pioneering ordinances and policies related to bike parking, surface maintenance standards and the like. The nation’s first Bike Boulevard, Bryant Avenue, is named after her in recognition of the contribution she made to the city’s bicycle-friendliness. Fletcher served on numerous boards, including the League’s national board; advisory committees; and policy bodies, and she was particularly active in recent years with advocacy groups and bicycle advisory committees in the Silicon Valley. Congratulations!
Educator of the Year Bert Hill was recognized as the League’s Educator of the Year for 2008 at the Smart Cycling conference in San Jose, Calif. Hill spearheaded extensive and very successful bicycling education programs in the San Francisco area, working in collaboration with the San Francisco Bicycling Coalition, the city, local business and area shops, and bicycle advocacy groups. “Bert led an initiative to raise the awareness of bicycling issues within the San Francisco Police Department and ensured that even as the construction element of the city’s bike plan was on hold for three years because of a lawsuit, education programs continued to give new riders the confidence and skills to ride in the city,” said Andy Clarke, President of the League. Photo (top): Ellen Fletcher (center) accepts the Paul Dudley White Award from League Chair Amanda Eichstaedt and League President Andy Clarke at the 2009 Smart Cycling Conference. Photo (left): Bert Hill (right) recognized as Educator of the Year by League President Andy Clarke. American Bicyclist
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LEAGUE NEWS & NOTES BECOME A LEAGUE
BOARD MEMBER
If you are interested in serving on the League Board of Directors, or if you know someone who would be a good representative for cyclists, the Nominating Committee is soliciting recommendations for candidates for 2010 board appointments. The 12 Directors on the board are responsible for setting broad policy and direction for the League. Six represent specific regions and are elected by League members. One seat is an at-large position, elected by members. The board selects the remaining five seats. Four of the board-selected, at-large seats are open in 2010. Gary Brustin, Mike Nix and Tim Young are running again, Lisa Falvy is not. Candidate qualifications include: a commitment to cycling — as sport, recreation, fitness, or transportation, and a knowledge of bicyclists’ concerns; prior involvement in bicycling-related organizations; participation in League activities and programs; history of volunteer service to non-profit organizations, and familiarity with the issues of governance of non-profits, preferably through service as an officer/director/trustee; professional level skills in a field of use to the Board and the League; of “good moral character” — someone whose presence on the Board would not result in any embarrassment to the League; an ability to bring other substantial resources to the League, such as influential connections with potential donors, business or political leaders.
Timing of the 2009 elections:
September 18, 2009: Deadline for recommendations/applications. September 25, 2009: Nominating Committee reports to the Board, recommending a slate of candidates. December: Board meets and chooses new board members. March: Directors take office, at the Annual Meeting (held in connection with the National Bike Summit, in Washington D.C.)
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Bill Clark of the Illinois Valley Wheelm’n was quite surprised to win the urban backpack.
GIVING BACK(pack)
To honor the hardworking volunteers around the country who make Bike Month, Week and Day so successful and who inspire new bike commuters, the League’s Bike Month sponsor, SealLine, generously donated 20 urban backpacks for the League to give as gifts to organizations and their volunteers. We sponsored a short answer contest to find out who our member organizations would give the gift to and why. The response was tremendous and inspiring. The League staff picked the top 20 answers which can be viewed at www.bikeleague.org. The Procrastinating Pedalers of Reno, Nev. nominated their volunteer Erin Dixon. For Bike Month 2009, Dixon implemented a Corporate Challenge event and applied for and received a government grant from the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety. The group used the grant for 250 goody bags for Bike to Work Week participants. The grant also allowed the group to pay for a Bike Month public service announcement to run on local cable channels. Jennifer Klausner, Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, nominated their tireless L.A. River Ride Coordinator, Janette Hoffman. Hoffman has been working with LACBC to produce L.A. River Ride, their biggest annual event and their most important fundraising effort. “I have great respect for Janette’s level of commitment to our organization,” said Klausner. Thanks to all the organizations who shared your inspiring volunteer stories, and congratulations to all who were nominated.
BICYCLE FRIENDLY AMERICA
WORKSTAND
Why Your
BUSINESS
Should be BICYCLE FRIENDLY In today’s world of competitive business and high employee turnover, what keeps employees happily anchored to their jobs? Is it a comprehensive and inexpensive health insurance package, accessible transportation options, company morale? Actually, it’s all of these things and more. One way businesses can cover many of these aspects is to encourage bicycling as a viable form of transportation. Studies have shown that an employer’s emphasis on fitness will decrease health insurance costs, lower absenteeism, increase productivity, and will also reduce parking costs! If employers offer a few simple benefits to those who ride to work, the rewards will be reciprocated. There truly is no better return on an investment. So how do employers begin to encourage bicycling within the workplace? Businesses can start by offering employees the Bicycle Commuter Tax Benefit*. Effective January 1, 2009, this benefit can help defer commuting costs such as bike equipment and maintenance. Commuters are eligible to receive $20 per month or $240 a year when they cycle to work a specified amount of time (set by the employer). Another way to get the wheels turning is to offer employees bike parking. Secure and convenient
parking inside or outside the workplace demonstrates support of bicycling for employees and guests. First and foremost, employees want to know that their bicycle will be there when they are done with work. Secure parking is essential to a commuter’s peace of mind. Also, be sure to promote Bike to Work Day, the third Friday in May every year. This nationally recognized day will get those closet cyclists out on their bikes and lead the way for the beginners. Send around a company email to promote the day, put up fliers or support a local event. Providing a commuter breakfast as simple as bagels and coffee is another great
way to acknowledge your commuters’ efforts on Bike to Work Day or any day. Don’t forget, a company bike club is a fun way of gathering workplace bicyclists. Club meetings are a great catalyst to creating a network of like-minded commuters, recreational cyclists and interested beginners. Invite company management to events and meetings so they are aware of the level of interest within the business. With these few steps to incorporate bicycling in the workplace, businesses can broaden transportation options, improve employee health, increase company morale and improve the business’s level of social responsibility. Bicycling makes a better workplace for everyone. *For more information on the Bicycle Commuter Tax Benefit and the League’s Bicycle Friendly Business program, visit www.bikeleague.org/ resources/commuters and www.bicyclefriendlybusiness.org.
by Alison Dewey Photo courtesy of Quality Bike Products
American Bicyclist
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Senior
10 American American Bicyclist Bicyclist
Photo
Vaccar by Steve
K rtation Alternatives C I N D U B . S isor, Transpo BY: NOPAoH licy Adv
typical ed from a m r fo s n a s tr lieves in w York ha nal, to a city that be e N y. s u a reab n k biking is ow d recreatio es has bee in n v a th ti l a o ta n h r n e e w lt id n le p ortation A ycling is seen as inc y traffic, are orkers. Peo it Y c t w u e o N b Transp ic r a b fo ner vous city, where sportation solution s been too y a American n a lw a tr e l a v a h dramatic as a re over time d but who t n e u y the bicycle ., ro a .S e U v e the th ay to mo en over to ercent. ies around ding. iv it ri g c d r ly sonable w e n e a th rg s o e ces are la their bik than 1 p mon with public spa getting on ltry at less d ch in com a nt.” n u p a m is ts s e a re e h a tr h ork ur s is so differe de s o y it m c le is c y th ic ; New Y me here. Most of o culture s. Our b done here s co rant bicycle private auto ay, “Oh, it can’t be ib v f o change ha a e h g it ra w blessed be. t and sto , cynics s movemen ew York is ity could and should ore organ America a N t, rb e u e f tr o s h c c ’c with a main vision for what our lternatives Like in mu re A e n h d by o w ti y n ta a r a o like nsp ave ent is fuele h ra m T o e h v ’s y w o it s m e However, C ts ip rk nstantly ble stree ts of all str s is one of New Yo n. The liva on Alternatives is co es and o and activis m ie it m c o c f o inship nsportati ve much in est practic The k s. Cities ha n between cities. Tra in the Big Apple. B and le ip c n ri p affic streets tr nges etitio a p w h c m lo o nizational : le c a y ib rs g b refor m n ve ons and to make ta New York and vice ar parking tives c ; re e o g h a w shared less ic e h ls Alterna t from C eas from e relevant to ouragemen eles. Transportation g quality c adapting id om other cities are n e le c y ic s fr Los Ang improvin d, Ore.; b experience m Portlan ulture from the greatest gains in o c fr e s ik b rd a g v n w that ues. bike boule d cultivati use we kno addressing urban iss ncisco; an a c ra e F b s n a n S o s from ese les pen by sly seeks th vironment will hap n continuou e ity and the of life, equ
AmericanBicyclist Bicyclist 11 11 American
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In 2005, in response to a record number of cyclist fatalities, biking groups came together and presented Mayor Bloomberg with the New York City Bike Safety Action Plan. T.A. asked for leadership, for more city resources to increase cycling and improve safety, including: a comprehensive study of all bicycle deaths and serious injuries; aggressive enforcement to deter drivers from illegal behavior; a deadline to finish NYC’s 1997 Bicycle Master Plan; the goal of putting every New Yorker within a half-mile of the bike network; a Public Awareness Campaign to educate drivers about cyclists’ rights to the streets; and more city personnel working on bicycle projects. New York City’s bicycle organizations, 20 in all representing the breadth of the city’s cycling community, promoted the Action Plan among their membership and throughout the cycling community. It was covered in the media, and people contacted city hall, urging for its adoption. Simultaneously, Mayor Bloomberg and his top advisors started work on
PlaNYC, the City’s long-term sustainability plan. T.A. seeded best practices from around the world with the Mayor’s advisors. The city held town hall meetings to gather public input, and we rallied the city’s cyclists to attend. We knew that if our supporters were there, there would be more focus on cycling and livable streets in the
Photo by Steve Vaccaro, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
“Advocates create the political will and political space to achieve change,” says Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives. “Cities are models,” he adds, “as we work on local, state and federal levels to change transportation and public space priorities in the face of population growth and climate change, we move away from private automobiles and toward livable streets and sustainable communities.” T.A. and our allies use organizing, research, communications and events to make the case for more investment in public space to be used in the public interest and repurposed for bicycling, walking and public transit. When these green modes of transportation work together, they become a real transportation solution for a dense urban center, and people can easily leave their cars at home or sell them. Over the last two years, New York City has made a radical shift in policy and priority for our streets. Cycling has increased and gotten safer. Subway and bus ridership has grown. Driving has remained flat.
Photo by Steve Vaccaro, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
ast two Over the l ork City Y w e N , s year radical a e d a m s ha licy and shift in po r our priority fo ling has c y C . s t e stre and gotten d e s a e r c n i ay and w b u S . r e saf hip has s r e d i r s u b ing has v i r D . n w gro flat. remained
Safety in Numbers: The increase of cycling in NYC has coincided with a decrease in bicycle casualties.
final document. If they weren’t there speaking up, then we had missed our chance. PlaNYC and other administration projects realized many of the objectives from the Bike Safety Action Plan. In 2006, the City Departments of Health, Transportation, Police and Parks released the comprehensive study, Bicyclist Fatalities and Serious Injuries in New York City, 1996-2005. In 2007, Mayor Bloomberg released PlaNYC, which includes the goal of completing the bicycle master plan by 2030. Shortly after the release, he appointed Janette Sadik-Khan to lead the NYC Department of Transportation. Also that year, advocates and government launched New York’s first bike safety ad campaign, LOOK. Since then, the City has markedly increased the amount of resources it devotes to promoting and increasing cycling, having installed 200 miles of new bike lanes, paths and routes in the past three years and developed more robust designs like parking-protected bike lanes — the 8th and 9th Avenue and Grand Street cycle-tracks.
Mayor Bloomberg is proving that traffic is not like the weather — there is something you can do about it. City hall has invested the money and time to create dedicated street space for bicycle lanes and initiated citywide policies that indicate a respect for and appreciation of bicycling in the city’s larger transportation network. Public spaces, car-free streets, bike lanes and pedestrian safety improvements are antidotes to an automobile-centric road system that was failing New York. With political support, any municipality can reapportion street space to a higher use. “Bicycling isn’t just about recreation. For cities, a sustainable future depends on a balanced transportation network, which requires us to enhance the safety and accessibility of bicycling to make it an even more attractive transportation option,” notes Commissioner Sadik-Khan. “The City’s unprecedented three-year, 200mile expansion of its bike network and the exploding growth in bicycle commuters, have transformed New York City into the bike capital of the
omberg Mayor Blo that is proving like the t o n s i c i f traf there is — r e h t a e w ou can y g n i h t e som it. do about United States. Moving forward we will continue to work to double commuter cycling by 2015 and to complete the City’s 1,800-mile bike master plan.” So, now that our mayor gets it, T.A. has refocused its energy into making sure city hall keeps bringing in the best and brightest livable streets innovations and has the public support to keep forging ahead. As advocates, we want to make sure that other U.S. cities are taking heed of what’s been accomplished in New York and figuring out for themselves how to promote bicycling, walking and public transit and incite competition in the livable streets movement. More than ever, T.A. is engaging communities and helping them deAmerican Bicyclist 13
velop their own vision for more livable streets. We’re hosting livable streets block parties and design competitions, working on car-free days and empowering citizens with a new vocabulary to talk about safer, saner streets with their elected and government officials. We’re helping our citizens understand the government’s plans and asking them to turn out to public forums in support of change. All of this public support is adding up and giving the mayor a mandate: every street needs to be safe enough for a child to go out their front door and bike to school or to the park. With 180,000 daily bicycle commuters, combined with the rapid growth of the bike network, bicycle advocates are faced with the unique challenge of making sure that this growth is positive and sustainable. There is a relative lack of education, for cyclists and non-cyclists alike, about how cyclists fit into our densely populated city. At community meetings across the city, the non-bike-riding public sees bicyclists as a menace and bad bike behavior as incongruous with the amount of attention that bicycling is receiving from the government. The struggle for more and better bike lanes could be derailed 14 American American Bicyclist Bicyclist
in these public forums, so T.A. has started an enormous bicycle education effort to meet the growth of new riders: Biking Rules! On National Bike to Work Day 2009, T.A. unveiled Biking Rules at commuter stops, in the media and through a new online resource, bikingrules.org. Biking Rules, as the name implies, has two main goals: to encourage bicycling; and to empower cyclists with the rules of the road and tips to make us leaders in the larger effort for safer, saner streets. Biking Rules centers on a Street Code led by cyclists — as our ability to cause harm on the streets increases, so too does our responsibility to others. One of the main objectives of Biking Rules is to improve the interactions of cyclists and pedestrians. The Wild West culture on New York streets can lend itself to a survival of the fittest attitude that is modeled heavily on the insular travel of automobiles. But in the walking capital of the world, where crosswalks and sidewalks are as much about safety as they are about order, a boom in cycling can also make way for a more civil and courteous series of street interactions that rely on eye contact and yielding, more than they do on solitary travel
and speed. Biking Rules is a new positive story about how cyclists are taking the lead to create livable streets. America is urbanizing. Yet in every city in the country, bikers, walkers, bus riders and straphangers — standing subway or bus passengers — are fighting for the scraps left over from cars. Cars just take up too much space in cities and get too much subsidy. They’re the least efficient form of urban transportation, yet our cities are designed around them, to the practical exclusion of everyone else. It’s backwards, and it’s inequitable. The time to make sense of this mess is long overdue. With debate already started on the new federal transportation bill, the question of whether or not cities will get their fair share is up in the air. Urbanization is a good trend. More than 80 percent of Americans live in metropolitan areas; they have smaller carbon footprints than other Americans and produce more than 75 percent of our gross domestic product. Moving people in and out and around metropolitan areas in healthy, efficient and environmentally-friendly ways requires federal programs that give the advantage to bicycling, walking and public transit and dis-incentivizes private automobile travel. Cities need direct access to federal funding (not a detour through state government) and flexible funding that incentivizes green transportation. Cities need champions in Washington D.C. and at home who have the vision of livable streets — a vision where people of all ages and abilities leave their homes and do not need a car to get them where they want to go. You can follow Transportation Alternatives’ work in New York City and keep up with best practices from around the country and the world by subscribing to our magazine, Reclaim; our e-news, StreetBeat; and by checking transalt.org. Come to New York and experience our 20th annual New York City Century bike tour on September 13, 2009 and see the transformation first-hand: nyccentury.org.
MAKING
A BICYCLE FRIENDLY COMMUNITY
Making a city the size, scale and intensity of New
York City a more bicycle-friendly community is not for the faint of heart. When New York City first applied for designation as a Bicycle Friendly Community, their application weighed more than nine pounds with all the accompanying brochures, plans, policies, maps and promotional items — it was clear the city was on the move.
Two years later, with the bikeway network grow-
ing; a dizzying National Bike Month schedule; the visionary PlaNYC, a focused crash reduction plan; and a blossoming partnership between Transportation Alternatives and NYC, the time was right for a Bronze Bicycle Friendly Community designation. Throughout this time, Bike New York has continued to set the standard for signature community bike events and built an exemplary Smart Cycling education program — both of which the League sampled
"A central part of our PlaNYC is to reduce carbon emissions by getting people out of cars. We're trying to make it easier for people to use their bikes as a viable means of transportation, and we appreciate this recognition," said Mayor Bloomberg. "Whether increasing and improving bicycle lanes or building bike shelters near transit hubs, by making New York more bike friendly, we're taking steps to prepare for the future."
first-hand in 2005 as they hosted our national bike education conference. The rapid progress the city is now making under the leadership of Mayor Bloomberg and Commissioner Sadik-Khan is breathtaking and spinning the nation’s largest city inexorably towards Silver and beyond. Bike shelter parking protects New York bike commuters from the elements, while providing a safe place to park their bikes.
AmericanBicyclist Bicyclist 15 15 American
by Carrie Pillsburg, Fund for Teachers
16 American American Bicyclist Bicyclist
ooks, not bicycles, comprise traditional teachers’ tool kits. But for Fund for Teachers, a national education non-profit, grants are often used unconventionally. Fund for Teachers has awarded more than $12 million in grants to approximately 3,500 of America’s top educators over the past nine years. Fund for Teachers’ Fellows hail from across the country and teach a variety of disciplines in pre-K through 12th grades. For the following six exemplary educators, biking evolved not only into classroom curricula but life-long callings as well.
Bikes for Botswana
Gaborone, Botswana needed answers to rising gas prices, escalating greenhouse gas emissions and a scarcity of reliable transportation. Adrianna Smyth and Julie Anderson, teachers at Oakland’s College Prep School, along with colleague Andy Dean and eight students, delivered an economically and environmentally sustainable solution last summer in the form of bicycles. Bay area retailer Mike’s Bikes
Photos on this page courtesy of Julie Anderson
B
Anderson (right) with one of her College Prep students repaired donated bikes, shipped them to Botswana, and met them there — building Jonmol Bicycle Services from scratch.
assisted the teachers and students by funding a shipping container, providing air pumps and tools, creating a bike drive and serving as a staging area for collecting donated bikes and disassembling them prior to the overseas shipment. Store owners also identified a Botswana Red Cross worker and budding entrepreneur named Bones Moletsane, whom they met through the BikeTown Africa Aid Project. College Prep students joined the bike drive, handled minor repair work on donated bikes, and packed the 40-foot shipping container with 406 bicycles. Anderson applied her Fund for Teachers grant toward accompanying the students to meet the container on the other side of the Atlantic.
For one week, the College Prep team worked alongside Moletsane and the owners of Mike’s Bikes as they built Jonmol Bicycle Services from scratch. The team unloaded the container, repaired bikes, distributed flyers around the city and served customers coming through the door with their flyer in hand. By the end of the week, Moletsane paid back his start-up loan and the students left feeling they made a real impact in Botswana. “I have traveled extensively in my life, but this was definitely one of the best trips I have ever taken,” said Anderson. “I felt like we made a positive contribution to life in Gaborone, and even more importantly is what we teachers and students learned from the people we met and the work we did. We not only learned about this
Left: Some of the 406 donated bikes leaned up against the container that brought them from Oakland. American Bicyclist 17
amazing culture so different from our own, but we also realized that it is possible to make a difference in the world through simple and effective projects like this one.”
Friluftsliv for Everyone!
Photo courtesy of Cindy Coughlin and Sandra Collins
A Latin proverb states, “It is solved by walking.” Cindy Coughlin and Sandra Collins, teachers at Springfield, Massachusetts’s Alice B. Beal Elementary School, put words in ancient Romans’ mouths by adding, “...and biking.” Inspired by their concern for childhood obesity and the realization that their local outdoor resources were severely underused, Coughlin and
Coughlin and Collins trekking across a fjord in Norway, experiencing friluftsliv first hand. 18 American Bicyclist
Photo courtesy of Julie Anderson
Photo courtesy of Julie Anderson
Two of Anderson’s students prep a bike for sale.
College Prep student with a Botswana customer.
Collins traveled to Norway with their Fund for Teachers grant to explore its citizens’ practice of friluftsliv, or outdoor life. Immersing themselves in the concept, they trekked through the Norwegian wilderness to bring the model back to their community and increase the amount of physical activity in their own backyards. “Studies prove that a lack of exercise can affect a person socially and physically,” said Coughlin. “Our challenge and passion is to educate both students and families on friluftsliv, motivate people to become proponents of exercise and physical movement and open our school community’s eye to simple, healthy and enjoyable activities without a high cost.” After returning from their Fund for Teachers summer odyssey, the duo developed a bike program for fourthand fifth-graders; hosted a bike rodeo; led fourth-graders in their development of a handicap-accessible, walking/biking public orienteering course at their local park; oversaw the installation of new bike racks; and instigated Safe Routes to School bike routes, the only district in the state to do so. Leading by example, Collins and Coughlin also ride their own bikes to school every day (six-mile and 14-mile round-trips, respectively). “We want to show students that we practice what we preach, and they love the fact that
“The greatest reward is seeing students who are usually driven to school, riding their bikes ... they carry their helmets like trophies into the school building.” we park our bikes on the same bike racks as they do,” explained Coughlin. “We certainly generate a great deal of excitement for bike riding when we ride our own bikes!” “The greatest reward is seeing students who are usually driven to school, riding their bikes,” said Collins. “When they park their bikes, they are talking with each other, carrying their helmets like trophies into the school building. At the end of the day, they run out of the building talking excitedly about riding home.”
European Pedal Power
This summer, four of Fund for Teachers’ 315 fellows will incorporate biking into their summer fellowship experiences. Ardell Siegel and Lenicia Gordon, teachers at Houston’s School at St. George Place, plan to bike and barge through historic Holland to connect this experience to Dutch
Photo courtesy of Cindy Coughlin and Sandra Collins
Two fourth-graders plotting out the handicap-accessible walking/biking course in a Springfield, Mass. park.
children’s literature, concluding with a study of Anne Frank’s life in Amsterdam. They will ride 25 to 30 miles a day on fully-equipped, 21-speed hybrid bikes at a social ride pace to fully take
in the sights and photograph landmarks and landscapes. They will spend the nights on an accompanying barge waiting on a nearby canal. “As a librarian and a third grade language arts teacher, we recognized a shared passion to utilize literature that embeds important historical events into engaging stories,” explained Siegel. “For example, The Greatest Skating Race is about a young boy in Holland during World War II who is charged with the ominous task of helping two younger children escape to the safety
This summer, four of Fund for Teachers’ 315 fellows will incorporate biking into their summer fellowship experiences.
Photo courtesy of Liza Eaton
American Bicyclist 19
(800 miles total) from Copenhagen, Denmark to Amsterdam, Netherlands, predominantly along the North Sea. The Colorado educator hopes that by modeling the option of traveling by bicycle, a sustainable travel choice, she’ll encourage her students to develop similar habits. She also chose her route to better interact with people and places while learning more about Europeans’ sustainable lifestyle.
“My own response to impending oil depletion and rising greenhouse gases, beyond teaching students about these issues, has been to bike more.” - Liza Eaton
Photo courtesy of Liza Eaton
of Belgium by skating along the frozen Sluis canals of the Netherlands. In another book entitled Luba, The Angel of Bergen-Belsen, the main character cares for orphaned Dutch children of diamond cutters who were relocated to the infamous concentration camp during the Nazi regime.” “We felt that by choosing this bike and barge experience, and this particular route, we will be able to truly experience the land and its people at a pace that provides optimal communion with the culture we seek to understand,” continued Gordon. “Our ultimate goal is to create an historical literature unit with a multi-disciplinary approach for our demographicallydiverse elementary school.” Liza Eaton, seventh and eighth grade science and literacy teacher at Denver’s The Odyssey School, might cross bike paths with these Houston Fellows. Eaton’s own bike will cross the pond with her to journey through Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands for one month this summer as she investigates the efficacy of alternative energies in these small countries. “My own response to impending oil depletion and rising greenhouse gases, beyond teaching students about these issues, has been to bike more,” said Eaton. “I found a new passion in biking, which provides great reward and increased fitness. Biking also informed my commitment to using less energy and releasing less carbon dioxide. Consequently, I am struck by Europeans’ decisions to consume less by biking more, as well as their use of renewable energies.” Eaton chose to use her Fund for Teachers fellowship to research Europe’s current renewable energies – and to do so from the seat of her bike. She plans to bike 40 miles a day
Liza Eaton on a previous bike tour of Germany. 20 American Bicyclist
All photos on this page are courtesy of Lenicia Gordon and Ardell Siegel
Eaton’s month-long tour culminates with a visit to Groningen, Netherlands, where the owner of Hembrow Cycling Holidays agreed to lead a private two-day bike tour to facilitate her investigation of the infrastructure and lifestyle that results in a greater population of bikes than people. Upon returning to Denver, Eaton plans to implement her fellowship through the creation of two semesterlong courses called Engines, Energy and Oil, and Global Climate Change.
Consider the Possibilities
These teachers’ life- and careerchanging experiences stem from grants awarded by Fund for Teachers, a national, donor-supported organization that recognizes the power of teachers to transform learning for themselves, their students and the world. Over the past nine years, Fund for Teachers awarded more than $12 million in grants to approximately 3,500 of America’s top teachers. “The common denominator for these educators was biking, but our Fellows interests and pursuits run the gamut from physical education to history to literature and languages,” said Karen Kovach-Webb, Fund for Teachers’ executive director. “Unlike any other educational effort, Fund for Teachers trusts that teachers know best what they need to remain inspired and engaged in the classroom. So we put no constraints on their hopes and invite them to propose their ideal experiences, and then we rely on individual and corporate donors to help make them happen.” For more information on these teachers’ odysseys or to help make another teacher’s dream a reality, visit www.fundforteachers.org.
Siegel and Gordon, with students, preparing for their European tour.
Over the past nine years, Fund for Teachers awarded more than $12 million in grants to approximately 3,500 of America’s top teachers.
Siegel and Gordon on their bike tour of Holland.
Gordon bicycles near a canal in Holland.
American Bicyclist 21
MIAMI
BIKES (BUT IT ISN’T EASY)
By Dina Weinstein 22 Bicyclist 22 American Bicyclist
i
t’s 7:45 am on a balmy winter school day morning and my two boys and I are dressed in shorts and t-shirts pedaling along palm-treelined sidewalks. Skinny lizards skitter by. Tropical flowers overhang the path, brightening the view. Then we come to the eight-lane road we need to cross. The drivers impatiently rev their car engines while blocking the curb. Their shaded windows are rolled up. Cool air conditioning blows through their vents. Salsa music blasts out of speakers. The drivers yap distractedly into their cell phones. I try to catch one driver’s eye as I shout, “Go!” to Benjamin, eight and Yehuda, six. The light is about 38 seconds long; and if we don’t make it, we’ll have to wait another five minutes. We don’t want to be late for school but we also don’t want to get mowed down by a South Florida driver. Hit and runs are common here. Red lights sometimes appear to be optional. Once we cross the county highway, we teeter on the skinny sidewalk we often share with university students on their way to classes at the
University of Miami. We stick to the back roads through a commercial area, dodging more traffic, as well as cars parked on sidewalks. We contend with distracted drivers, overgrown bushes blocking the sidewalk and mysterious dead animals. We pass school after private school on our way; and eerily, I can count the families I’ve seen walking or biking to school on one hand. The parent-generated traffic is significant. We see one or two kids sitting in the back of their mom and dad’s SUVs. Traffic is backed up for miles. It takes just about five minutes more to bike my two sons to school than it does to drive. Despite the dangers, the benefits outweigh the risks. Chauffeured children are in line with the national trend of overweight, over-scheduled kids. However, it’s going to take a huge effort to get Miami parents to see bicycling as viable. Even the parents that support bicycle commuting aren’t willing to be the thorn in the side of a government that falls far short of creating our dream of a livable community.
More than 2 million people reside in Miami-Dade county, which is made up of 36 municipalities, the largest being the city of Miami, population 404,000. Our image to the world is a sexy, fun vacation spot, a Latinflavored paradise. But this ain’t no “Margaritaville” for those who want or need to commute by bike. South Florida enjoys balmy weather most of the year, which should make it great for biking. However, the League of American Bicyclists ranked the state 32 out of 50, (a D grade, explains my scientist husband). The Sunshine State, the League describes, has an excellent complete streets policy but the state has no cell-phoneuse restrictions and high crash and fatality rates. We face many challenges, including rude drivers, a strong car culture, drivers who aren’t used to sharing the road with cyclists and pedestrians, a lack of bike racks, torrential downpours, few bike lanes and occasional sweltering temperatures. It’s a lonely row to hoe. We’re the only family at the school to travel by bike. Only one
The Weinstein family and their neighbors at a recent Bike Miami event. American Bicyclist 23
“I corral my sons to pedal to school because they have so much energy. We save money on gas. It’s good for the environment. It’s good for our health.”
Benjamin Weinstein, age 8, braves sweltering temperatures, rude drivers and perilous roads on his ride to school every day.
other family there walks. Miami-Dade County is a new, sprawling city built for the car. Facing such a challenging bicycling landscape and seeing Miami’s potential energy, has made me a bicycling activist. I recently learned that the Florida Department of Transportation has instated a policy addressing bicyclists’ needs on new road projects where no widening is planned. Consideration
will be given to reducing lane widths to provide bicycle lanes, wide curb lanes or paved shoulders. I also joined the grassroots Green Mobility Network, which encouraged me to organize my sons’ school to participate in International Bike and Walk to School day this October 7, 2009. For that, the school’s municipality thanked me — It turns out they are frustrated with the gridlock as well. Miami could be on the up and up. At the city’s first bicycle summit this summer, nearly 100 people turned out to meet Miami’s bicycle planners and make suggestions for the city’s emerging Bicycle Master Plan. The Spokes ‘n’ Folks blog described the crowd at Jose Marti Park community center as a rough cross-section of middle-class urban South Florida — “a mix of professionals in business suits, avid riders in jeans or colorful riding clothes, and some of the young bike-culture crowd
you’ll see at the unsanctioned alley cat races around town.” Riders spread out large city maps on tables and marked them up with colorful lines to show where they’d like to ride but find the streets inadequate. Red dots were pasted down at the points riders find especially dangerous, including my kids’ perilous state highway crossing. More public meetings are planned. The Miami-Dade Parks and Recreation Department has a master plan to make bikable and walkable shaded boulevards that connect neighborhoods, parks and schools. Supporters hope the end of Miami Mayor Manny Diaz’s term doesn’t mean an end to the momentum. I corral my sons to pedal to school because they have so much energy. We save money on gas. It’s good for the environment. It’s good for our health. We enjoy the flat terrain and yearround balmy weather. It did take some effort to get the routine down. I had to seek out a less busy route, shade from the blazing sun and sidewalks. But now Benjamin and Yehuda have some independence in their movement — they do not depend on me for everything, and that is a good thing. Dina Weinstein is a journalist living in Coral Gables, Fla. with her husband and two sons.
24 American Bicyclist
GIVING (MAY-JUNE 2009)
O
On this page we acknowledge all those individuals who have contributed $100 or more to the League of American Bicyclists between May and June 2009. Your gifts help provide educational tools to national, state and city leaders; law enforcement; motorists and bicyclists; teachers and students; and parents and children. Above all, you inspire us to continue to reach for new and better ways to advocate on behalf of bicyclists and promote our shared passion. We are grateful for your support.
The Millennium Club ($1,000 - $2,499) Bike Clubs
Baltimore Bicycling Club Conejo Valley Cyclists Santa Rosa Cycling Club The Century Club ($100 - $999) Bike Clubs
San Antonio Wheelmen Foundations
Edward Mosby Lincoln Foundation Individuals
John M. Abowd Steve Anderson Cleve Ard Marjorie Asmussen Vickie Backman K. Denise & James Badgley Mathias Barringer Paul Bartlett Jim Bartley Robert D. Bauer Jonathan Bauman Thomas Bayard Amanda Benedict David Berliner Greg Binder Ken & Diane Birt David Boles Charles Bond Sue Ellen Bordwell Randall Brodersen Leslie Bullock Donald R. Burnett Joseph Calandra Alfred Castino Kevin Richard Christian William J. Cimonetti
Anthony Colarossi Scott Collins Jay Copeland Jim Coppock Thomas S. Cowles Garland D. Cox Mary C. Crain Chris Dangles James H. Dauber Bob De Camp Don DeCook Ernest L. DeFrates Blair B. Dillaway Karl Eggers Frederick Charles Eustis Tony Everett Donald B. Fedor J. Bruce Fields Gary Fifield Gerald Finsen Terrence A. Flanagan John Michael Foley Alan Forkosh Heather Fowler Jean Fraser Douglas P. Garrett Loretta Gase John Gilbert Robert M. Glazer Daniel Goldschmidt John Goody Joan Gossner Thomas E. Granvold Bill Graustein Paul Hardin Thomas Hauser Francis Henry Thomas A. Herberger Jerry L. Hill Stuart Z. Hoffman Randolph Hoover William R. Hough Kerin T. Huber
Terry Johannesen Dale S. Johnson Renee & Alan Kailer Kirk Kandle Karen & Harold Karabell Charles Katzenberg Kristi Knodell Kenneth M. Kral James M. Kramer Leigh Lace Jeremy Lavine Reginald Lee Kathy Lenzmeier Warren Lucas Rob Mac Leod Kris Malzahn Russell F. Marx Mark Mc Laren Diana McFadden Michelle McGuire Beth McKinnon Al Miller Harry Miller Cynthia Lynne Millsaps Tom Moore Elizabeth Moorehead Barbara Moulton Thomas H. Nowak Charles Nowicki William Ostrem Bob Otwell Gary D. Overturf Michael Pagano Yung Park Bill Parquet Michael Patterson Michael Peck Calvin Pletcher Taylor Reed John Robinson Ralph Robinson Laura Patrizia Rossi Steve Rowley
Ronald A. Ruen Doug Salzmann Craig Schaaf Pauline Schneider Peter Schoch John Settlage Preston Seu John Siegel Carol Sirott Richard Slaymaker Greg F. Smith Michael F. Smolin David Snead Donald L. Sparks Bob Stoll Richard Swent John Tate Maryellen Tria Eric Troyer Rebecca Truszkowski Connie Van Der Eb Mark Van Gilder Adam Vanderburg Charles D. Varela Frank N. Vito Scott D. Wasserman Betsy & Kevin Watson Leon Webster Addison West Howard Williams Alan & Jayne Yockey Life Members
Marguerita Jensen Valerie Moore Carl Morgan Paul Sanford Jim Sheehan Steve Spindler Chris Ziegler
American Bicyclist 25
THINK BIKE
>>>
Policy and Research Commentary by Darren Fluche and Anna Kelso
E
very day, grassroots activists are working hard for cyclists’ rights and resources to improve conditions in their communities. Meanwhile, lawmakers are making important decisions that affect our entire transportation system based on whatever information is currently available. The League of American Bicyclists supports local groups and advocates at the national level. This spring, with generous support from SRAM and in collaboration with the Alliance for Biking and Walking, we have launched a new initiative to improve these efforts. The League has hired two policy analysts — the authors of this column — to research issues critical to the bicycling community as part of the Advocacy Advance partnership between the League and the Alliance for Biking and Walking. In the coming months, this research team will produce reports on more than a dozen topics covering funding, legislation, and legal and policy issues. Put together, these reports will
26 American Bicyclist
By Darren Flusche and Anna Kelso
be a guide for advocates, compiling the most effective arguments for promoting biking and investing in bicycling infrastructure, and will provide tools for working towards our goals. We will be reporting on and analyzing the latest and most important research in the field and conducting original research.
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Did you know? >> The national bicycling industry contributes an estimated $133 billion a year to the U.S. economy and supports nearly 1.1 million jobs, generating $17.7 billion in federal, state, and local taxes. An additional $46.9 billion is spent yearly during bike trips and tours. >> Bicycle tourism on North Carolina’s Outer Banks leads to an annual nine-to-one return on the one-time $6.7 million investment in bicycle infrastructure, annually generates $60 million in economic activity, supports 1,400 jobs with an annual 680,000 visiting bicyclists, and draws affluent and educated visitors.
These important resources will be brought to the advocates in the field by the team led by our officemate Chanda Causer, the Alliance’s Grassroots & Training Coordinator. The Alliance unites advocacy leaders and organizations through resource sharing and helps advocates create organizations in underserved communities. Together we will make sure that our research gets to advocates like you. An example of our work can be found on the League’s website right now at www.bikeleague.org/ resources/reports. Local decision-makers are always concerned about the costs and benefits of bicycling facilities, so we looked at the current research concerning the economic impacts of investments in bicycling infrastructure, and we produced a report and factsheet on the economic benefits. The bicycle industry and tourism contributes $1 billion to the Colorado economy; employs 1,213 people in retail and manufacturing, with a payroll of $34.1 million; and draws half of all summer visitors at Colorado ski resorts. Of those 699,000 people, 70 percent are from out of state; 40 percent said they would have altered their destination if bicycling was not available. And business districts are discovering that bicycle facilities can attract customers. Two-thirds of merchants along San Francisco’s Valencia Street said new bike lanes had a positive overall impact on their business. Two-thirds supported more traffic calming measures on the street and all of the merchants said they could be supportive depending on the project. A 2009 study of Bloor Street in Toronto showed that people who had biked and walked to
the area reported that they spent more money in the area per month than those who drove there. Visit bikeleague.org/resources/reports for more information on this topic.
American Bicyclist 27
n i gE k i B verywhere . .. but not to wor k
I
By Bev Colgan Reno, Nevada
enjoy bicycling daily; however, bicycling doesn’t figure in getting me to work (yet). I’m the Principal Harp at the Reno Philharmonic but the Reno/Sparks area in Nevada is heaven for bikes. My hobby is finding a lightly-travelled, back road route to everywhere I want to go. I daydream of starting a website for local bicyclists, complete with disclaimer, “Use your common sense, follow these suggestions at your own risk,” where people could send in a map and a description of slick ways to get from here to there. It would include details of busking, or whatever you call biking from here to there with the help of the bus. Thankfully, every bus in our area has a bike rack. To make matters even nicer in my area, there are plenty of beautiful sunshiny days even in winter, so it’s not hard for me to get up the enthusiasm to ride. And the gas mileage is just fantastic — just not to work. I’m glad to see that Nevada is at least 25th in the nation as bike friendly. Oh, give us all a home where the Bev Colgan is the principal harp at the Reno Philharmonic in Reno, Nebicycles roam ... vada. She’s discovered a lightly-traveled bike route to everywhere she wants to go, except to work ... but wouldn’t that be a sight.
28 Bicyclist 28 American Bicyclist