improving lives through bicycling
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Introducing
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March 2015 / Vol. 45 No. 03 • cascade.org
Weigh in on the future of Cascade’s candidate endorsements!
A Seattle without traffic deaths By Anne-Marije Rook, Communications Director
By the Cascade Board of Directors
Join us for a Cascade Annual Meeting Wednesday, March 4, 6-8 p.m. at Cascade Bicycling Center 7787 NE 62nd Ave, Seattle Wednesday, March 11, 6-8 p.m. at Bellevue Brewing Co. 1820 130th Ave NE #2, Bellevue
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
7787 62nd Ave. NE Seattle, WA 98115 www.cascade.org
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PRSRT STD US Postage Paid Seattle, WA PERMIT No. 2172
Recently, Cascade’s board of directors has been reviewing the work of Cascade Bicycle Club as a whole, which comprises three distinct legal entities: the Cascade Bicycle Club Education Foundation (a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization), Cascade Bicycle Club (a 501(c)4 nonprofit membership organization), and Cascade’s Political Action Committee (or PAC). There could be some real benefits of converting to a more simplified structure (i.e. a public charity), but doing so would prohibit us from certain aspects of advocacy
that we currently do – mainly being able to endorse political candidates. The benefits of simplifying our organization range from tax-deductible entry fees for event rides to easing the burden of administrative functions. On the other hand, Cascade has a long history of candidate endorsements, which have been critical to the success of our advocacy work. The board is requesting membership feedback to help determine if the costs of dropping candidate endorsements may outweigh the benefits gained from a more simplified organizational structure. “The board appreciates the long-standing history of the club as a 501(c)4 membership organization, including its strong history of making candidate endorsements, so we are looking very carefully at the pros and cons of a potential change in the organization’s structure,” said Board President Catherine Hennings. “The club and the board remain deeply committed to bicycling advocacy, and this potential change does not in any way reflect a shift of the club away from advocacy work. The only activities that could possibly go away would be individual candidate endorsements, working on a candidate’s campaign and the PAC,“ added Hennings. To that end, Cascade’s staff and board would love to hear from you on how you see Cascade; what, among the many roles it plays, you value most; and whether your engagement with the club would be affected by such changes. Please attend one of two Cascade Annual Meetings we’ve scheduled in early March to talk to board and staff members about Cascade’s structure pros and cons to different organizational structures, and what you value about its work and programs. We remain deeply committed to education, advocacy and bike riding. Cascade’s work on the Burke-Gilman Trail Missing Link, the Westlake Protected Bike Lane, the Eastside Rail Corridor, and many other key regional connections, ballot measures and levies will continue as strong as ever, regardless of Cascade’s legal structure. Please join us, or email us at cascadestructure@cascade.org with your thoughts.
Lake City residents support Mayor Murray’s Vision Zero plan.
We imagine a city where people drive at reasonable speeds, people can safely walk across the street and people can bike everywhere on a complete network of comfortable bikeways. A Seattle without any traffic deaths and serious injuries. Last year we adopted Vision Zero as part of our five-year strategic plan, and Cascade is now part of a growing coalition called “Neighbors for Vision Zero.” The coalition– which includes Seattle Neighborhood Greenways, Commute Seattle, Feet First, Transportation Choices and Washington Bikes–will continue to work in the years to come to ensure we make all our streets safe through better street design. Started in Sweden in the 1990s, Vision Zero is a road safety effort that prioritizes four simple principles in planning, designing and enforcing our transportation network: 1. Life is most important. 2. Every person matters. 3. People make mistakes and mistakes shouldn’t cost lives. 4. The government is responsible for safe streets.
Mayor Ed Murray shares our vision. And in February, he announced several big actions his administration will take this year as it works toward Vision Zero, joining a growing number of cities around the world whose streets are designed with human error in mind so collisions are minimized and deaths and serious injuries are eliminated. In rolling out their 2015 Vision Zero
action plan, Mayor Murray and his administration have embraced these four simple principles. The crashes on Seattle streets are unacceptable and preventable, the Mayor said, adding “If we can slow down, we can save a life...We are rolling out a range of new safety improvements that will help get our kids get to school, reduce fatalities on city arterials and make our neighborhood streets safer. Our transportation system must work safely for everyone and this plan will save lives.” Key actions from Mayor Murray’s plan include: • Designate five to 10 neighborhoods with 20 mph speed limits and physical traffic calming. • Conduct several road safety improvement projects on key arterials throughout the city. including Rainier Avenue. • Conduct bi-monthly crosswalk enforcement actions to ensure people driving observe the rights of people walking. • Prohibit right turns at 10 downtown intersections with high crash histories (along Fifth, Sixth and Seventh avenues). “All people deserve to get to where they are going safely, and we applaud Mayor Murray for this vision,” said Elizabeth Kiker, Cascade’s executive director. “All people on bikes, on foot and in cars have stories about calls that are way too close, or worse, loved ones who did not survive. One more traffic death is one too many.” Cascade joins Mayor Murray, SDOT and our coalition partners in the commitment to safer streets for all people. Together, we will work to make Vision Zero a reality. Learn more at cascade.org/vision-zero and seattle.gov/visionzero.