improving lives through bicycling
Bike Camps p. 6-7
September 2015 / Vol. 45 No. 09
Cascade and Washington Bikes announce merger discussions
Executive Directors Barb Chamberlain of Washington Bikes and Elizabeth Kiker of Cascade.
The boards of directors of the Cascade Bicycle Club and Washington Bikes are discussing a non-binding Letter of Intent to merge the two organizations at the end of 2015. This powerful move would amplify the work of both organizations and power bicycling to another level in Washington State, already the #1 state in the U.S. for bicycling.
Cascade Bicycle Club’s board voted unanimously in favor of signing the joint Letter of Intent in late August. At the time of print, the Washington Bikes board was discussing the letter and was planning to vote the last Friday of August. “Washington Bikes is a dedicated and effective organization, in Olympia and across the state, and partners with many local advocacy groups and bike clubs across the state,” said Catherine Hennings, board chair of the Cascade Bicycle
cascade.org Club. “This proposed merger would truly yield more than the sum of its parts.” Bringing the two organizations together would result in a unified bicycle education curriculum for students across the state and in the Puget Sound region. The advocacy work of both organizations would be strengthened if unified. “This could prove to be a big win for people who welcome improved bicycling connections,” said Brian Foley, board chair of Washington Bikes. Small committees from each board are meeting to talk about processes, review ideas for program integration and plan for the future, with the hope that the process will move toward a formal proposal for consideration by each organization’s board later this fall. Both boards are particularly interested in hearing from people who ride bikes and from members of Cascade and Washington Bikes. “We are considering this merger to continue the great work we’ve each been doing with even better results and successes,” said Barb Chamberlain, executive director of Washington Bikes. The merger would result in saved overhead costs and more money
directly funding current work and new programs, like Cascade’s Major Taylor program and Washington Bikes’ state bike tourism initiative. Washington Bikes’ grassroots successes across the state would also be a great partner for Cascade’s statewide tours, events and rides.
“We are considering this merger to continue the great work we’ve each been doing with even better results and successes.” -Barb Chamberlain, executive director of Washington Bikes “We would be an even stronger force for improving lives through bicycling and growing bicycling statewide together than we are individually,” said Cascade Executive Director Elizabeth Kiker. Please send your thoughts, feedback and ideas for the two groups to consider to washingtonbikes@ cascadebicycleclub.org. We look forward to hearing from you.
Fund our future: let’s Move Seattle
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
7787 62nd Ave. NE Seattle, WA 98115 www.cascade.org
TIME DATED MATERIAL
PRSRT STD US Postage Paid Seattle, WA PERMIT No. 2172
By Jeff Aken, Advocacy Director
Cascade’s top priority in Seattle this fall is to ensure passage of the Transportation Levy to Move Seattle, which will be on Seattle voters ballots this November. The levy is a $930-million dollar ask to fund transportation improvements across the city over the next nine years. It replaces the Bridging the Gap (BTG) levy, which expires at the end of 2015. Under the proposed Move Seattle, Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will build 50 miles of Protected Bike Lanes and 60 miles of Greenways. These investments will keep Seattle’s ambitious Bicycle Master plan 100 percent on track for completion in the 20-year horizon of the plan. The levy will also fund more than 1,500 bicycle parking spots across the city, as well as safe walking and biking routes to all Seattle’s Public Schools. Move Seattle also makes
investments in many of Cascade’s priority projects: Dollars are allocated for completing the Missing Link of the Burke-Gilman Trail and the Northgate Bike and Pedestrian Bridge. Money from the levy could also be used to improve safety for people walking and bicycling on the Ballard Bridge, and provide funding to Accessible Mt. Baker, a project in the Rainier Valley that improves connections to LINK light rail for those who bike or walk. Move Seattle invests in Vision Zero, which is one of Cascade’s strategic plan objectives. Vision Zero’s goal is to eliminate serious injuries and traffic fatalities. This includes investments mentioned earlier for bicycles and additional funds for traffic signals, improving transit corridors and building new sidewalks all of which improve safety.
If you want to see a city that is safe, comfortable and connected for people riding bicycles, take action: 1. Learn more about projects in your neighborhood at seattle.gov/transportation/ levytomoveseattle.htm. 2. Help spread the word. Contact Kelli at kellir@ cascade.org to join our Connect Seattle team and volunteer. 3. Vote YES on Prop. 1 on the November ballot.