Blog
How do we ensure traditional advocacy organizations value and genuinely incorporate the perspectives of new community leaders — even when it exposes our blindspots or runs counter to our experiences? Dr. Adonia Lugo examines this critical question in “Who Participates in What Processes: From groupthink to democracy in bicycle policy advocacy” — a new report based on Lugo’s academic expertise, personal experience and participation in the 2015 Youth Bike Summit.
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During this week’s #BikeChat, we chatted with Amelia Neptune, @Neptuna, the Bicycle Friendly Business program manager, about this latest round of awardees and what’s ahead for the program. Read on to learn more about how to convince your company’s leadership of the benefits of bicycling, how to encourage others to apply, and more! And mark your calendars for next week’s #BikeChat as we celebrate the first day of National Bike Month!
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Following our announcement yesterday, Walmart’s Home Office in Bentonville, Arkansas, is one of the newest Gold-level Bicycle Friendly Businesses. The 23,000+ employee headquarters has an 80-bike bike share system on the campus, a 12-month educational program to encourage employees and their families to ride more, and has partnered with the city of Bentonville on events in the community.
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Here are the 10 free tools to make your Bike Month even Better: To get things rolling in your community or improve longstanding events with new ideas, the League created a step-by-step guide that will help you in creating a successful Bike Month event in your organization, workplace, city, or state. While we commonly refer to Bike to Work Day events, because they’ve been the most popular historically, the tips and techniques will help you plan any Bike Month event, from a citywide ride to a small gathering within your own company or organization. Click here to download it.
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Today, the League of American Bicyclists has awarded 161 new and renewing Bicycle Friendly Businesses in 31 states and Washington, D.C. With this Earth Day announcement, the program has grown to include more than 950 visionary local businesses, government agencies and Fortune 500 companies from across the country that are changing the script on what it means to provide a top-notch experience and atmosphere for employees and customers alike. “On this Earth Day, the League recognizes and applauds the efforts of these business leaders across the country,” said Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists. “Their leadership is setting a precedent in their communities, states and the nation for what it means to practice what you preach. They are forging a better future for us all by investing in a more sustainable future for the country and a healthier future for their employees.”
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In our Winter 2015 American Bicyclist magazine, we looked at the “Big Ideas” coming out of the bike movement. One such idea is RideScout, a new mobile application that is helping people get home quicker — without using their own car. Like any good startup, it all began on the back of a napkin. RideScout, a mobile app founded in Washington, D.C., aggregates users’ transportation options in any given city and provides the quickest route from point A to B. The app pulls information on the number of available rides at the nearest bikeshare station, the length of time you’ll have to wait for the next bus, and an estimate on just how congested the car traffic is outside your office.
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On Thursday here in Washington, D.C., League staff joined U.K.-based author and historian Carlton Reid at a Congressional Bike Caucus meeting where he presented information from his new book, The Roads Were Not Built for Cars. His book tells the fascinating history of bicycling in the United States and the U.K. and of the very interconnected story of bicycles and motor vehicles. Read through our live-tweets from his presentation below to learn more! Fun fact: Car manufacturer GMC used to be “GBC” — one guess what the B stood for…
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The Mayor of Seattle knows firsthand the trauma of unsafe streets. When Ed Murray was 14 years old, he was struck by a car while riding his bicycle on his paper route. The result: An extended hospital stay and six months of recovery before he could walk again. Earlier this year, he set a new course for his city to make sure that no child will have to suffer like he did. “We believe we can have a city where no cyclist or pedestrian is hit or killed,” Murray told the Youth Bike Summit in February.
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On Friday, during our weekly #BikeChat on Twitter, we spoke with Carlton Reid, author of new book, “The Roads Were Not Built for Cars.” The book tells the fascinating history of the struggle to pave roads in the United States and in England. It wasn’t, as many assume, spurred on by the invention, and eventual boom, of motor vehicles. Indeed, it all began with the “Good Roads” movement, a campaign coordinated by U.S. and UK bicyclists in the late 1880s.
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The League’s Board of Directors this week appointed Ken Podziba, President and CEO of Bike New York, to join its ranks. “I’m honored and humbled to be joining the board of an organization with such a rich history and bright future,” Podziba said. “League members around the nation have fought long and hard for bike-friendly policies and infrastructure, and the fruits of their labor are being passed into law and painted on the streets at an unprecedented rate. At Bike New York, we’re passionate about empowering a new generation of cyclists to take advantage of the bike-friendly America that the League has been building over the past 135 years. Education and advocacy are the wheels that will keep this movement rolling, and I’m thrilled to be coming along for the ride.”
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