Four wheels, two wheels, one road

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "PeopleForBikes" <info@peopleforbikes.org>
Date: Apr 30, 2013 10:34 PM
Subject: Four wheels, two wheels, one road
To: "Daniel Stafford" <aquarianm@gmail.com>
Cc:

Dear Daniel, As National Bike Month begins, we'd like to ask you to make a promise. A promise that applies no matter if you are a bicyclist, a driver, or both. A promise that could transform our streets. A promise that can turn every trip into a better one. A promise that will help us see our fellow travelers as the people we all are—whether we are behind the steering wheel or the handlebars. A promise to travel with compassion. Watch our National Bike Month video, and then join us in promising to Roll Together at http://peopleforbikes.org/better.  Let the bike celebration begin! -The PeopleForBikes crew

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A Taste Of "Back Home" - Streets Without Cars: The Urban Experiment of State Street (2005)

Film Summary:

"From the 1950s through the 1970s, over 200 pedestrian malls were constructed across the nation, yet very few of these original spaces remain.

As one of the most successful pedestrian malls in the nation, State Street of Madison, Wisconsin, is a thriving, provocative, and exciting urban space. On this corridor connecting the capitol of Wisconsin with the flagship university of the state, live the homeless, the enfranchised, and a cornucopia of characters that collectively make this eight block strip--according to urban planner Ignacio Bunster--"without equal in the country." David Rusk, author of Cities Without Suburbs, calls State Street "a very rare bird," while David Brooks, author of Bobos in Paradise, describes it as the public venue "where people want to go out and be seen, where people want to walk in the evening, where they can get their coffee or ice cream and sit out at an outdoor cafe."

But there are changes afoot on and around State Street, including the current infrastructure redesign, the growing corporate presence, and the $100-million Overture Hall. While change and growth are not bad in and of themselves, the very character that has allowed State Street and Madison to prosper may become indelibly transformed in the process."

DVD | Color 60 min | Full Screen. Directed by Troy Lanier, Brewer Stouffer

Available at: http://www.nationalfilmnetwork.com/store/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductID=187

Be careful for at least one week after it finally...

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Don Kirchenberg" <notification+zfozoo66@facebookmail.com>
Date: Apr 23, 2013 9:14 PM
Subject: [Friends of the Great Western Trails] Be careful for at least one week after it finally...
To: "Friends of the Great Western Trails" <106383786069468@groups.facebook.com>
Cc:

Don Kirchenberg posted in Friends of the Great Western Trails Don Kirchenberg 9:14pm Apr 23 Be careful for at least one week after it finally stops raining because the soft trail surfaces especially in DuPage County can cause you to slide or flip your bike on its side in a turn. Don Kirchenberg will be on WDCB 90.9 FM radio news tomorrow Wednesday 4/24 discussing the trail conditions because of the very wet conditions and the upcoming trail cleanup on Sat. 4/27. View Post on Facebook · Edit Email Settings · Reply to this email to add a comment.

The spectacular summer of 2013

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Tim Blumenthal, PeopleForBikes.org" <info@peopleforbikes.org>
Date: Apr 23, 2013 2:40 PM
Subject: The spectacular summer of 2013
To: "Daniel Stafford" <aquarianm@gmail.com>
Cc:

Dear Daniel, Spring is arguably the best season for bicycling, but at PeopleForBikes.org, we're dreaming about summer. That's when new and expanding bike-sharing systems should really get rolling all across our nation. More than 20,000 new short-term rental bikes will hit the road in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, Tampa, San Francisco, and at least 20 other cities. Meanwhile, an unprecedented number of well-designed bikeway networks are being built coast-to-coast. Thousands will open this summer. We're talking about lanes, paths, safe crossings, and green lanes that are separated and protected from motorized traffic. These interconnected facilities are crucial in making bicycling safer and more appealing for all Americans who want to ride. We're working on a major summer expansion of PeopleForBikes.org. Nearly 700,000 Americans (including you) have already gotten behind our movement. PeopleForBikes.org has become an unprecedented political force that unifies everyone who likes bicycling…regardless of where and how you ride. In the coming months, we will: Make it easier for you to connect with the movement, both locally and nationally Increase our support for local bike groups through investments and promotions Dramatically expand the helpful, informative, and inspirational content on PeopleForBikes.org Clarify and quantify a bold vision for bicycling in America that will give you clear reasons to get involved ...all towards the goal of making bicycling better in your community. Enjoy your spring! Please stay in touch with PeopleForBikes.org for what should be a spectacular summer.   Thanks for being a part of our movement, Tim Blumenthal, President, PeopleForBikes.org

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Driving Change - KXL and EarthDay

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Better World Club" <marketing@betterworldclub.com>
Date: Apr 21, 2013 8:12 AM
Subject: Driving Change - KXL and EarthDay
To: "Dan Stafford" <aquarianm@gmail.com>
Cc:

Earth Day 2013 Canadian Environmentalists, Where Art Thou? Has China hired a master illusionist to make all the environmentalists disappear? Much of the discussion over the future of the Keystone XL pipeline has focused on the issue of potential oil spills. It has been nearly three years since the Deep-water Horizon disaster, two years since the massive oil spill in the Kalamazoo River (both still in clean up), and barely a month since the Pegasus pipeline ruptured in Mayflower, Arkansas, and congress still seems to be edging closer to nothing major could possibly happen along the nearly thousand miles of Keystone XL pipeline. But at its most fundamental level, even though the Pegasus pipeline spill in Arkansas dumped hundreds of thousands of tar sands oil into Mayflower, AK, the issue isn't really about oil spills. It is about the tar sands oil itself. Thomas Homer-Dixon, who teaches global governance at the Balsillie School of International Affairs, reminds us,"Tar sands production is one of the world's most environmentally damaging activities. It wrecks vast areas of boreal forest through surface mining and subsurface production. It sucks up huge quantities of water from local rivers, turns it into toxic waste, and dumps the contaminated water into tailing ponds that now cover nearly 70 square miles." Also, compared to conventional crude oil, bitumen returns less than half the energy value, four to six joules compared to 15 joules of conventional crude. But money is flowing into Alberta, working to squeeze out this toxic and wasteful energy. Last month, Chinese National Offshore Oil Company, or CNOOC, purchased NEXEN, a small but strategic player in the Canadian oil industry, and China's oil import demands are expected to rise from 60 percent of oil used to 75 percent over the next twelve years. At a time when 60 percent of the remaining "open to market" oil development is found in the oil sands region of Albert, it makes perfect business sense for China and others to edge into the North American oil market. But tar sands are one of the worst polluting energy sources that shouldn't even be excavated for use. So, where are the Canadians who oppose this development? And where is Canada's environmental community opposing the use of tar sands? Read More  A Million Comments Against Keystone XL It's Earth Day's virtual conga line of change! On March 29th, ExxonMobil's Pegasus pipeline spilled at least 157,000 gallons of tar sands oil into the town of Mayflower, Arkansas. As our friends at 350.org explain, "This spill highlights the risks of building the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, which would carry 9 times more oil than the pipeline that broke." 350.org is asking you to speak out, and they are working to submit 1 million comments to the State Department to stop Keystone XL. Add Yours Voice  Three Foot Rule Is Back! California Cyclists Ready for Another Race with Governor Jerry Brown Yes, cyclists or not, Californians can rise up once more and pedal their hearts out to catch up to the other 22 states that have already enacted 3-foot passing measures for passing cyclists on the road. Hollywood is full of stories the little (liberal) guy coming from behind to win the race, right? Steven Bradford of Gardena, California introduced yet another attempt at a safe passing law by amending Assembly Bill 1371. California Bicycle Coalition is also submitting an amendment to Senate Bill 1464, SB 910. While the language about three feet minimum distance while passing cyclists remains the same, more precise language on how motorists should and should not pass when they're driving past a bicycle has been added as well as changes to rules governing dense urban areas to accommodate the objections of Governor Jerry Brown. As you recall, AAA lobbied heavily against instating three foot laws in California. Cyclists in California now call any hit-from-behind collision against a cyclist a "Jerry Brown," in honor of Governor Jerry Brown's vetoes of the two past attempts at a three foot passing law in California. Only Brown and Texas Governor Rick Perry have vetoed safe passing laws submitted to them. 22 states now have a safe passing law on the books, and Ohio is working towards being the 23rd! Come on California, Come on Ohio! We want to see you race! Safely, of course. We know some of you are competitive and may want to pull Jerry Brown, but please don't pull "A Jerry Brown." Find out more and lend your support to the CA 3-foot rule! Find out more and lend your support to the OH 3-foot rule! Contact your State Officials  Giving Directions Australia can go 100% renewable energy by 2030 Australia is a big producer and user of coal. Black and brown coal represented over 75% of the country's electric power generation in 2008-2009, and vast quantities of the black stuff is exported out of the country, mostly to China. But it doesn't have to be this way. A peer-reviewed study by researchers at the University of New South Wales shows that the country could go 100% renewable by 2030 if a price of $50 to $100/tonne was put on carbon, making the country's vast wind and solar resources more than competitive with fossil fuels Read More  Do you Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is? Ways to make Earth Day more than a New Years resolution * Buy Green Power. Find the green power options available in your state. * Green Auto Maintenance: Recycle, Repair, Re-use, and be Resource-Friendly * Pledge an Act of Green * Purchase Carbon Offsets. * Plant a TREE!!! Contact Us  Send this email to a friend:   Check out this email! This CoolerEmail was delivered to you by Better World Club. You can take your email address off Better World Club's email list, or update your preferences and/or send comments to Better World Club. If you request to be taken off Better World Club's email list, Better World Club will honor your request pursuant to CoolerEmail's permission-based email terms and conditions. Postal address: 412 NW Couch St. Suite #100, Portland, OR 97209

Streetside E-News: April 2013

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Alliance for Biking & Walking" <streetside@peoplepoweredmovement.org>
Date: Apr 2, 2013 4:42 PM
Subject: Streetside E-News: April 2013
To: <aquarianm@gmail.com>
Cc:

View the web version of this e-mail. Streetside - April 2013

April 2013 - In This Issue Congratulations to 2013 Advocacy Awards Winners Tulsa Plans Biking & Walking Improvements As Part of "Fix Our Streets" Cleveland Advocates Plan Winning Campaigns Support Active Transportation on the 2013 Climate Ride How Businesses Can Benefit from Open Streets Initiatives U.S. Surgeon General Encourages Walking National Walking Summit Dates Announced TrafficCOM Could Democratize Traffic Counts Mutual Aid Calls & Advocacy Advance Webinars Congratulations to the 2013 Awards Winners  On Monday, March 4, advocates from across the continent gathered for the fifth annual Alliance Advocacy Awards reception to shine a spotlight on the progress and victories of the state and local bicycle and pedestrian advocacy movement.    In a bustling room full of excited advocates fresh out of the opening plenary of the 2013 National Bike Summit, we awarded beautiful hand-crafted trophies made of recycled bicycle parts (courtesy of Bicas in Tulsa) to the year's most successful campaign, dedicated advocates and supportive business.     Congratulations to this year's winners:  Advocacy Organization of the Year: Bike Walk Mississippi Advocate of the Year: Rebecca Serna, Atlanta Bicycle Coalition Business Advocate of the Year: Primal Wear Lifetime Achievement Award: Barb Culp Winning Campaign of the Year: Georgia Bikes! for Georgia's Complete Streets Policy Susie Stephens Joyful Enthusiasm Award: Renee Rivera, East Bay Bicycle Coalition Innovation Award: Local Spokes, a project of Transportation Alternatives and Recycle-A-Bicycle   Check out photos from the reception and full descriptions of the winners.  Special thanks to SRAM, Planet Bike, Bikes Belong, Transportation Alternatives, Breezer, and Bike Pittsbugh for sponsoring the reception.  Tulsa Plans Biking & Walking Improvements As Part of "Fix Our Streets" Program Tulsa, Oklahoma is in the midst of a major capitol improvement program to rebuild its crumbling transportation infrastructure.  But should the city rebuild its streets to 1960's standards with a focus on automobile design, or should it rebuild streets to meet 2013 standards for accomodating walking and biking?    The Advocacy Advance team recently traveled to Tulsa to facilitate a Navigating MAP-21 Workshop. Over 80 agency staff, advocates and elected officials learned how to fund bicycle and pedestrian projects in the region using federal dollars from the new federal transportation law.    City councilmembers and agency staff agreed that walkability and bikeability would be important for a vibrant, business-friendly Tulsa. Decisionmakers left the training well equipped to utilize federal funding opportunities for active transportation.  In a separate educational session, advocates honed a strategy to push for walking and biking improvements. With public meetings starting the week after the workshop, advocates crafted their campaign pitch, set goals, identified the key decision makers, and set next steps for their campaign.  Learn more about the Navigating MAP-21 Workshop here.  Cleveland Advocates Plan Winning Campaigns Last month, the Alliance traveled to Cleveland, Ohio to train advocates from all around the Midwest on how to design and win great biking and walking campaigns.      The Winning Campaigns Training was hosted by regional advocacy organizations Bike Cleveland, and participants included representatives from new advocacy groups in the Cleveland area as well as two staff from Bike Pittsburgh and one from the Evansville-Area Trails Coalition.    With facilitation by consultant Ron Milam and Alliance Member Services & Open Streets Coordinator Mike Samuelson, advocates learned how to strategically choose, refine, design and budget campaigns to improve biking and walking in their communities.    Learn more about the Cleveland training on our blog »   Support Active Transportation on the 2013 Climate Ride   Want to take a massive bicycle adventure while supporting safer neighborhood streets across the continent? Join the Climate Ride and fundraise for active transportation organizations, including the Alliance!      The Climate Ride is an amazing multi-day bike trip with two route options - from the soaring Redwoods to San Francisco May 19 - 23 or from the heart of New York City to the Capitol steps in Washington, DC September 21 - 25.   Each rider gets to choose which organizations their contributions support, so you can designate the Alliance and several Alliance member organizations as beneficiaries.    Learn more and register today!   Lessons from a Mutual Aid Call: How Businesses Can Benefit from Open Streets Initiative As part of our Open Streets Project, the Alliance held a Mutual Aid Call on engaging businesses for Open Streets featuring successes from Atlanta, Berkeley and Minneapolis.     With thousands of potential customers traveling at a people-powered pace along streets normally filled with cars, local storefronts serve as giant advertisements and testing grounds for their own businesses.   Plus, organizers of Open Streets initiatives have lots to gain from the support of local businesses located on or near the route. Support from local businesses can garner in-kind donations, publicity, increased participation and even funding. Pick up more great tips for engaging businesses in Open Streets events here.  Surgeon General Encourages Walking  To kick off National Public Health Week, U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin has announced the start of her new Every Body Walk! campaign.     The Alliance is collaborating with America Walks and our partners in the Every Body Walk! Collaborative to promote the Surgeon General's call to action. Advocates and neighbors can work together to improve street safety and accessibility to bring public health back into everyday transportation.  Health experts agree that adults should engage in 30 minutes of physical activity each day to maximize everyday health - and walking is a great way to meet those recommendations.   Hear about the Surgeon General's new initiative in her own words.  National Walking Summit Dates Announced   America Walks and the Every Body Walk! collaborative have announced that the 2013 National Walking Summit will be held in Washington, DC on October 1 - 3. The summit will bring together nonprofit, civic and business leaders and allies to develop strategies, build capacity, increase momentum, and showcase best practices in walking and walkability.    Attendees can look forward to roundtables with key leaders, inspiring keynote addresses, advocacy trainings and congressional briefings - plus plenty of walking meetings. Learn more. Low-Cost Traffic Counter Could Democratize Street Measurements  Data from car and bicycle counts can be notoriously spotty and difficult to obtain, and a new low-cost traffic counter called TrafficCOM seeks to change that.      TrafficCOM's $200 portable device could make it easy for advocates and community leaders to make data-based arguments to improve street safety.    TrafficCOM isn't in production yet - its inventors have launched a Kickstarter campaign to distribute beta versions. Start-up funding will help the inventors finance beta versions of the device to meet demands from departments of transportation and advocates.    Check out how this new device works. Upcoming Mutual Aid Calls and Advocacy Advance Webinars Our Mutual Aid conference calls are a great forum to gain insight from your Alliance peers on the specific issues and topics that are important to your organization. Additionally, Advocacy Advance has been hosting a series of calls to help you direct funding sources toward investments in biking and walking.  All calls begin at 2 PM eastern time.   This month: April 10, 2:00 - 3:00 PM eastern: Marketing the Economic Benefits of Bicycle Tourism Bicycle tourism has a singificant impact on both the U.S. economy and local economies. According to a recent Advocacy Advance report, the state of Maine generates an estimated $66 million per year in bicycle tourism; North Carolina's Outer Banks alone generates $60 million annually in economic activity from bicycle tourism. Join us on this call to learn how advocates can highlight the economic benefits of bicycle tourism in order to win investments in bicycling infrastructure and facilities. Panelists will include: Ginny Sullivan, Adventure Cycling Association Russ Roca and Laura Crawford, Path Less Pedaled Gary Helfrich, Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition  April 23, 2:00 - 3:30 eastern: Understanding and Shaping Transportation Performance Measures, Part I: Context and Perspectives from Federal, State and Regional DOTs  This webinar series from Advocacy Advance will explore the implications of the new performance measure requirements in MAP-21. How will performance measures impact bicycling and walking investments? Can they work in favor for active transportation? What should (and what can) be measured? Join the discussion with national experts on the topic.   April 24, 2:00 - 3:30 PM eastern: Social Media as an Advocacy Tool Social media is a crucial advocacy tool, especially to help reach new people, groups and partners from diverse demographics. On this webinar, a panel of savvy social media experts will explore current trends and do's and don'ts and how social networking can be used to promote bicycling and bicycling advocacy. This webinar is a follow-up to a popular National Bike Summit session and is presented as a partnership between the Alliance and the League of American Bicyclists. Join along with the conversation on Twitter using #BikeSM.     Panelists will include: Mathilde Piard, Cox Media Group Liz Murphy, League of American Bicyclists May calls: May 8: Making the Health Argument to Boost Walkability  May 14: Understanding and Shaping Transportation Performance Measures, Part II: Current Data Collection Methods and Exploring What's Possible  This past month: Messaging for Policymakers and the Media (2/27/12) Financial Planning for Community Bike Shops (3/20/13) Coming soon: Government Contracts and Consulting (3/27/13) What would you like to discuss on a Mutual Aid Call? Does your organization have expertise to share with peer organizations and other advocates? Email Mary Lauran with your ideas! Quick Links Join/Renew Donate Benchmarking Training Mutual Aid Open Streets Advocacy Advance Blog Register Now April 10: Marketing the Economic Benefits of Bicycle Tourism   April 23: Understanding & Shaping Transportation Performance Measures, Part I    April 24: Social Media as an Advocacy Tool   April 25: Navigating MAP-21 Workshop in Indianapolis, IN   May 21: Navigating MAP-21 Workshop in Baton Rouge, LA   August 2 - 4: Winning Campaigns Training in White Plains, NY Member News BikeTexas Releases State-Specific Benchmarking Report A new BikeTexas study modeled after the Alliance for Biking & Walking's national Benchmarking Report sets baselines for walking and biking policies, infrastructure and programs in the Lone Star State's largest cities. Advocates are using the study to engage elected officials and agency staff, and hope to encourage competition for better active transportation in Texas cities. Check out the BikeTexas Benchmarking Study »   How Biking and Walking Won the Super Bowl  Leading up to the 2013 Super Bowl, the city of New Orleans planned major transportation investments in the city's downtown hospitality zone. Leaders at Bike Easy, New Orleans' walking and biking advocacy organization, used the opportunity to score major touchdowns for walkability and bikeability. Read the story of how Bike Easy scored big » Georgia Advocates & Mayors Ride to State Capitol for Complete Streets Despite unseasonably chilly weather and a few southern flurries, the 8th annual Georgia Rides to the Capitol drew local officials and citizen cyclists from the metro Atlanta area to rally for implementation of the state's new Complete Streets policy. Over 20 local mayors, commissioners and councilmembers led advocates to a the state capitol steps in a massive show of support for active transportation.  Read more »    WABA Launches Women & Bicycles Program The Washington Area Bicyclist Association launched its new Women and Bicycles program, an intiative that will engage and provide resources to women in the D.C. area. Learn more »   The 5 Best Biking & Walking April Fool's Day Pranks Transportation is serious work, but advocates still know how to have a little fun. Check out our 5 favorite biking and walking related jokes from April Fool's Day, including gems from Capital City Cyclists, The Bike House, and MassBike. They're too good to miss » Partner News New Women Bike Grants, Survey and Webinar  To celebrate the launch of the new Women Bike program, the League of American Bicyclists will award $5,000 in mini-grants to seed initiatives that will get more women on bikes. As part of the program, the League is also collecting input about women and equity through a survey and holding a webinar on encourgaing moms and families to bike. Learn more » Bring Fire Up Your Feet to Your State or Region Increased physical activity can make a big difference for kids, especially when it comes to obesity and related health problems. The Safe Routes to School National Partnership recently launched Fire Up Your Feet, a new program that will help schools create new opportunities for physical activity to, from, and at school. Here's how to bring the program to your community » Every Body Walk! Collaborative Publishes "Walking Revolution" Report   A new report from the Every Body Walk! Collaborative - an educational campaign led by a dozen organizations including the Alliance and coordinated by America Walks - highlights the importance of walking and walkability for health, business, and communities.  Learn more »   Advocates Flood Washington at the National Bike Summit Biking and walking advocates from all across the continent came to Washington, DC for the 2013 National Bike Summit, organized by the League of American Bicyclists. Check out our roundup of tweets and photos from advocates at #nbs13 »  Thank you to our  Sponsors!

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