2010 YEAR END REPORT Pedestrians and Cyclists Gather for the Grand Re-Opening of the New South Street Bridge in November, 2010
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2010 YEAR END REPORT Pedestrians and Cyclists gather for the grand re-opening of the new South Street Bridge in November, 2010 The Bicycle Ambassadors are a program of For additional information please contact: Breen Goodwin Education Director 215.242.9253 ext.5 [email protected] Bicycle Ambassadors 2010 Report » 2 INTRODUCTION: BRIEF HISTORY AND PROGRAM OVERVIEW Funded through a $450,000 Transportation Enhancement (TE) grant the Bicycle Ambassadors Program contract started in June 2008. The purpose of TE grants are to provide people with a richer quality of life by funding commu- nity programs and projects to improve the social, cultural, aesthetic and environmental aspects of the community. The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), via the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), was charged with handling the monies for TE projects in the region. The City of Philadelphia was the primary sponsor for the Bicycle Ambassadors program and the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia (BCGP) was the organization contracted to implement the program. The contract was designed to facilitate two full seasons of the Bicycle Ambassadors program in 2009 and 2010. The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia was responsible for the required 20% community match of the TE grant ($90,000). In 2008, the BCGP prepared for the first year programming by researching national best practices, testing, piloting and designing outreach styles, as well as developing materials. The BCGP launched a successful first year of programming in 2009 and improved the program tremendously in 2010. In 2010 the Bicycle Ambassadors program educated 24,770 people (29,761 weighted), a nearly 25% increase from 2009 when the Bicycle Ambassa- dors reached 20,873 (24,428 weighted). In 2009 the Ambassadors taught 27 classes, during the 2010 season the Ambassadors nearly doubled classroom education by teaching 53 classes. Additionally, the 2010 Ambassadors hosted 57 service stations that provided valuable opportunities to speak directly with bicycle riders. As a second year program, less time was spent figuring out how to implement the program, and more time was spent effectively educating the community. This is probably a reason why in 2010 the Ambassadors reached 3,897 (5,333 weighted) more people than in 2009. Since the Bicycle Ambassadors program was only funded through TE grant funding for 2009 and 2010, and the program has been such a success, the BCGP is actively pursuing funding for future years. Bicycle Ambassadors 2010 Report » 3 WHAT DO THE BICYCLE AMBASSADORS DO? Bicycle Ambassadors encourage and educate adult bicyclists to ride more often and more safely as well as educate motorists on the rules of the road and provide tips for sharing the road. Ambassadors attend community events and create events to teach bike safety, sharing the road, bike lane and bike path etiquette and how to bike to work and school. The Ambassador message is conveyed through face-to-face inter- action, allowing for an organic conversation targeting the specific interests, questions and needs of each individual. Ambassadors work in the neighborhoods of Center City, University City, and Fairmount Park. WHO ARE THE BICYCLE AMBASSADORS? Bicycle Ambassadors are a team of adult safety educators who do outreach and education to bicyclists, pedestrians, and motorists. Often, Ambassadors travel to events by bicycle, many times with a cargo trailer full of information in tow. The full time Ambassadors work from May through September. In 2010 the BCGP hired and trained a dynamic team who raised the standard for the Bicycle Ambassadors program. MEET THE 2010 BICYCLE AMBASSADORS w Age range: 22 to 27 years old w 1 Fluent Spanish speaker w 2 women, 3 men w 2 Ambassadors with bicycle maintenance experience w 4 Caucasian, 1 African American w 4 Ambassadors had teaching or coaching in their w 5 Ambassadors with Bachelors Degree, 1 pursuing a background Graduate Degree Brian Davis began tap dancing at the age of nine in his home town of Seattle, Washington. He has learned repertoire from nationally acclaimed dancers while participating in annual national tap festivals in cities all over the country. In 2005 Brian was chosen to dance with Savion Glover in a “Dance This!” and won the 2008 Philly Tap Challenge. As a 2009 graduate at the University of the Arts, he earned a BFA in Modern Dance and a Musical Theater Minor. In Philadelphia, Brian was a member of Tap Team Two and taught at dance education and outreach programs with After School Activities Partnerships (ASAP). Since the Bicycle Ambassadors season ended, Brian has moved to New York City to begin auditioning for larger scale performances, and continues to teach tap to children. Jonathan Farbowitz grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania. After graduating with a BA from Vassar College he developed a passion for bicycle commuting and maintenance. He has participated in bike repair collectives such as Time’s Up in New York City, Bike Farm in Portland, Oregon and Bike Church in Philadelphia. He has also worked in education as a reading tutor and at an after school program serving students in South Philly. Jonathan’s interests include filmmaking, creative writing and democratic schools. Jonathan helped wrap up the Bicycle Ambassadors season by teaching classes through the end of September. Since the Bicycle Ambassadors season ended Jonathan has moved to New York where he is interning at the Brooklyn Free School and teaching bicycle repair to middle school students in an after-school program. Jonathan recognizes that experience of working as a Bicycle Ambassador has provided him with a new level of confidence in teaching, public relations and conducting advocacy campaigns. Bicycle Ambassadors 2010 Report » 4 Hannah Lee moved to Philadelphia in 2008, after completing her undergraduate degree in Intercultural Studies and Spanish at Houghton College. Since moving to Philadelphia she has discovered the great joy of commuting by bicycle. While completing an AmeriCorps volunteer year at Project H.O.M.E., Hannah realized her passion for helping marginalized people by offering them care, support and educational opportunities. Currently Hannah is obtaining her Masters in Social Work degree at Bryn Mawr College. In addition to biking, Hannah loves hiking, camping, and spending time outdoors. Since the Bicycle Ambassadors season ended Hannah has embarked on her last year of graduate school for Social Work and sees her completed degree looming closer and closer. Hannah recognizes that the experience of working as a Bicycle Ambassador provided her with new skills in public speaking and outreach, an ever growing passion to advocate for the rights of bicyclists, and tools of perseverance to face life challenges head-on. Celia Marraro’s love of bicycles is what initially drew her to the Bicycle Ambassador pro- gram. Celia graduated from Gettysburg College in 2008 with a B.A. in Art History and English. Afterwards she lived in Washington D.C. where she worked for a woman-owned law practice specializing in environmental law, as the firm’s resident writer. Since the end of 2009 Celia has lived in Philadelphia and has been serving local charter and magnet schools as a substitute teacher. Since the Bicycle Ambassadors season ended Celia has decided to apply to law school. Celia’s experiences as a Bicycle Ambassador provided her with a better understanding of non-profit work and allowed her to gain more experience in the world of advocacy and glean from it a burgeoning interest. Julian Root grew up in Huntingdon Valley, PA and moved to Philadelphia in 2005 to attend Temple University, where he graduated with a BA in English in 2010. He wrote extensively for the student-run newspaper there, mostly covering concerts and cycling related issues. His interest in cycling blossomed in 2008 when he took a semester off from his studies to undertake a self-supported bicycle tour from Bar Harbor, ME to Portland, OR. While not on his bike, Julian may be found troubadouring the streets, coffee shops, and bars of Philadelphia with his banjo or guitar, performing with a vast array of different local talents. Since the Bicycle Ambassadors season has ended, Julian has traveled to Austin and New Orleans, and is now back in Philly, regularly performing by himself and with his band, while also submitting work as a free- lance writer. He has also been riding his brand new locally built custom touring bike. Bicycle Ambassadors 2010 Report » 5 2010 SEASON REVIEW The 2010 Bicycle Ambassadors program relied on four primary types of outreach and education: event outreach, classroom/clinic education, service stations and on-street outreach. Event outreach occurred at community events such as a farmers’ market, transportation fairs, festivals, and block parties. The Ambassadors conducted general outreach at these events by setting up a table with information avail- able and inviting conversations with the public by standing in front of the table. Event outreach was valuable because it allowed the Ambassadors to bring the bicycle safety message to a larger audience. Classroom education took place in an interactive presentation setting or on the road with students. Over the past two years the Ambassadors program has developed four classes: Urban Riding Basics, a Fix-A-Flat clinic, Bike Cleaning 101 and Street View Essentials, with the Urban Riding Basics as the most popular class. This 60-90 minute presen- tation covered topics including proper helmet and bicycle fitting, rules of the road, route selection, urban hazards, locking a bicycle, and packing/strategies among other topics. Classroom education was different from the other types of outreach because participants choose to be involved and were therefore highly motivated to learn. While classroom education was often the most effective and enjoyable form of outreach, it was the most time consuming to schedule, which is a consideration for program improvement in 2011.