March-April 2014
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AMERICAN BICYCLIST BICYCLE FRIENDLY: BFA AS AN 2013 BFA HOW WE DID IT ADVOCACY TOOL AWARDS LIST: Real stories from the How advocacy The comprehensive people who made it organizations are using directory of bicycle happen in their own the program to boost friendly communities, communities, businesses their state and local businesses and and universities p. 10 efforts p. 24 universities p. 28 March — April 2014 WWW.BIKELEAGUE.ORG BICYCLE FRIENDLY AMERICA 2013 AMERICAN BICYCLIST CONTENT March — April 2014 BICYCLE FRIENDLY AMERICA 2013 BICYCLE FRIENDLY AMERICA: HOW WE DID IT 10 Real stories and helpful hints from the people who made it happen in their own communities, businesses and universities BICYCLE FRIENDLY STEVE HITS THE ROAD Pedaling around the country to make 20 bicycling better BFA AS AN ADVOCACY TOOL 24 How advocacy organizations are using the program to boost their efforts Riders in Pascagoula, Mississippi MAKING EQUITY ATTAINABLE 26 A lesson from BFA IN EVERY ISSUE 02 VIEWPOINT 2013 BFA LISTS 03 INBOX COMMUNITY, BUSINESS & UNIVERSITY 28 04 COGS&GEARS LISTS AND STATE RANKINGS 22 INFOGRAPHIC: JOB HEALTH & HAPPINESS A comprehensive list of bicycle friendly communities, businesses and universities 44 QUICKSTOP AMERICAN BICYCLIST IS PRINTED WITH SOY INK ON 30% POST-CONSUMER RECYCLED PAPER CERTIFIED BY THE FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL. ON THE COVER Photo by Liam Crotty Pictured: Kathryn Moore VIEWPOINT ONE PROGRAM, MANY SUCCESSES I couldn’t be more proud of the talented from one to the other! They cater to just ness. Could some of them use a refresher staff we’ve assembled at the League. Ev- about every type of cyclist, from cruisers course in customer service? For sure. But eryone is passionate about bicycling and and fixies, to triathletes and racers, and just like your local bike club, bike shops the League itself, and nowhere is that they even had my ride, a Trek 520 touring are the lifeblood of our community and more evident than the Bicycle Friendly bike, hanging from the ceiling. Plus, they we need them to thrive. America (BFA) team. The recent addi- have a patio out back where you can get Of course, building a bicycle-friendly tion of Amelia Neptune and Steve Clark food and drinks. America for everyone goes far beyond gives us real-world experience from folks Lee’s Bicycles in Tulsa is living the bike shops. In this issue, we asked a di- who have directly implemented at the new urban dream. They just moved back verse array of BFA participants — from local level the programs they’re now run- to a downtown location in a restored in- Microsoft to Bowdoin College to Bike ning at a national scale. dustrial building and brought with them a Walk Mississippi — to share how they’ve Fortunately, they’re still willing to let running store and a fitness center. They’re used the programs to make their com- me out into the field occasionally and on the cutting edge of an urban revival munities, businesses and universities in January I got to spend a day in both in Tulsa that is every bit as exciting as it better places to live, work and learn. And Oklahoma City and Tulsa reviewing each is surprising. They’re fully involved in the reading their stories I have to say again: I communities’ progress toward greater development of a new bicycle plan and couldn’t be more proud. Learn how you bike-friendliness. For me, it was a ter- burgeoning trail and on-street bike net- can get engaged in the Bicycle Friendly rific opportunity to see firsthand how work. America program at bikeleague.org/bfa. the BFA program is evolving — and how We love these guys because Trek’s sup- Trek’s continued support for the program port for the BFA program is exemplary. is helping that evolution. Honestly, though, every local bike shop Trek is keen to involve their dealers in — whether it’s a Performance store, a the BFA program because they recognize Giant dealer or independent — is a trea- that, in the current retail environment sure worth supporting with your busi- Andy Clark, League President (i.e. the internet age!), traditional bike shops will go the way of the dinosaur — unless they become the hub of the bicy- cling community. Shops have to be more than just shops if they are to survive; they need to offer rides, events, advocacy, in- formation, a sense of community and serve as a gathering place for cyclists. The dealers I saw in Oklahoma are do- ing just that. Schlegel’s in Oklahoma City has two stores on opposite sides of the same street, and they’re working hard to get the road improved so people can ac- tually walk safely across the street to get 2 AMERICAN BICYCLIST INBOX INBOX LEARNING FROM ADVOCATES BIKE SAFE, HILTON HEAD League together. Enclosed is our family’s I learned so much putting together the Those of us in our Hilton Head Island donation of $100 — $97 for each of Phyllis’s answers for the Bicycle Friendly State Bicycling Advisory Committee wanted years and $3 for her next three birthdays. survey. While I have been the Safe to let you know that we continue to -William and Priscilla Johnson, Routes to School Project Manager make good progress helping make HHI Arlington, Va. for many years, I’m new to the overall safer and more bicycle friendly. I’m hap- bike/ped side. This experience gave me py to report that we’ve constituted a traf- CORRECTIONS a lot of good face time with our advo- fic safety committee in Sea Pines, which In the January-February issue of Ameri- cates, and gave them a chance to inter- first addressed vehicular traffic control can Bicyclist: Gary Fisher’s name was act with me in my new position. I also and speeds, and is now focused on path- misspelled in the cover photo caption; got a better overall picture of all the ways safety and infrastructure additions an out-dated chart on commuter rail bi- fantastic things we have done in Ohio. and improvements. Keep up the good cycle policies was erroneously included Thank you! work at the League. on page 24; and Madison, Wisc., and De- - Julie Walcoff, Bike/Ped and Safe -Frank Babel, Hilton Head Island, S.C. troit, Mich., were placed incorrectly on Routes to School Program Manager, the map on page 28. Ohio Department of Transportation CONGRATS PHYLLIS HARMON! All of these inaccuracies have been I remember being at LAW events in the corrected in the digital magazine, early 1970s and being with Phyllis Har- available online at www.bikeleague.org/ mon. She had done a great job holding the americanbicyclist. FROM FACEBOOK sides of the aisles. Keep it and empha- FROM TWITTER In response to: End of 2014 National size it! Maybe add that all win with bi- Steven @lycosa2000 | Jan. 22 Bike Summit early registration: cycles. There are simply no losers when @BikeLeague @bfc_Steve Keep up the bikes are involved. good work! It’s great to know we’ve got Just booked our hotel and flights! SO -James Paul EXCITED. Is it March yet? good people out there fighting for our -Polar Bottle, a Summit sponsor Realizing whether you like it or not, if shared interests. you ride a bike, you are an advocate for In response to: What is your favorite bicycling. How important one voice Spokes Etc. @SpokesEtc | Jan. 20 moment from past National Bike Summits? can be, in a neighborhood, in the City, A New Mission and Vision for the Bikes Mean Business. It’s a tremen- in the State, or in the Nation’s Capital. League *We’re big fans of the all-inclu- dously powerful message across both -Coreen Frasier sive new mission! #bikedc GIVE US YOUR FEEDBACK Email your comments to [email protected]; send a letter to 1612 K St NW, Ste 308, Washington, DC 2006; or chime in on Facebook (facebook.com/leagueamericanbicyclists) or Twitter (@bikeleague). AMERICAN BICYCLIST 3 COGS&GEARS MEMBER SNAPSHOT: Monty Andrews A few years ago, a friend and I were chat- a great deal from the first attempt four ting in a park here in Venice, Fla., discuss- years earlier. ing the virtues and drawbacks of living in Now the waiting would begin for the a small community of 21,000 residents, results of our hard work. where the average age hovers around 68. When word did arrive that the city’s ap- We found ourselves delving into a fasci- plication for BFC status was approved, nating question: What could be done to and at the Silver level, it was hard to put remake the image of the city to one that the feeling into words: joy, relief and satis- revolved around healthy and active life- faction all wrapped up in one! At the next styles? city council meeting a special announce- I never forgot that conversation. ment was made bringing cheers from In 2007, an advisory board comprised those in attendance. of several bicycling advocates and city Since receiving the award, it’s been representatives was assembled to discuss amazing to see the number of addition- the opportunity to become a Bicycle al visitors who come to our city to see Friendly Community. for themselves what made us a Bicycle What did we have going for us? Desire, not Bronze, but an honorable mention. Friendly Community. They’re not disap- city hall support, a lot of local cyclists and But we got more than a simple response pointed. Now that they realize the city the completion of a significant portion of — we got customized feedback and and the Bike/Ped Venice committee is a paved 10-mile trail, the Venetian Water- suggestions on what additional projects working on their behalf, local riders seem way Park.