1 World 2 Wheels

April 26th, 2010 // Happenings

Wisconsin Bike Summit Moves Forward Local Advocacy

In only its second year, nearly 600 advocates, industry members, and citizens gathered in Madison for the Second Annual Wisconsin Bike Summit put on by the Bike Federation of Wisconsin. Over the course of two days (April 21-22), attendees participated in breakout sessions, seminars, round table discussions, and meetings with their local and state government representatives.

The event was highlighted by the evening Plenary Session, which featured guest speakers Andy Clarke, President of league of American Bicyclists, Amanda White, Director of the Wisconsin Bike Fed, Tim Blumenthal, Executive Director of Bikes Belong, and John Burke, President of Trek Bicycle Corporation.

A nearly full house for the Plenary Session at the Summit
Bike Summit
The night was a success despite the fact that the original Keynote speaker, Andreas Rohl, the Bike Coordinator for the City of Copenhagen, inability to attend due to flight cancellations from the Icelandic volcano. Additionally Madison’s Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and five other panelist where stuck in Amsterdam and unable to present. The mayor was leading a group of 20 Madison area advocates visiting and researching best-in-class cycling cities across Netherlands and Germany. This trip was the kickoff for Madison’s new goal: to achieve 20% bicycle mode-share transportation by the year 2020. Visit the blog website at 20-by-2020.com to see details and lessons learned from their trip, and to see how Madison is going to accomplish this lofty but attainable goal.

And there is a great chance this goal will be attained. Last year at the summit this same group accomplished great things. On lobby in 2009, the Wisconsin Advocactes asked for three things. 1) “Complete Streets” legislation, 2) a Fair share of funding and 3) pass Anti-Dooring legislation. Within three months of the summit all three asks were signed into legislation. It is proof that advocacy does work.

While the Wisconsin Bike Summit and all of its accomplishments are specific to Wisconsin, everything they’ve done and achieved is very applicable to your city and state. John Burke always says that “Government is of the people, by the people, for the people… who show up.” If you just show up, you will begin to make a difference.

To start, visit peopleforbikes.org and sign the pledge. Then have everyone you know who cares about cycling also sign the pledge, to help gather over one million names of support for cycling. There is so much momentum in cycling advocacy happening right now, with support from Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, bikesbelong.org, bikeleague.org, imba.com, and many other organizations. As a member of the cycling industry, make sure you are doing everything you can to move cycling forward.

No Comments // Permalink //

April 7th, 2010 // Heroes

Ray LaHood Names National Bike Summit Catalyst for New Bike-Friendly Policies

In a recent interview with the New York Times, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood named the National Bike Summit as a catalyst for his recent proclamation that declared an end to “favoring motorized transportation at the expense of the nonmotorized.” Lahood’s initial statements came following the 2010 National Bike Summit, and outlined new DOT plans for livable and sustainable communities. LaHood specifically stated that “bicycling and walking should be given the same consideration as motorized transport in state and local transit projects.” This is clear proof that the voices of America’s cycling advocates are not falling upon deaf government ears, and that a bicycle friendly America is an obtainable goal.

Trek would like to extend an enormous thank you to the 108 Trek Retailers who showed up at the 2010 National Bike Summit, as well as the League of American Bicyclists for organizing the event. Your efforts are going noticed, and your support is greatly appreciated.
Read the New York Times article and become a fan of Ray LaHood on Facebook
Photo Credit to:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikeportland/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

No Comments // Permalink //

March 19th, 2010 // Heroes

Sign the Pledge for PeopleForBikes.org

People for Bikes
In Washington DC last week at National Bike Summit, Bikes Belong launched peopleforbikes.org, a campaign to unite one million voices for the future of bicycling. Because as we know, there is power in numbers. The presentation received very positive reviews: In the five days that followed, more than 3,700 people pledged their support and close to 6,000 people viewed the “If I ride” video on YouTube.

So please visit peopleforbikes.org, and help Bikes Belong gather pledges and support from your local customers.

No Comments // Permalink //

March 18th, 2010 // Happenings

2010 National Bike Summit Wrap-up

The 2010 National Bike Summit drew over 725 cycling advocates from across the Union last week, including 108 Trek Retailers, Trek President John Burke, and Trek’s Advocacy guru Krista Rettig. Thanks to everyone who attended and made their voice heard at this influential and important event.

Highlights of the 10th annual Summit included the unveiling of Google Map’s “Bike There” feature, the successful lobbying of representatives by constituents, and the commitment of Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood to promote and fund a bicycle friendly future in America.

“This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized,” wrote LaHood on his blog following the Summit. “We are integrating the needs of bicyclists in federally-funded road projects. We are discouraging transportation investments that negatively affect cyclists and pedestrians. And we are encouraging investments that go beyond the minimum requirements and provide facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities.”

Want to learn more about the events at this year’s Summit? Checkout these links below:

http://fastlane.dot.gov/2010/03/my-view-from-atop-the-table-at-the-national-bike-summit.html#more

http://www.bikeleague.org/blog/2010/03/10th-national-bike-summit-rocked/

http://agreatride.typepad.com/a-great-ride/2010/03/national-bike-summit-wrapup.html#more

Remember, it’s never too early to begin planning your trip to the 2011 National Bike Summit!

No Comments // Permalink //

May 5th, 2009 //

Welcome to Wisconsin, FREIKER

1 World 2 Wheels loves FREIKER. It’s a great program that’s proven to get kids riding, walking, skating, dancing, shuffling, whatever. It gets kids outta the car, into the fresh air, and exercising. If you ask me, that’s a recipe for a brighter future. Teachers. Parents. School Administrators. They agree. Anyway, when we heard about the “Bicycle Are McFarland’s Future” group at McFarland High School (just a few clicks south east of Madison), FREIKER almost immediately came to mind. The school had already made the commitment and laid the ground work to get students riding. But FREIKER could help make that program an even bigger success. So given our support for FREIKER, we worked really hard to make McFarland the first school in Wisconsin to implement the FREIKER system. What started in the late summer last year with planning and preparation is, I’m happy to say, now a fully implemented and working FREIKOMETER. Way to go McFarland HS! Thanks for making a commitment to non-motorized transportation. Here’s hoping FREIKER spreads throughout the greater Madison area (just like it has in Boulder, CO) and all over Wisconsin!

No Comments // Permalink //

April 27th, 2009 // Happenings

The World Is Run by Those Who Show Up

The first-ever Wisconsin Bike Summit kicks off today. It’s really exciting to think about cyclists from all over the state coming together, getting organized, and having our voices heard by our state legislators. The Bike Fed of Wisconsin is putting on the event, and today advocacy leaders from the League of American Bicycles, Bikes Belong Coalition, and the Bike Fed will talk to Summit-goers to get them fired up about all the good things bicycles can do for their local communities, the state of Wisconsin, and for the country. Traffic congestion. Air pollution. Obesity. The bicycle really can be a simple solution to complex problems.

Tomorrow we head to the Capitol to meet face-to-face with our respective representatives. We have three “asks” on the docket: 1) a commitment to increase funding for bicycling infrastructure and maintenance from 1.4% to 3.0% of all transportation dollars; 2) support for “Complete Streets,” which in essences requires that all new road construction takes into account bicycle traffic as part of the road plan; and 3) support the “car-dooring” legislation currently up for a vote; right now, in Wisconsin, if a motorist opens the door of his parked car and takes out a cyclists, by law, it’s automatically the cyclists fault; this new legislation would remove the automatic culpability from the cyclists and instead allow the investigating authorities to assign the blame where it rightly belongs in each particular instance—cyclist OR motorist.

No Comments // Permalink //

October 8th, 2008 // Happenings

Do You Work for a “Bicycle Friendly Business?”

Are you one of those people who would ride to work IF there was a place to lock up your bike and a place to clean up? Or maybe you’ve begged for a bike rack at work only to get no response? Fear not….you now have a resource to turn to for help.

Our good friends at the Bike League (.org) have launched the Bicycle Friendly Business program. BFB provides technical assistance to companies and organizations so they may foster a healthier workplace.

The BFB evaluates applicants but just because a company applies doesn’t mean they will earn the designation “bicycle friendly business.” Still, they just might learn what it is they need to do to become bike friendly.

Send this link to the decision makers in your company:www.bicyclefriendlybusiness.org. You might try putting “how to lower company health care costs” in the subject line. And, if you do work for a Bike Friendly Business, tell me what your company does–I’m interested in knowing what works.

Here at Trek we have showers and a “commuter room” to store our bikes. In our cafeteria, all the “healthy” food (salads, yogurt, sandwiches) is rather cheap and the less healthy food (chips, fries, soda) cost enough to make it easy to choose the better food. If you really want that big gulp, it’ll cost you a buck fifty! Milk or juice however, is just .50. The weight watchers food score is on the menu next to each item so those on the program can select the best choice.

What’s in your lunchbox??

1 Comment // Permalink //

October 3rd, 2008 // Happenings

Cycling Politics and Trash Talk?!

I got an email from the brilliant bike advocate, Tim B. (Bikes Belong.org) who was watching PBS Evening News Hour last night. On the show Professor John Cochran of the University of Chicago singled out the “Bicycle Commuters Benefits Act” which is included in the credit bailout bill that the House will vote on tomorrow, as THE prime example of what’s wrong with the revised bill that the House will consider.

I would have to agree with Tim that extra stuff tacked on to a rescue plan (presumably to broaden the bill’s appeal) isn’t the best light to put bicycling in, especially right now. But it is politics. Timing is everything.

Still, an election year is a good time to stay focused on growing the bike piece of the transporation pie. If you ride a bike to work or for exercise there has never been a better time to raise your voice in support of bicycle infrastructure.

When’s the last time you wrote a letter to your local or state lawmakers? Hummm?? If the answer is “more than a year” giddyonup to your desk and google your state legislator’s name and address and start writing . Not sure what to say? Here’s a simple, short message:

Dear ____; I ride bikes and I vote. What is your plan to increase the safety for bicyclists in (town/state)?

Feel free to ad lib, of course. Then, after you’ve sent your letter you can follow along on who ISN’T supportive of bikes at the Bike League.org. They’ve got a new page to track trash talking politicians and arms you with data so you can talk back. That’s courtesy of another brilliant bike advocate, Andy Clarke. This is good stuff:

http://www.bikeleague.org/action/trashtalk/

3 Comments // Permalink //

September 30th, 2008 // Happenings

Kudos for World Bicycle Relief

I rarely get time to watch TV so when I got an email with the link to the Today Show story on World Bicycle Relief, I just had to pass it on.

F.K. Day, who founded the WBR group is a featured “Hero” on this very website. This story is touching and shows the impact that the simple and humble bicycle can have. Maybe for us a bike is transportation but for some, it’s a lifeline.

Click here: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/26950282#26950282

No Comments // Permalink //

September 24th, 2008 // Observations

Well, it IS a GREEN truck

If you have an beautiful old truck that is not a gas sipper, why not paint it and use it for advertising? You have to admit, it’s eye catching. I haven’t seen that shade of green since I lived in a house that had its original 1930s bathroom. This beaut belongs to the Trek Store of Columbus and I’m not sure if it’s a delivery truck or just for looks? Either way, it’s a looker!

4 Comments // Permalink //