Student Transportation: The $400 Million Question

By Blake Trask | Published January 8, 2013

How Safe Routes to School Helps Save Washingtonians Money, Creates Safer Neighborhoods, and Makes Biking and Walking to School A Reality

Getting kids to school on buses costs a lot! In 2011 alone, the state and school districts combined spent over $400 million to bus kids to school.

www.pedbikeimages.org / Dan Burden

It’s no surprise then that Governor Gregoire’s budget plan for the next two years proposes to address this burden on our schools.

It’s also why the 2013 Washington Bikes legislative agenda set in November recognized the need to address new approaches to get kids to school. We’re now actively exploring opportunities with legislators to improve our school transportation investments, while growing biking and walking to schools.

This Legislator’s Toolkit includes solutions to promote efficiency in spending, improve public safety on Washington’s streets, grow biking and walking to school, and create more jobs through small capital projects.

Such an approach recognizes that school districts and the state must address complex policy issues and on-the-ground realities of student transportation. Of course Safe Routes to School needs continued and larger investments, but additional policies, incentives, and investments need to occur as well to address the entirety of the issues that face schools and the burden of getting kids to and from home.

Washington Bikes isn’t unfamiliar with initiatives that lead to meaningful change for Washingtonians.

In 2004 when then-Representative Ed Murray partnered with Washington Bikes to establish the first Safe Routes to School pilot program, no one could have predicted the incredible response and results after less than a decade of partnerships, education, awareness, and safer routes for kids to walk and bike.

Eight years on and the results are great. Now the Bicycle Alliance leads a statewide grant to teach kids safe biking and walking skills to approximately 20,000 students in 30 districts statewide. Over $30 million has been spent since 2005 for education and building paths, bike lanes, sidewalks, and safer streets.

Demand is high for creating more efficient and safer ways to get kids to school. With less than $14 million available in the next biennium, over $46 million in projects from across the state have been denied funding.

www.pedbikeimages.org / Dan Burden

And while we are constantly advancing a legislative agenda that looks for opportunities to grow safe walking and biking to Washington schools, we often have to protect this fragile source of funding. In October, along with our partners at the Transportation for Washington Campaign, Washington Bikes successfully advocated to retain $3.6 million in annual federal investments in Safe Routes to School that other interests sought to send elsewhere.

Growing safe walking and biking to schools is a central mission of Washington Bikes. Washington Bikes will continue to review the governor’s proposal; while we haven’t taken a position on it, we’re pleased to see that she has highlighted the need to address our state’s student transportation problem. Working with the 2013 legislature and Governor-elect Inslee, Washington Bikes is poised to identify long-term solutions that save us money, improve walking and biking safety, and create a better education system for Washington’s children.

Posted in Education, Funding/Policy, Issues & Advocacy, News, Safe Routes to School, Safety, Transportation | Comments Off on Student Transportation: The $400 Million Question

A Bike-Friendly Bit on Comcast

By Barb Chamberlain | Published January 5, 2013

I had the chance to share a bit about the work of the Bicycle Alliance in a really fast interview on Comcast Newsmakers. Four minutes isn’t nearly enough time to cover everything we do so this just skims a very few of the wavetops, but here it is. (And don’t you just love the way the screen capture function captures the speaker at an awkward moment and freezes it?)

Watch our blog for more on all the things I got to fly through in this interview.

 

For those of you who would rather read than watch, a transcript of the main interview with Newsmakers host Sabrina Register (minus the intro chitchat) :

Sabrina: Bicycle Alliance–tell us about the group.

Barb: We were founded 25 years ago growing out of local bike advocates who said we need a statewide bike advocacy organization–a nonprofit that’s focused on helping grow bicycling, pass public policy that makes this state a better place to ride, an organization that would do education and outreach–really around the state–and we’ve been doing that for 25 years very successfully.

Sabrina: Twenty-five years, quarter of a century–congratulations! So it sounds like the organization has grown and even evolved some since its beginning.

Barb: Definitely. One of the things we point to as an accomplishment of the last 25 years is we have been the organization leading legislation that improves the state for bicycling. We’ve led the majority of legislation passed in the last 25 years. So that’s everything from adding those questions you have to answer on your driver’s license exam about bike law to making sure that when a kid goes through drivers’ ed bike safety is part of that curriculum so as drivers and riders interact we all know the laws. So that’s just one of the things we’ve worked on.

Sabrina: You were part of a coalition that helped pass the distracted driving law.

Barb: Yes, Text-Talk-Ticket, because that’s really important to all of us. There was actually just a study released today about Seattle pedestrian behavior and texting is a really dangerous thing for you to do as a walker as well as a driver. And if you’re on your bike you probably shouldn’t be texting either.

Sabrina: That’s probably not a good idea also! I know you’re hoping in the next legislative session to get another law on the books. What is that?

Barb: We’ve worked for a couple of sessions now; we’ve made it halfway through the process and we know we have a lot of support from around the state. It’s called the Neighborhood Safe Streets Bill.

What it would do is really a matter of local control. It would let cities lower the speed limit in a neighborhood to 20 miles an hour without having to do a really expensive engineering study. It might just be common sense to say hey, we have a school zone here, and just outside the school zone we also have a park or a library or another destination. It makes sense to have drivers just stay slower through this section.

We’d just let cities do that. Right now they can’t do it without an expensive study. So it’s a matter of local control; it’s also a matter of making the neighborhoods a lot safer for people who are walking or biking through. And that’s kids–it’s also senior citizens or folks with disabilities who maybe just aren’t moving as quickly. And so slowing the driving speed makes it safer for everybody.

Sabrina: So not only do you work with a lobbyist in Olympia but you also work with state groups and agencies like the state Department of Transportation.

Barb: Yes, we work a lot with them because once the law gets passed then it’s how it’s implemented that will really matter on the ground to the people who are riding or driving through a stretch. We’ve worked on issues like a bridge over Hood Canal that had a particularly slippery bridge decking that meant people riding across on bikes fell, and if they were falling they might be falling into the path of the drivers and creating a lot more danger for everybody.

So the local riders in the area came to us because we have that relationship with DOT to bring them in and say can we make this better for here but then can we also, because we’re a statewide organization, ask DOT to take lessons learned and share them around the state so any other bridge design would be looked at to make sure it’s safe for riders.

Sabrina: We’re almost out of time but–bike-friendly, I asked the question–we certainly are. I think we can be even more bike-friendly. And we’re hoping that bike tourism takes off as well in Washington state.

Barb: Absolutely. The League of American Bicyclists has ranked us #1 in the nation five years in a row for being bike-friendly. That’s a combination of a lot of things–engineering, education, enforcement . . . we have all these Es we measure by. We are a great place to ride a bike already and we can get even better promoting bike tourism. It’s really great for small towns. It’s good for the people who live there every day to have that business riding through on two wheels.

Sabrina: So that’s something that’s a nationwide effort but certainly something we want to see emphasized here in Washington state.

Barb: Yes. We’re helping map the US Bicycle Route System as it comes through the state. It’s across the country–it’s also international coming down from Alaska through Canada. So we’ll be bringing money into the state with our two wheels.

 

 

Posted in Advocacy, Economic Impact, Funding/Policy, News, Tourism, USBRS | 1 Comment

A Great 2012, an Even Better 2013!

By Barb Chamberlain | Published December 28, 2012

In some ways 2012 was a tough year for bicycling, since Congress slashed federal funding for bike/pedestrian projects by 30%. Yet bike advocates and Bicycle Alliance members and supporters can point with pride to the impact of our efforts and celebrate the foundation we’ve laid together for even greater accomplishments in 2013. Watch this blog for progress reports on these and other projects:

  • Our Neighborhood Safe Streets Bill, which would permit cities to lower the speed limit to 20mph without expensive and unnecessary engineering studies, made it through the state House of Representatives on a unanimous vote in the 2012 session. We’re already working to ensure its passage into law in 2013 and have legislative sponsors lined up in both House and Senate.
  • We have championed Safe Routes to School funding successfully since its inception to make it safer for our kids to bike and walk to school. We’ll be working in the upcoming session on new approaches to funding school transportation and to defend the win we had this summer when the governor’s advisory committee recommended using federal highway safety dollars to fund Safe Routes–for the first time ever.
  • We started mapping the first segment of the US Bicycle Route System in Washington across the northern tier of the state with the help of local riders and clubs.  When approved the route will become part of the official highway manual—biking will really be on the map!
  • We’re always educating people who drive, walk, or bike to make your interactions on the street safer. Click around our newly revamped website for bike law links and more.
  • We’re at the table not only when laws are written but also when long-range policy plans are developed by every state entity with the word “transportation” in its name. We’re working every day to shape a future vision that will treat bikes as mainstream transportation. In 2013 we’ll be helping write the next update to the statewide traffic plan.

We can’t do any of this important work without the support of people who bike all across Washington. As the year draws to a close we hope you’ll make three bike-friendly resolutions for 2013:

  • Invite a friend to join the Bicycle Alliance. (You could send a link to this post along with your own list of reasons why being a member really matters.)
  • Get a Share the Road license plate if you don’t already have one to show your bike pride even when you drive.
  • Reach a new biking goal, whether it’s taking your first overnight bike camping trip, riding to work for the first time (or every workday all year round), or biking somewhere in Washington you’ve never seen before. Then tell us about it with a guest post for our blog, a note or picture on Facebook, or 140 characters on Twitter. We love to hear great bike stories.

Happy pedaling in 2013 and beyond!

PS: You’re counting on us to be your voice in Olympia, and we’re good at it–we’ve led the efforts for passage of the majority of bike legislation adopted in the last 25 years. Your support makes it possible for us to work every day to help make Washington even more bike-friendly. Thank you!

 

Posted in Advocacy, News | Comments Off on A Great 2012, an Even Better 2013!

Volunteer Spotlight: Rebecca Slivka

By Louise McGrody | Published December 20, 2012

After six years of volunteer service as the Bicycle Alliance’s webmaster, Rebecca Slivka is taking a well earned and much deserved break.

Rebecca created the original Safe Routes to School WA site in 2005, then agreed to manage the Bicycle Alliance site in 2006.  The content was sparse back then and she was eager to work with staff to build a site that was interesting and useful to bicyclists.

“First I expanded the sections on commuting, legislation and resources.  Later, I created online forms for membership, auction donations and auction ticket purchases,” Rebecca recalled.  “Creating the online forms for membership and the auction were probably the most productive changes,” she added.

Rebecca’s involvement with the Bicycle Alliance goes beyond her website contribution.  She helped gather the signatures that resulted in legislative approval for the Share the Road license plate.  Her first Share the Road plate was BK00023, but she has since traded that plate in for a personalized one that proclaims her zeal for Scrabble:  -TSNIEA (Fellow Scrabble lovers will recognize this as the best rack you can have in the game).

Her other volunteer contributions include serving as a Bike Buddy mentor, participating in early Bicycle Committee meetings with Sound Transit to ensure bike access on Sounder and Link light rail trains, and helping with the auction.

What’s on the horizon for Rebecca?  Besides pursuing her love of Scrabble with the Seattle club, she is contemplating revisions to her Bicycle Watchdog website.  No grass is growing under this bike adovate’s feet.  Thanks, Rebecca!

Posted in People, Volunteer | Comments Off on Volunteer Spotlight: Rebecca Slivka

Riding Around Washington: Share Your Passion!

By Barb Chamberlain | Published December 19, 2012

My life as a bike advocate got its start thanks in part to the Bicycle Alliance, which helped inspire and support my work as founding chair of Bike to Work Spokane (now Spokane Bikes, part of the Spokefest Association). That’s why it has been so exciting for me to go from working as a bike advocate in Spokane to working on behalf of bike advocates all over Washington as the new executive director.

What I learned when I sent out that first email in Spokane asking if people would serve on a planning committee and over a dozen people showed up was that people who ride bikes want to share their enthusiasm and inspire others to get on two wheels. That’s at the heart of our work at the Bicycle Alliance as the statewide bike advocacy organization. The commitment of our founders, members, supporters, and partners is the reason we’ve been able to lead the charge for the passage of the majority of bike legislation adopted in the last 25 years.

Whether you ride because bicycling is the most practical mode of healthy transportation, a great vacation vehicle, or an expression of your competitive spirit, your love for biking affects those around you. You really do make the world a better place when you ride (and we know that the more people ride, the safer and more pleasant the streets are for everyone).

Since moving to Seattle and starting work August 1 I’ve had the chance to talk with bicyclists around the state: in Seattle, Bainbridge Island, Richland, Bellingham, and Anacortes, for starters. The stories I hear tell me we have plenty of work to do together as advocates for a more bike-friendly Washington for all kinds of riders, and that we share the passion it will take to make progress.

The Bicycle Alliance has a dedicated board of directors, talented staff, and the support of thousands of people across the state who sport the Share the Road license plate and join us as proud members. Together we will truly make Washington the most bike-friendly state in the nation as we grow bicycling statewide.

See you on the road!

Posted in News, Spokane County | Comments Off on Riding Around Washington: Share Your Passion!

Leading by Example: Execs at Seattle technology firm encourage a healthier commute by getting on their bikes

By Guest Blogger | Published December 12, 2012

Guest blogger Kris Barker is one of three co-founders of Express Metrix Asset Management Software, a technology company located in Seattle, WA.  Kris is an avid biker and rower, and is vice captain of San Juan 21 Fleet 1, an active small sailboat racing fleet.  When Kris isn’t at work, on his bike, or on the lake, he plays bass and guitar in a band, and sings in a community choral group that raises money for Northwest Harvest. 

L-R: Dawson Stoops, Kris Barker and Jeff Kelsey.

Express Metrix is a Seattle software company founded in 2000 by three dedicated outdoor types – two Washington natives (myself included) and an Alaska transplant.   Between us, we commute a combined total of 50 miles per day on our bikes, often in the driving Seattle rain.  Why do we do it?  Apart from the obvious benefits relating to good health and traffic avoidance, it’s the best way to build up a positive mindset for the stresses of the day ahead and release tension on the way home from work.

We feel so strongly about the benefits of biking that we have put it on our healthy lifestyle agenda for our workforce.  This includes reimbursing employees $500 if they purchase a bike, retrofitting our office space to include a shower room and lockers and, of course, leading by example. We have found that it’s not difficult to encourage workers to get out of their cars in favor of healthier commutes, and we are passionate about getting the word out to other employers that there are very easy ways to make it happen.  Here are just a few simple tips:

  • Do it yourself – show everyone that it can easily fit into the daily routine.
  • Provide facilities – somewhere to change, shower and store bikes and equipment.
  • Offer incentives – employee loans, equipment subsidies or discount agreements with local bike stores will all work.
  • Take a personal interest – talk about it at the water cooler, at lunch, or at informal meetings, and post information on your bulletin boards.
  • Be enthusiastic and supportive, but don’t evangelize – biking to work doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
  • Make it fun – hold friendly workplace competitions, meet up for coffee on the way to work, or get silly t-shirts printed; it’s a great building block for a strong work culture.

As a result of our efforts, around 20-25% of our employees bike to work regularly even during the cold winter months, with much higher participation during less inclement weather.  Not to mention half of our employees participated in Bike to Work Month!

I truly believe that supporting healthy ways to work makes the office environment a more vibrant place, and I would encourage anyone with a personal commitment to biking to find ways to promote it at work.  Talk to your colleagues, your executives, your HR staff – but most importantly, get on your bike and lead the charge!

 

 

 

Posted in Attitudes, Bike to Work, Commuting, Encouragement, Guest Blogger, Seattle | Comments Off on Leading by Example: Execs at Seattle technology firm encourage a healthier commute by getting on their bikes

2013 Legislative Update & Agenda: Safety, Schools, and Growing Bicycling Statewide

By Blake Trask | Published December 11, 2012

With the start of the 2013 legislative session beginning in January, Washington Bikes is gearing up to represent you in Olympia. Just prior to the November 6 election – the Alliance’s Legislative and Statewide Issues Committee met to provide direction and recommend legislation to the Alliance’s Board of Directors.

The Committee’s recommendations reflect an understanding of the uncertainty and change that can occur after elections and in advance of the legislative session.

Leaving last year’s Senate Transportation Committee hearing on SHB 1217 with former WSDOT Secretary Doug MacDonald

The election didn’t disappoint with big changes to transportation leadership in the state House and Senate. Notably Senator Mary Margaret Haugen (Camano Island) lost her reelection bid.

As of this writing, the Republican caucus along with two Democrats have announced a “Majority Coalition” that would install Republican and Democrat co-chairs to lead the Senate Transportation Committee, but negotiations on sharing power are likely to continue up to the beginning of the 105-day legislative session on January 14, 2013.

Washington Bikes’s legislative agenda takes a proactive approach to addressing health and safety, growing bicycling in our schools, supporting economic development, and providing more awareness for those bicycling on Washington’s roads. Policy priorities include:

  • Local Government Control and Safe Neighborhood Streets. The Bicycle Alliance again will lead the Neighborhood Safe Streets Bill to make safer streets and neighborhoods by allowing cities and towns the authority to set speed limits to 20 miles per hour on non-arterial streets.
  • Making Washington’s Kids Safer. We will explore policy to grow Safe Routes to School and policies that support it. Currently staff and our lobbyist are working with legislators about specific solutions to improve our school transportation investments while growing biking and walking to schools.
  • Adding Health as a State Transportation System Policy Goal. The Bicycle Alliance will again support legislation that adds human health to the policy goals of our state transportation system —alongside existing goals such as economic vitality, mobility, and the environment.
  • Potential safe passing legislation. Looking toward the future, the Bicycle Alliance will be exploring legislation for this session or next that supports safe motor vehicle passing of bicycles on Washington streets.

Through the transportation budget, as well as any local transportation options or new revenue legislation, the Bicycle Alliance will be working with the Transportation for Washington Campaign to expand funding to give Washingtonians the freedom to get around, safer streets for our children, and more complete streets for our towns and cities.

We cannot succeed without your help. As critical votes come up, Bicycle Alliance staff will be reaching out to membership via emails and social media to ask for you to contact your state elected officials. Thanks in advance for your support and advocacy in 2013!

Posted in Advocacy, Complete Streets, Funding/Policy, Issues & Advocacy, News, Politics, Safe Routes to School, Safety, Share the Road, Transportation | Comments Off on 2013 Legislative Update & Agenda: Safety, Schools, and Growing Bicycling Statewide

Construction Update: Hood Canal Bridge Bicycle Safety Improvements

By Blake Trask | Published December 8, 2012

After July’s agreement between Washington Bikes, local bicycle clubs and advocates, and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), construction work began in November on improvements to make crossing Hood Canal Bridge on bicycle safer.

To recap, over $1 million in improvements will be made by filling in bridge grating on the area used by bicycles with elastomeric concrete and by improving bridge plates that cover the floating bridge’s joints. For the recap of the campaign for improvements, see our  press release from the summer.

In the case that you are headed across the bridge for a winter weekend excursion or excuse to spend the holidays on your bicycle, stay alert as the construction to the shoulders of the bridge will impact your ride.

Washington Bikes has been checking-in with WSDOT on access issues to report out to the larger community.

From WSDOT Olympic Region Project Manager, Jeff Cook:

During the day, the contractor implements lane shifts to create a work area which leaves two 11-foot lanes and a 3’ path for pedestrians and bicyclists…  The 3’ shoulder is on the opposite side of the bridge from the work area.  Signing at each end of the bridge directs bicyclists to the side with the 3’ path and requires them to dismount and walk.

During the night time, the contractor may restrict traffic on alternating, one-way, flagger control movements.  Bicyclists using the shoulder will be stopped at the same place as vehicular traffic and move through the one-way traffic segment simultaneously.  The “night time” duration when this can be in place is approximately 10pm to 6am.

During hours when the contractor is not working there will be times when an area in the shoulder will be coned off and protected.  Most of the time this will be when the elastomeric concrete is curing, but there are other times this will occur as well.  In these instances the shoulder will be reduced to 3’ (from the fog stripe to the delineation cones).

12/10/12 UPDATE: WSDOT’s Jeff Cook has provided some additional helpful information:

1)      The posted speed limit will remain at 40 mph.

2)      The contractor will be working on two sections at one time (typically).  For example, the current work is on the south side shoulder of the east lift span and the east truss.  Each work segment is approximately 300’ however the traffic control may extend between the two sections making the 3’ shoulder closure to 2500’.  If the 2500’ lane shift is in effect is prevents traffic from moving over, then back, just to move over again (weaving).

3)      If the bicyclist is moving in opposition to traffic then they must walk.  The signing routes them to the side of the bridge with the 3’ shoulder section, however if they inadvertently miss the sign and approach the work are then someone will assist them in getting through the workzone safely.

4)      For night time work, a bicyclist riding east would ride on the shoulder or in the lane in the same direction as traffic.  When all traffic (motorized and non-motorized) is stopped by the flagger at the one way alternating traffic zone, then the bicyclist would stop with traffic and proceed through the one way are along with traffic.  We have also spoke with our contractor and there should be no problem assisting a night time bicyclist in walking or slowly riding inside the delineation (work side of the traffic control).

Thus far we have had no reported or observed issues with non motorized traffic moving through the work areas.  I have seen several cyclists ride the bridge during our work and they flowed well through the work.

Here’s what things looked like out on the bridge in late November. Photos courtesy of Don Willott of the North Kitsap Trails Association.

Posted in Advocacy, Infrastructure, Issues & Advocacy, Kitsap County, Olympic Peninsula, Safety, Transportation, WSDOT | 1 Comment

Join by Dec 31, and You Could Win a Bike!

By Jack Hilovsky | Published December 5, 2012

For 25 years Washington Bikes—the state’s first organization focused on bike advocacy—has led the charge to shape statewide policies to make riding a bike in Washington more convenient, safe, and enjoyable whether you’re just starting or have been rolling for years.

But now, with Congress’s drastic cuts to funding for bike and pedestrian projects in the recent federal transportation bill—over 30% cut and no dedicated federal funds for Safe Routes to School!—the action in bike transportation policy moves to the state level, where we have a track record of success. We can’t quit now—we have some steep hills to climb.

With the help of people like you—bicyclists who care about making riding even better—through the years we’ve made a real difference.

  • Statewide Reach: We’ve provided inspiration, technical assistance, and fiscal administration to groups around the state to help local advocates grow bicycling in their communities, supporting new organizations, new trails, and new events.

  • Funding: Washington Bikes and our partners successfully alerted and supported key legislators to affirm and restore funding for bicycle and pedestrian safety projects. Building on our groundbreaking push, which began in 2005, in the 2011 legislative session we secured $2.25 million in additional state funding for Safe Routes to School. We began working immediately after the passage of the new federal funding bill to protect that funding.
  • Education: Washington Bikes collaborated with pedestrian advocates, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the State Department of Transportation to train teachers in 31 school districts and 4 colleges, resulting in 20,000 future bicycle riders with knowledge and love of the road.

  • Livability: With support from a diverse coalition of 35 organizations Washington Bikes introduced bipartisan legislation unanimously passed by the House in the 2012 session that empowers cities and towns to reduce speed limits in neighborhoods. We’ll be back in 2013 to get that bill all the way through the process.

  • Advocacy: We have many more such accomplishments: WSDOT event guidelines protecting the right to hold rides on state highways, the  Ann Weatherill Safe Passing Act, bike education in driver’s license requirements, safer bridge designs and bike-triggered traffic signals in the future, protection of the right to use bike trailers on roadways—on and on.

These victories—large, small, and still underway—show how bicyclists can win BIG, when we work together!

Here’s your chance to support important work that will grow bicycling statewide. We’ve got a special offer for New Members who join during the month of December.

Spread the word to friends, neighbors, and work colleagues: if you join now,  you’ll get a chance to win a 2013 Specialized Daily 2 city bike from Gregg’s Cycle in Seattle.  Visit:  http://wabikes.org/index.php/support-us/become-a-member/ and sign up today!

And while you’re at it, check out the bike  that could be yours by year’s end:
http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bikes/globe/daily/daily2

Let’s all ensure we do our part to make Washington truly the most bike-friendly state in the nation!

For current members you will be in the drawing if you refer a friend who joins and the new member includes “referred by [your name]” in the comment field of the membership application. Good luck to all!!

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Join by Dec 31, and You Could Win a Bike!

Board Announces Candidate Slate

By Louise McGrody | Published December 4, 2012

Washington Bikes’s Board of Directors has announced its slate of board candidates for the upcoming election.  The five candidates—two newcomers and three returning directors are running for terms through 2015.

Meet the new candidates:

Angela Jones, Spokane, is the Director of Employment & Conciliation Services for Spokane Public Schools.  She currently serves on the Washington State University Alumni Association executive board and is the president of the WSU African American Alumni chapter.  An avid recreational cyclist, Angela embraced bike riding 5 years ago after a chronic knee injury sidelined her from other sports.  She is interested in encouraging more people of color to ride bikes and promoting the healthy benefits of bicycling.  When she’s not on the bike, Angela enjoys gardening and participating in triathlons.

Tim Hennings, a Seattle resident, is founder and President of the software company Catalog-on-Demand.  A lifelong cyclist, Tim previously served on boards for Cascade Bicycle Club and Laurelhurst Beach Club.  He bikes for recreation and transportation, and shares the joy of riding a bike with his daughters.  Tim would like to see the cycling movement grow in rural communities and sees bicycle tourism as a potential tool for making this happen.  Off the bike, Tim likes to cross-country ski and is an active member of a book club.

Returning board candidates are Sarah Gelineau (Tonasket), Jeff Petersen (Richland), and Andy Pryor (Dixie).  You can find their bios on the Board page of our website.

We also bid farewell to board members Ben Robinson and Jennifer Campos, who are stepping down from the board at the end of this year.  Thank you for your service to growing bicycling in Washington!

Alliance members should watch for an upcoming email with voting instructions.  There will also be information in the December issue of The Advocate.  The deadline to submit your ballot is January 4, 2013.

Posted in News, People | Comments Off on Board Announces Candidate Slate