Washington retains top ranking as most Bicycle Friendly State

By Louise McGrody | Published May 22, 2012

For the fifth year in a row, Washington leads the nation as the most Bicycle Friendly State.  The 2012 ranking of Bicycle Friendly States was announced by the League of American Bicyclists in honor of National Bike Month.
“We’re encouraged to see significant progress in top states like Washington, Minnesota, Colorado and Massachusetts,” said Andy Clarke, president of the League.  “But, as the scores clearly highlight, there’s much work to be done in critical areas like infrastructure and funding.  Overall, we see states—and especially state Departments of Transportation and state legislatures—lagging behind cities and the expectations of local cyclists, despite the many well-documented benefits of a more active lifestyle.”

The 2012 Bicycle Friendly States Ranking marks the launch of an updated and improved evaluation process.  Throughout 2011, the League held Bicycle Friendly America listening sessions across the country to understand the successes and shortcomings of the program.  Based on public input, the Bicycle Friendly State survey was revised to give a clearer picture of a state’s accomplishments and next steps towards becoming more bike-friendly.

Even with a revised survey, Washington once again set a high bar in 2012.  The state scored 4’s and 5’s (5 is the highest score) on the League’s report card, receiving top scores for Education and Encouragement, and Evaluation and Planning.  The report also makes recommendations for improvement.  One recommendation for Washington includes developing a comprehensive strategy for working with law enforcement on bicycling issues, including training for officers and targeted enforcement of bike safety laws.  Other recommendations are to continue to increase bicycle ridership and to fully fund and implement the state bicycle plan, which was adopted in 2006.
Strong and active bicycle advocacy at the state and local levels contribute to Washington’s top ranking.  An improved distracted driving law and a vulnerable user law were passed due largely to the efforts of Washington Bikes, Cascade Bicycle Club, and other bike groups. The Bicycle Alliance has also been instrumental in expanding bicycle skills training in schools around the state with its Safe Routes to School program. 
“Thanks to the League of American Bicyclists for this award. This honor comes with much responsibility for the state, bicycle advocates and others to continue to strive for complete streets ordinances in every community and Safe Routes to every school,” stated Barbara Culp, Executive Director for Washington Bikes.  “This is a call to anyone who rides a bike to hold your city, county and state officials accountable to an even more bike-friendly state.” 
The Bicycle Friendly State announcement was preceded last week by the League’s announcement of its latest Bicycle Friendly Community designations.  Tacoma and Snohomish are the newest Washington communities to receive this designation.  In all, ten Washington communities have earned a Bicycle Friendly Community designation.
Click here to see how Washington scored in the five evaluation categories.  Learn more about the League’s Bicycle Friendly State program at www.bikeleague.org/states.
Posted in Education, Encouragement, Funding/Policy, Infrastructure, Issues & Advocacy, News, Safe Routes to School, Transportation | Comments Off on Washington retains top ranking as most Bicycle Friendly State

Biking for Baseball

By Louise McGrody | Published May 21, 2012

Meet Steve Lunn, Chase Higgins and Adam Kremers.  These three friends, along with pals Rex Roberts and Tim Sherman, are the Biking for Baseball team.

Biking for Baseball combines three interests that the five friends share—biking, baseball, and mentoring youth—into an ambitious goal.  The team plans to bike to every Major League ballpark for a home game while raising awareness and funds for local Big Brothers Big Sisters. 

They kicked off their tour at the Seattle Mariners’ season opener on April 13, which is when they dropped by the Bicycle Alliance office to say hello.  They have since pedaled down the West Coast and made their way across the Rockies to Denver.  The tour will wrap up on September 21 and 11,000 miles later in Boston. 

You can check out their route, follow their progress throughout the summer, and support their effort at bikingforbaseball.org.

Posted in Adventure, People | 1 Comment

Friday Fun: Ride Your Bike!

By baw_admin | Published May 18, 2012

This is a good message anytime, but it’s especially appropriate today–Bike to Work Day.  With the many Bike to Work events happening around our state and the National Bike Challenge underway, we hope you’re riding your bike!

Posted in Humor | Comments Off on Friday Fun: Ride Your Bike!

Tips for Newbie Women Bike Commuters

By Guest Blogger | Published May 17, 2012

This guest blog post was written by Wendy Wheeler of Seattle.  She is a new bike commuter and a captain of a Bike to Work team for federal agency employees.
As a new commuter-cyclist, I want to share some tips that can make your ride more enjoyable, and thus more likely.
Wendy Wheeler bikes with style.
If you’re like me, you have a list of “shoulds” as long as your arm. The trick for me was to take the idea of commuting by bike and make it as fun as possible. Now, it’s something that I really enjoy and I look forward to doing, rather than something that I’m trying to squeeze into my day.
Make it easier: Metro is your friend.
The bike racks on the Metro buses are really easy to use, once you’ve done it once. Try it first on a weekend for less pressure, just load it on at one stop and take it off a couple of stops later. With the bus, you have an infinite number of ways you can slice your commute. Any part that you don’t want to ride on a particular day, you don’t have to.
Keep it easier: Have a back-up plan for rain.
My back up plan is four-fold – I could leave my bike locked in my office’s parking garage, I could stop at any point and use Metro, my top layers are water-resistant, and almost all of my clothes are machine washable anyway. So I can choose how wet I’m willing to be. When I’m warm, it doesn’t bother me. Most days in Seattle this time of year, it’s not actually raining all day, just showers that may not coincide with the ride anyway.
Make it fun: Dress it up.
I am a big fan of visibility. I have a front light and a back light on the bike and smaller ones on helmet and my backpack. I also think having a bright-colored top layer is a good idea. But I don’t feel the need to look like I’m preparing to bike the tour de France. Spandex is not my friend these days. J So I turn the “what to wear” formula on its head and go for something nicer than my normal dark work pants.
If I’m striving to be visible, why not wear a bright top and cute skirt? Skirts are among the most comfortable riding wear there is – they move with you, they tend to be lightweight, they’re already up out of the chain area, and they don’t bunch and compress in the middle. You can get tons of inexpensive skirts to try for shape/size/flow at your neighborhood Goodwill or Value Village – get something with a pattern and then even if you get drizzled-on on the way to work it will still look great. The one in my photo was originally too long, so I chopped the ruffle and some length off the bottom, reattached it, and now it’s ready to go. For spring/fall, I wear the skirt with tights. When it’s warm (here’s hoping!), I’ll wear a pair of snug yoga shorts, or boy short style underpinnings underneath, and it’ll comfortable and modest enough for unexpected cross-winds.
Likewise, on shoes, try using that pair of work shoes that are good for walking. My faves are a pair of Naots – cork insoles, adjustable strap, low heel and a bow. They have enough support to be comfortable on the pedals, but are office perfect the minute I step off the bike.
Keep it fun, don’t worry much about your hair.
I have the gift of slightly curly hair. So my office mates know that it will never look tidy anyway. This gives me freedom with how it looks post- helmet. There are websites with tips on hair and cycling, check them out if you’re going for a specific look. My tip would be to try both the wet and dry options (as long as it’s not freezing out). You may find that starting with slightly damp hair actually gives you a more controlled look after your ride (less frizz/fuzz).
Above all, enjoy your ride.
I think you’ll find that you feel better after the fresh air and workout. Enjoy that you’ve made this time to treat yourself.

The Bicycle Alliance’s Go By Bike brochure also offers some good tips for getting started with biking for errands and commuting.

Posted in Bike to Work, Commuting, Encouragement, Guest Blogger | 3 Comments

Thank you to our Safety Education Trainers!

By Seth Schromen-Wawrin | Published May 16, 2012

This blog post was submitted by our SRTS Training Coordinator Seth Schromen-Wawrin.

In mid April, our Safe Routes to School Bike and Pedestrian Safety Education Program finished the last training for our current grant. In the last 14 months, we conducted 25 trainings all over Washington State. This was possible due to the amazing talent and dedication of Eileen Hyatt and Katie Ferguson.
Eileen Hyatt
Eileen Hyatt has been a member of the Bike Alliance since the 1990s and is currently a board member. She lives in Spokane where she has pioneered teaching bicycle safety skills in schools in Washington State. Katie is a former Americorp intern for the Bike Alliance. She has an unfaltering enthusiasm for teaching bicycling skills. 
Together, this duo faired snowy mountain passes, long lonely drives to remote sections of the state, teaching outside in sleet and the blistering sun, and came back smiling. Teachers unanimously raved about their high quality teaching and knowledge. As one teacher said, “it is so great to have this training taught by someone experienced working with students.”
Katie Ferguson

The training is a two-day training on how to teach the Bike and Pedestrian Safety Education curriculum to middle school students. The training “opened up my eyes and will keep kids safe and having fun,” one participant commented.

Most of the participants in the trainings were physical education instructors, yet the proficiency with riding was very varied. Often participants would come back from a road ride stating that this was the first time they felt safe riding with traffic. Through the skill and dedication of Eileen and Katie, we are growing safe, confident, and comfortable bike riders all over the state.
They trained 141 physical education teachers at 27 districts in 18 counties. This first statewide class of Bike and Pedestrian Safety Education teachers will continue teaching the curriculum in the years to come. About 15,000 students will go through the curriculum every year. Fifteen thousand students from two trainers. That is an impact!
Posted in Education, News, People, Safe Routes to School | Comments Off on Thank you to our Safety Education Trainers!

Tacoma, Snohomish join the ranks of Bicycle Friendly Communities

By Louise McGrody | Published May 15, 2012

The League of American Bicyclists (LAB) announced its 2012 round of new and renewing Bicycle Friendly Communities and the Washington communities of Tacoma and Snohomish joined the ranks at the bronze level.  Port Townsend improved its ranking from bronze to silver and Vancouver retained its bronze status.

Washington is currently ranked as the most Bicycle Friendly State by LAB’s Bicycle Friendly America program.  Ten of our communities are now ranked as Bicycle Friendly Communities with Seattle holding the only gold award.  Seventeen state businesses have earned a Bicycle Friendly Business designation and the University of Washington holds a silver ranking as a Bicycle Friendly University.

The Bicycle Friendly America program provides incentives, hands-on assistance, and award recognition for communities, universities and businesses that actively support bicycling, and ranks states annually based on their level of bike-friendliness. Learn more about it here.

Posted in Encouragement, Everett, Tacoma | Comments Off on Tacoma, Snohomish join the ranks of Bicycle Friendly Communities

Bike to Work Day: Drop by our Energizer Station in Pioneer Square!

By Louise McGrody | Published May 14, 2012

Friday, May 18 is Bike to Work Day and Washington Bikes is hosting an energizer station from 7 – 9 AM for bike commuters in our Pioneer Square neighborhood.
Drop by to get your copy of the hot-off-the-press 2012 Seattle Bike Map, coffee courtesy of Zeitgeist, and some sweet treats thanks to Sugar Bakery & Cafe.  The good folks from Back Alley Bike Repairwill be on hand to do bike safety checks, and we are generously giving out high fives and other goodies.
Look for our energizer table in front of our office at 314 First Avenue South.
Posted in Bike to Work, News, Seattle | Comments Off on Bike to Work Day: Drop by our Energizer Station in Pioneer Square!

Try Bike-and-Bus for Bike to Work Week!

By Louise McGrody | Published May 14, 2012

Have you shied away from biking to work because your commute seems too long or a little too hilly?  Consider a bike-and-bus trip!  You can bus to work and bike home, or you can bus through a difficult segment and bike the rest.  Our friends at King County Metro and Sound Transit are offering a great promotional deal (as in FREE) on bike-and-bus trips during the week of May 14-18 in King County.  Here’s their announcement:
King County Metro and Sound Transit encourage people to try bike-and-bus trips during Bike Month. During the week of May 14-18, any cyclist loading a bike on a Metro bus or ST Express bus operated in King County will ride free. ST Express routes included are: 540, 542, 545, 550, 554, 555, 556 and 560.
Each bus has three spaces on its bike rack, which are available on a first come/first served basis. If the bus bike rack is full, cyclists should be prepared to wait for the next bus or consider leaving their bike parked in a bike rack at a transit facility. Bike lockers are also available at many Metro and Sound Transit facilities.
Metro has display bike racks available at five locations around the county for new cyclists who want to try loading their bike in a pressure-free environment. Practice racks are available at North Seattle Community College, the University of Washington, Bellevue College, Alki Bike and Board in West Seattle and at the offices of Washington Bikes in Pioneer Square. Detailed information on hours and locations can be found at http://metro.kingcounty.gov/tops/bike/rackfaq.html
Posted in Bike to Work, Seattle, Transit | 1 Comment

GiveBIG=BigSUCCESS!!

By baw_admin | Published May 11, 2012

Washington Bikes is delighted to announce our BigSUCCESS during the GiveBIG campaign. Our first year participating in the one day online philanthropic event we raised $6,720 from 63 donors, surpassing our goal of raising $4,000 from 40 donors! 

Our entire staff kept the momentum going as we updated our supporters on Facebook, Twitter, and e-mail. Thank you to our staff and Board members for their generous contributions, many of which came in as challenges to raise more money from multiple Bicycle Alliance donors. We are still awaiting news from The Seattle Foundation about how many dollars we received from the “stretch” pool and from employer matching funds. 

We thank Seattle Foundation and all the sponsors of GiveBIG for supporting such a well-received charitable event.  Overall giving more than doubled from 2011 with a total $7.43 million in contributions raised and more than 37,800 individual online gifts. 

GiveBIG attracted donations from all 50 states and 23 foreign countries.
Posted in News | Comments Off on GiveBIG=BigSUCCESS!!

Farewell to my job at the Bicycle Alliance, but not Goodbye

By baw_admin | Published May 11, 2012

After three years as our Office Manager and Membership Coordinator, Donna Govro is moving on.  She looks back on her time with the Bicycle Alliance with some fond memories.

I have decided to leave my job at the Bicycle Alliance to pursue other interests of an entrepreneurial nature.  It’s with mixed feelings that I say goodbye, as the Bicycle Alliance has not only been an employer to me but an organization that supports my views on bicycling as a way to promote a healthy lifestyle. 

From the very beginning, I knew that the Bicycle Alliance was not going to be a typical, quiet office job.  After only a few weeks on the job, I volunteered to participate in the Gay Pride parade and found myself in the office practicing the hand signals to the tune of the pop song “YMCA” and then bicycling down 2nd Avenue next to my new boss on his folding bike dressed in a clown costume.  Then there was the Tour de Fat bicycle event where everyone donned zany costumes.   We had volunteers dressed as the “Lunch Ladies” serving beer and the President of the Bicycle Alliance wearing a beer tap vest and beer cap construction helmet as he carried the cash to the safe!  Or on a more serious time when everyone in the office pedaled to Golden Gardens park one brisk, sunny morning to plant a memorial Susie Tree.  There were many times that I traveled to various events during the work day or on weekends not by bus or car but by bicycle, giving me an even greater appreciation for our mission.
Looking back, I am sure that these are the things that I will miss the fun and quirky times.  I might even some day miss the administration and organization that it took to support them.   But most of all I think that I will miss my co-workers and the volunteers.  I also have to say thank you to everyone at the Bicycle Alliance, the staff, volunteers, members and the board.  Through my association with the Bicycle Alliance I have learned many things, but mostly that I can bicycle anywhere I please. 
Posted in News, People | 3 Comments