Retiring Again

By baw_admin | Published April 26, 2012
Barb (R) & Andy are ready for pedal adventure.

It’s true!  I’m retiring and this time I really mean it!

In 2007, I left the Bicycle Alliance to travel in France with my husband and friends.  I worked briefly as a consultant, and hated it.  Then I tried my hand in program implementation at Seattle Children’s Hospital, and loved it. Except…I missed bicycle advocacy and the day to day excitement and enthusiasm of growing bicycling statewide.

What has changed since I returned in 2010?  What’s changed is me and my priorities!  My daughter is expecting; she lives in Portland with her husband, and I want to spend a lot of time there.

More travel is in my future: my husband Andy and I absolutely love long distance bike touring and will combine train and bikes to see more of the  national parks.  We’ll help with outreach along the US Bicycle Route System.  I’ll spend more time gardening, more time with friends, more time reading, and of course, I’ll have a grandchild to teach about the joys of bicycling!

I’m super excited about the direction the Bicycle Alliance is moving with outreach, legislation, and programs around the state.   We have a great staff, and a wonderful board of directors sprinkled all across the state.  Check our website for the job posting, apply or forward it to a great candidate.

This isn’t  “so long”;  it’s more like  “I’m rolling along down the road in search of another adventure!”

 

Posted in Adventure, News, People | 2 Comments

May 2 and GiveBIG Approaches!

By baw_admin | Published April 25, 2012


 In eight more days Washington Bikes will participate in one of the largest philanthropic events in the Northwest! 
GiveBIG 2012 arrives on Wednesday, May 2, providing an opportunity for the Puget Sound region and surrounding communities to give generously to over 1300 non-profits that are making a difference in our community and quality of life. Between midnight and midnight (Pacific Time) on May 2, each donation made will receive a pro-rated portion of matching funds from both The Seattle Foundation and multiple GiveBIG sponsors. The amount of the match will depend on the size of the matching fund pool and how much is raised in total donations on GiveBIG day. 
We encourage supporters of our mission to grow bicycling in Washington State and create a more bike and pedestrian friendly landscape to mark your calendar and make a donation on May 2! To learn more about our programs and current need, visit the Bicycle Alliance Donation Page.
GiveBIG is only possible with the generous support of community-minded organizations that contribute matching funds making this event a unique and even bigger financial success. We’d like to thank our GiveBIG Sponsors with the hope you’ll support them when making future purchasing decisions.
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Sign up for the National Bike Challenge: Part 2!

By baw_admin | Published April 24, 2012


Thank you to Scott Chilberg for preparing this post.

As we’ve mentioned before, the Bicycle Alliance is acting as the Washington State representative for the 2012 Get Up and Ride National Bike Challenge, and we’re continuing to encourage people to sign up, either as an individual or on a team! Washington has consistently been ranked the most bike friendly state in the nation, and we want to prove that once again by getting as many Washington state residents as possible to sign up for this free nationwide challenge, which starts May 1.


The Challenge works like this: You register on the National Bike Challenge website, you log your biking miles online from May 1stuntil August 31st, and you compete for prizes and qualify for awards as the challenge goes along. Pretty simple stuff! You get 20 points for each day that you ride plus 1 point for each mile that you log. You can also download a smart phone app to log miles as you go!

For a full list of rules, click here. You can also download a full list of prizes here. 

The challenge is free to sign up, so there’s no reason not to participate! Plus, May is National Bike Month, so this is a great way to bump up your biking while competing for prizes at the same time.

So go register now! And pass this along to your friends, family, colleagues, and whoever else you think might be interested!
Posted in Bike to Work, Encouragement, Events | Comments Off on Sign up for the National Bike Challenge: Part 2!

Off the Freeway

By Guest Blogger | Published April 23, 2012

Today’s guest blog post was written by former Bicycle Alliance staffer Mark Canizaro of Seattle.  This was originally published in July 2005 on his personal blog.

I work at a bicycle advocacy organization. Among my tasks is answering telephone and email questions about bicycling in general and frequently those are about possible routes.

Today I got a request from a father in Bellingham who had a wonderful idea as a parent. His son graduated from high school last month and is heading off to college next month. As a way of symbolizing the rite of passage, and a (possibly last) chance to spend some time together, they decided to bicycle together to Washington State University in Pullman. I thought it was a great idea. (He seemed to need my encouragement.)

Neither are serious bicyclists, but they’ve been enjoying riding together the last year or so and decided to take on this very big undertaking (It’s 400 miles or more). His reason for calling was a routing question. He said,

“I know we go down Interstate 5 100 miles to Seattle, get on Interstate 90 and go east a couple hundred miles, but I don’t know where to go once I get out towards Spokane. Can you tell me what turn to take?”
There was a long, long pause as I gathered my thoughts and prepared for a nasty conflict.

The route he was suggesting, 5 to 8 days of really miserable riding on Interstate freeways, was awful. This is not that unusual. Many people forget to stop thinking like a car when they get on a bike. Still, I was shocked… and nervous. I had a good suggestion for that last day of riding, (there is also a major highway similar to his suggestions) but I also had a half-dozen much better routes to suggest for the first week.

I took a deep breath and started in… Stevens Pass, North Cascades Highway, White Pass, Chuckanut Drive, The Skagit Valley, The Centennial Trail, back roads, country roads, bike trails, away from the highways. Quiet roads.

I finished my monologue and prepared for the response. People get very defensive about routes and it’s a strangely common reaction to be pretty angry at the suggestion of quieter routes.

I was met with silence. A long silence. A concerning silence. I wasn’t even sure he was still there.

Finally he said,

“I’m really embarrassed, I’ve lived here my whole life and it never occurred to me that there was any other way to get to Seattle except on I-5… of course it would be nicer to ride on some of those other roads.”

And why don’t more people bike?

I’ve had the same experience in Seattle with new or prospective cyclists asking me about routes around town, assuming that the ONLY option was the nasty, clogged, smelly, loud, intense, motor filled arterial. Forgetting that the quiet streets, the neighborhoods, the pleasant and interesting streets even exist. Missing the point.

Cyclists need to stop thinking like cars. Actually I think everyone: city planners, drivers, developers, pedestrians, EVERYONE needs to stop thinking like cars, but it’s amazing how often I see cyclists stuck in that car-think.

Posted in Adventure, Attitudes, Guest Blogger, Travel | 1 Comment

Smart Cycling: Traffic Skills 101 Class in Spokane

By baw_admin | Published April 19, 2012

Develop the confidence to bike safely and legally for Bike to Work month, the National Bike Challenge, and beyond!
The Spokane Bicycle Club is offering a Smart Cycling class that will teach bicyclists how to ride safely in traffic, avoid motorist errors and more.  The course includes a mix of class and actual time on the bike, and is geared for individuals ages 15 and older.  The class begins on April 25 and there are some scholarships, thanks to the City of Spokane, that reduce the registration fee to $10.  Reserve your spot now!
Posted in Commuting, Education, Spokane County | Comments Off on Smart Cycling: Traffic Skills 101 Class in Spokane

May is National Bike Month!

By baw_admin | Published April 18, 2012
May is National Bike Month and communities around Washington are planning Bike to Work events–big and small.  We’re aware of the following events:

Bellingham/Whatcom County is celebrating Bike to Work and School Day with 30 public and 35 school based celebration stations. Last year over 10,700 participants were counted!

Intercity Transit is organizing the Thurston County Bicycle Commuter Contest–now in its 25th year!


Cascade Bicycle Club hosts a month long Commute Challenge and they organize a huge Bike to Work Day with dozens of commute stations set up around Seattle and King County. 

Community Transit is partnering with Cascade to bring the Commute Challenge and Bike to Work Day to Snohomish County bicyclists.

Tacoma-Pierce County has a Bike Month Commuter Challenge as well as numerous other bike month festivities.  Check their Bike Month calendar for details.
If you live in Spokane, Spokane Bikes has you covered with a month-long Commute Challenge and Bike to Work Week festivities running May 20-26. 
Wenatchee Valley Transportation Council will host bicycle commuter stations in Wenatchee on May 18. 

Whidbey Island Bicycle Club is planning Bike to Work and School Month, which will include a Carfree Commuters Breakfast on May 9.

Cowlitz County is celebrating Bike to Work Week May 14-18 with a variety of activities.

The folks in Vancouver delay their Bike to Work Week until the fairer month of June.  They have designated June 18-22 as Bike to Work Week with June 20 as Bike to Work Day.  The City of Vancouver will post details.

The Tri-Cities of Kennewick, Richland and Pasco are organizing a Bike to Work Week.  More details will follow. 

We’re not aware of any Bike to Work events in Walla Walla or Clarkston, but the Twin Rivers Cyclists of Lewiston-Clarkston and the Walla Walla Wheatland Wheelers have organized teams for the National Bike Challenge.

No Bike to Work event scheduled in your town?  Sign up for the National Bike Challenge!  The Challenge runs from May 1 through August 31 and allows riders to track their miles and qualify for prizes.  You can sign up as a team or ride solo.  The National Bike Challenge is a great way to keep the biking momentum throughout the summer.





Posted in Bike Culture, Bike to Work, Commuting, Encouragement, Events | Comments Off on May is National Bike Month!

Bicycle Alliance Launches Legacy Society

By baw_admin | Published April 17, 2012

The simplest—yet high impact—way to leave a legacy gift is to name the Bicycle Alliance as a beneficiary in your will.
Inspired by John Streich’s generous bequest to the Bicycle Alliance in 2011, several current and veteran Board members met recently to lay plans for a Legacy Society.  “This will give our most dedicated members an effective way to plan for significant future support,” said founding Board member Amy Carlson.
 Providing for Washington Bikes in your estate plans can be as simple as adding a codicil to your existing will. You can make a specific or percentage bequest, a residuary bequest, or a contingent bequest. “Planned giving” arrangements also include charitable remainder trusts, charitable gift annuities, and various other gift vehicles. Planned gifts ideally require advance consultation with your financial planner and/or attorney.
“We’ve had the Life Member designation for a long time,” said former Board President Cynthia Putnam. “It’s been extremely helpful for our dedicated members to support us at a high level and also to self-identify as a group. The Legacy Society gives folks an opportunity to take their support to the next level.”
The Board of Directors has put in place three new policies to safeguard both the donor’s intent and the organization’s welfare. A board-designated endowment policy ensures that gifts made by bequest will meet priority needs of the Bicycle Alliance. An investment policy ensures that funds are invested prudently, with ongoing oversight. And a gift acceptance policy provides a process and framework for the Bicycle Alliance to determine whether and how to accept specific types of gifts.
If you have already made provisions for the Bicycle Alliance in your will or another type of planned gift, please let us know. We would like to thank you and welcome you to the Legacy Society. The Bicycle Alliance is planning an annual special event for Legacy Club members, along with a listing in our annual report and other publications. And a few additional “surprises” are in store for Legacy Club members.
If you are interested in learning more about gifts by bequest or other planned giving vehicles, please contact Jack Hilovsky at jackh@wabikes.org.
Posted in News, People | Comments Off on Bicycle Alliance Launches Legacy Society

Job Opening: Office Coordinator/Membershiip Assistant

By baw_admin | Published April 16, 2012

Here’s an opportunity to combine your office organization skills, data management experience and love of bicycling into a job!  Washington Bikes is actively seeking resumes for an Office Coordinator/Membership Assistant.  Check the job description on our website.

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Remembering Susie Stephens

By Louise McGrody | Published April 16, 2012

It’s hard to believe, but March marked the tenth anniversary of Susie Stephens’ death.

For those not acquainted with her, Susie was a former Executive Director for Washington Bikes and the Alliance for Biking & Walking (formerly the Thunderhead Alliance).  She was a mover and shaker on the national bicycle scene, and a legend in her own time.

I remember Susie especially today because it would have been her birthday — and Susie loved her birthday!  She liked to organize a party to celebrate her birthday and once confessed to me that she did this because she was afraid that no one else would remember it.  Fat chance!

Susie’s legacy lives on in many ways, but perhaps her greatest contribution was branding the work of bicycle advocacy as a national movement and giving this movement a song.  The video clip below is a testimonial to her ability to rally and inspire others.

Happy birthday, Susie.

 

Posted in Advocacy, Bike Culture, People | Comments Off on Remembering Susie Stephens

Brown Bag Forum: Perspectives on Public Transportation

By baw_admin | Published April 12, 2012

“Hey–you’re Washington Bikes, not the Transit Alliance!”
True, but we don’t bike ALL the time.  Sometimes we drive, sometimes we walk, and sometimes we use public transit.  That’s why we’re co-hosting this lunchtime event in Seattle on April 18, and we hope you’ll join us.
Two national transportation experts will be on hand for an engaging discussion about public transportation.  Authors Jarrett Walker and Darrin Nordahl will discuss public transit from two different ends of the bus route:  technical simplicity—and fun.  Opening remarks will be provided by Seattle City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen.
Walker, author of Human Transit, believes that transit can be simple if we focus on the underlying geometry that all transit technologies share.  He supplies the basic tools, the critical questions, and the means to make smarter decisions about designing and implementing transit services.
Nordahl, a subscriber to The Fun Theory, is the author of Making Transit FUN!  He believes that emotion is a more powerful motivator than reason and argues that there should be a positive incentive—one that lures motorists because the experience of using transit is actually pleasurable.
Space is limited for this event, so please RSVP.
This event is co-hosted by Transportation Choices, Banyan Branch, Washington Bikes, Downtown Seattle Association, Commute Seattle, Cascade Bicycle Club, The Seattle Transit Blog, VIA Architecture, Feet First, GGLO, and Washington Environmental Council.
Posted in Events, Seattle, Transit, Transportation | Comments Off on Brown Bag Forum: Perspectives on Public Transportation