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.
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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

Where do the Children Play?

By Seth Schromen-Wawrin | Published April 11, 2012

Last summer, Bicycle Alliance staffer Seth Schromen-Wawrin created a digital story that recalls how wonderful it was to explore his neighborhood by bike as a child and asks why he doesn’t see kids doing this today.  Seth made this video in a workshop for the Mapping Our Voices for Equality project in King County.  We think it will bring back fond memories for many folks so we’d like to share it.

   

Posted in Adventure, Attitudes, Kids, Safe Routes to School, Safety | 2 Comments

Board News: Meet the Newest Members

By baw_admin | Published April 10, 2012

Washington Bikes is governed by a dedicated group of individuals from around the state who provide vision, leadership and organizational oversight.  We recently welcomed three new members to the board:

Marc Mims of Spokane Valley brings his experience in grassroots activism and social media marketing to the board.  You can read a past blog post about Marc’s successful effort to save a bike lane project.  An avid bicyclist, Marc sits on the Spokane Bikes committee and leads a weekly group ride for his local bike shop.  Some of you may have met Marc in March when he staffed a table for us at the Spokane Bike Swap.  When he’s not riding his bike or spoiling his granddaughter, Marc pays the mortgage as a freelance software developer.
John Pope of Anacortes is passionate about creating statewide bicycle routes and is eager to help the Bicycle Alliance with developing a northern route that would become a part of the US Bicycle Route System.  His community involvement is extensive and includes serving on the boards of Skagit Regional Transportation Planning Organization, the Anacortes Chamber of Commerce and Skagit Council of Governments/RTPO Active Communities Taskforce.  John works for Tesoro Refining and Marketing and also serves on our Legislative and Statewide Issues Committee.
John Vona is a lifelong bicyclist and a daily bike commuter since moving to Seattle in 2007.  He got the cycling bug as a teen riding on congested roads to shore points such as Asbury Park and Belmar—Bruce Springsteen’s theme of being “sprung from cages out on Highway 9” was more than a metaphor. Those formative years gave John an appreciation of the bike facilities available to cyclists in Washington and he wants to see that network grow.  John is a forester and works for Green Diamond Resource Company as a business planning manager.  He will serve as our board treasurer.
You can read bios on all of our board members here.
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Sign up for the National Bike Challenge

By baw_admin | Published April 9, 2012

Thanks to intern Scott Chilberg for preparing this blog post.

Here at the Bicycle Alliance, we are enthusiastic supporters of new and exciting ways to expand bike ridership and awareness, both locally and nationally. So when the 2012 Get Up & Ride National BikeChallenge was announced this year, we were happy to jump on board as the state representative.


The National Bike Challenge – a free nationwide competition meant to encourage biking for transportation and recreation – starts May 1 and runs through August 31, 2012, and gives individuals and teams the opportunity to log their miles and compete for prizes and award plaques on the local and national levels. The Challenge has already registered riders from all 50 states and DC.  This event is organized by the League of American Bicyclists, Bikes Belong, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, and Endomondo.



Participation is easy and free of charge.  Just sign up online for the Challenge and create either a workplace team or your own team, join an existing team, or ride solo!  Here’s a rundown on how to create an account:

Join the Challenge at:  www.endomondo.com/campaign/national
Process for individuals to join the Challenge:

·         Step 1. Click on the link above


·         Step 2. Click on the join button and register.


·         Step 3. Participants will have the option to continue to ride solo or join a team by:


o    a. Creating a new Team and becoming the Captain


o    b. Joining an existing Team


This challenge is free to join and is meant to be a fun and competitive way to increase bicycling across the U.S.  So, whether you participate on as an individual or on a team, we hope you’ll join – and pass this along to your friends!

Watch this how to video for more information about the Challenge, and click here for a complete list of prizes.

Thank you, and happy riding!
Posted in Bike to Work, Commuting, Encouragement, Events | 1 Comment

These April rides support a bicycle friendly Washington

By baw_admin | Published April 6, 2012

Photo by Carla Gramlich
Spring has sprung and flowers are emerging from the earth in showy colors.  Why not enjoy the arrival of spring flowers with a couple of bike rides that celebrate daffodils and lilacs?
The 37thAnnual Daffodil Classic, organized by the Tacoma Wheelmen Bicycle Club, is on April 15 and over 200 riders are registered so far.  This ride winds its way through the beautiful Orting valley and surrounding hills.  There are four routes to choose from—enough to please families, recreational riders, and serious roadies.  And there’s strawberry shortcake waiting for you at the finish line!
Inland Northwest cyclists welcome spring with the Lilac Century & Family Fun Ride on April 29.  Organized by the Spokane Aurora Northwest Rotary Club, this 19-year ride offers a variety of fun, scenic and challenging tours for every level of rider.  There is also a tri-athlete’s bike/run “brick” option.  All participants can partake in the baked-potato feed at the finish.
The Daffodil and Lilac rides are not only great early season biking opportunities, they also support statewide bicycle safety education, Safe Routes to School programming, and complete streets efforts with a contribution to Washington Bikes.  We all benefit when you sign up for these rides!
Over twenty event rides support our mission to grow bicycling statewide.  Check our Ride Calendar for other upcoming rides.
Posted in Advocacy, Bike Clubs, Education, Rides, Spokane County, Tacoma | Comments Off on These April rides support a bicycle friendly Washington

Get Ready for GiveBIG on May 2!

By baw_admin | Published April 5, 2012

On Wednesday, May 2, friends and supporters of Washington Bikes will have the opportunity to support our important work through Seattle Foundation’s GiveBIG campaign. GiveBIG is a one day online charitable giving event to inspire people to give generously to nonprofit organizations who make our region a healthier and more vital place to live. 

Each donation made to Bicycle Alliance between midnight and midnight (Pacific Time) on May 2, 2012, will receive a pro-rated portion of the matching funds (“stretch”) pool. The amount of the “stretch” depends on the size of the stretch pool and how much is raised in total donations on GiveBIG day. For example, if a nonprofit receives 3% of the total donations during GiveBIG, then it will receive 3% of the stretch pool.

Another exciting facet of the GiveBIG campaign is the Golden Ticket. Throughout GiveBIG, donors will be chosen at random to have an additional $1,000 given to the charity that received their donation. Golden Ticket winners will also be eligible to win airline tickets, gift cards, and more! 

In order for your donation to qualify for the stretch pool and Golden Ticket, you must donate through Bicycle Alliance’s profile page on Seattle Foundation’s website. Anyone with an internet connection and a credit card can make a donation on GiveBIG day.

Keep in mind any donation Bicycle Alliance receives can be matched through an employer matching program and donors are encouraged to submit their donations to their employers for matching funds. Employer matches will not be applied in calculating the nonprofit’s share of the GiveBIG stretch pool.

So mark your calendar for Wednesday, May 2, and support Washington Bikes’s vital mission implementing bicycle education for kids and adults, improving bicyclist safety, advocating for better transportation options, and giving voice to bicyclists across the state. For 25 years we’ve worked to make Washington a more bicycle-friendly state where cycling is inclusive and accessible to everyone, from age 8 to 80. 

Your dollars will allow us to expand our highly successful Safe Routes to School program and grow our statewide outreach program, Hub and Spoke, in addition to other community-enriching initiatives.

To learn more, visit GiveBIG’s FAQ page. We thank you in advance for your continued support!


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