Chart of the day: The more people cycle, the fewer fatal accidents – Americans top the list of cyclist deaths while ranking dead last in miles traveled by bicycle

February 20, 2015 at 3:27 pm

As the saying goes a picture is worth a thousand words .. This one is worth a few thousand stories on transport policy, included as part of a message promoting the ITF report titled “Cycling, Health and Safety”  In a nutshell, as summarized by ITF, the more people cycle, the fewer fatal accidents. Every kilometer cycled benefits society.

Image Courtesy: International Transport Forum . Click image to read the report “Cycling, Health and Safety”

While we are at it, I recommend you to check out the video series on cycling, safety & health on ITF’s YouTube channel:

This is one way to make biking appealing – Utrecht (Netherlands) has built this beautiful parking for bicycles (Video)

July 3, 2014 at 6:23 pm

(via Bicycle Dutch)

The Dutch are leaving no stone unturned in their effort to make cycling appealing to their population (all the while adding to the jealousy of many around the globe).  This time around, they have built the a fantastic bike parking facility in Utrecht that is a beauty to behold.. What I like about the facility is how functional, clean, airy, well lit and accessible it is (awesome design) for users. The lanes are clearly marked with easy to navigate aisles and lanes.  And what’s more? It accommodates all kinds of bikes, even the ones with the baskets upfront and the saddles in the back.  All this at an affordable price –  the first 24 hours of parking are free. After that it costs €1.25 per following 24 hours (€2.50 for larger bicycles).If you are a regular users, might as well consider getting annual subscription for €75/year.

Check out the video below to see how awesome it is and head over to Bicycle Dutch to read a thorough narrative that explains everything you may want to know about this facility.

Infographic: Protected Bike Lanes Register Significant Jump in Ridership (City by City numbers)

June 3, 2014 at 5:15 pm

via People for Bikes

The first multi-city academic study of U.S. protected bike lanes has dropped, and a series of anecdotes have formed a very clear trend line: when protected bike lanes are added to a street, bike traffic rises — by an average of 75 percent in their first year alone, for the eight projects studied.

Moral of the story: If you are a city administrator, build protected bike lanes and see riders happily switch from their cars to bicycles. Fewer traffic choked streets. Read the full story here.

Image via People for Bikes.

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Job Alert: Program Manager (Women Bike Initiative) – The League of America Bicyclists @ Washington, DC

April 8, 2014 at 5:00 pm

via The League

In less than two years, our Women Bike initiative has grown at a rapid pace and evolved into one of the most visible and exciting programs at the League of American Bicyclists. To carry this momentum forward, we’re seeking a national leader to serve as the program’s first full-time staffer!

Women Bike - Click to learn more

Women Bike Program Manager

In 2012, the League launched its Women Bike initiative, aimed at changing the face of bicycling by creating pathways for women of diverse backgrounds to embrace biking as an everyday activity and participate as riders, advocates and leaders. Women Bike served as a model for a larger Equity Initiativelaunched by the League last year, and the two programs have been closely allied in expanding the reach of bicycle advocacy to serve more diverse populations.

Now, we’re adding staff to continue and build this important work!

The new Women Bike Manager will lead the program through an exciting period of growth, becoming its first full-time staff member. As the energy and interest to get more women on bikes grows, Women Bike is working to share collective knowledge, build a network of diverse female leaders and advance targeted programs that put more women in the saddle and at the forefront of the movement. The Women Bike Program Manager will work closely with the Equity Initiative Manager and other social programs staff at the League to coordinate our work with the public we serve.

Essential Duties and Responsibilites

Regular duties include the following (other duties may be assigned):

1) Lead the program through a time of transition: The Women Bike initiative is continuing to grow at a rapid pace and evolving into one of the most visible and impactful programs at the League. This position will be the program’s first full-time staff position and will continue to lay and implement a foundation that will build the program’s communication and outward-facing components, as well as organizational and policy efforts.

  • Focus on overcoming barriers to help the organization think more broadly about women’s issues and integrate throughout the League’s programs.
  • Lead on program-specific communications, while working closely with our Communications Director, including blog posts, emails, social media, etc.
  • Research and write reports, which includes synthesizing data from diverse sources and soliciting and pooling qualitative feedback from others in the bicycle movement and beyond.
  • Plan and execute Women Bike events, including the National Women’s Bicycling Forum, in partnership with the League’s Equity Initiative.

2) Interact with League staff, Board of Directors and outside partners and stakeholders, while managing day-to-day operations.

3) Work with and cultivate a diverse coalition and network of organizations, supporters, and participants to advance our the program’s mission to make biking accessible to women of all backgrounds — and identify how the program can be an ally to larger women’s, transportation and equity movements.

Requirements

  • Passionate, teachable and have the desire to help build something great
  • Storytelling skills and a background in communication, particularly with social media, blogs, e-news, etc. is required
  • Strong background in building relationships, working collaboratively and commitment to intersectionality
  • Community organizing experience preferred
  • Research experience and comfort with data analysis is a plus
  • A personal connection to bicycling is preferred
  • Bilingual / Spanish-speaking candidates strongly encouraged to apply

To Apply

This position is based in Washington, D.C. and salary is based on experience. Generous benefits and great work environment. Position will be open until filled, so early applications encouraged. To apply, send a personalized cover letter and resume tojakob@bikeleague.org.

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Are we robbing the American children of a chance to live a healthy and productive life?

December 23, 2013 at 5:00 pm

If you are one of the last minute shoppers who is yet to buy a holiday present for your children (or for someone you dearly love), I’d recommend getting them a bicycle. Why? A bike not only helps them stay active and lead a healthy life but also helps them learn to be independent (and not depend on you to get around to and from school) and stay focused in their studies.  Besides the provocative title for this post (and the fact that I’m writing this even though I’m a parent, at least yet), there must be some truth to the fact that we might be transporting our children, all caged up in automobiles all the time instead of setting them free on a bicycle (or walking).  Well, at least that’s what these children in Netherlands,  Belgium, France and Britain are hinting at in this video produced by Sustrans, a UK based non-profit organization that promotes pedestrian, bike and public transportation options.

Watching this video promoted me to do a quick comparison of  the academic performance (Mean score in PISA 2012) of children from these countries (I know it is a crude measure but still worthy of pointing out that).  Not to be surprised, they all fared well above our good ol’ USA (and before you ask we are far behind the chart-topping Asian giants China, Japan and Korea): 

Country  Mathematics   Reading Science 
Netherlands 523 511 522
 Belgium  515  509  505
 France  495  505  499
 Britain  494  499  514
 USA  481  498  497

 

Of course, I didn’t get enough time on hand to compare the health indices of these countries but I have no doubt that we might be in for some shocking results, given the ungodly levels of childhood obesity rates we currently have in the United States. I’ll reserve that angle for exploring on another rainy/snowy day. If every school district in the U.S. spent a tiny fraction of its budget on providing/building bike lanes and bike infrastructure, we may soon see a tremendous change in the way our kids learn/live. It may be the perfect antidote for a nation that has ungodly levels of childhood obesity.  Mind you, the US tops every country on Earth when it comes to educational spending (roughly $68.1Billion in 2012, (over 7 % of GDP), which is ~$15,171 on every young person in the system) Here are some alarming data nuggets from the Center for Disease Control:

  • Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 years.
  • The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2010. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to 18% over the same period.
  • In 2010, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.
  • Obese youth are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. In a population-based sample of 5- to 17-year-olds, 70% of obese youth had at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

More here.  Encouraging more children to take up cycling requires that we provide good infrastructure support, which is sorely lacking in many towns and cities across America.  We have to work, as a community and nudge our decision-makers to spend on these low-cost measures (i.e.,bike lanes) and make our cities bike and pedestrian friendly. At least it is worth exploring, from a scientific perspective, how biking (and walking) helps improve the quality of life for our children (in academic and otherwise).

Infograph: Mythbuster – 10 Myths About Women and Cycling

October 10, 2013 at 5:00 pm

Via Momentum Mag

Have you been in Washington, DC and New York City recently? These two cities, along with a growing number of other American cities, offer a great bikesharing programs. A good majority of the users of these systems are women, who have fondly embraced cycling (not just as a workout but also for many other reasons) and the numbers are growing rapidly as the popularity of the bikesharing continues to expand across the country.

A recent report from League of American Bicyclists shows a growing a trend seen on streets nationwide: Women are changing the face of bicycling, and bicycling is transforming the lives of women. Momentum Mag, in conjunction with League of American Bicyclists, has put together an infographic that highlights 10 common myths about women cycling, which is filled with all kinds of interesting statistics.  Check it out

Image Courtesy: Momentum Mag

Click here to download the high-resolution version.

While we are at it, let me also share the Women on a Roll report, which serves as the basis for this infograph.

When real men and raw talent ruled Tour de France – A picture that tells you a million stories

September 7, 2013 at 2:25 pm

A picture of Gino Sciardis from 1949 Tour de France. It offers a glimpse of the toughness of the men who raced bike in the pre-doping era.  Them calves powering the bike are stronger than a piece of rock. Incredible!

Good old times when real men and raw talent reigned TdF – Image Source: Imgur via Reddit

Job Alert: Advocacy Advance Outreach Coordinator – Alliance for Biking & Walking @ Washington, DC

August 19, 2013 at 5:05 pm
The Alliance for Biking & Walking is seeking a full-time Outreach Coordinator to work from our DC office as part of the Advocacy Advance program.  Advocacy Advance is a dynamic partnership of the Alliance for Biking & Walking and the League of American Bicyclists to boost local and state bicycle and pedestrian advocacy efforts. Advocacy Advance provides targeted trainings, reports, grants and technical assistance to equip advocates with the specific tools they need to increase biking and walking investments in their communities. To find out more, please visit www.AdvocacyAdvance.org.

The Advocacy Advance Outreach Coordinator will work directly with advocacy organizations and agency staff to increase the awareness of funding programs for walking and biking projects and programs and share best practices in securing and utilizing this funding at the state and local level nationwide. The work of the Outreach Coordinator will have a particular emphasis on communicating the health benefits of walking and biking and related funding opportunities.  Work includes social media communications, health research and outreach, sharing best practices of advocacy organizations, field travel and database management.

Outreach Coordinator Responsibilities
Health Research and Outreach:
•    Research and communicate about the health benefits of active transportation and health-related funding, policies and advocacy
•    Conduct outreach to member organizations on applicable issues to support their advocacy campaigns and organizational development, particularly related to the health impacts of transportation policy and funding
•    Create resources for transportation advocates, agencies and the health community explaining the connection between transportation planning, funding and safe, accessible infrastructure
•    Work with local, state and national partners to provoke a national conversation about the health benefits of walking
•    Turn technical research and policy reports into easy-to-understand resources for general audiences, including the health community
•    Maintain the Advocacy Advance website and promote resources through social media, including blogs and photos

Advocacy and Organizational Support:
•    Gather and share examples of how advocates and agency staff have successful won and used public funding for pedestrian and bicycle projects and programs
•    Review grant reports and member activities and share best practices among advocacy members
•    Facilitate / present at workshops, conferences and webinars
•    Perform other administrative duties as needed

Qualifications
Essential:
•    Strong oral and written communication skills
•    1-3 years experience in nonprofit outreach, communications, research, or related field
•    Familiarity with InDesign
•    Familiarity with web site management, HTML and database tools
•    Experience with social media management or organizations
•    Strong interpersonal and organizational skills
•    Interest in pedestrian and bicycle advocacy and health issues
•    Track record of working well on team projects
•    Cheerful, friendly and upbeat outlook

Helpful:
•    Familiarity with Salesforce
•    Knowledge of bicycle and pedestrian projects and programs nationwide
•    Interest in transportation policy and funding
•    Hands-on work with state and local advocacy organizations and agency staff
•    Specific experience working with national non-profit organizations

Compensation 
Compensation will be relative to experience with health and retirement benefits. The Advocacy Advance Outreach Coordinator reports to the Advocacy and Programs Director.

Timeline and How to Apply
Interested applicants should apply to Brighid O’Keane, Advocacy and Programs Director, at applications@PeoplePoweredMovement.org with “Advocacy Advance Outreach Coordinator” in the subject line.  All applicants should include a cover letter, resume and professional writing sample (no college papers, please). Optional additions include a link to a personal or social media account you have managed and a design sample.  The final deadline for applications is 12 Noon EDT, Thursday, August 29th 2013. Finalists will be contacted for interviews.

Equal Opportunity Employment:  The Alliance for Biking & Walking is an equal opportunity employer. Women and people of color are strongly encouraged to apply.

About the Alliance

The Alliance for Biking & Walking is the only national organization that trains, assists, empowers and strengthens community leaders and their organizations to transform communities through better bicycling and walking. With more than 200 state and local bicycle and pedestrian organizations employing hundreds of professionals in nearly every city and state, our people powered movement is transforming communities and the country.

Mission
The Alliance for Biking & Walking creates, strengthens and unites state/province and local bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations.

Vision
Every community benefits from the fun, practicality and efficiency of biking and walking. In 2020, one-third of all trips in North America will be made by bicycling and walking for all reasons ranging from personal health and environmental sustainability, to economic necessity and moral responsibility.

Click here to apply
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Job Alert: Community Organizer – San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

August 7, 2013 at 7:11 pm

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is seeking a seasoned, effective organizer to work on expanding bicycling and bicycling infrastructure in San Francisco. If you are passionate about bicycling, and passionate about increasing the diversity of bicycling, this is your chance to help improve the lives of huge numbers of San Franciscans.

  • Hours: Full time. Hours may be flexible. Position will entail some work on weeknights and weekends, in order to attend community meetings and events.
  • Reports to: Deputy Director

You will work with all parts of the organization, members and volunteers to develop and win support for key bicycling infrastructure improvements (bikeways, neighborhood greenways, spot improvements, paving, etc). This work will entail working closely with community groups, businesses and elected officials to develop grassroots and grasstops support for new and improved biking infrastructure. You will also be responsible for helping create and support member-led campaigns.

JOB COMPONENTS

You should be comfortable with street-level organizing as well as grasstops outreach. Responsibilities may include, but will not be limited to:

  • Campaign strategy and outreach for campaigns to build more, better bikeways throughout the city in line with our Connecting the City initiative.
  • Organizing on the street and other forms of grassroots outreach.
  • Developing and supporting member-led campaigns.
  • Working with city agencies and elected officials to advance campaigns.
  • Connect with new and deepen existing relationships with community partners.
  • Representing the organization at public meetings and community meetings.
  • Communicating two-way with members about our work at all steps in the campaign process.
  • Hiring and managing a team of diverse interns.

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Deep commitment to the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition mission.
  • Fluency in a Chinese language or Spanish strongly encouraged.
  • At least two years of experience as an organizer.
  • Strong interpersonal and relational skills.
  • Ability to take initiative and lead advocacy efforts within the organization.
  • Demonstrated track record of successful project planning, management, base-building and strategy implementation.
  • Ability to work individually and as part of a team.
  • Excellent communicator with a wide variety of types of audiences.
  • Experience sourcing and managing a diverse cohort of interns and volunteers.
  • Desire and ability to implement systems that will allow your work to scale quickly and significantly to be able to reach more people.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

Salary is to be determined, depending upon experience. This package includes strong benefits.

HOW TO APPLY

Send a compelling cover letter and resume to Kit Hodge, Deputy Director, at kit [at] sfbike DOT org. Please include “Community Organizer Candidate, YOUR NAME” in the subject line, and be sure to mention where you saw the job advertised. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled. People of color and women are strongly encouraged to apply.

San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, religion, gender, sexual orientation or political orientation.

http://www.sfbike.org/?jobs_comm

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Job Alert: Membership Coordinator – Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA)

March 18, 2013 at 2:27 pm
WABA Monster Shirts close

WABA Monster Shirts close (Photo credit: Washington Area Bicyclist Association)

via @WABADC

The Washington Area Bicyclist Association seeks an enthusiastic, dynamic membership coordinator to manage WABA’s membership program. We are specifically looking for a go- getter; someone who is enthusiastic about WABA’s mission and comfortable making “the ask,” i.e. selling memberships by engaging existing and potential individual and business members with WABA.

Responsibilities

The membership coordinator will:

  • Manage WABA’s membership program in order to gain, retain, and engage our current membership and to further grow our member base.
  • Improve upon existing membership growth and retention strategies and develop new strategies as needed in order to meet (or exceed) annual membership revenue goals.
  • Process and fulfill membership and renewal contributions and store item purchases through our CRM database.
  • Update and de-duplicate database with member and supporters information.
  • Assist with a variety of tasks related to the administration of the program, including data entry, organization/inventory, clerical work, etc.
  • Regularly represent WABA at our events, other community events, and through pop-up, on-street outreach, engaging area bicyclists about bicycling and WABA and actively selling memberships.
  • Handle all facets of membership-related communications and messaging including email communication, blog posts, web content, social media communication (in collaboration with the Communications Coordinator), direct mail, print materials, and merchandise.
  • Respond to membership concerns via email, phone, or in-person.
  • Manage the Business Membership Program, researching, pursuing, and securing annual business membership targets and revenue goals.
  • Oversee and market member benefits/discount partnership program including securing new member benefit partners and promoting existing partners through blog, social media, and membership materials.
  • Collaborate with WABA staff to effectively grow and promote membership through our outreach, events, education, and communications.

Preferred Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have:

  • A strong commitment to WABA’s mission.
  • Capacity for development and fundraising.
  • A comfort with “making the ask” i.e. actively selling memberships and fundraising. This is not a position for someone who is not willing or comfortable engaging individuals or asking for financial support.
  • Previous CRM database management or maintenance experience.
  • Experience with direct mail and email communication campaigns a plus.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills, with strong written and verbal communication skills. Strong computer literacy skills with specific experience using Microsoft Word and Excel.
  • A high attention to detail, with a focus on accuracy.
  • A self-motivated approach, able to manage programs and campaigns with little
    oversight.
  • Excellent time management skills, able to balance multiple tasks and priorities
    simultaneously.

Benefits include flex time, vacation, sick and personal leave, and WABA’s retirement and health insurance programs. Salary dependent on experience. This position is full-time.

Apply

Send a compelling cover letter and resume describing your interest in the position, related qualifications, and salary expectations to jobs@waba.org. Please include “Membership Coordinator” in the subject line. Applications accepted until March 31.

WABA is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all persons regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, marital status, political affiliation, sexual orientation or gender identity, disability, sex, or age.

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