 NCBW Newsroom - The National & International SceneThe National & International Scene | Regional and Local Actions | The Research Beat | Resources | Jobs, Grants & RFPs Pro Walk/Pro Bike® 2012: Early Registration Deadline Approaches -> Just over a week remains before our Early Registration period ends at 11:59 pm Eastern, Wednesday, May 16. The rates are: $500 for presenters/co-presenters; $520 for APBP/ITE members; and $615 for conference delegates. The registration fee covers all conference sessions, tours, meals, social functions, and admission to the Charlie Gandy roast.* Pro Place is the theme of this year's conference, and Project for Public Spaces will be working with the local host committee on several Placemaking and Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper demonstration projects leading into Pro Walk/Pro Bike®. There will be enough happening before and after the conference that you might consider spending your week in Long Beach: guided rides and walks will be available before/during/after the conference; the first National Women's Bicycling Summit will kickoff Thursday afternoon at the close of Pro Walk/Pro Bike®; the Women on Bikes SoCal's Cycle Chic fashion show takes place that evening after the Summit; and there's always the ocean. If staying for the Women's Bicycling Summit it not an option, you will still be able to listen and lend your voice to our conference discussion on doubling the number of women and girls who bike. The session will be led by the organizers of the Women's Bicycling Summit. Interested? Watch CenterLines and the Conference Blog <pwpb2012.blogspot.com> for program and registration information. Conference registration: https://center.uoregon.edu/conferences/NCBW/2012/registration/ * You will have to furnish your own overripe tomatoes. NEW NATIONAL SURVEY REVEALS STRONG SUPPORT FOR WALK/BIKE INVESTMENTS -> This morning, America Bikes held a press conference on Capital Hill, to announce that 83 percent of Americans support maintaining or increasing federal funding for walking and bicycling facilities. Just over one thousand adults were surveyed, and the finding is that the tremendous support for walking and bicycling investments crosses party lines, geographic lines, and age and income strata. Senator Durbin (D-IL), and Congressmen Blumenauer (D-OR) and Petri (R-WI) attended for the press event; the latter had the line of the day, with his response to Andy Clarke's commendation for standing up for walking and bicycling in the House: "It doesn't take courage to stand up for something 83 percent of Americans support; it's the other guys who have the courage." For more survey details and a cool infographic: WHAT'S UP WITH THE TRANSPORTATION BILL CONFERENCE COMMITTEE? -> According to a May 8th DC.StreetsBlog entry, "The first meeting of the transportation bill conference committee [was yesterday] at 3:00. (To familiarize yourself with the participants, see [the] reports on the House (http://bit.ly/JcMK1V) and Senate (http://bit.ly/IVw8zI) conferees.) We'll be live-blogging it, beginning to end." "It's unusual for conferences to meet in public, and leaders have indicated that this won't be the only meeting they have in front of television cameras. Still, the sausage-making always happens behind closed doors. Here's what we'll be looking for as things get underway today: Will anything come of it? 'The first day will tell you exactly nothing,' Scott Slesinger, NRDC's director of legislative affairs, told reporters last week. 'You'll walk out of there convinced that there's no way they're going to do a bill.' In fact, the conventional wisdom right now is that this whole process will end in yet another extension, probably until the lame-duck session after the November election..." Source: http://bit.ly/KiTf4l FHWA'S NATIONAL ONLINE DIALOGUE ON IMPROVING TRANS PERFORMANCE -> According to a recent FHWA announcement, "From Monday, May 21 to Friday, June 22, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is hosting the National Online Dialogue on Improving Transportation Performance. During the dialogue, federal, state, tribal, and local transportation professionals will have the opportunity to share and discuss experiences and strategies for improving the safety, condition, and mobility of our nation's highways and connecting road networks. This is an opportunity for all transportation professionals to engage in an extended dialogue on improving the nation's highway system. We want participants to share both accomplishments and lessons learned from using performance management principles to improve the condition and performance of roads and highways..." Source: http://1.usa.gov/JXD4aP 700+ NATIONAL BIKE TO SCHOOL DAY EVENTS PLANNED FOR TODAY -> According to a May 8th National Center for Safe Routes to School news release, "Tomorrow [May 9th], for the first time ever, communities across the country will join together to celebrate National Bike to School Day. Schools, cities, bicycle groups, public health organizations and parents alike are organizing bike rides and bike trains to school to highlight and celebrate the benefits of choosing student-powered transportation to school. To date, more than 700 Bike to School Day events in 49 states and the District of Columbia have already registered on the official website (http://bit.ly/IHGVIK). And the total number of participating schools is expected to grow throughout May, which is National Bike Month." "'We knew there was support for a spring bike to school day, as many local bike-focused events have been held in the past,' said Lauren Marchetti, director of the National Center for Safe Routes to School, which coordinates National Bike to School Day and International Walk to School Day. 'But the turnout for this first-time event is spectacular! We couldn't be more pleased with how many communities and families are coming together to promote biking to school on this one day.' Bike to School Day encourages a bike-focused celebration in the month of May and builds on the popularity and success of International Walk to School Day, which is celebrated across the country--and the world--each October..." Source: http://bit.ly/JonFmj UNIV. OF COLORADO STUDENT WINS APBP'S GIHON JORDAN SCHOLARSHIP -> According to a May 4th announce, "The Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) announces the winner of its first annual Student Poster Contest: Krista Nordback, a PhD candidate at the University of Colorado in Denver. As the national winner, Nordback will attend the 2012 ProWalk/ProBike® Conference in Long Beach, CA in September under the auspices of APBP's Gihon Jordan Scholarship. Nordback was selected from a field of five contestants from a variety of disciplines related to bicycle and pedestrian studies in U.S. undergraduate and graduate programs. Her entry, entitled 'The Impact of Bicycle Friendly Policy on Cyclist Safety in Boulder, Colorado,' demonstrated the relationship between bicycle-friendly policy and lower cyclist risk in the city of Boulder." "Nordback plans to finish her degree in August of this year and to continue her work on institutionalizing bicycle and pedestrian counting, and promoting the safety of these activities in the US. She says, 'By counting bicycling and walking in an accurate and defensible way, we demonstrate that these are legitimate modes of transportation, deserving of funding, attention in design, and further research. I look forward to the time when roads without sufficient bicycling and pedestrian traffic will be thought of as 'dead zones' instead of normal conditions.' The Student Poster Contest was sponsored by IBI Group." Source: http://bit.ly/Jkph0o [The APBP Gihon Jordan Scholarship memorializes a Philadelphia Streets Department traffic engineer who was a longtime, energetic champion for pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and the disabled. After his death in 2008, the Philadelphia Inquirer noted, "Mr. Jordan battled bureaucracy, and combined vision and common sense in his quest to make Philadelphia a better place…While scientifically designing and implementing convention-defying solutions, he earned a national reputation as an expert traffic calmer." For more information or to donate http://bit.ly/K0DD3A.] APPLICATIONS DUE JUNE 22 TO HOST 4TH SRTS NAT'L CONFERENCE -> According to a May 1st announcement, "The National Center for Safe Routes to School and the Safe Routes to School National Partnership are now seeking proposals from potential host agencies to organize the 4th Safe Routes to School National Conference, which will take place in August 2013. Hosting the National Conference will bring national recognition to the host organization and host city as leaders in Safe Routes to School, and provide a boost to the local economy as hundreds of attendees come to your town. Being the host agency for the National Conference can also build more local support for your Safe Routes to School program and strengthen ties with local stakeholders. The deadline for proposal submissions is June 22, 2012..." To download the complete request, go to: http://bit.ly/KaWrz7 Source: http://bit.ly/JcH4qn NAT'L BIKE CHALLENGE: PUSHING FOR 10 MILLION BIKE MILES BY AUGUST 31ST -> According to an Apr. 30th announcement, "The National Bike Challenge (http://bit.ly/GNxPH7) is a new, nationwide initiative to inspire and empower millions of Americans to ride their bikes for transportation, recreation and better health. The friendly, online competition--sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists, Bikes Belong, Endomondo and the Kimberly-Clark Corporation--kicks off May 1, and runs until August 31, 2012. The goal: To unite 50,000 bicyclists to ride 10 million miles in communities across America." "The Challenge is simple, free and open to everyone. Sign up as an individual or as a team, log your miles, share your stories and encourage others to join you. Smartphones users can download the free, GPS-enabled Endomondo mobile app to record travel distance and automatically upload their miles. Riders will compete for prizes and awards on the local and national level, including a Grand Prize trip through California wine country from Trek Travel..." Source: http://bit.ly/IDnogF WALK FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES APPLICATION PROCESS NOW OPEN -> According to a May 8th news release, "The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) announces the opening of the fourth round of Walk Friendly Communities' application process. Communities are able to submit applications to the program by visiting <http://bit.ly/LHnc0c>. Applications are due on June 15, 2012. WFC announced its third round of communities in April, adding New Orleans, Forest Park, Ill. and Eugene, Ore. to the list. Corvallis, Ore. saw its level climb from Bronze to Gold during the latest round as well. Currently, 24 communities nationwide have earned Walk Friendly status. The program will announce the next round of communities designated as Walk Friendly in August." "WFC is a national recognition program to encourage towns and cities across the United States to establish or recommit to a high priority for safe walking. Assessing the communities' commitment to improve conditions related to walking, including safety, mobility, access and comfort, PBIC makes designations based on a Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze level, and all communities received detailed feedback on where and how they can improve. A list of current Walk Friendly Communities is available at <http://bit.ly/IW1ztQ>. Officially launched in October 2010, the WFC program is funded by FedEx and the Federal Highway Administration...." For more info, go to: http://bit.ly/K9dMKK Source: http://bit.ly/KDeH7h "RIDE OF SILENCE" HONORS THOSE INJURED OR KILLED ON BIKES -> According to a May 3rd announcement, "On Wednesday, May 16 the Ride of Silence will begin in North America and roll across the globe. Cyclists will take to the roads in a silent procession to honor bicyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways. Although cyclists have a legal right to share the road with motorists, the motoring public often isn't aware of these rights, and sometimes not aware of the cyclists themselves. The purpose of the ride is:" "To HONOR those who have been injured or killed "The Ride Of Silence is a free ride that asks its cyclists to ride no faster than 12 mph and remain silent during the ride. In it's tenth year, Rides of Silence have been organized in all seven continents, 26 countries and all 50 states. There are no brochures, no sponsors and no registration fees. The ride is held during National Bike Month and aims to raise the awareness of motorists, police officers, city officials and others that cyclists have a legal right to the public roadways. The ride is also a chance to show respect for those who have been killed or injured while cycling..." Source: http://bit.ly/JVw5z3 Get a jump start on this news by subscribing to CenterLines. |
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