Membership: It lasts longer than a cup of joe.

In case you haven't heard, the Bicycle Alliance of Washington is having an unheard of summer deal. You can join the BAW for just $5. What's that you say, 5 bucks? My morning latte' is nearly that price, what an amazing deal!

But wait, there's more. As a board member of the BAW I'd like to see our membership double. It may seem far reaching, but I think it can happen, and by September at that. How, you ask?  Well, we need YOUR help!

If you help spread the word we can make this go viral. Blog about it, email it to all your friends who bike in Washington. Post it on Twitter and Facebook. If you're not a member yet, join! Purchase a membership for your friend who has everything. Do you own a bike shop? Add on a BAW membership for the month of August and September for every new bike purchased. The sky's the limit and the end result is Washington being a safer place to bicycle.

It's super easy too, just go to the BAW website, choose the $35 membership rate and enter in coupon code 5BMA1. That's it. You just saved $30 and made Washington a better place to bike.  Way to go! Now send this to five people and your work is done.

Got Time? Volunteer Opportunities with the Bicycle Alliance

Help us spread the bicycle love to others!  The Bicycle Alliance of Washington is looking for volunteers to help with a variety of program and operational assignments.

Tabling at an event.

We need some friendly and outgoing volunteers to staff tables for us at the following events.  Contact LouiseMcGrody if you’d like to help out.

• RAPSody (Ride AroundPuget Sound): August 28, 11am-2pm in Tacoma.  This fabulous ride is organized by five bike clubs and all proceeds are donated to the Bicycle Alliance.  We need a couple of volunteers to staff a table for us at the finish line in Tacoma to welcome the riders and hand out information.

• PROS (Perimeter Ride ofSeattle): September 5.  We need a volunteer with a vehicle to hand out snacks and water at a rest stop in Tukwila, probably around 11am – 2pm.  PROS is organized by the Cyclists of Greater Seattle and they’re asking riders to make a donation to the Bicycle Alliance.

• Cycle the WAVE:  September 18, 11:30am – 3:30pm in Issaquah.  The Bicycle Alliance will have a table at the finish line of this women-only ride and we need a couple of friendly folks to greet riders and talk to them about the Bicycle Alliance.

Our Safe Routes to School program has the following volunteer needs in the south King County area.  Contact John Vander Sluis if you’re interested in any of these assignments.

Drivers with pickup trucks:

The Bicycle Alliance is looking for a pickup truck and driver with some flexibility this fall to move our Safe Routes to School bikes and trailer between school districts in south King County.  Ideally, we need a truck(s) with a 2 5/16” ball mount already installed.  Otherwise, we need a truck that at least has a receiver hitch already installed, and we provide the ball mount and ball.

Maintenance:

The Bicycle Alliance is looking for volunteers to help prepare our Safe Routes to School fleet for the fall. The work party will take place during the day on September 8, time TBD. Volunteers need not be skilled mechanics – there will be plenty of chain-lubing, brake testing, and tire pumping for all!

Mechanics:

The Bicycle Alliance is looking for volunteers to support safe routes to school programs by providing basic bike repair at school events. Volunteers should be able to change a tire and adjust brakes and transmissions.  Dates and times vary.

Two more opportunities with Safe Routes to School—contact Seth Schromen-Wawrin if you’re interested in these:

• Need some creative folks to make signs that will be used for Safe Routes to School trainings.  Will probably schedule a work party in late August to build these.  Contact Seth for more details.

• Have you been involved with a Safe Routes to School project in Washington State?  We’re looking for individuals willing to write a letter to the editor in support of your local program and Safe Routes in general.  Contact Seth for more information.

Auction 

We need volunteers for all kinds of tasks at our annual auction on October 22 in Seattle.  This is our primary fundraising event and loads of fun!  Contact Matt Lyman if you’d like to give us a hand.

Be a guest blogger

Work party.

Passionate about a particular bike issue?  Want to share your joy of bicycling with others?  Submit a guest blog post to the Bicycle Alliance blog!  Contact LouiseMcGrody with your story idea.

Monthly work parties

Help us with our monthly mailings and other administrative tasks at the monthly work parties at our Pioneer Square office in Seattle.  The next work party is August 25.  Contact Jay Steingold for more information.

Shifting Gears: Seeking donations for the annual auction!

Jeremy and wife Daniela at 2010 auction.

When it comes to the Bicycle Alliance auction, Jeremy Vrablik has done it all.  He began as a volunteer in 2005 and worked his way up to the position of Auction Chair in 2010.  He is serving again in that capacity for 2011.

But wait.  Jeremy has done more.  He has recruited his friends to join him as volunteers and he has invited others to join him as auction attendees.  He has also solicited for auction donations and he has been a donor himself.  If you were the winning bidder of a pair of Seattle Sounders tickets, then you were the beneficiary of Jeremy’s generosity.

"I support the Bicycle Alliance of Washington because they support me," Jeremy responded when asked why he remains involved with the auction.  "Every time I head out on the road, I know I'm safer due to their efforts.  It feels good to give back a little to those who are watching after me."

The auction is the Bicycle Alliance’s primary fundraiser each year and this year's event is slated for October 22.  Proceeds from this event support our advocacy and education efforts statewide.  These funds help us deliver Safe Routes to School services to districts around Washington and make it possible for us to bring our Hub & Spoke events to bike advocates in their communities.  They help us shift the gears of government policies and change the minds of legislators.

We need your help!

We are actively seeking a variety of donations for the auction.  Unique experiences, getaways, tickets to sporting and cultural events, restaurant and retail gift cards, gift baskets and artisan handiwork are all useful donations.  We have an online donation form for your convenience, or contact Louise McGrody if you have any questions.

Help us shift gears for better bicycling.  Mark October 22 on your calendar and join us for socializing, celebrating and bid card waving at the auction!  Check our auction page for more information.

Rumbling (again) about rumble strips

Rumble strips were incorrectly applied on Whidbey Island.

Rumble strips are the bane of existence for many cyclists, and the Bicycle Alliance has wrangled with Washington State DOT over their application of this device in the past.  Here’s a link to past posts that mention rumble strips.  Well, rumble strips are rearing up again—this time at the federal level.

Bad news:  The Federal Highway Administration recently issued a technical advisory that essentially gives the green light to extensive use of rumble strips.  Read Adventure Cycling Association’s take on it here.

Good news:  Several years ago, the Bicycle Alliance worked with WSDOT to create a set of rumblestrip guidelines with bicyclists in mind.  Since the FHWA released a technical advisory, WSDOT is not required to follow it and will continue to use its own guidelines.

The Bicycle Alliance will continue to work with Adventure Cycling and our other national partners to try to improve the rumble strip situation for all cyclists.  We also need your help.  If you believe that there has been an incorrect installation of rumble strips in your area, contact the WSDOT bicycle coordinator and your regional WSDOT bicycle coordinator, and notify the Bicycle Alliance.

Biking with my Councilman

I was biking along side one of my City Councilmen a couple weeks ago, updating him on how our Complete Streets Policy Development workshop went. We talked about some of the local streets that seemed, in my mind, incomplete and some fixes that may or may not work. I thanked him for his support of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and told him how great it was that he not only supported the concept of bicycling for transportation, but that he himself was a cyclist. How important it is that he can relate to the issues that come up and see firsthand what it is that we are talking about when we speak of streets that don't work well for bicyclists.

Now how did I get so lucky as to bike along side my Councilman? Well, everybodyBIKE organized a series of 17 Summer Rides that take place every other Friday and Sunday. These rides have been phenomenally successful, ranging in participation from 10 -100 people! Participants also vary in age from little kids in trailers to 80 years old. There are cruisers, mountain bikes, road bikes, people in spandex and bike shoes, as well as dress clothes and heels. It's a wonderful mix of people who are joined together for a common love, bikes.

I hope that your town has a similar ride, it may not be as extensive as the Summer Rides, but it's a great way to meet new people, and possibly chat with your elected officials.

Join us for another First Thursday

First Thursday Art Walk at the Bicycle Alliance from 5:00-8:00 p.m. will feature acrylics on canvas by Seattle native Sarah Young. Drawing inspiration from a recent bike ride along the west coast, Sarah’s subjects include landscapes, bicycles and mushrooms. Much of her work is influenced by Northwest Native art.

Returning artists are Craig Snyder, Marie Zahradnik, Emily Peck, Jesse Knutson, L. Joy Peterson and Andy Goulding.

Blake Trask joins the Bicycle Alliance as Statewide Policy Director

Blake Trask is a self-identified policy wonk who began addressing transportation issues through research in college, has since been civically involved in advising the City of Seattle on bicycling policy and planning, and has worked on transport projects as a consultant.  In August, he will begin applying that knowledge as the Statewide Policy Director for the Bicycle Alliance of Washington.

Currently the chair of the Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board, Blake looks forward to turning his transportation focus statewide with his new position.  He is excited to draw upon the knowledge and background of the Bicycle Alliance's Legislative and Statewide Issues Committee and lobbyist Michael Temple on 2012 priorities.

"I'm especially interested in the 20 mile-per-hour bill (HB 1217) and HB 1700, which relates to the design standards as a complement to Complete Streets and better bicycle/pedestrian design," said Blake.  "They tie into my interest in broadening the toolboxes of individual municipalities to make safer streets for all roadway users," he added.

As the father of a 9-month-old daughter, Blake feels even more inspired to promote safe and accessible transportation options for all Washingtonians.  The Bicycle Alliance's work to implement Safe Routes to School statewide and promote active transportation are priorities for him.  Blake believes there are opportunities to improve urban and rural cycling, and to strengthen the link between cycling and economic development.  He's excited to be a part of making these opportunities a reality.

Blake holds a master's degree in environmental policy and planning from the University of Washington.  Prior to joining the Bicycle Alliance, he worked for Triangle Associates where he worked as a facilitator on often contentious planning and policy issues in Washington state and designed and implemented public involvement for large public works projects.  He also served on the leadership team of Streets for All Seattle campaign, which has worked over the past year-and-a-half to seek additional funding for walking, biking and transit.

"Blake is well known in the Seattle area where he has honed his considerable transportation skills as chair of the Bicycle Advisory Board and on various bicycle-related funding campaigns," said executive director Barbara Culp.  "Besides his transportation acumen, Blake has mediated sensitive environmental issues and knows how to bring all parties to a consensus.  He knows when to be tough and when to be a team player.  He's a welcome addition to the Bicycle Alliance staff and its vision of a bike-friendly Washington."

Blake grew up on Vashon Island and has generational roots that stretch into eastern Washington.  He and his family live in Seattle where he rides his bike often for transportation.  When he's not consumed with parental responsibilities, he enjoys camping around the state and spending time with his friends.