May is Bike Month

One of these days the rain will stop, the sun will come out and it will be May. And there will be a bunch of events going on around Washington State to celebrate the bicycle and the bicycle commuter. This post will highlight Bike Month events, stay tuned for a Bike to Work Day (and week) posts as well.

Bicycle Commuters in Whatcom County can form a team of 4-6 people and participate in the Team-Up for everybodyBIKE month long challenge. Team captains that register by April 29th
will get a free limited edition "I Bike B'Ham" t-shirt. Check out their website to register.

Cyclists in Seattle-King County can participate in the Group Health Commute Challenge. Form a team of 4-10 riders and bike at least 5 days in May. Register your team (or go solo) on their website.


Tacoma-Peirce County is also hosting a commuter challenge sponsored by REI. Form a team, bike at least five days and you're entered into their prize drawing! Register Here. Thurston County has held a Bicycle Commuter Contest since 1988! Way to go!
Intercity Transit’s Bicycle Commuter Contest (BCC) rewards participants with prizes, valuable coupons, and recognition for their accomplishments. Register here.

That's all the Bike Month Challenges I know about. Does your community have something going on? If so, let us know so we can post it on the Bicycle Alliance website. Like I said above, stay tuned for more posts on Bike Week and Bike to Work Day.

Until then, ride safe and let's hope for some sun!

Check the current listing we have for Bike to Work activities.

Advocacy Through Fresh Eyes

Bicycle Alliance member Kristi Moen attended her first Transportation Advocacy Day this year.  She shares her impressions of the event in this guest blog post.

Advocates on Capitol campus.

Be pleasant, be friendly, smile. That was the number one tip for successfully advocating in Olympia. The advice was offered to those who converged at the state’s capitol on February 10 in support of Transportation Advocacy Day. As it turned out, the advice was excellent. Being kind helps lawmakers better understand our viewpoints and relate to the issues on the table.

And as it turns out, you also have to be fast. The meetings with our legislators and our senator were only 15 minutes long. But that was long enough to understand where they stand on the bills in work this session and to explain why supporting them is good for the constituents.

Key issues were:

• Emergency transit funding for public transportation that cannot sustain their current funding in the short run because of the economy (HB1536 and SB5457)

• Kickoff and awareness of a new campaign called Transportation for Washington that will address specific initiatives (find out more at www.t4washington.org/)

• Bills sponsored by Bicycle Alliance of Washington and Cascade Bicycle Club that will increase safety for cyclists and pedestrians:
• Washington Vulnerable Users Law (SB 5326, HB1339)
• Complete Streets for Washington (SHB 1071)
• Traffic Safety Education (HB1129)

The bills sponsored by BAW will not cost the state a penny, yet will substantially improve the safety for pedestrians and cyclists.

Kristi (L) meets with Rep. Eileen Cody (C).

The day was not just about cycling. Groups from pedestrian, environmental, public transportation advocacy, parks and health organizations were among the nearly 20 participating sponsors. And yes, I mentioned “health.” That was the first time I had equated health to cycling advocacy. I understand the connection and consciously benefit from it – health benefits are part of the reason why I cycle. But bringing health to the forefront for legislators to consider while thinking about bike trails, bike lanes, safe pedestrian routes and linking up public transportation was a bit of an epiphany for me. In a meeting, our legislator from the 34^th district said, “She’s speaking my language,” when someone in our group brought up the health benefits of cycling. Aha! Each lawmaker has passions that will sway them. It’s our job as advocates to find those passions.

Of course, key players brought up the usual arguments for better transportation and cycling laws including sustainability, connectivity, green house gas reduction and safety. Any of those could stand on their own as valid reasons for our lawmakers to better support cycling.

Transportation is an investment into a stronger future. Even those who never touch a bike, who only drive, will benefit. Call your legislator to let them know how you feel. And be kind. You might just be the one who tips the scale.

Hub & Spoke: Next Stop is Olympia

Last year, the Bicycle Alliance launched its Hub & Spoke outreach tour and visited four communities around the state:  Wenatchee, Vancouver, Walla Walla and Everett.  We are continuing the tour in 2011 and our next Hub & Spoke stop is this Thursday in Olympia.  You can find event details here.

It can be challenging to stay connected with our members when we cover a state that is over 70,000 square miles and divided by a mountain range.  The Hub & Spoke tour is proving to be an excellent vehicle to keep the connections fresh.

Hub & Spoke is social by design, held at pubs and restaurants to give attendees an opportunity to network with Bicycle Alliance representatives and with each other.  The events are timed to coincide with Transportation Improvement Board meetings so we can familiarize local advocates with this potential source of funding for non-motorized projects.  The Bicycle Alliance staff also reviews our legislative and program priorities with attendees, and we give folks a chance to tell us what’s on their minds.

The formula is successful.  We averaged 35 guests per event last year and had a mix of current members and new faces.  Attendees expressed their gratitude that we are making the effort to visit communities around the state.  Other 2011 tour stops include Mount Vernon, Spokane and Richland.

The Hub & Spoke tour was made possible by a grant from the Alliance for Biking and Walking and you can read a recent post about it on their blog.  Check our website or the Bike Bites e-newsletter for future Hub & Spoke dates.

Rhapsodizing on RAPSody Bike Ride

We Northwesterners live in a beautiful place. I am reminded of that each time I get to enjoy views of the Puget Sound, of the Cascades and of the Olympic Mountains from the seat of a bicycle. Of course, you can see the scenery from a car, too, but on a bike you can smell the salt and the trees, live the shape of the landscape in its hills and see at a pace that lets you notice the smaller things as well as the big - the herons, the slack of the tide on the shore, the ripened blackberries within arms reach.

Enjoying the Puget Sound by bicycle is what RAPSody is all about. For seven years five bicycle clubs have organized the Ride Around Puget Sound with 100% of proceeds going to the Bicycle Alliance of Washington. RAPSody is Aug. 28-29 this year. We call it a ride “by cyclists, for cyclists.” Our priorities have always been a great route supported by great food stops. With 170 miles of rolling hills, RAPSody is not easy, but it is relaxed and friendly enough for most anyone to complete with a smile on their face. .

To fuel your ride, you get homemade cookies (thanks to West Sound Cycling Club), hot calzones (served by BIKES Club of Snohomish County ), yogurt and granola parfaits (Capital Bicycling Club ), sandwich wraps in the shade of an old McDonalds’ playground character (Cyclists of Greater Seattle) and ice cream and cow bells for your finish (Tacoma Wheelmen Bicycle Club).

A couple timely notes. First, the deadline to order a RAPSody jersey designed by Tacoma Wheelmen artist Steve Lay is June 30. Take a look at this year’s heron theme and you’ll see why his jerseys always sell out.

The early registration deadline for RAPSody is July 27. You’ll save $15 and help the organizers plan. This is the kind of event you CANNOT register for on the day of the ride, so do commit by Aug. 13. You also save $10 if you are a member of or join the Bicycle Alliance.

Finally, a request for help: We are looking for a fun, oldies rock band to play at Shelton High School during dinner Saturday night. We do have a budget to pay a stipend - and the rewards of getting tired cyclists to get up and dance are priceless. If you know of a local band that might be interested, please email info@rapsodybikeride.com.