Artkansas
02-14-09, 10:14 PM
The National Bike Summit (http://www.bikeleague.org/conferences/summit09/index.php) will be in Washington D.C. next month. Is anyone going?
Fifty Plus (50+) - National Bike Summit
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jppe
02-15-09, 05:07 AM
There are some workshops that look pretty interesting. We certainly need the 50+ group to be represented.
oilman_15106
02-15-09, 06:17 PM
Are you kidding me. A lobbing effort for even MORE spending!
BluesDawg
02-15-09, 07:28 PM
I wish I was able to go. I hope to do things like this once I retire. I see this as not an effort to spend more but an effort to spend what will be spent on more productive policies and projects. Not just more roads for more cars to burn more oil.
Road Fan
02-16-09, 05:35 AM
Are you kidding me. A lobbing effort for even MORE spending!
I'd think the goal should be to re-direct spending to items that help to foster bike commuting and bikes as basic transportation, rather than to attack a lot of new roads.
At the risk of kicking off an Advocacy-style firestorm, I'd think to at least add markings for bike routes and where possible bike-only-lanes would be a starting point. Also on the list should be driver and cyclist awareness education giving the message of what rights and responsibilities each has.
In the nice to have category should be funded consideration of cyclists as elements of traffic in the architecture of intelligent transporation systems, which use digital transponders to allow vehicles to communicate with each other and at times with infrastructure. NHTSA has put a lot of $$$ into such research for cars, trucks, and non-road transportation, but so far it's virtually zero for bikes (we are known there as "pedalcyclists," for those who want to Google around.).
I'd think the goal should be to re-direct spending to items that help to foster bike commuting and bikes as basic transportation, rather than to attack a lot of new roads.
At the risk of kicking off an Advocacy-style firestorm, I'd think to at least add markings for bike routes and where possible bike-only-lanes would be a starting point. Also on the list should be driver and cyclist awareness education giving the message of what rights and responsibilities each has.
In the nice to have category should be funded consideration of cyclists as elements of traffic in the architecture of intelligent transporation systems, which use digital transponders to allow vehicles to communicate with each other and at times with infrastructure. NHTSA has put a lot of $$$ into such research for cars, trucks, and non-road transportation, but so far it's virtually zero for bikes (we are known there as "pedalcyclists," for those who want to Google around.).
Road Fan
02-16-09, 05:41 AM
I wish I was able to go. I hope to do things like this once I retire. I see this as not an effort to spend more but an effort to spend what will be spent on more productive policies and projects. Not just more roads for more cars to burn more oil.
Actually this is one of the motivations of the intelligent transportation systems initiative. Some states, notably California, see huge vehicle usage growth in the coming decades, with zero opportunity to widen roads or build enough new ones to grow capacity. They are pushing for intelligent transportation techniques to make roads function more efficiently. It should result in much better vehicle control (so safer use of lane remainders by cyclists), lower speeds with reduced average travel times, better aerodynamics (less fuel use), and much better safety.
Lots of issues, tho!!
Actually this is one of the motivations of the intelligent transportation systems initiative. Some states, notably California, see huge vehicle usage growth in the coming decades, with zero opportunity to widen roads or build enough new ones to grow capacity. They are pushing for intelligent transportation techniques to make roads function more efficiently. It should result in much better vehicle control (so safer use of lane remainders by cyclists), lower speeds with reduced average travel times, better aerodynamics (less fuel use), and much better safety.
Lots of issues, tho!!
Shifty
02-16-09, 08:07 PM
Are you kidding me. A lobbing effort for even MORE spending!Why does this response not surprise me. :roflmao2:
BluesDawg
02-16-09, 08:21 PM
Why does this response not surprise me. :roflmao2:
Sounds like someone spilled some Jamaican seasoning on their knee. :innocent:
Sounds like someone spilled some Jamaican seasoning on their knee. :innocent:
Artkansas
02-16-09, 10:05 PM
Are you kidding me. A lobbying effort for even MORE spending!
From my experience on a local level, most of bicycle advocacy efforts are not looking for more spending. Most are much more modest, aimed at increasing acceptance of bicycling and looking at lower budget easily doable ways to promote cycling. Painted "sharrow" lines instead of building a bike path. Getting bicycles to be officially a method of transportation rather than a toy, so that they will be considered when roads and highways are built or modified.
But it will be interesting to see what people are doing elsewhere in the country when I go to the summit.
From my experience on a local level, most of bicycle advocacy efforts are not looking for more spending. Most are much more modest, aimed at increasing acceptance of bicycling and looking at lower budget easily doable ways to promote cycling. Painted "sharrow" lines instead of building a bike path. Getting bicycles to be officially a method of transportation rather than a toy, so that they will be considered when roads and highways are built or modified.
But it will be interesting to see what people are doing elsewhere in the country when I go to the summit.
donheff
02-17-09, 06:29 AM
Too bad I will be out of town for the first two weeks of March. I live on Capitol Hill and could walk over to the House buildings to join the lobbying effort. Sounds like it would be fun.
Artkansas
02-18-09, 05:20 AM
Too bad I will be out of town for the first two weeks of March. I live on Capitol Hill and could walk over to the House buildings to join the lobbying effort. Sounds like it would be fun.
I think it will be. At least two of us from Arkansas will be 50+ and a third one is getting close. I don't know about the two from Northwest Arkansas. To save precious dollars, we are eschewing the hotels and either staying in a hostel or with relatives. Takes me back to the travels of my youth.
I think it will be. At least two of us from Arkansas will be 50+ and a third one is getting close. I don't know about the two from Northwest Arkansas. To save precious dollars, we are eschewing the hotels and either staying in a hostel or with relatives. Takes me back to the travels of my youth.
ChuteTheMall
02-20-09, 08:56 PM
Tell them we should be able to declare our bikes as dependents on our taxes.
More stimulating than spendulous. :roflmao2:
More stimulating than spendulous. :roflmao2:
Tom Bombadil
02-20-09, 09:21 PM
Building better cycling facilities & infrastructure is an excellent economic stimulus. Puts people to work constructing bike lanes, bridges, trails, etc. And then it has great long-term aspects that you want out of a stimulus project - reducing usage of oil-burning cars, reducing pollution, improving personal health, and improves the health of the bike shop industry.
esther-L
02-22-09, 06:14 PM
Tell them we should be able to declare our bikes as dependents on our taxes.
More stimulating than spendulous. :roflmao2:
Bike shops and massage therapists might be willing to lobby for that :) Plus the sports drinks and GU makers.
More stimulating than spendulous. :roflmao2:
Bike shops and massage therapists might be willing to lobby for that :) Plus the sports drinks and GU makers.
Artkansas
03-17-09, 11:13 PM
Well, I'm back. It was pretty exciting. Great being in a crowd of people who don't think that bicycle leg bands clash with a coat and tie. The whole point of the Summit really is to lobby our members of Congress for bills on the bicycling agenda. This time there were 3 big bills to promote, Complete Streets (http://www.completestreets.org/), Safe Routes to Schools (http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/news_room/oberstar_award/), Clean TEA (http://www.cyclelicio.us/2009/03/clean-tea.html) and getting them to join the Congressional or Senate Bicycle Caucus.
Complete Streets dictates that streets should be made to accomodate all users, not just motorists. Safe Routes to Schools promotes getting kids to school without the use of motor vehicles through programs like the Walking School Buses and Bicycling School Buses. The Clean TEA bill funds low greenhouse gas transportation. Also supported were bills to support multi-modal transportation such as combining trains or buses and bicycles.
The first day we were treated to a great dinner and a show of Copenhagen and its promotion of bicycles as a form of transport. More commuters go by bicycle than any other form of transport.
The second day was mostly workshops. I attended one on how bicycle advocates and bicycle dealers can work together. The second one was on Urban Trails and Jump Parks, which detailed urban mountain bike parks in NYC and the building of a jump park underneath an overpass in Seattle, giving its riders a course that was out of the rain 365 days a year. The last one was about combining transit and bicycles. Then we had a skit where "American Idol" judges graded Bike Summit lobbyists on the basis of their lobbying performances.
The third day was the lobbying day. Appointments had been made previously, and we walked around between our Congressmen and Senators, in our case, Arkansas. They were politicians, so we got a polite and interested response, though no promises. Sometimes we got to meet with the Congressman, but more frequently, their aides. Congressman Boozman was in the middle of a vote, so his aide gave us a ride on the Congressional subway to Congress. Then we got to talk in a beautiful conference room, dominated by a portrait of George Washington. After that we got to take the Senatorial Subway from Congress to the Senate Office Building after a rapid behind the scenes tour of the Capitol.
The fourth day was the Congressional Bike Ride. Since the third day had been in the '60s, I wasn't expecting the ride to start off in snow. Brrrrr. I was underdressed and froze when we weren't riding. But since Washington DC is largely flat, it was an easy and sociable ride. After the ride, I found an external heating vent from the IRS building and sat on the grating like a homeless man, warming up. After that I spent the rest of my time in DC in the National Art Gallery soaking up some culcha.
It was good to see so many 50+ people so committed to bicycling.
Complete Streets dictates that streets should be made to accomodate all users, not just motorists. Safe Routes to Schools promotes getting kids to school without the use of motor vehicles through programs like the Walking School Buses and Bicycling School Buses. The Clean TEA bill funds low greenhouse gas transportation. Also supported were bills to support multi-modal transportation such as combining trains or buses and bicycles.
The first day we were treated to a great dinner and a show of Copenhagen and its promotion of bicycles as a form of transport. More commuters go by bicycle than any other form of transport.
The second day was mostly workshops. I attended one on how bicycle advocates and bicycle dealers can work together. The second one was on Urban Trails and Jump Parks, which detailed urban mountain bike parks in NYC and the building of a jump park underneath an overpass in Seattle, giving its riders a course that was out of the rain 365 days a year. The last one was about combining transit and bicycles. Then we had a skit where "American Idol" judges graded Bike Summit lobbyists on the basis of their lobbying performances.
The third day was the lobbying day. Appointments had been made previously, and we walked around between our Congressmen and Senators, in our case, Arkansas. They were politicians, so we got a polite and interested response, though no promises. Sometimes we got to meet with the Congressman, but more frequently, their aides. Congressman Boozman was in the middle of a vote, so his aide gave us a ride on the Congressional subway to Congress. Then we got to talk in a beautiful conference room, dominated by a portrait of George Washington. After that we got to take the Senatorial Subway from Congress to the Senate Office Building after a rapid behind the scenes tour of the Capitol.
The fourth day was the Congressional Bike Ride. Since the third day had been in the '60s, I wasn't expecting the ride to start off in snow. Brrrrr. I was underdressed and froze when we weren't riding. But since Washington DC is largely flat, it was an easy and sociable ride. After the ride, I found an external heating vent from the IRS building and sat on the grating like a homeless man, warming up. After that I spent the rest of my time in DC in the National Art Gallery soaking up some culcha.
It was good to see so many 50+ people so committed to bicycling.