League Of American Bicyclists Presentation
- 1. League of American Bicyclists Representing the interests of the nation's 57 million cyclists.
- 2. Mission To promote bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation and work through advocacy and education for a bicycle-friendly America Represent interests of nation's 57 million cyclists Current membership - 300,000 affiliated cyclists, including 25,000 individuals and 700 organizations
- 3. Proud and Rich History Founded as the League of American Wheelmen in 1880 Bicyclists, known then as "wheelmen", were challenged by poor road conditions and social antagonism Moore than 100,000 cyclists from across the United States joined the League to advocate for paved roads The success of the League in its first advocacy efforts led to our national highway system
- 4. Why Do Cyclists Join the League? The League: promotes & protects the rights of cyclists provides valuable education programs creates better cycling environments promotes cycling through advocacy and events Members: create bicycle friendly communities receive all the benefits of membership, including American Bicyclist and Bicycling Magazine publications If you're a cyclist, you should be a member.
- 5. Bicycle Friendly America Program Bicycle Safety and Education National, State and Local Bicycle Advocacy National Bike Month™ League's Key Programs
- 6. Bicycle Friendly America The League's Bicycle Friendly America family of programs: recognizes states, communities and businesses for their efforts to promote bicycling Provides roadmap to improve
- 7. Bicycle Friendly Communities The League recognizes municipalities that actively support bicycling A Bicycle-Friendly Community provides safe accommodation for cycling and encourages its residents to bike for transportation and recreation Promotes active, healthy lifestyles, reduces traffic congestion, and improves air quality — and it’s fun! 250 communities have applied 96 designations given
- 8. Bicycle Friendly States Promotes cycling through legislation, policies and programs Two part recognition program States ranked annually on their level of bike-friendliness States that wish to apply for a BFS award designation can receive further recognition and promotion of their efforts as well as feedback, technical assistance, training and further encouragement to improve their bicycling legislation, projects, and programs Top states in 2008 Washington Wisconsin Arizona
- 9. Bicycle Friendly Businesses New initiative that began in 2008 Recognizes employers’ efforts to encourage a more bicycle friendly atmosphere for employees and customers Honors innovative bike-friendly efforts and provides technical assistance and information to help companies and organizations become even better for bicyclists 19 applications with 13 designations to date
- 10. Bicycle Safety & Education Provide materials and training courses to help people feel more secure about getting on their bikes Bikes are treated as vehicles Cyclists need to know how to ride a bike and how to operate it safely and legally
- 11. Traffic Skills 101 Gives cyclists the confidence they need to ride safely and legally in traffic or on the trail Covers bicycle safety checks, fixing a flat, on-bike skills and crash avoidance techniques Recommended for adults and children above age fourteen Fast-paced, nine-hour course prepares cyclists for a full understanding of riding in traffic
- 12. Traffic Skills 201 For more advanced students with an understanding of vehicular cycling Twelve-hour course includes fitness and physiology, training for longer rides, advanced mechanics, paceline skills, advanced traffic negotiation, foul weather riding and night riding
- 13. Commuting For adult cyclists who wish to explore commuting to work or school by bike Topics include route selection, bicycle choice, dealing with cargo and clothing, bike parking, lighting, reflection, and foul weather riding
- 14. Motorist Education A 3-hour classroom session, that can be easily added to a driver's education curriculum, such as diversion training for reckless drivers or a course designed local bus drivers Directed towards motorists in general Topics covered include roadway positioning of cyclists, traffic and hand signals, principles of right-of-way and left and right turn problems
- 15. Kids Courses Rodeo Designed for parents, instructors explain how to teach a child to ride a bike Topics include how to perform a bicycle safety check, helmet fitting and bike sizing Includes 10-minute 'Kids Eye View' video and a brochure for parents Safe Routes to School 7-hour class for 5th and 6th graders Covers the same topics as Road I, including on-bike skills as well as choosing safe routes for riding
- 16. LCI Certification Becoming a League Cycling Instructor (LCI) certified to teach Smart Cycling is a great way to help cyclists in your community Certified instructors can teach Smart Cycling classes to children and adults Road I is a prerequisite for a certification seminar. Instructors are trained at seminars held periodically throughout the year
- 17. National, State & Local Bicycle Advocacy
- 18. Advocating for Bicyclists Advocating for bicyclists is one of the most important goals of the League
- 19. National Bike Summit Annual conference in D.C. that focuses on making a powerful case for expanding Federal support for bicycling Fellow advocates, industry leaders and retailers make their voices for change heard in Washington A “smart” transportation movement is needed to solve the challenges of climate change, obesity, congestion, pollution, safety, and dependence on foreign oil
- 20. The League Works with America Bikes to… Request Congress to pass an Economic Stimulus bill that includes a balanced set of transportation investments with explicit funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects Enact a Federal Transportation Bill that requires a Complete Streets National Policy, a Fair Share For Safety for cyclists and pedestrians, and federal policy and funding that develop comprehensive bicycling networks
- 21. Advocacy Accomplishments National Bike Bill Passed 5.21.08 Recognizes increased and safe bicycle use for transportation and recreation is in the Nation’s interest Supports policies that increase bicycle use Encourages the Department of Transportation (DOT) to reestablish the federal bicycle task force to include representatives from all relevant federal agencies The Bicycle Commuter Act became effective 1.01.09 Cyclists on the same footing as people who get tax breaks for taking transit or driving (or parking) their cars to and from work
- 22. National Bike Month™ Bike Month is Every May
- 23. If you spent even some of your daily drive time pedaling, the rewards would be: A BETTER BODY Most weeks, 7 out of 10 of us fail to get the minimum recommended 30 minutes of activity per The result: Ride your bike to work, and you no longer need to make time to exercise Rack up just 3 hours of riding time a week, and you can slash your risk of heart disease and stroke in half. starting any new physical activity MORE MONEY The average annual price of keeping an automobile running: at least $3,000 The cost of running a bike for a year: less than $300 CLEAN AIR A bike is a simple way to improve the environment The number of communities that will fall out of compliance with the Clean Air Act is expected to triple within a decade Motorized vehicles are responsible for 70% of the carbon monoxide, 45% of the nitrogen dioxide and 34% of the hydrocarbons people produce
- 25. Publications American Bicyclist League magazine published six times a year Focuses on world of cycling and important issues in bicycle advocacy and education Promotes cycling, cycling events and enjoying the benefits of the cycling lifestyle American Bicyclist Update A bi-monthly enewsletter that includes news and agenda items for bicycling enthusiasts
- 26. Ride Resources Resources available under the Find It section bikeleague.org Include local clubs, advocacy organizations, rides, instructors and much, much more Site also offers hundreds of tips on how to commute by bicycle, help your kids ride safely, and brush up on your own skills
- 27. Special Offers Bicycle Roadside Assistance For Silver Spoke -Members Only Bicycle Retailers A network of bike shops offer discounts to League members Bicycle Manufacturer Discounts 5% discounts on the purchase of Bike Friday® bicycles Bicycle Manufacturer Discounts 5% discounts on Bike Friday® bicycles Other Discounts Gear, Tours, Lodging, Car Rentals, Sports Equipment Shipping and much more!
- 28. Working for a Bicycle Friendly America Visit bikeleague.org today!