The Thunderhead Alliance Weather Report



Volume 2, Issue 5                                                                                                  May 19, 2006




In This Issue:





THUNDERHEAD TRAINING IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

This Training was a terrific success with nearly 30 attendees mostly from the D.C. area. Our two exceptions were from Pittsburgh, PA and Miami, FL. The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) had a stunning turnout including staff, volunteers and three bike/ped staff from the District Department of Transportation. At times we thought their table would lift off from the energy generated around their campaign to complete the Metropolitan Branch Trail. Our attendees from Virginia representing WABA and the Virginia Bicycling Federation bonded early on to coordinate their project/policy campaigns toward success for both. And our Maryland attendees brought diverse campaigns from bike/ped advocacy to focused transit extensions.
 
We were honored to have a lunchtime guest speaker, Sarah Otto from Shaw EcoVillage, speak on their involvement with Thunderhead’s Affordable Transportation for Affordable Housing program. Shaw EcoVillage has been an invaluable partner in connecting our program to neighborhood leaders in that neighborhood.
 
And none of it would have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors. Thanks to all of these superstars!: Planet Bike, National Bicycle Dealers Association, National Center for Bicycling and Walking (Anne Villacres attended and completed an exciting local campaign plan), Preferred Offices (Kristina Bertoni took part in a few sessions and welcomed us for a tour of the Thunderhead offices), AARP, Local Government Commission, and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (Marianne Fowler attended and fleshed out an enormous national campaign that will engage many of us as we approach the reauthorization of SAFETEA-LU).

Pictures of the training may be found at: http://www.thunderheadalliance.org/trainings06dc.html.
 
The next Thunderhead Training is in Denver July 14-16 so if you missed this one, make sure to get registered for Denver before the discount deadline sneaks up on you! Find the registration form here: http://www.thunderheadalliance.org/trainings.htm.





NATIONAL COMPLETE STREETS EFFORTS GAIN MOMENTUM

Thunderhead’s National Complete the Streets Campaign is gaining new partners as the National Complete Streets Coalition, of which we are a proud partner, launches into its own exciting national campaign. The Coalition hosted an inspiring reception at the AARP building in Washington, DC May 8th graced by leaders of Coalition partner organizations. Many of these leaders offered toasts to the Coalition’s efforts to create materials, tools and connections that contribute to the adoption and implementation of complete streets policies and programs. They framed each toast through the eyes of their constituents whether engineers, planners, the disabled community, seniors, transit providers, or advocates from the smart growth, bike/ped and environmental movements. That’s music to our ears as we connect with these impassioned leaders to reach the goal of Thunderhead’s campaign of winning complete streets policies in all 50 states by 2008 in order to influence a federal-level complete streets policy. Find out more about the National Complete Streets Coalition at: http://www.completestreets.org.





MEMBER NEWS: SUCCESSFUL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS REGARDING INCREASED TRANSPORATION COSTS

Brian Keegan, the executive director of Bike Bakersfield (http://www.bikebakersfield.org) wasn't anticipating the media storm that has been raging for the past couple of weeks. It all started when he put some bike racks shaped like bicycles outside of the Bike Bakersfield office. These stylish racks caught the local newspaper's attention; just a few days later, gas prices started to rise, and the media was hooked.

"Fortunately, we had base-level media attention surrounding the bike racks," says Keegan. "When the media called, we already had something to talk about; it was an easy segue from there."

When asked about how Bike Bakersfield deals with questions from the media surrounding increased gas prices and the barriers to bicycling, Keegan replied, "We try to avoid the negative aspects. Our message is that we're just trying to get people to ride their bikes. We're looking for increased usage of the already existing infrastructure. For example, Bakersfield has a great north-south bike path and some of the bike lanes on major roads are good (not great). Rising gas prices can be viewed as very negative by a good number of people, so our angle focuses on the more positive aspects of bicycling; save money, it's fun, personal freedom, get fit, etc."

What about the barriers to bicycling that the media seems to love to highlight? "We try to pare it down to just five talking points: 1) cultural perception that bicycling is just for recreation, 2) education (getting bicyclists road-savvy), 3) overall public awareness of bicyclists, 4) accommodation of bicyclists, 5) and maintenance of bicycle infrastructure. Having your talking points ready really makes working with the media easier; Bike Bakersfield just did three interviews yesterday!" (May 16th)

Thunderhead welcomes news items from our member organizations based on each month’s theme. Please send your suggested item (maximum 300 words) to: david@thunderheadalliance.org. We will publish the most inspiring story and list the web links of other contributors within that month’s theme. Next month's theme is: Courting large individual donors.





ORG TIP: MEDIA PREPAREDNESS - BE READY FOR THEIR CALL

 When the media contacts your organization, you should be prepared to speak with them. Are you ready?

The media usually comes calling when one of the following conditions are met:
  • Crisis occurs - Example: a bicyclist or pedestrian was injured or killed
  • Local or National events lead to an increase in bicycling, walking, or public transport use - Example: gas prices go up
  • Major victory has been achieved by your organization - Example: a new bike/ped trail has finally been opened
Here are some quick tips for making sure that you're ready to talk to the media when they do call:
  • Make a list of half a dozen or so talking points relating directly to bicycling and walking which you should be ready to use at any time. Some examples may include: the needs for increased physical activity, desire to save money, or desire to lead a healthy lifestyle. Try to keep your talking points positive - after all, we're here to help people make healthier choices, not berate them for the ones they may have chosen.
  • If you get a call when you're not expecting it, take a few moments to collect your thoughts. Dave Snyder would often put the caller on hold by saying, "I'm so glad you called. I'm on the other line; can you hold a moment? I'll be right back." At this point, he would put the caller on hold and take a few moments to collect his thoughts - even if there really wasn't another person on the line...
  • Make your points real. For example, if an accident occurs at a dangerous intersection, be prepared with a statement like, "Little Johnny would not have been injured walking home from school if the no right turn on red law was consistently enforced during rush hour," as opposed to something less specific.
  • Prepare your media talking points as early as possible if you're working on a local campaign. It's OK to go back and revise them as the needs of your campaign may change.
  • If you don't know the answer to a question, don't make up an answer! Tell the report that you don't know, but would be happy to get back to them as soon as you can find an answer. Find the answer, and call them back!
You can find some great media talking points in the Member's area of the Thunderhead website. Look for "Talking Points" in the "Laws, Legislation, Media" section.

CUT AND PASTE FOR YOUR NEWSLETTER: COMMUTING QUICK COST CALCULATOR

Here is a short article designed to keep your members thinking about how much they're spending to commute to work if they're not biking, walking, or taking transit...
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Commuting And Short Trip Quick Cost Calculator

How much does it cost you to get to work? If you're driving a car, here is a quick way to find out! Visit:
What about trips that you take by car less than 5 miles from where you live for short errands such as the post office, pharmacy, grocery store, the gym, or that pound of coffee you :: have :: to pick up from the local coffee shop? Add these trips in to the quick cost calculator and see how much it really costs for you to drive your car!

Try replacing short trips in the car with bicycling or walking. These trips are free, and include a bonus of adding fitness to your routine; you may no longer need to go to the gym. Now recalculate your trips and see how much money you're saving!






This monthly Thunderhead Alliance Weather Report is for the leaders of our member organizations and our supporters. The Thunderhead Alliance, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is the only coalition of state and local bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations working in unison to break down the barriers to safe bicycling and walking in North American communities. Find more info at: www.thunderheadalliance.org.