Volume 2, Issue 12 December 20, 2006 |
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In This Issue:
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BIKES BELONG INCREASES THUNDERHEAD SUPPORT FOR 2007 While the overview sheets will be written specifically for leaders of Thunderhead organizations in the context of strengthening their organizations, they will also be useful for others seeking to tap federal funding for bicycling and walking. They will be designed so that Thunderhead leaders can cut and paste elements to create letters and proposals when they approach their officials for these funds. The Thunderhead staff and Board are thrilled to be working with Bikes Belong on this exciting endeavor in order to ensure that the bicycling and walking funds we won together in SAFETEA-LU actually reach the ground! |
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BENCHMARKING DATA COLLECTION IS UNDERWAY! Many of
you who represent state organizations and organizations that serve one
of the 50 most populous U.S. cities (find a list on our Benchmarking
page: http://www.thunderheadalliance.org/benchmarking.htm)
have received our data collection forms for your state and/or city as
well as for your Thunderhead organization. Your help with these data
collection forms is extremely important to the project.
Our data collection team has been digging into the census, NHTS, ACS, FARS, CDC and all the other sources at the national level, but as all of you know all too well, much of the most important data resides in state and local offices. Thanks to all of you who are helping. If you did not receive these forms and would like to help, please email Sue Knaup, Thunderhead’s Executive Director, sue "at" thunderheadalliance.org. All Thunderhead organizations and other helpers who assist with the project will be acknowledged in the report, scheduled for publication by fall of 2007, and will be the first to receive free copies of the report to show your government agency representatives exactly where your state or city lies in comparison to the rest of the nation in providing for bicycling and walking. Funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), combined with funding from Bikes Belong, Planet Bike and the NBDA has made this exciting progress possible. We thank these generous funders as well as our invaluable researchers at Rutgers University, our partners at the Institute of Transportation Engineers, and our partners at the CDC, who have all done so much to ensure we chose the best data sets and sources to reveal the true picture of the impact of the built environment on bicycling and walking in the U.S. For more information on Thunderhead’s Benchmarking Project please visit: http://www.thunderheadalliance.org/benchmarking.htm. RENEW YOUR THUNDERHEAD DUES NOW TO RECIEVE TWO FREE GIFTS Year-end is here again so it’s time for all Thunderhead Alliance member organizations and supporters to renew their dues. Renewal letters were sent in early December. If you did not receive a renewal letter, you can print out the form on our Join page http://www.thunderheadalliance.org/signup.htm and send it in with your check. Renew by December 31st to receive these two gifts: a free copy of Thunderhead’s Guide to Complete Streets Campaigns *AND* a free DVD: “Contested Streets” by Transportation Alternatives! Your role in our success is vital as everything we do builds from the success of our member organizations so that we can bring these collective best practices back to you to help you increase the effectiveness of your work and build your organization. Here are some highlights of what your 2007 Thunderhead membership will bring you:
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT & PARTNERING WITH BIKE SHOPS Two of the most frequent requests for materials in the past year have been membership development and partnering with bike shops. We're focusing on these two topics as part of our soon-to-be expanded Member's Web Resources Library. Please send us your best samples of Membership Development and Partnering with Bike Shops materials! This may include anything from sample letters, to stories of what has and hasn't worked for your organization, to model membership drives, to best ways to engage your local bike shop owner. We'll post the best materials as we launch our new Member's Web Resources Library early next year. This is your chance to share and showcase your best practices and models with other Thunderhead member organizations. As always, we will credit the materials from your organization. Send your submissions and materials to David Hoffman, Director of Member Resources: david "at" thunderheadalliance.org. |
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MEMBER NEWS: SHUTTLE TO VICTORY The city of Alameda, CA is a small island located in the San Francisco Bay Area, very close to the city of Oakland. Many of Alameda's residents commute to neighboring communities. This is achieved via one of three bridges, a tunnel (the Posey Tube), or a few ferries. Access in and out of Alameda is very difficult for bicyclists, and, through the Posey Tube, is limited to a substandard and very narrow walkway (wide enough for only a pedestrian or bicyclist, but not both), or AC Transit, whose buses can carry only two bikes at a time. In fact, the Posey Tube/Oakland Connection has been identified as the number one problem priority in the City of Alameda Bicycle Master Plan. In October of 2005, BikeAlameda's Executive Director, Lucy Gigli (pronounced "jeel-yee") attended Thunderhead's Winning Campaigns Training in San Francisco. At the Training, Lucy began formulating a plan to tackle this complex issue, and has since made impressive progress. She and her campaign team came up with an innovative solution to this access problem: a new water shuttle that will cross the estuary between Alameda and Oakland including the construction of a new dock to service bicyclists and pedestrians. BikeAlameda began by working with a local developer who had asked for their feedback on a local project. In addition to the usual requests for bike lanes and bike paths, BikeAlameda asked for a water shuttle. The developer surprised everyone by responding with a "yes". BikeAlameda spent the following five months ensuring that it was a permanent part of the plan. "The press ran our story of the shuttle" said Gigli, "so we used that to ensure that the developer didn't back out. The challenge will now be following up at every step of the way to make sure the implementation doesn't get delayed." Gigli continues, "The Countywide bike plan had been reorganized and we weren't aware of the implications until we found out that our project was actually downgraded." After meeting with the Public Works director and his staff, BikeAlameda was able to convince them to move forward with the first phase of the project. "As part of this discussion," adds Gigli, "we were told it would be helpful if there were bike counts of the area. Realizing how important that was, and that no one else was going to do them, we organized two full days of bike counts. In less than two weeks we had 14 volunteers count from 6:00am until 7:00pm. It was awesome and the numbers were very telling." Finally, Gigli reports that the media exposure (five newspaper articles and a spot on the local morning television show) have all been positive, and that they are continuing to forge powerful alliances and partnerships for this campaign. Thunderhead welcomes news items from our member organizations based on each month’s theme. Please send your suggested item (maximum 300 words) to: david "at" 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. |
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ORG TIP: SPARE DUDS FOR THE UNEXPECTED OCCASION Food for thought from David Hoffman, Thunderhead's Director of Member Resources... It's an old saw; studies have shown that people who dress better tend to be more successful and respected. Most of us in bicycle and pedestrian advocacy choose to dress fairly casually, especially when we're working with our peers in the organization's office. I'm sharing the following anecdote in hopes that you'll laugh, and then vow never to be caught unprepared like I was... Several years ago I biked to work one miserable, wet, and cold May morning. Glad to be rid of my soggy and uncomfortable clothes, I showered and changed in to jeans and a T-shirt. Moments later I received a call from a colleague who wanted to know if I was meeting him at City Hall for a proclamation to be given by the City Council. I had forgotten all about this meeting - and it was in 40 minutes! I had nothing better to wear than the faded jeans and T-shirt that I was wearing. Round-trip time to my house and then back to City Hall would be 45 minutes if I went all out. And, it was still raining. Instead, I found myself pounding on the doors of a local clothier 10 minutes before they opened in a mad attempt to buy something presentable for the proclamation. All worked out, and I looked great - but my wallet was significantly lighter. Tip: have a spare set of good clothes at the office (at least business casual, better if possible) for that unexpected or forgotten meeting. Remember: it's not always possible to get back home for spiffy duds, and then to your appointment in time. Additionally, most areas of the country have regular combinations of rain, snow, extreme heat, and/or humidity. Why rush home to change in less-than-desirable weather when you can have good clothes waiting for you at the office? CUT AND PASTE FOR YOUR NEWSLETTER: MORE BICYCLING QUOTES Last month we provided a great quote about bicycling, courtesy of Senator Earl Blumenauer (D - Oregon). The response to this particular cut-and-paste for your newsletter was tremendous. So here's an expanded offering... - - - - -
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Quotes of the Month "The bicycle is a curious vehicle. Its passenger is its engine." ~John Howard "The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart." ~Iris Murdoch, The Red and the Green "Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of mankind." ~H.G. Wells "The bicycle is just as good company as most husbands and, when it gets old and shabby, a woman can dispose of it and get a new one without shocking the entire community." ~Ann Strong "Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride." ~John F. Kennedy "The sound of a car door opening in front of you is similar to the sound of a gun being cocked." ~Amy Webster Find these, and more great bicycle quotes at: http://www.quotegarden.com/bicycling.html. |
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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. |