Volume 3, Issue 7 _______ July 2007 |
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In This Issue:
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THUNDERHEAD TRAINING IN LOUISVILLE A GREAT SUCCESS Mark Martin of the Baton Rouge Advocates for Safe Streets (B.R.A.S.S.) had this to say, “I'm just back from the Thunderhead Training in Louisville, KY, and highly recommend the training sessions. It's an excellent means of gaining focus and certainly provides an excellent template for developing and executing campaigns.” And you’ve got two more chances in 2007 to take part in Thunderhead Trainings, one in Los Angeles in August (read more below) and one in Washington, D.C. October 5-7 which also includes a lobby training day on the 8th and our Complete Streets Lobby Day on the 9th. Find more info on both here: http://www.thunderheadalliance.org/trainings.htm THUNDERHEAD TRAINING IN LOS ANGELES FAST APPROACHING Thunderhead Trainings are a great opportunity for you, your staff, Board members and super volunteers to learn to craft, manage and win a campaign for bicycling and walking. Whether you're fighting for a bike lane or a state-level policy change the Thunderhead Training: Winning Campaigns will give you the tools to win the campaign and, along the way, build a powerful, long-lasting organization for generations to come. This Thunderhead Training is based on our tried-and-true campaign planning curriculum designed for bicycle and pedestrian advocacy in the 21st century. We’ll show you how to... · Choose the right issue · Set realistic but visionary goals, choose the best strategies and tactics, and stick to your timeline · Map out the power structure in your community, support and leverage allies, and convert supposed enemies! · Communicate effectively, reaching the right audience with the right message through the right media · Raise money, to strengthen your organization for the next and bigger victory! The value of gaining and sharing the leadership tools that you'll pick up far exceeds the Training fee. Once you learn our proven campaign planning methods you can plug this knowledge into your other campaigns. You’ll also be working closely with and getting feed back from organization leaders from around the country. And it's a whole lot of fun! The registration fee includes all three days and most meals. Subsequent leaders from the same org receive a $100 discount off the fee. Lodging is on your own, although thanks to our wonderful hosts at the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition homestays will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. We hope to see you there! |
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COMPLETE STREETS CORNER: IOWA CITY SHIFTS FROM POSER TO REAL POLICY by Dominic Liberatore, Complete Streets Campaign Coordinator This month’s visit takes us to Iowa City, Iowa. Mark Wyatt, Iowa Bicycle Coalition (IBC) executive director extraordinaire worked with city officials to pull off an outstanding reversal of a complete streets poser policy.
Initially city officials were working on the passage of a poser policy without the input of IBC. Upon discovery of this, Mark contacted me with this serious problem and a good bit of healthy venting. We spoke about the issues facing him and discussed the options.
Fortunately for Mark, the elected official whom he started working with was enthusiastic about making corrections to their poser policy. She felt the proposed policy change was an opportunity to be specific about bicycle, pedestrian and transit accommodations.
In our more than three years working on state and local complete streets policy campaigns through our member organizations, we have seen an astounding number of ways officials avoid passing real complete streets policies. Some change “shall provide” or “shall accommodate” to “shall consider” or “shall analyze.”
Others latch onto the concept of listing exceptions, moving these exceptions to the top of the policy so that they become the core of the policy. In other words, the policy becomes a guide on how to AVOID providing for bicyclists, pedestrians, disabled and transit users of the streets in that community. We have dubbed such policies “poser policies” and they have become one of the leading barriers for Thunderhead organizations as they work to pass true complete streets.
Mark and his team at IBC responded to their city’s inappropriate first attempt at a complete streets policy and provided them with the tools they needed to confidently rewrite the policy language. Because of IBC’s rapid and professional response, Iowa City now holds as a topmost priority the accommodation of all users of their roadways.
Mark further explains it was easy to ask for the policy revision and then to propose a solution. All he had to do was ask. Now, we know that not all situations are this easy, but just asking is a good place to start. So the moral of the story is this: You as the leaders of Thunderhead organizations are the eyes and ears of your communities. While we at Thunderhead can offer assistance, the officials in your communities need to have your organization’s phone number on speed dial and look to you as the experts on bicycle/pedestrian issues in your area. As long as they listen to you, we can avoid the passage of any more poser policies across this great land. I am here to answer any questions that you may have. Please feel free to contact me at Dominic “at” thunderheadalliance.org or call (614)-204-4628 |
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MEMBER NEWS: BENCHMARKING PROJECT PREVIEW Thunderhead’s first full Benchmarking Report is nearing completion and, as we mentioned in our last Weather Report, we’ve uncovered some very inspiring findings in our chapter on the capacity of Thunderhead organizations. Here is an appetizer as you wait for the full report on target for publication by the end of August: Maine tops the charts for state-wide advocacy capacity BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN advocacy organizations that work state-wide operate on an average of five cents per capita. Maine, through the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, has the highest per capita revenue of advocacy organization in all states earning approximately 34 cents per resident. On average, states have 0.69 full-time-equivalent (FTE) bicycle and pedestrian advocacy staff person per one million people. Texas has the most advocacy staff of any state with 17 FTEs. Hawaii, with the Hawaii Bicycling League, has six FTE which translates into 4.95 FTE staff per million people: the highest number of staff per capita in the country. In terms of membership, Maine also ranks highest with one member for every 212 residents (a total of 6,000 members). Colorado, with Bicycle Colorado serving the state-level, also has 6,000 members which makes it second with one member for every 717 residents. Jackson Hole, WY tops cities for bike/ped advocacy capacity BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN advocacy organizations that represent cities earn 9.2 times more per capita than their state-wide counterparts, operating on 46 cents per capita on average. Jackson Hole, Wyoming’s Friends of Pathways has the highest earnings with $10.25 per resident. They also have the lowest ratio of members to population with one member for every 18 residents. On average, organizations representing cities have one member for every 13,303 people. Jackson Hole also has the highest staffing levels with 100 staff per million people. The average for organizations surveyed is 5.3 staff per million people. Chicago has the highest number of staff with 40 FTEs. According to Friends of Pathways, their success in membership has come through constant work including, mem ber mailings to retain current members, high profile public events, and a regular communications program to members and the public. |
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MORE MEMBER NEWS WABA leads non-profit teams in DC "Cool Capital Challenge" The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) is taking part in the Cool Capital Challenge, a campaign created by a group of the region's leading environmental organizations, businesses, congregations and governments to challenge individuals and institutions of all kinds to save enough energy to prevent one billion pounds of CO2 emissions in one year, the equivalent of taking 80,000 cars off the road! WABA, on behalf of its membership, has pledged to keep 40 million pounds of CO2 out of the atmosphere between April 21, 2007 to April 21, 2008. WABA members have stepped-up and as of June 21, 2007 WABA leads the Non-profit teams with 35 members, 278,380 lbs. of CO2 and $23,987 savings! To learn more about how WABA is making connections between the bicycling and global warming check it out at http://www.waba.org/takeaction/ Transportation Alternatives publishes study in support of Congestion Pricing for NYC NEW YORK, NY (July 9, 2007): Transportation Alternatives' new study, "The Forgotten Majority: 3 Overlooked Truths About the Impact of Congestion Pricing on New York City's Transit-Reliant Mainstream" (PDF) shows that the supermajority of lower and middle-income New Yorkers take transit, that congestion pricing is the best way to improve transit for this supermajority, that Manhattan-bound car commuters who live in the four other boroughs and surrounding counties earn at least 23% more than subway and bus riders, and that the ills of congestion disproportionately impact low and middle-income neighborhoods. "The opponents of congestion pricing are ignoring the overwhelming majority of low and middle income New Yorkers who have no choice but to take transit," says Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives. "This majority deserves faster, more reliable and more frequent bus and subway service and the Mayor's plan would provide that." To see the study click http://www.transalt.org/campaigns/reclaiming/forgotten_majority.pdf Palmetto Cycling Coalition receives Robert Woods Johnson Foundation grant for Community Workshops The Palmetto Cycling Coalition along with the Central Midlands Council of Governments and the City of Columbia has been awarded a grant from the Active Living Resource Center of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). The Midlands region has been selected as the partner to host the 2007 Active Community Workshops. The goal of this program is improve the health and fitness of children and in so doing, affect the health of the entire community. The National Center for Bicycling and Walking serves as the Active Living Resource Center for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). The Active Healthy Community Workshop series represents a unique way for metropolitan planning organizations, cities, counties, and other interested clients to engage community members, elected officials, business leaders, and professional staff in the transportation planning process. For more of the story see the Spring/Summer issue of the Palmetto Spokesman (newsletter of the PCC) here. Thunderhead Organizations Are Hiring! Our member organizations are hiring! Check out all of the fantastic job opportunities on the Thunderhead Jobs page. If your organization is hiring, be sure to let us know! We'll list your job posting. Simply send an email to: jobs "at" thunderheadalliance.org. Upcoming Events at Thunderhead Alliance August 1, 2007 (Wednesday): Fundraising Strategies Mutual Aid Conference Call - more here August 24-26, 2007: Thunderhead Alliance "Winning Campaigns" Training in Los Angeles - more here September 5, 2007 (Wednesday): Media Relations Mutual Aid Conference Call - more here October 3, 2007 (Wednesday): Developing Successful Partnerships Mutual Aid Conference Call - more here October 5-7, 2007: Thunderhead Alliance "Winning Campaigns" Training in Washington, DC - more here October 8-9, 2007: Complete Streets lobby training and Hill visits (Washington, DC) - more here We want your news! Thunderhead wants to publish your good news! Our coalition is our members and your peers want to hear about your success and innovations. Have you had a recent success? A winning campaign? A creative event? Has your organization used innovative methods for attracting members or earning media attention? We want to know about it! Send your news items to Jeremy "at" thunderheadalliance.org. |
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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. |