Starting a bike/ped advocacy group

[Melalvai]

One thing that helps me cope with my daughter's recent wreck is advocacy. There are two major efforts I've started. One is getting the speed limit reduced on our street, from 55 mph to 35 mph (or rather extending the 35 mph zone another mile). That is going well. MoDOT plans to do a traffic study during the next 2-3 weeks, and has generally responded positively to the concept of reducing the speed limit.

The second is starting up a local bike/ped advocacy group. This is what I'd like some input on. I've been talking with PedNet (the advocacy group in Columbia where we just moved from) and with MoBikeFed (the state adv group).

Here's some of our (mostly mine, we haven't had a meeting yet) thoughts about this new group.

Name: NEMO Walk & Bike. Everything around here is "NEMO" (northeast Missouri). Calling it NEMO instead of Kirksville is more inclusive and makes it more rural. As if Kirksville, pop 17000, is not rural. But Senator McCaskill thinks that bike/ped is an urban issue, that rural Missouri isn't interesting in cycling & walking, and therefore she won't support it! Putting "Walk" is, imo, less adversarial because walking is less controversial than cycling. More people walk than bike, too. (Kirkswheel is a cuter name, but not as inclusive. Maybe save it for Kirksville-specific programs.)

Mission: I will push to focus on education & programs, advocacy, and infrastructure in that order. I feel too much emphasis is placed on infrastructure when a great deal can be accomplished more easily through education, programs & advocacy (such as but not limited to lobbying). Not that infrastructure isn't important; it is very important. Bike racks should be an easy part of infrastructure but always seem to be the last thing to happen.

It's fun to think about programming but more important right now is to start inviting people. I have a lot of names of individuals off the top of my head. But I want to get organizations involved, like the schools (public, private, universities & colleges) & health depts. And of course the Kirksville Multisport Club. What other organizations should we invite?

I want to have our first meeting no later than January, and get bylaws and a charter and a Board of Directors in place to set us up for filing for 501c(3) status so we can apply for grants.

Of course I have been thinking about programming anyway:

We have two LCI's in town. We already plan to organize a Traffic Skills 101 class in the spring. I want to get more LCIs trained, and teach classes here, in other towns and in schools.

A big deal for PedNet was the Walking School Bus and Safe Routes to School. We need that here, and I know PedNet has done some outreach to other Missouri communities so I'm sure they'll help.

Because the truck driver who hit my daughter was a high school kid, I'm going to ask PedNet to come up to the high school and give their Let's Roll Together presentation to the juniors & seniors who are driving. (I need to get someone at the high school in on this to help me navigate admin.)

This is ambitious but eventually I want to do a Bike, Walk & Wheel Week, get the schools involved in observing Walk to School Day, have a Cycle Recycle, and expand the local university's Bicycle Co-op to a community wide thing (since the nearest bike shop is 90 miles away).

[OakLeaf]

Kudos to you, Mel!

I might think about reaching out to some non-traditional groups. The more you expand the pool, the more everyone can see that access to transportation is an issue that affects everyone, not just Lycra-clad weirdos.

* Poverty agencies. In rural areas, as you know, it's rare for anyone to think they can't afford a car - it's considered even more important than a house, since it's transportation to work or doctor, and shelter for the homeless. But the agencies serve a disproportionate number of people who've lost their licenses (or chosen to give up driving) due to alcoholism. In my area, at least, it seems that many of the people killed in bike/car wrecks are from this group (which is part of the reason that the problem isn't taken seriously, because the victims are thought of as expendable).

* Religious organizations. As much as it seems the opposite sometimes, not all religions believe that God put the earth here for humans to use up and throw away, and spiritual leaders can "get the word out" very effectively about any number of things. Spiritual leaders could encourage their flock to ride to services to alleviate parking problems, care for the body-as-temple, and care for creation. (gears grinding) A Palm Sunday bicycle procession might be a modern equivalent of the humility of Jesus' donkey ride.

* Fraternal organizations like Sertoma, the Rotary, etc., often sponsor bicycle safety days for kids, so the mission could easily be expanded to educating their own members about fun, inexpensive transportation options.

* What about approaching government (law enforcement, county engineers, etc.) at this stage, so when you do branch into advocacy, they don't see you as an adversary? Just putting a bike rack at the courthouse, e.g., would be a significant psychological gesture.

...

[PscyclePath]

Mel:

Two wonderful resources (for me, at least) have been the League, and the Alliance for Biking & Walking (http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org). Both have some great resources on how to start up advocacy projects & campaigns; the Alliance has a lot of resources on their web site about the mundane things about starting up a group, such as putting together a board of directors, getting incorporated, raising funds, and filing for non-profit status.

I think you're starting off on the right path though... by putting together a vision of what the group needs to do, and then build your structure around that vision. Great idea, and great job so far!

If there's anything we can do to help, just holler...

Tom
Bicycle Advocacy of Central Arkansas

[Irulan]

HI Mel,

I founded a bike advocacy group, non profit, about 5 years ago. Although our focus is different, some of what I/we went through may be beneficial for you to consider.

You've got some great advice above, but mine comes from a different angle, which is more the personal level of involvement. The following is about building a community organization, versus a personal organization

-Build a team right from the start. You will put a lot into this, and burn out is inevitable.

-Delegate. Micro management will accelerate your burnout, and piss people off.

-Be open minded to other versions of the vision. Keep the principle of what you are doing above what you personally think you should happen.

-If someone has an idea, they should have the freedom to fly with it. You never know what great things may come from someone else that you never thought of.

Your vision may morph as other get involved, but that should be OK as long as the PRINCIPLE is maintained. When the organization is about what you want and what you think should happen, it becomes nothing without you. Building a team is about finding others that are as passionate as you are, so that when you do burn out, there are others waiting in the wings to step in and take over ( this is where I failed).

good luck

[Melalvai]

Thanks for the excellent responses!

I might think about reaching out to some non-traditional groups. The more you expand the pool, the more everyone can see that access to transportation is an issue that affects everyone, not just Lycra-clad weirdos.
Funny, the lycra-clad weirdos were one of the last groups I thought of. I keep thinking of the Kirksville Multisport Club as an afterthought. I keep intending to join KMC but haven't gotten around to it yet!


Poverty agencies. In rural areas, as you know, it's rare for anyone to think they can't afford a car - it's considered even more important than a house, since it's transportation to work or doctor, and shelter for the homeless. But the agencies serve a disproportionate number of people who've lost their licenses (or chosen to give up driving) due to alcoholism. In my area, at least, it seems that many of the people killed in bike/car wrecks are from this group (which is part of the reason that the problem isn't taken seriously, because the victims are thought of as expendable).
That makes me mad that we pretend we value human life more than other countries. But yeah, poverty agencies makes me think of 2 places in town, and who knows in the other towns in the region, that we can contact.


Religious organizations.
Yes! I know a church back home, er, my old home, that had weekly bike rides. And of course in this rural community more people are members of religious organizations than not, and I know of several ardent cyclists off the top of my head who attend church. I was thinking of having a "Kirkswheel" weekly ride, and we could offer to lead some church affiliated or youth-group rides as part of our programming.


Fraternal organizations like Sertoma, the Rotary, etc., often sponsor bicycle safety days for kids, so the mission could easily be expanded to educating their own members about fun, inexpensive transportation options.
In fact the new president of the Rotary Club is a resident of Kirksville!


What about approaching government (law enforcement, county engineers, etc.) at this stage, so when you do branch into advocacy, they don't see you as an adversary? Just putting a bike rack at the courthouse, e.g., would be a significant psychological gesture.
YES! Part of my thinking in the name "NEMO Walk & Bike" was that putting Walk first makes it less adversarial. I have strongly felt in all my advocacy work (the postdoc associations and the bicycling stuff) that it is important to downplay the adversarial aspect, the Critical Mass rides, and promote the idea that we can work WITH the system for change. We use democracy to change the status quo.

The courthouse does have bike racks, but they are super crowded and I suspect mostly abandoned bikes. They are wheel-bender bike racks, and they just lie on the grass, not bolted down.


Two wonderful resources (for me, at least) have been the League, and the Alliance for Biking & Walking (http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org). Both have some great resources on how to start up advocacy projects & campaigns; the Alliance has a lot of resources on their web site about the mundane things about starting up a group, such as putting together a board of directors, getting incorporated, raising funds, and filing for non-profit status.
Of course I knew about the bike league but I haven't spent so much time on the Alliance site. Is the Alliance the splinter group? I guess it doesn't really matter if they are, if they provide useful resources! I will study these sites.


You've got some great advice above, but mine comes from a different angle, which is more the personal level of involvement. The following is about building a community organization, versus a personal organization
This is really valuable. I love being able to learn from others' experiences. I agree completely with everything you said and I will keep it in mind as we are doing this.

I started up the MU Postdoctoral Association and learned some of what you mentioned, about delegating, and letting people try their own ideas (even ones I was pretty sure were not going to succeed). The harder part for me was with one of the big-ideas no-detail people, figuring out how much to put into make his idea a reality, and where to cut off his more elaborate notions and make it something simpler that we could pull off.

I definitely have strong feelings and attachment to the notion that education will be a prime focus and then advocacy and then infrastructure, but I will try to reign that in, so if everyone else is gung-ho about infrastructure then so be it.

This is a fantastic discussion. Thanks!!

[shootingstar]

I'm sure you would be open to some groups wanting to go off to do their own thing ..but still retain a coalition of common interests.

ie. The university/college cyclists/walkers might want to form their own group for a range of reasons since they could offer on-campus events/service to the students. Their funding source might be drawn in the future, from other sources..

It would be useful once your core group is established with its bylaws and membership base, to become a member group of a larger advocacy group for broader campaigns.

You have much energy.

Make your first event and ride a good one! Christmas is coming up...every one is in better spirits..

[tangentgirl]

I have no advice, Melalavi, just kudos. Way to make lemonade!

[Melalvai]

Progress on starting up this group: I've talked with tons of people, we're having our first meeting in 2 weeks.

Related to that, I'm trying to get the speed limit reduced on our road. MoDOT declined, and MoBikeFed advised me to start a petition and get community & local government support and then go back to MoDOT.

I started the petition on Saturday. We already have 70 signatures. I have been amazed at how fast the signatures accumulate without much effort. Some of those who signed have media contacts, and I was interviewed for a newspaper and for the evening news.

The media attention has been good and bad. You know those comments on news reports that I should never ever be allowed to read...they are pretty bad. The evening news didn't even mention my daughter's bike wreck but the comments started off like "Isn't that the road where the girl got hit? They are trying to fix the wrong problem, instead of reducing the speed limit someone needs to tell the girl's parents not to let her bike on the highway" and "highways are for cars". I mostly laugh at the comments--but I really shouldn't read them in the first place--because they are disheartening.

Second, the newspaper reporter talked to the MoDOT engineer who we had first approached about reducing the speed limit. He was quoted as saying I could bring the petition to him if I like, but it wouldn't matter. In other words MoDOT isn't accountable to the people who pay their salaries! That was actually more disheartening than the crazy peoples' comments.

More uplifting has been the responses I get from all the people who say "I saw you on tv last night, great job!" And the comments left on the e-petition. Lots of people want this.

Also uplifting was news that the house I hope we can move into this spring is available--meaning the speed limit on Boundary won't be my problem anymore. Not that I'll give up the fight then, but it won't be quite as personal.

[shootingstar]

Kudos for each baby step towards change, Melavi! Grow your support and don't give up...it's like a bike climb up and down. This ride might last awhile --every advocate understands it's building change for the long term.

And glad that you will have a home in new, better neighbourhood!