Bicycling Advocacy

I've been thinking a lot about this recently. One thing that I have noticed since I started riding again is that it is just more popular. Before, when I would ride, I would rarely see anyone else out riding. These are great roads to ride on, too. Now, I regularly see no less than about a dozen other riders during a typical 40 mile loop. I think this is wonderful that there are so many more people riding.

But it seems like there is *still* a lot of misunderstanding, miscommunication, hard feelings, etc. between those who ride and those who don't. For example, I know there are people who don't ride that think that cyclists shouldn't be on the road (my boss being one of them). Cities and towns pay a lot of lip service to making them more bicycle friendly, but there isn't a lot of action behind those words. Where I live, they could do so much more to make it a place people WANT to ride instead of drive. The infrastructure just isn't there and TBH, I don't think there is a lot of effort to effect that change.

So, I'm just curious what other people are doing or know of people doing to bring about awareness, advocate for non-polluting modes of transportation, etc. (individuals or groups). I know absolutely nothing about bicycling advocacy, but I'm interested in learning more about it. I know in the nearest city, there is an advocacy group, but nothing for my town (that I know of... I could be wrong, but then again if I've not heard of them, they're not getting the word out very well). I've been checking out the website for the League of American Bicyclists, which I had never heard of. Are there other national groups? Blogs that you are aware of? At this point, I'd just like to read more about it, in general, and rather than slog through the links google returns, thought I'd ask here.

We used to live in Europe. Riding a bike there is just as normal as walking or driving or taking the train. The buses and trains have places for bikes. Every single store has a bike rack. Every street has a bike path. Everyone rides. Year-round. From the youngest kids on striders to the 70 year old woman in her skirts and hat riding next to her husband in suit and tie. People drive expecting to encounter bikes, not treating them as a nuisance. I don't know if we'll ever get to that level, but it won't happen without some action. I'd love to see this country working toward that and realize it starts at the local level. Just thinking out loud some. Thoughts?

Many communities have some sort of bike council of sorts, and there are also statewide organizations.

Bicycle Alliance of Washington

We have a Bicycle Advisory Board that works with the city.

http://bikespokane.org/

Just a couple of examples of what kind of things are going on.

Without knowing what state you live in it might be hard to answer. In Michigan there is a League of Michigan Bicyclists and it's a good resource for information on bicycle advocacy and bicycling in general.

I would start by checking with your local municipal governing body, move to the next level at the county then the state. Your LBS should have some information and any bicycling clubs and groups in your area should be a good resource. It's a start. You can certainly go it alone however many voices together make a louder voice. Even having said that, one person can effect change.

You may also look to any transportation agencies in your community. Where I live the county has adopted "complete streets" and there are goups and agencies that promote non-motorized transportation as part of overall transit planning. Again, it's a start.

I wish that the UK had more of the European model too.... There is a big campaign here, being led by the Times newspaper, to improve cycle safety in our cities. There is a lot of lip-service being paid to the need to reduce traffic levels and obesity, but it comes down to local government having both the money and inclination to change things.

I'm involved with a small local group that is initially setting up a community cycling event, and building momentum and awareness within the community to help increase local cycling over time. Even the smallest things seem to be a battle - one that comes to mind is getting bike parking installed in our local marketplace. There are so many people who regard bikes as clutter to be hidden away, yet apparently find no discord in overflowing carparks or a grid-locked traffic systems. You need a lot of contacts and a thick skin, as well as loads of determination and diplomacy. I don't think I'm going to go far in this field, but it's nice trying.

What state do you live in?

I'm a member of the League of American Bicyclists, the Missouri Bicycle & Pedestrian Federation, and the founder of Kirksville Area Motion (local bike/ped advocacy).

Becoming a member of the League and your state bike/ped advocacy group, and/or signing up for email lists and alerts is a good place to start.

I actually signed up for the League of American Bicyclists today. I have been looking around for some blogs to just hear about what others are doing and have found some stuff. I also ran across a magazine called Momentum that is newto me. Their website has a lot of good links. Thanks all for the replies. With the kiddo heading back to school in a few weeks, this will be something I can look into working on. You have all given me great ideas about where to start. Appreciate it.