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The League of American Bicyclists announced 45 new Bicycle Friendly Business award winners last Thursday, September 24, including two platinum winners Bicycle Sport Shop of Austin, Texas and Quality Bicycle Products of Bloomington, Minn., at the Industry Leadership Breakfast during Interbike in Las Vegas, Nev. This was the third time BFB winners have been announced since the program’s inception in 2008 when the League announced the first 13 designees. “We are delighted so many businesses are using the BFB road map to encourage and enable their employees to ride – everyone from two-person neighborhood businesses to major corporations are getting on board,” stated League President Andy Clarke.

BFB businesses make bicycle friendliness a core element in the workplace and use innovative tools to promote bicycling as an easy and fun option for transportation and recreation. “There are a lot of very simple, effective and creative ways that companies are finding to get people back on their bikes, and we recognize those efforts with our BFB awards,” said Clarke. The League encourages businesses to inspire their employees to bike to work by incorporating the fundamentals of the BFB program. “Companies across the country are recognizing that getting their employees moving – either to or from work, in course of work, or even in their own time – is good for business.”

The BFB program recognizes socially responsible businesses that promote healthy, happy, and green workplaces and provides a road map to become even more bicycle-friendly in the years to come. Platinum-level Bicycle Sport Shop has noticed several benefits from supporting a bicycle friendly workplace, including improved employee health and fewer hours missed due to illness; reduced parking costs; improved lifestyle for employees; and improved morale for all staff. “We are providing life lessons for our employees, which help them improve their health and teach them how important it is to stay healthy,” said Leslie Luciano, Bicycle Sports Shop Advocacy Coordinator. Platinum-level Quality Bicycle Products (QBP) has also noticed several benefits of joining the BFB program – including increased bike commuting. QBP counts bicycle commuting towards the exercise criteria of the company’s health care plan, and in 2008, 346 different employees combined to register 27,906 one-way trips for more than 327,000 total miles.

BFB winners provide amenities such as secure bike parking and shower facilities and motivations such as incentives to commute by bike, company bike rides and clubs, and bike to Work Week promotions. When bicycling is infused in a company’s culture, great things happen: reduced health care costs; more productive employees; improved worker and customer satisfaction; smaller carbon footprint; and increased corporate social responsibility. “Bicycling is a readily accessible and practical form of physical activity that has the added benefits of reducing congestion and the need for parking, reducing the carbon footprint of a business, increasing productivity, and raising morale,” said Clarke. “It’s also great fun.”

Applying as a BFB is easy and free. Applicants receive technical assistance from the League staff as well as tools to evaluate and assess their bicycle friendliness through the application process. The BFB application is available online at www.bicyclefriendlybusiness.org. Click here to see our fall 2009 winners. Click here to see a complete list of 2008 and 2009 winners.

The Bicycle Friendly Community and Bicycle Friendly Business programs are generously supported by program partners Bikes Belong and Trek Bicycle’s One World, Two Wheels Campaign.

~Meghan Cahill, Director of Communications

According to the US Census Bureau’s 2008 American Community Survey (ACS), released today, 0.55% of American workers use a bicycle as the primary means of getting to work. This is up 14 percent since 2007, 36 percent from the first ACS in 2005, and 43 percent since the 2000 Census. See the League of American Bicyclists’ analysis of the numbers for the 70 largest US cities and the 50 states. You can look up this information for hundreds of communities and all of the states using the American Fact Finder.

Percent of Americans who bike to work
2000 Census: 0.38%
2005: 0.40%
2006: 0.45%
2007: 0.48%
2008: 0.55%

Percent Change
2000 to 2008: 43.40%
2005 to 2008: 35.80%
2007 to 2008: 14.30%

NOTES: The ACS numbers are estimated by the Census bureau based on samples taken year-round. The numbers in the tables above are rounded, if you calculate the percentages based on the rounded numbers, you’ll get different values than are presented in the second table.

~Darren Flusche, League Policy Analyst

Senator Coburn’s (R-OK) efforts to attack transportation enhancements failed. Yesterday he introduced two amendments to the FY10 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bill that would strike funding for transportation enhancements: S. Amendment 2370 which prohibited funding for transportation enhancements if the Highway Trust Fund does not contain amounts sufficient to cover unfunded highway authorizations and S. Amendment 2371 which would not allow states to spend their 10 percent of their surface transportation funding on transportation enhancements.

The League and several bike/ped advocacy organizations asked members to call their senators in opposition of these amendments – and your help worked! S. Amendment 2370 was withdrawn, and S. Amendment 2371 lost 39-59!!! You can see how your Senators voted here.

Thank you for all of the phone calls and emails to your senators!

Transportation Enhancements are the largest federal source of bicycle and pedestrian funding and they are under attack.

We need your help – TODAY!

Senator Coburn (R-OK) is offering two amendments to the FY10 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bill that will strike funding for transportation enhancements.  The two amendments are S. Amendment 2370 and S. Amendment 2371. Find out what transportation enhancement projects are in your state here.

The Transportation Enhancement program has provided between one half and three-quarters of all Federal funding invested in bicycling and walking improvements in the last 20 years. More than $250 million is at stake in fiscal year 2010 – if Coburn’s amendment is successful it will affect hundreds of trail projects, sidewalks, bicyclist education programs, bike rack on bus programs, and roadway improvements for bicyclists.

S. Amendment 2370 prohibits funding for transportation enhancements if the Highway Trust Fund does not contain amounts sufficient to cover unfunded highway authorizations.

S. Amendment 2371 allows states to opt out of the 10 percent set aside rule that require states to spend at least 10 percent of their surface transportation funding on transportation enhancements.

We expect the amendments to be offered and voted on during Senate floor debate tomorrow, Wednesday, September 16.

Please call your Senator immediately and urge them to vote NO on S. Amendment 2370 and S. Amendment 2371 to the FY10 transportation appropriations bill.

The New York Times reports on the trend of fashion companies marketing bicycles and bike gear. Bikes are showing up on runways and in high-end shop window displays. Designers are incorporating bikes and bike style into their looks. According to the article, “purists worry that their beloved rides are becoming showy status symbols.” One bicycling journalist was quoted as saying, “If you unleash a herd of teetering, wobbly fashionistas into city streets without any real knowledge of how to ride a bike in traffic, accidents can (and likely will) happen.”

If there are enough of these high-end cyclists wobbling around city streets for the average cyclists to notice, then the retailers truly have been doing their job well. Just like any other new cyclists, these high-fashion riders will take a few laps around the block before they’re totally comfortable. In the meantime, the League’s bike education courses are available to everyone.

But given the trepidation many still feel about riding on city streets, it says a lot about people’s perceptions about bicycling safety that this conversation about flooding the streets with fashionistas is even taking place. The article credits New York City’s installation of 120 miles of bike lanes with making the city’s riders feel more comfortable. As the Times article puts it, “’LVMH [the company that owns Louis Vuitton, Fendi and DKNY]wouldn’t make a $9,000 bike if you couldn’t actually ride down Eighth Avenue in your Zegna suit or Chanel dress and make it to work in one piece,’ Philippe von Borries, a founder of Refinery29, the fashion Web site, wrote by e-mail.”

The more cyclists, the better. Building an inclusive movement means sharing the spotlight, and the road, with all types of riders. If someone wants to turn what we love to do into a status symbol, they should feel free.

~Darren Flusche, League Policy Analyst

If you thought getting Federal funding for your bike project or program was difficult…wait til you see how complicated it is to give Washington back money that hasn’t been spent! Yes, the Federal government has issued another call for rescissions – the mechanism by which unspent or unobligated transportation funds are sent back to Washington to help fund future rounds of transportation expenditures. This time, the Feds are asking for $8.7 billion, and at first blush it looks as if State Departments of Transportation have relatively little flexibility as to which funds they have to send back to Washington. The memo is an incredible testament to the ways in which a relatively simple concept can be made convoluted and impenetrable, so it was a huge relief to see that there’s a handy table in the memo from the Federal Highway Administration to the states that says how much money they should be sending back from each particular program.

However, as we were discussing the details and implications of the rescission with our colleagues at America Bikes and the Alliance for Biking and Walking, we eventually found the catch and the reason why we needed the Alliance to get the word out to their member groups ASAP. It turns out that the amounts shown in the table are shown irrespective of whether or not those funds have already been spent on a particular program. If a state has indeed obligated or spent all its funds in one program area, it has to make up the amount that needs to be rescinded from other programs where they still have a balance of unspent funds. Lo and behold, even after years of exhorting states to spend their transportation enhancement and congestion mitigation funds up to the maximum allowed, many have dragged their feet and it those funds – the funds most likely to ever be used for bike projects – that are now potentially going to make up the shortfall in funds that have to be sent back to the US Treasury!

Check the League’s advocacy page, and stay in touch through the America Bikes and Alliance websites. This is an issue that won’t go away, and isn’t going to get any simpler as time goes by.

~Andy Clarke, League President

Today, on NPR’s Morning Addition, Ari Shapiro’s bike was among the first to roll into the new bike shelter located at Union Station.  Not only will the shelter provide a safe facility for commuters to store their bikes, it will serve as a very visible symbol of the changing approach to transportation planning in Washington, D.C.  For commuters arriving at Union Station via MARC, VRE or AMTRAK, the final leg of their commute is usually on the Metro or bus.  Soon commuters will be able to purchase a yearly $100 membership or pay a daily fee of $1 to keep their bicycle in a safe, reliable bike shelter, adding some much needed connectivity to D.C.’s transportation system. (photo credit: The City Fix)

On a personal note, the opening of the bike station will greatly improve my daily venture into D.C. as I am a regular commuter on the MARC train and have found the lack of bike transportation options for commuters arriving in Union Station to be quite frustrating. Because commuters are not permitted to bring their bikes on the train, leaving your bike locked at the bike racks out front is the only other option.  However, this is hardly a viable option, as is evidenced by the teams of wheeless and seatless bikes that stand embarrassed and dejected.  The opening of the Union Station bike shelter provides a safe place for commuters to store their bikes, thus diversifying commuting options, relieving stress on the Metro and ultimately creating a healthier place to live and work.

Also, today’s Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has an article on a bike parking ordinance that was approved by the planning commission last night.

~Anna Kelso, League Policy Analyst

Oregon, California, and Colorado often come to mind when people dream of bicycling through scenic vistas or experiencing the best mountain biking in the world, but Delaware is a state that rarely comes up. While their tourism board isn’t out selling themselves as a cycling hotbed, the state government is quietly making Delaware a great place to ride.

Having hosted the first annual Delaware Bike Summit and passed statewide Complete Streets legislation this year, the League has taken notice. Not only did Delaware jump to 9th in our annual state rankings, but the state earned an Honorable Mention in our Bicycle Friendly State awards. With all that is going on there, the League staff has acknowledged their accomplishments. However, we were still surprised to see this:

On Wednesday, Kusner’s typically uneventful ride took a VIP turn as she was joined by Gov. Jack Markell; Rep. Mike Castle, R-Del.; and about a dozen AstraZeneca and state workers. The politicians and colleagues turned out to encourage more Delawareans to give bicycle commuting a try.

Credit: The News Journal/FRED COMEGYS

We have to admit, the dog days of August seem an unusual time to encourage folks to get out their air-conditioned cars and try bike commuting for the first time, but we are excited by Governor Markell’s enthusiasm! The DelawareOnline.com article went on to add:

“Getting more people on two wheels would be a good way to eat away at some of our biggest problems, according to Markell, an avid cyclist. “It’s part of a bigger solution to two issues,” he said. “One is transportation — traffic, reducing congestion, reducing pollution. But it’s also part of the solution in terms of becoming a more fit society.”

Kudos to Governor Markell and the progress his state has been making. The League will continue to work with advocates, cyclists, Delaware DOT and legislators through our Bicycle Friendly State program to make Delaware a more bike-friendly place.

Creating Safer Streets

As rates of bicycling continue to rise across the country and advocates cross-country work for larger investments in cycling-specific programming and infrastructure, opposition is often united under the rallying cry of scofflaw cyclists. While it is true that not all cyclists obey the rules of the road as they should, are those on two wheels really more reckless and lawless than those travelling on four? Local D.C. blog WashCycle theorized on the ‘Myth of the Scofflaw Cyclist’ last year that perhaps the issue isn’t that cyclist break more laws than motorist, but that they break different ones.

There are few places where the effects of traffic are more notable than New York City. While a recent Hunter College study suggests that many Big Apple cyclists are guilty of poor riding behavior, unsafe behavior of motorists was not examined. Local active transportation advocates Transportation Alternatives offered their own study in response, as noted in today’s NY Post:

Motorists commit about three potentially life-threatening traffic violations every minute at city intersections, clocking in at a stunning 157 each hour, according to the Transportation Alternatives report: From Chaos to Compliance.

And drivers don’t give way to pedestrians, cyclists, and other vehicles 24 times every hour — even though that same crime caused the second-most crashes in the city two years ago, the transit advocacy group’s study found.

Those are scary numbers, especially given that more than 200 people die in traffic crashes every year in New York City alone. While traffic fatalities are down more than 35 percent over the past seven years, Transportation Alternatives is calling for increased enforcement that targets dangerous violations.

Much like the Share the Road message, targeted enforcement is a two way street. In our Bicycle Friendly Community application we ask how your community’s law enforcement targets dangerous behavior for all road users – including cyclists. However enforcement can’t do it alone. Our Smart Cycling program is on target to certify more than 400 League Cycling Instructors this year. These LCI’s will offer our Traffic Skills training courses, assist with law enforcement training and serve as safe cycling ambassadors in their clubs and community. By working through all of the Five E’s, we are striving to create safer streets for everyone.

John Burke, President of Trek, found the perfect combination of events last week to say “thank you” to Congressman James L. Oberstar for his 20-year, on-going commitment to championing the cause of bicyclists in Congress. First, he gave the Congressman a chance to get on his bike and go for a ride with his family! He gave him the chance to drool over the incredible line of bikes and equipment offered by Trek, from the latest carbon-fibre Madone Tour de France bike to the totally recyclable and sustainable Belleville. There was a bit of fundraising thrown in there, as hundreds of bicycle retailers from across the country made contributions to his re-election campaign. At a spectacular reception atop Madison’s Monona Terrace Convention Center,

Burke presented the Congressman with a map showing the rapidly increasing number of Bicycle Friendly Communities – much of the work in these cities made possible by the funding and other programs he has written into law over the years. And finally, he assembled some of the most successful bike dealers in the nation to simply hang out, talk about bikes a whole bunch, and say “thank you.”

After a tough Congressional session this Spring, you could see the energy flow back into Congressman Oberstar as he addressed the Trek World participants. Surrounded by friends and supporters – some who have known him for 20 years, others who were discovering for the first time all that he has done for the movement – he balanced reminiscences with a rallying cry for his version of the next transportation bill. “Your time has come” he said, noting it was time to “move from the hydrocarbon economy to the carbohydrate economy”.