Director of National Park Service to Keynote at Summit
The Honorable Mary A. Bomar, Director of the National Park Service, will speak at the 2008 National Bike Summit opening dinner on March 4. Director Bomar was sworn into office as the 17th Director of the National Park Service (NPS) on October 16, 2006. She has been a leader in moving forward with the Department’s Centennial Initiative, which proposes $3 billion in new funds for the National Park Service over the next ten years. As the NPS continues to organize for its centennial in 2016, we look forward to working with the Director and the NPS to ensure that bicycling is a part of the vision for our National Parks and public lands.
Summit 2008 attendance is breaking all past records! It's going to be a record-breaking crowd, with a spectacular agenda, so sign up today!
Alternative Meeting: Bicycle Friendly Community Workshop
Train the Trainers Session on Thursday
This three-part training session is being offered on March 6 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. by the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals and the League to provide the steps to becoming a Bicycle Friendly Community Workshop facilitator.
This training is being offered as an alternative to the National Bike Summit congressional meeting day. The Bicycle Friendly Community program is an awards program that is transforming communities across the country. The program recognizes good efforts, provides technical assistance, and lays out the guidelines to build better communities for bicycling.
The Bicycle Friendly Community Workshop is a half-day workshop that helps communities become more bicycle friendly by assessing the present conditions for bicycling, providing an introduction of the issues affecting bicycle safety and use, and creating an informed action plan to improve conditions for bicycling.
Attend Part One and Two (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.) if you are interested in hosting or facilitating a workshop. Attend Part Three (2:15 p.m. to 4 p.m.) if you’re ready to apply for the BFC designation OR if you’d like to be a facilitator who helps communities move up the ranks. The BFC workshop and training is open to everyone, and is specifically aimed at Summit attendees who are precluded from lobbying.
APBP encourages those trained to facilitate the BFC workshop in 2003-2004 in Nantucket, Portland or New York to attend as a refresher. Be sure to register for the National Bike Summit.
After registering, email Bill Nesper if you intend on attending the training. Registration fees are included in National Bike Summit registration. To attend this training session only please use the PDF version of the Summit registration and pay $175 for the day, which will end with a reception on Capitol Hill.
Moving America Forward
Working nationally, and Locally
Attend the 2008 National Bike Summit to learn how to affect bicycling in your community--federally and locally. The Summit is a great place to network with advocates and cyclists from across the country--and in your own backyard. Here is just a sampling of current state legislative issues pertaining to bicyclists:
Colorado
http://bicyclecolo.org/page.cfm?pageId=863
Bicycle Colorado is endorsing House Bill 1104 in the 2008 Colorado legislative session to create a broader range of consequences for persons failing to yield right of way resulting in bodily injury or death. This bill gives the justice system more options when injury results from someone failing to yield the right of way. The bill passed the Judiciary Committee on February 15 and now moves to the full House.
Hawaii
http://www.hbl.org/?q=node/26
No fewer than ten bills are in play in the Hawaii state legislature, including some carried over from the 2007 session. The issues range from defining sidewalk riding, to funding, complete streets, and safe passing laws.
Illinois
http://www.bikelib.org/
H.B. 4757 creates the Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to School Transparency Act. The bill is designed to increase the accountability and effectiveness of the TE and SRTS programs based on program models used in neighboring states and similar Federal funding programs in Illinois.
Iowa
http://www.iowabicyclecoalition.org/
Senate File 2006 would require Iowa residents to acquire a license to ride a bicycle on state or county highways. The proposed license would cost $10 and last for five years. There may be a hearing on the bill in the Senate transportation committee today, Feb 19.
Massachusetts
http://www.massbike.org/news/index.htm
MassBike is pushing for two major funding bills to be passed – both with the proviso that appropriate opportunities for funding bicycle and pedestrian projects are included.
New Hampshire
http://www.bwanh.org/
House Bill 1203 would update New Hampshire’s bicycle-related laws and introduce a 3-foot passing law. The bill passed the Transportation Committee on Friday and is expected to pass the full House on Wednesday before moving on to the Senate.
Ohio
http://www.ohiobike.org/misc/hb390.pdf
House Bill 390, dubbed the "Better Ohio Bicycling Bill," updates numerous provisions of the Ohio vehicle code and adds a 3-foot passing requirement.
South Carolina
http://www.pccsc.net/
The first legislation ever submitted by South Carolina cyclists, H.3006, is through the House and moving on into the Senate, reports the Palmetto Cycling Coalition. The bill updates the state vehicle code and adds a safe passing provision.
Vermont
http://www.vtbikeped.org/#3Foot
The Vermont Bicycle Pedestrian Coalition is pursuing a 3-foot passing law and tougher treatment of negligent drivers who hit vulnerable road users.
Virginia
http://www.bikewalkvirginia.org/
High Noon approaches for SB 644 which would require motorists to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks – today (2/19) is the day the House reviews bills passed by the Senate. Other traffic safety bills are under consideration as well.
Washington
http://www.bicyclealliance.org/#2008BillWatch
The Bicycle Alliance of Washington is watching no fewer than seven bills this year, everything from a “bottle bill” to tolling legislation to enable funds to be spent on bicycle improvements. Notable bills include one requiring the State DOT to set vehicle miles traveled reduction targets and another inserting bicycling issues into the Drivers Education curriculum.
