League Hiring Two BFC Program Specialists
The League is seeking two Program Specialists to help expand, explain, and energize the Bicycle Friendly Community program. An ideal candidate will be well versed in bicycle/transportation engineering, encouragement and education as well as being an outgoing, friendly, people-person. The jobs are based in Washington, D.C. The specialists will serve as the primary contact for communities in search of information on how to become more bicycle friendly, so a breadth of knowledge in ways that communities have transformed themselves is essential. These staff members will also be responsible for helping launch the new Bicycle Friendly States initiative; for writing reports and giving presentations on the BFC program; and for spearheading the development of new toolkits for communities. For more information, contact Bill Nesper, director, BFC program, at or call 202-822-1333. The application deadline is November 26, 2007. For the full job description: click here.
Mayor Launches Boston Bikes Summit
Mayor Thomas M. Menino launched the three-day Boston Bikes Summit with an outdoor ceremony featuring Steve Madden, Editor of Bicycling magazine, Andy Clarke, executive director of the League, and Dave Watson, executive director of MassBike. Several hundred people participated in a variety of technical workshops, public meetings and internal city sessions during the event – all influencing a set of short term action items recommended to help the city capture the momentum of the Mayor’s commitment to making Boston a world class city for bicycling. Special thanks to Jeff Rosenblum (Livable Streets Alliance) and Nicole Freedman (Boston’s bicycle coordinator) for pulling off the event. Visit www.bostonbikessummit.info to learn more about the program, the national experts drafted in to help, and the outcomes of the Summit.
U.S. Wants Non-Road Congestion Solutions
Three-fourths of Americans believe that being smarter about development and improving public transportation are better long-term solutions for reducing traffic congestion than building new roads, according to a survey sponsored by the National Association of Realtors® and Smart Growth America. The 2007 Growth and Transportation Survey details what Americans think about how development affects their immediate community, and traffic congestion was a top concern. Nearly half of those surveyed think improving public transit would be the best way to reduce congestion, and 26 percent believe developing communities that reduce the need to drive would be the better alternative. Only one in five said building new roads was the answer. To read more about the survey, click here.
Martinsville, Va. Gets Active
South Central Virginia is setting the pace for rural communities in addressing bicycling, walking and physical activity. Both the Martinsville City Council and Henry County Commissioners recently adopted resolutions supporting the ambitious goals of Activate Martinsville/Henry County, a project of Bike Walk Virginia funded by the Harvest Foundation and including the League, Complete Streets Coalition and Safe Routes to School National Partnership. The resolutions follow hard on the heels of a successful Bike and Walk to School day kick-off event that saw one teacher walk 12 miles to school! (Get that lady a bicycle!)
LCIs Continue to Grow in Number, Prestige
New York City’s cadre of cycling instructors grew exponentially thanks to Bike New York’s second annual training seminar. All 11 participants--most from the metropolitan area, and a few from upstate as far north as Albany--earned certification as League of American Bicyclists Cycling Instructors after the three-day class in September 2007. LCIs are certified to teach both children and adults, and last year reached roughly 2,000 people through various Bike New York educational initiatives. This larger roster of teachers will help reach thousands more New Yorkers in the coming year. Also, after the class, League Education Director Preston Tyree approved Bike New York staff member Rich Conroy to be a regional trainer.
Want to become a League Cycling Instructor yourself? There is still time in 2007! There are two classes this upcoming weekend in Houston, Texas and Huntsville, Ala. and then two later in November in Charleston, S.C. and Houston, Texas. Click here to register!
Camisasca Redefines Interbike Role
Interbike has announced that as of Jan. 1, 2008, friend-of-the League and Group Show Director Lance Camisasca will work as an industry consultant to Interbike helping the company develop sales & marketing strategies, identifying new market opportunities and acting as Interbike's key liaison for its advocacy and industry relations efforts. Nielsen Business Media, Interbike's parent company, will not seek a replacement for the job of group show director for the Interbike and Health+Fitness Business Expo trade shows, which Camisasca held.
El Tour Heading for Record Year
In conjunction with the League's Annual Rally and El Tour's 25th anniversary, preliminary numbers show amazing growth for the annual ride, which raises funds for charities in Tucson and surrounding areas. It's not too late to register and get a great deal on airfare to Tucson --- join us at El Tour!
James L. Oberstar Award to Be Announced
James L. Oberstar Award to be Announced Tomorrow On Tuesday, October 30, the National Center for Safe Routes to School will be joined by Congressman James L. Oberstar (D-MN) to present the 2007 James L. Oberstar Safe Routes to School Award. The award will be presented at a news conference on Capitol Hill (Washington, D.C.) at 10:30 a.m. EST. You can learn more about the 2007 James L. Oberstar Award by clicking here. Be sure to check back on the site after the event for more information on the award recipient and other nominees.
New Partners in Smart Growth: Register Today!
New Partners in Smart Growth Online Registration is now available for the 7th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth: Building Safe, Healthy and Livable Communities Conference, February 7-9, 2008 in Washington, D.C. Register today at www.newpartners.org!
Arlington, Va. Needs Bike/Ped Coordinator
Arlington County is seeking a Bicycle & Pedestrian Coordinator. The announcement number is 3117-8C-DES-DB and the closing date is Nov. 15, 2007. This is a senior level professional position in the Transportation Planning Section of the Department of Environmental Services. The employee is primarily responsible for managing the County’s bicycle and pedestrian programs and for making presentations to elected officials and their advisory groups, and to agencies and citizen organizations. The employee is the direct supervisor for one other planner and coordinates the work of two part-time contractors working on pedestrian and bicycle planning and outreach.
