2012 Join The Cause Party Recap

May 1, 2012 by Michael Barreyro · 1 Comment
Filed under: DRBC, Events

Despite the cool weather and rain in the forecast, The 3rd Annual Join The Cause Party at The Pearl St. Brewery was a success, with new and old members affirming their support for the DRBC and its mission to get more people to ride their bikes more often. The mission itself sounds simple, but it takes moderate financial resources, many volunteer hours, and community support to make cycling in the Driftless Region even better. Thank you to all who volunteered to cook and bring food, or staffed the Welcome/Sign-Up table. Sometimes volunteering is a thankless job, but without you, this event would have been a more difficult and tasteless affair.

Thanks also to our business partners who provide benefits for our DRBC members, but a special thanks to Blue Heron Bicycle Works and Smith’s Bicycles for providing the Join The Cause door prizes. What’s better than a pint of beer?

How about a pint of bicycle goodies?

Which pint would you choose?

Smiths Bikes Door Prize

The Cool Ukes Band

No one went home hungry

Now on to our next major event which requires your participation, whether or not you are a DRBC member…2012 Bike To Work Week.

Tags:

Join the Cause Party, April 21, 6pm, PSB

April 16, 2012 by AOttesen · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Events, Uncategorized

Come to the DRBC 3rd Annual Join the Cause Party at the Pearl St. Brewery and find out how you can help the DRBC promote its mission of getting more people on bikes more often. Through advocacy, education, events, and outreach, the DRBC beneficially impacts the Driftless Region bicycling culture.

We need your help! Come join us at this fun and casual event and communicate your thoughts and ideas, help us identify cycling issues in your area, volunteer your talents, find out more about the DRBC, and maybe even consider joining the DRBC. Even if you can’t join the DRBC, you can still help us and all cyclists…just ride your bicycle more often; get your friends and family to ride more often as there is bicycling safety in numbers!

See Join The Cause Party details here.

Tags:

ACTION ALERT: La Crosse Bicycle Pedestrian Plan 2012

April 9, 2012 by AOttesen · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Action Alerts, Advocacy

We are in need of 2-3 DRBC members to attend the Bike and Ped workshops on April 14th and 15th, respectively. Check out the City’s website for more details here. If you are able to attend, please send an email to info@driftlessbicycle.org.

APRIL 14, 2012 BIKE WORKSHOP AGENDA

9:00 am – Presentation on Bicycle Design Issues

Bicycling principles
Basics of bikeway design
Intersection design
Shared use paths

10:00 am – Bicycle Tour of City

Noon – Discussion of Bike Tour over a Box Lunch

12:30 pm – Small Group Bike Workshop

Destination mapping
Good cycling route mapping
Fill in the gaps mapping
Identify issue locations

3:00 pm – Adjourn

APRIL 16, 2012 PED WORKSHOP AGENDA

Noon – Presentation on Pedestrian Issues over Lunch

Ped safety parameters
Basic ADA requirements
Need for connectivity
Access to transit

12:30 pm – Pedestrian Plan Workshop

Identify walking hotspots
Confirm sidewalk gap map
Discuss routes/gaps for runners
Identify transit access issues

2:00 pm – City-wide Walk Accessibility Plan

Introduce Chris Seegar (Iowa State University)
Describe proposed GIS inventory
Present data collection form/process
Short field exercise using form/process
Plan to organize volunteer force
Data submittal deadline: Monday, May 7, 2012

4:00 pm – Adjourn

Tags:

2012 Benchmarking Report

January 31, 2012 by AOttesen · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Advocacy

Bicycling and walking make up 12 percent of all trips and 14 percent of all traffic fatalities and yet receive only 1.6 percent of federal transportation funding. What more do you need to make the case for investments in bicycling and walking? Well, if you think of something it is probably covered in Bicycling and Walking in the United States: 2012 Benchmarking Report released today by the Alliance for Biking and Walking.

Here are some of the highlights

In 2009, 40% of trips in the United States were shorter than 2 miles, yet 87% of these trips are by car. Twenty-seven percent of trips were shorter than 1 mile. Still, Americans use their cars for 62% of these trips.

While bicycling and walking fell 66% between 1960 and 2009, obesity levels increased 156%.

Seniors are the most vulnerable bicyclists and pedestrians. Adults over 65 make up 10% of walking trips, yet comprise 19% of pedestrian fatalities. This age group accounts for 6% of bicycling trips, yet 10% of bicyclist fatalities.

Bicycling and walking projects create 11-14 jobs per $1 million spent, compared to just 7 jobs created per $1 million spent on highway projects. Cost benefit analysis show that up to $11.80 in benefits can be gained for every $1 invested in bicycling and walking.

On average, the largest 51 U.S. cities show a 29% increase in bicycle facilities since the 2010 report. Cities report that 20,908 miles of bicycle facilities and 7,079 miles of pedestrian facilities are planned for the coming years (much of this contingent upon funding).

Tags:

Action Alert: Transportation Bill Moving!

January 26, 2012 by AOttesen · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Action Alerts

Ask Your Representative to Preserve Biking and Walking	Take Action!
Transportation Committee votes on biking and walking funding next week

On Thursday, February 2, we expect the House Transportation Committee to vote on the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, a bill that eliminates crucial funds for biking and walking. As a Member of the Committee, your representative is in a key position to save dedicated funding for biking and walking. Please contact them today and ask them to vote to preserve biking and walking.The American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, the long awaited multi year Transportation bill, eliminates the two largest programs that fund biking and walking infrastructure—Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to School. Without these programs, communities all over the country will lose resources to build the sidewalks, crosswalks, and bikeways that make biking and walking safe and accessible in your community. We can’t let that happen. That’s why we’re working to introduce an amendment that will preserve funding for biking and walking. During Thursday’s vote, your representative could be the key to making sure that this amendment passes in the Transportation Committee. Will you contact them today to ask that they vote to preserve funding for biking and walking in the transportation bill? Tell them: Biking and walking make up 12 percent of all trips, but only 1.5 percent of federal funding. Two out of three pedestrian deaths take place on roads built with federal funding. Ensuring funds for sidewalks, crosswalks, and bikeways help end preventable deaths and make roads safer for everyone. When town centers are biking and walking friendly, business and economic development improves. Thank you for all that you do to keep bicycling and walking safe and accessible.