Summit Notables
The 2009 Summit was the largest yet, and brought together a record-breaking 580 registrants from 47 states and four countries. Major sponsors included Bikes Belong, IMBA, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the National Bicycle Dealers Association, Interbike and AARP. Keynote speakers included Congressional Reps. James L. Oberstar (D-MN), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Dan Lipinksi (D-IL) Doris Matsui (D-CA), and Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE); and Ambassador Friis Petersen (Denmark).
Breakout sessions offered a variety of topics on legislative issues and opportunities, and workshops were designed to educate attendees how to advocate for bicycling on the local level. Workshops of particular interest to COMBA members follow.
Better Biking in National Parks discussed Congress’s Centennial Initiative investment in the National Park Service, the rule change regarding bicycles on park trails and improving park bike policies and programs.
During IMBA’s Wilderness Workshop, staff and volunteers talked about IMBA’s goals to protect the land and bicycle access, as well as initiatives to protect public lands and open space. Participants shared ideas and strategies on how to form better partnerships.
Urban Trails and Jump Parks demonstrated how local communities can provide urban riding opportunities as a low-cost, space-efficient way to attract youth to mountain biking. Michael Vitti, President of the Concerned Long Island Mountain Bicyclists (New York), and Jon Kennedy, Program Director the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance (Seattle), presented urban trail park success stories and demonstrated how their parks have transformed neglected pocket parks into community treasures.
During the workshop Rich Edwards, Trail Solutions Coordinator for IMBA, shared best practices in trail building technique, and noted that beyond physical sustainability, a trail must also be designed for social sustainability. Rich noted that “user conflicts are more about trail design than people just being angry.” In practice, that means extending sight lines, creating smooth switchbacks down hills in lieu of steep chutes, and designing trail features that encourage faster riders to slow down (such as meandering trails, chokes, gateways, and building in sharp turns before intersections) are all smart, effective ways to reduce conflict. Participants also discussed how effective signage is required to set visitor expectations and modify behaviors before conflict is created.
Were you aware that in the past 15 years more than $4.3 billion of federal investment has gone toward promoting bicycling and walking? In Bicycle Friendly America: Smart Investments in Businesses, Communities, and States panelists shared their viewpoints on how those investments are working, and special attention was given to the role of recreational and mountain biking in building a strong cycling community.
During the Reconnecting Kids with the Great Outdoors luncheon, Larry Selzer of The Outdoor Foundation reported that bicycling is the #1 gateway activity that gets kids interested in the outdoors. Selzer is spearheading a crusade to reconnect children with nature through the National Forum on Children and Nature, which now includes 50 of the nation’s most influential leaders, including governors, mayors, CEOs and public leaders.
Meetings on Capitol Hill
On Thursday, March 12, advocates from the Summit visited more than 350 congressional offices and made a strong and unified statement in support of bicycling. In these meetings members of Congress were urged to support greater federal investment in cost-effective, beneficial bike projects.
Representatives were urged to renew the Recreational Trails Program (RTP), increasing its funding to $550 million over five years. RTP provides funds to states to develop and maintain recreational trails, provide trail education and training programs, conduct trail patrols, and provide trail-related facilities for both non-motorized and motorized recreational trail uses. Summit advocates educated members of Congress about how outdoor recreation benefits communities, informing them that it contributes $730 billion annually to the U.S. economy and reminding them that trail tourism is an important economic contributor for many cities.
Members of Congress were also urged to support the America Bikes Agenda, CLEAN –TEA (The Clean, Low-Emission, Affordable, New Transportation Efficiency Act), and Complete Streets policies.
The meetings on the Hill made a powerful case in support of smart transportation, geared to solve the 21st century challenges of climate change, dependence on foreign oil, health issues, congestion and safety. And this powerful case could not have been made at a better time, since Congress begins writing a new federal transportation funding bill now.
Congressional Bike Caucus Bike Ride Heralds a “New Era” for Bicycling
What better way to end a bike summit than with a bike ride? On Friday, March 13, Summit advocates took part in the traditional closer to the National Bike Summit by joining in the Congressional Bike Caucus Bike Ride. The ride showed off bicycle facilities in the Washington, D.C., area, including access across river bridges, bicycle parking at National Stadium and RFK stadium, newly created bicycle lanes, and the new SmartBike bicycle rental system that provides 10 stations for convenient bicycle rental and return around the city center.
Few if any of these amenities would exist today were it not for the vision and hard work of bicycling advocates who made them possible.
There was a lot of optimism at this Summit. Finally, after years of clamoring for attention, it seems that issues many people at the National Bike Summit care about have significant traction at the highest levels of the political establishment. Our nation has a new president, a new Congress and a new commitment to improving our transportation and energy infrastructure. With all of these factors coming into alignment, there may never be a better opportunity to harness its power and ring in a new era that creates a bicycle friendly America.
What Does the National Bike Summit have to do with COMBA?
More than asking Colorado representatives to support bills that will bring greater federal investment to trail projects in our backyard, the National Bike Summit provides a much-needed lesson to mountain bikers across the Front Range: Cyclists, working together, are a powerful political force and can make real, positive change in our local environment.
On the Front Range, important progress is being made in cycling advocacy, and there may too never be a better time to harness the power of bicycling right here in Colorado. So, whether you’re a downhiller, cross-country racer, sometime commuter, reluctant winter roadie, trials riding expert, new recruit to the church of single-track or just a rider who loves the dirt and cherishes your access to it – know that our representation as mountain bikers is stronger when we advocate for the rights and issues of cyclists together.
COMBA urges you to get involved. Join us in group rides and trail projects. Sign up for a working committee. We want to hear your ideas and concerns so write us an email, attend a meeting, or post a note to COMBA's Facebook Group.
COMBA also urges you to join as many local advocacy groups that support cycling as you can. If you’re unfamiliar or unsure about an organization, simply sign up to their email list to find out more about them. Because the lesson from the National Bike Summit is that no matter what kind of bike you ride, or where you like to ride it, in the work of cycling advocacy – when we act together - we are one powerful voice, that is heard, and that makes a difference.
Thanks for the hard work and the summary!
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