Wienermobile bike!

Okay, okay. So we already mentioned the Wienermobile bicycle (aka "pedal car") on our Facebook page, but this thing is so cool I can't keep myself from writing about it more.

We'll be auctioning one of these babies off at the Saris Gala tomorrow night in Madison. The Saris Gala is our largest annual fundraiser and is put on by the generous folks at Saris Cycling Group, which is headquartered here in Wisconsin.

I would really really like to start commuting to work in one of these, but I think I'm too big to fit inside. So instead I'll have to resort to sticking Oscar Mayer stickers on my commuter bike and referring to it as my "pedal car." I won't look quite as cool as this kid, but I'll feel cool on the inside – and that's what really counts.

Right?

Learn about the U.S. Bicycle Route on Novermber 3

If you're in the Milwaukee area, you have a great opportunity next Wednesday to learn more about the U.S. Bicycle Route System and bicycle travel from Jim Sayer, the executive director of the Adventure Cycling Association. Adventure Cycling is the largest membership nonprofit cycling organization in North America with more than 44,000 members. To fulfill its mission of inspring people to travel by bicycle, it has mapped more than 40,000 miles of cycling routes throughout the United States and Canada, and it works on national bicycling advocacy issues, including the U.S. Bicycle Route System.

Winona Bateman, media director of Adventure Cycling, sent the following description of what you can expect at Wednesday's presentation:

On Wednesday, November 3, grab your cycling buddies, friends, and family, and join Adventure Cycling Association for a special regional gathering and party in Fox Point at the Wheel and Sprocket North Shore Store from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m.

Adventure Cycling's executive director, Jim Sayer, will be in town to share the latest news on bicycle travel and adventures in North America (and perhaps beyond!). He'll be looking to the year ahead, with new routes, trips, and policy and outreach initiatives to improve bicycling and bike travel in the United States, including an update on the emerging U.S. Bicycle Route System. There will also be time for you to share your thoughts, ideas, and stories. Refreshments and snacks will be provided, courtesy of Wheel and Sprocket. Click here for directions.

Refreshments start at 6:00. There will be a brief safety workshop at 6:30, followed by the program with Jim Sayer at 7:00 pm. Please RSVP for this event by calling Wheel & Sprocket North Shore at (414) 247-8100 or emailing Jesse at jesse.kuester@wheelandsprocket.net.

Click here for a printable event flyer.

Another side of AAA

Last month, we told you about Rails to Trails talking AAA to task after the president of AAA Mid-Atlantic spoke against using federal Highway Trust Fund money for bike and pedestrian facilities. He advocated for using the Highway Trust Fund for highways only (as opposed to how it's been used since 1991) and paying for bike and ped facilities with general revenues only.

In contrast, the current issue of American Bicyclist (the member magazine of the League of American Bicyclists) features a story about steps the automobile association has taken to encourage road-sharing and bicyclist safety. According to the article:

• More than half of AAA's 51 regional clubs offer bike safety outreach programs
• The programs have traditionally focused on children, but clubs are increasingly working on bicycling programs for all ages
• AAA Oregon/Idaho extends its roadside assistance program to bicycles. (The service is not available through the AAA club in Wisconsin yet; however, Better World Club - which is not affiliated with AAA - does offer this service nationally.)
  
• AAA worked with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2009 to promote a "share the road" message nationally and to distribute a four-part video series on bicycle safety

You can read more about it in the American Bicyclist. If you're not a subscriber, you can view the September/October issue online beginning in November.

Omro, Wisconsin: Bicycling Paradise

Omro students walk to school with U.S. Congressman Tom Petri (center)

Omro students gather for Walk and Bike to School assembly

From our education director and Wisconsin Safe Routes to School Network coordinator, Jessica Wineberg-Binder:

What places do you think of when you hear “bicycling paradise”? Portland, Oregon? Copenhagen, Denmark?

Today, I discovered a bicycling paradise in my own backyard: Omro, Wisconsin.

Why such accolades? Omro Middle School has woven bicycling into almost every facet of the school day, with a noon recess riding program, an in-school bike shop, and physical education classes that teach bicycling skills. Over the next couple of years, the city of Omro will improve bicycling facilities and sidewalk connections near schools using an $89,438 grant it received through the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

Today, well over 200 Omro students celebrated their school’s progress by walking and biking to school with U.S. Congressman Tom Petri and Bike Fed Executive Director Kevin Hardman. The “walking school bus” was more than two blocks long! Petri – along with Omro Mayor Bob Breu, Wisconsin Assemblyman Richard Spanbauer, Omro School Board members and other special guests – toured Omro Middle School’s in-school bike shop, its noon recess riding program, its PE-based cyclocross course, and the nearby community fitness trail. Credit goes to PE teacher Joe Horvath and Principal Paul Williams for creating bicycling options before, during, and after school.

Omro has utilized volunteer efforts and many small donations to build a comprehensive bicycle program that should be replicated across the state and the country. The Wisconsin Safe Routes to School Network, which I coordinate as part of my work here at the Bike Fed, will help Omro Middle School share its innovative ideas with other communities and inspire them to truly embrace walking and biking to and from school.

You can watch WBAY's coverage of the walk and bike event here.

Bike Fed board Chair Elect Chris Kegel visits the Omro Middle School bike shop.

Right to left: Bike Fed Chair Elect Chris Kegel, U.S. Congressman Tom Petri, Bike Fed Executive Director Kevin Hardman.

Remembering Jeff Littmann, a champion of bicycling

On Tuesday, October 5, Jeff Littmann became the eighth bicyclist this year to die from injuries received in a bike-car crash in Wisconsin. As a road racer, owner of Attitude Sports in Pewaukee and president of the Wisconsin Cycling Association, Jeff was a tireless ambassador for bicycling. He mentored many competitive cyclists and is greatly missed by those who knew him.

A service for Jeff will be held this Saturday, October 9, at Nativity of the Lord, 3672 E Plankinton Ave., Cudahy, Wis. Visitation is from 9:00 a.m.-12:45 p.m., and the service begins at 1:00 p.m.

We have heard from many of Jeff's friends in the past few days who want something good to come out of this tragedy. Here are some steps you can take to commemorate Jeff and make Wisconsin's roads better for everyone:

• Donate to the Littmann family collegiate cycling scholarship fund. Jeff's family will be setting up a collegiate cycling scholarship fund in Jeff's memory. We will post more details to our website when they become available.


• Understand the rules of the road and educate others. The Share & Be Aware section of our website has lots of information about avoiding bike-car collisions, from both driving and bicycling perspectives. Click on the Facebook or Twitter icons on our Share & Be Aware pages to share the information with your social networks. (We also regularly post safety tips to our Facebook and Twitter accounts.)


• Support complete streets. Thanks to the efforts of our members, Wisconsin enacted a law in 2009 that requires new and reconstructed roads that receive state funds to accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians – for example, with wider shoulders on state highways. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is holding a series of workshops around the state about the new law, with three coming up in Waukesha, Eau Claire and Green Bay. Attend a workshop to learn about complete streets and how they can make roads safer for all of us.


• Take a road safety class. The League of American Bicyclists has certified a number of Wisconsinites to teach bicyclist safety classes geared toward a variety of audiences, including motorists, bicyclists and commercial drivers. Please contact us to find a League Cycling Instructor in your area.

We also want to do our part to honor Jeff. The Bike Fed will soon receive funding to dramatically expand our Share & Be Aware program to educate drivers, bicyclists and law enforcement about sharing the road. Our policy, road planning and Safe Routes to School programs are additional strategies for improving the environment for bicycling in Wisconsin.

Over the past few decades, Wisconsin's roads have become safer as the rate of fatal car-bike crashes has dropped significantly. But that doesn't diminish the tragedy of Jeff's death or of the deaths of the seven others who were killed this year while riding their bikes in our state. We can't bring those lives back, but we can work together to prevent future tragedies.

We will celebrate Jeff's legacy by continuing our work to make Wisconsin's roads safer for everyone.

Chicago parking rates and the popularity of bicycling

Jessica Binder, the Bike Fed's education director, was back in Chicago yesterday and sent us this email, along with the picture to the right:

Want to know why so many Chicagoans bike? A dense urban fabric, congestion, and EXPENSIVE parking all play a role. The hotel I was at yesterday for a conference charges $22 to park for an hour or less! Good thing I biked.

Bringing Dutch-Style Bicycle Facilities to the U.S.

On Thursday, the Bike Fed's Education Director, Jessica Binder, had the pleasure of attending a ThinkBike presentation in Chicago that explored the details of the Dutch bicycle infrastructure that supports the 80% people who bicycle at least once per week in the Netherlands. The Dutch consulate and Chicago DOT brought in a team of Dutch bicycle planners to share their knowledge and ideas. To attend this workshop, Jessica Binder had a very euro-style day. She biked her Taga bicycle (converts from bike to stroller and can hold a child - see picture at right) to the Amtrak station, converting the Taga bike into the Taga stroller so it could be brought on board the train. Once in Chicago, she converted the stroller back into bike mode and was early for the 8:30am start time for the conference. She wrote this note summarizing some of what she learned:

The highlights of the workshop included learning that, in the Netherlands, bicycle mode share declined to about 10% in the 1970s. Through major investments and a paradigm shift, much like the one the U.S. is experiencing now, they were able to recapture a lot of trips - bringing them to 28% bicycle mode share today. From a tram with a special open air cart to push bicycles up hills to streets with 18 mph speed limits, the Dutch have created a utopia for cycling that we in Wisconsin can learn from. Milwaukee's Bicycle Plan and some infrastructure plans for Madison draw on the Dutch for inspiration. After today's talk, I will too.

To help bring innovative bicycle facilities to Wisconsin that can get more people to ride more often, please join the Bike Fed. Your support helps us increase funding for bicycle infrastructure. Join now at www.bfw.org and save 15 bucks with coupon code JB15off until October 15th.

Milwaukee by Bike is approved by Common Council

The Milwaukee Common Council just approved Milwaukee by Bike, the bicycle transportation plan that the Bike Fed helped develop. The plan passed nearly unanimously, with just one opposing vote, as you can read in this article from Tom Held of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Thanks so much to everyone in Milwaukee who educated their representatives about the need for better bicycle facilities and how better biking conditions will contribute to Milwaukee's livability and economic development.

The plan would add more than 200 miles of bike lanes, boulevards and trails to Milwaukee, but our work does not end here. The Council has approved the plan, but it has not yet budgeted for its implementation. It will be important for Milwaukee residents to continue to let their council members know about the importance of bike facilities to the city's growth.

To read the plan documents, go to www.milwaukeeplan.bfw.org.

Milwaukee Bike Plan one step closer to reality

Jessica Binder, the Bike Fed's education director, attended this morning's meeting about Milwaukee by Bike, the city's proposed bicycle plan, and has great news to report:

Today the Milwaukee Common Council Public Safety Committee voted to accept the Milwaukee Bicycle Plan. It was energizing to see the City Engineer wonderfully articulate the benefits of cycling and investing in cycling infrastructure. All the members of the committee were supportive of the plan and, while we do not anticipate any issues with the full Common Council adopting it when it meets on September 21, bicycling supporters are encouraged to call their alderpeople by Monday, September 20, and urge them to vote for the Bike Plan. From today's meeting, it was very clear that alderpeople are responsive when their constituents speak out and contact them.

If you can, please also attend the full Common Council Meeting where the plan will be voted upon. It's on Sep 21 at 9 a.m. in the Common Council Chambers (3rd Floor of City Hall).

For more about today's meeting, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal's Tom Held wrote up a nice summary of the meeting for the paper's website.

Madison, Milwaukee and La Crosse make national Bicycle Friendly Communities list - again!

The League of American Bicyclists yesterday announced its list of 2010 Bicycle Friendly Communities, and La Crosse, Milwaukee and Madison are on it once again. Madison received gold, the second-highest designation (with platinum being the highest), while Milwaukee and La Crosse each received bronze. You can download the complete list of honorees here.