Bike Summit revs cycling advocates By Tom Held<mailto:[email protected]> of the Journal Sentinel May. 4, 2009
Cyclists don't rank near tavern operators or utility titans among those wielding power in Wisconsin's state capitol. They did put themselves in the race, however, with an unexpectedly strong showing at the recent Bike Summit sponsored by the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin.<http://www.bfw.org/index.php> Still juiced by the experience, Bike Fed executive director Kevin Hardman talked about the summit, April 27 and 28, as a milestone for cycling in the state. That's what speaking to a crowd of 450 and leading 220 followers to lobby legislators will do for a cycling advocate. "This was our ticket to play," Hardman said. "We have to do this if we want to affect change. We have to talk to our legislators, we have to organize and we have to be effective." The helmet-carrying lobbyists pushed their legislators for three things: an increased share of transportation money for bike paths and amenities; a push for complete streets that include bike lanes and sidewalks and a law that makes "dooring" cyclists illegal. They scored an immediate victory on that third count on Tuesday, when the Assembly and Senate passed a bill<http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/lifestyle/43926032.html> that prohibits motorists from opening a car door in the path of a cyclist or other vehicle. The other two on the wish list will require a longer fight, but the summit, by most accounts, represented a good start. A rally at the Madison Concourse Hotel on the 27th drew 450 advocates who listened to pep talks from John Burke, the president and CEO of Trek Bicycle Corporation, Andy Clarke, the executive director of the League of American Bicyclists, and Tim Blumenthal, executive director of the Bikes Belong Coalition. (Check out the video of Burke and others posted on the Silent Sports media center.<http://www.silentsports.net/>) The crowd and the enthusiasm at the rally impressed Robbie Webber, a former Madison alderman and veteran cycling advocate in Wisconsin. "That's a lot of people to come out and say that they support a particular activity and a particular funding source," Webber said. "This was a great way to explain to legislators that bicycling is not just something that kids do, or families do on a weekend. "This is a top solve problems with obesity, road congestion and global warming. All these things can be solved, in part, by improving bicycling in the state." Webber said continued support from Trek and other Wisconsin businesses will help future lobbying efforts. Locally based Trek<http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/>, Planet Bike<http://www.planetbike.com/page/>, Hayes Disc Brakes<http://www.hayesdiscbrake.com/>, Saris Cycling Group <http://www.cycle-ops.com/> and Pacific Cycle Inc<http://www.pacific-cycle.com/index.php>. all help make the case that cycling is good for business in Wisconsin. Post a Comment<http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/lifestyle/44180117.html#postComment> Comments (0) Steve Meiers Safety educator (608) 267-1102 [email protected]
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