US Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar

As reported in Bud’s legislative update,  officials had a chance to learn  about the benefits that bike touring brings to communities.  US Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar and Director of the National Park Service,  Jon Jarvis were in Richmond February 1,  to hold a tourism town hall meeting in conjunction with the announcement of a $4M  federal contribution to purchase additional acreage in Richmond National Battlefield Park.   

NPS Director Jon Jarvis Discusses $4M Award

Also attending the event at Willis Road Methodist Church was  Governor Robert McDonnell and VA Tourism President Alisa Bailey.

Located on US Bike Route 76, Willis Road Church has, for many years,  provided a well deserved resting spot for weary TransAmerica riders.  The church’s “Red Hut”  is popular for overnighting by cyclists from around the world.  Secretary Salazar was given a copy of their register book which documents the  comments of many of these riders.

Secretary Salazar fielded nearly three dozen questions from 100 statewide tourism stakeholders on how they could best partner to promote Virginia Tourism.

During the questioning, several speakers comment on bike topics including  the VBF’s Bud Vye and Tom Bowden.   They made the audience aware of  the unique tourism opportunities  that

VA Governor Bob McDonnell

bicycling adds to Virginia’s tourism portfolio.   Bowden also pointed out that the 2015 World Cycling Championships which will be held in Richmond and the estimated $100 economic impact this will  bring to the state.

Having the officials attend a tourism meeting at such a prominent facility along a US Bike Route was a perfect alignment of the stars for bicycle touring.  Hopefully, the messages delivered  will help increase mind share with state and national organization to increase efforts to get people out of their cars and see America from the saddle of a bike.

US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood was in Richmond today where he spent time visiting with Mayor Dwight Jones and touring  parts of Richmond’s I-95 corridor.

After the Mayor’s meeting, LaHood then spent time on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University discussing today’s transportation environment with students Wednesday afternoon.

Distracted driving was a major focus of the presentation.  LaHood stressed that making students and younger drivers aware of the dangers is key to changing the false perception that driving and texting is an acceptable and safe behavior.

The Secretary also mentioned new CAFE standards which will mandate better auto fuel mileage up to an average of 54 mpg by 2026.

He also gave his perspective the increased demand for alternative transportation modes like light rail, biking and walking.

Approximately 60 students attended the lecture.

...

From Bike Virginia’s Executive Director, Kimberly Perry:

Effective January 1, 2012, BikeWalk Virginia changed its name to Bike Virginia. This name change reflects the statewide, non-profit organization’s desire to focus its resources on bicycling and making Virginia a more bicycle-friendly state.

“There were three key reasons behind the decision to change our name,” said Dr. Kimberly Perry Executive Director. “First, we came to realize that because of the success of our Bike Virginia Tour event, most people here in Virginia, as well as bicyclists across the country, already knew us as Bike Virginia. Second, over the years we’ve learned that advocating for bicycle and pedestrian issues often led us down different paths and there simply was not as much synergy in addressing both interests as we originally thought. Third, many towns and cities already have well-organized bicycle clubs and advocacy groups and we felt we could accomplish much more by focusing our work with and through them.”

“We are excited about both the name change and our sharper focus” said Tom Bowden, Board Chair of Bike Virginia and a frequent bicycle commuter to his office in downtown Richmond. “While a recent survey conducted by the League of American Bicyclists ranked Virginia as the 11th most bicycle friendly state in the country, we know a lot more can be done. Our goal is to work with organizations and individuals across the state to improve this ranking.”

You’ll also see our domain name change and there will be a refresh of our website soon. A visit to our Resource Website gives a preview of what’s to come as we focus our website in on bicycling education and advocacy.

A logo change is also in the near future too. We are inviting the community to get involved. The logo will be selected from entries in a logo contest held on Design Crowd.

The mission of Bike Virginia continues to be encouraging riding through events and activities, through educating communities about the benefit of bicycling, and teaching communities strategies for being bicycle friendly. We will also continue to work on legislative matters that serve to improve cycling. As we move forward we will be working on new projects and continuing of our existing bicycle related projects including the Bike Virginia Tour, the Online Resource Tool-kit, Sunrise Grants, and Bike Smart Training, Bike Month, Bike to Work Day, Share the Road Campaign, and Awareness Week in September 2012.

Stay tuned to information on our new mission and our update image on our Website.

Sign the pledge.

As promised, VBF held our Fall Retreat last weekend. Bruce Wright posted a full report at FABB, so we’ll send you over there. Thanks Bruce!

Also, as noted by Ride Richmond’s Michael Gilbert, we have new student membership rate (fifteen bucks).

Thanks to everyone who attended, and made the weekend a success!

UPDATE: Funds are being collected by a Roanoke church to help defray Michael’s and his family’s expenses. Click here to learn more, and to donate.

Michael Sprick & Larry Blakey

Michael Sprick, a touring cyclist from Bad Laer, Germany, was seriously injured last week when he was hit by a Merita bread truck on Rt. 100 in Pulaski County.  He’s now on life support at Carillion hospital in Roanoke.

Cyclists rallied to Michael’s aid, notably Larry Blakey, who had been riding with Michael before heading off in a different direction.  Police found Larry’s contact information, and called Larry — who immediately flew in from Vermont to be with Michael, whom he had known for only five days.

Please read the story in the Roanoke Times.

Visit the Friends of Michael P. Sprick Facebook Page for updates on Michael’s condition, and to share your thoughts.

The driver of the truck that hit Michael is being charged with improper passing, and driving with a suspended license.  His court date is Dec. 6.

Three Cyclists Named to Prestigious Top 40 Under 40 List

Billed as Richmond’s alternative for news, arts, culture and opinion, Style Weekly, a free publication based in Richmond, has named their annual Top 40 Under 40.

Named among of the metro area’s younger movers and shakers were three dedicated cycling advocates: Craig Dodson, Founder of Richmond Cycling Corps, Nathan Burrell, Trail Manager for the City of Richmond, and Amy George, a GIS Systems Analyst for the City.

All three cyclists are members of Mayor Jones’s  Pedestrian, Bicycling and Trails Commission.

Congratulations to these outstanding young leaders for their dedication and hard work.  It’s truly making a difference.

Ray LaHood says Rail-Trails Have “Done More For Health Care Than Anything We’ve Done in America”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Continuing a growing shift in public health strategy toward active transportation as a crucial aspect of preventative health care, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood said last week that encouraging more biking and walking is one of the most important things we can do in the nation’s battle against obesity and related illness.

Speaking at Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s (RTC) 25th anniversary reception in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, October 1, Sec. LaHood said the rail-trail program “has done more for health care than anything we’ve ever done in America. Rail-trails have contributed so much to people’s good health over the last 25 years—also preventing heart disease, and providing the kinds of opportunities people have looked for, for a long, long time.”

Founded in 1986, RTC celebrated the milestone anniversary by recognizing 25 individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the rail-trail movement during the past quarter century. RTC honored these leaders with the inaugural Doppelt Family Rail-Trail Champions Awards.

Among the honorees was Sec. LaHood. As a member of Congress from his home state of Illinois, Sec. LaHood was instrumental in the creation of the Rock Island Trail State Park in Peoria. And as Secretary of Transportation, he has helped inaugurate bike share programs in Washington, D.C., and Denver, Co., as well as offer high-profile and influential national leadership in support of trails.

In fact, Sec. LaHood is perhaps best remembered by active transportation advocates for his impassioned speech on the floor of Congress in 2003, when he defended the Transportation Enhancements (TE) program—the largest source of funding for trails, walking and bicycling facilities—which continues to face legislative threats in the current Congress.

RTC President Keith Laughlin describes Sec. LaHood as “a strong and consistent voice on behalf of trails funding. He has been the best rail-trail champion we have ever had within the executive branch of government. His commitment to our cause is unwavering.”

Paying homage to his fellow Rail-Trail Champions, and other community volunteers across the nation, Sec. LaHood said their work was having a significant, and measurable, impact on the landscape that would long be appreciated. He said his experiences walking and riding along the Rock Island, Illinois Prairie Path and C&O Canal towpath convinced him that trails were the key to building a healthier, happier America.

“All along the way, you know what I see?” he asked those assembled. “Families, kids, people having fun, and also getting good exercise.”

The 2011 Doppelt Family Rail-Trail Champions represented 25 communities in 17 states across America. For a full list of the Rail-Trail Champions and their accomplishments, visit www.railstotrails.org, or email Karl Wirsing at karl@railstotrails.org

###

Backcountry.com, “the largest online specialty retailer of premium outdoor gear,” will bring a $20M investment and 200 new jobs to Christiansburg.

The company operates 10 specialty ecommerce websites:  Backcountry.com, SteepandCheap.com, Dogfunk.com, WhiskeyMilitia.com, CompetitiveCyclist.com, RealCyclist.com, Bonktown.com, HuckNroll.com, Chainlove.com, and DepartmentofGoods.com.  Combined, they sell more than 1,000 brands.

CEO Jill Layfield said about the move:  “When deciding on a location, Virginia just made sense. It’s not only a strategically viable location operationally, it’s a beautiful place where outdoor sports are part of the lifestyle, and that’s important to us.”

Undoubtedly, amenities such as the New River Trail, the Huckleberry Trail, proximity to the Appalachian Trail and New River, and the region’s world-class biking and hiking made a difference in the company’s decision.

Read the press release at the Governor’s website, and more at Roanoke.com.

For some reason, cycling has become politicized. If you ride a bike or are in favor of making your community more bike and pedestrian friendly, people assume you must be some kind of a liberal freak.

Far from the truth.

Though there is some conjecture about how this came to be – perhaps it’s because the original ISTEA  bill funding bike accommodations was sponsored by Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan in 1991?   Who knows.

Either way, to the chagrin of many,  making communities bicycle friendly  has become fodder for the political parties rather than an intelligent discussion in the investment for our countries future and the health and dare I say welfare of our citizens.

Next time you have a conversation with a conservative about why the country needs to make these changes, show them this article about the king of conservatives and founder of the National Review, William F. Buckley . 

Yes, Buckley,  captain of conservatism,  was calling for New York to become more bike friendly when he ran for mayor in 1965!    Buckley even spoke of elevated bike ways.  He envisioned residents cycling to work and for exercise.

Fast forward to 2011, and  unabashed conservative and bike commuter, Tom Bowden  waves the Buckley-esque  banner proudly.

This author  feels that it’s time for all of us – including our elected officials – to take a step back and consider some of the challenges facing our communities, state and country: an out of control  health care system;  rising energy costs;  a crumbling highway infrastructure.

It’s time for leaders from both parties to engage in some critical thinking  about ways we can intelligently and  inexpensively make changes to address these issues.  Namely invest in  a safe bike and ped infrastructure.Giving people the option to safely walk or bike to work, school, go shopping  or even getting some exercise  isn’t about red or blue, liberal or conservative: it’s about doing what’s right for the country and our citizens.  And compared to building more highways, it’s an incredibly cheap investment.

Let’s cut the rhetoric and demand that our elected officials to sit down  together to create a transportation system that will work for the next hundred years and make America stronger in many ways.  I’m tired of the mean spirited political talk and feel it’s time our government makes it safe for citizens to leave their cars and find alternative ways to get around in their communities. 

Whether you read the Wall Street Journal or prefer perusing  Mother Jones, biking and walking is good for our country and good for our citizens no matter your political bent. 

It’s time our politicians hear the call and make these changes starting now.