California Bike Advocacy Leadership Report August 26, 2011

The summit is a great opportunity to attend what will be a top-notch conference on bicycle advocacy at an affordable price and without having to leave the state! CBC Board member Alexis Lantz and her colleagues at the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition are putting together a great program, which nicely balances plenty of networking and socializing opportunities with rich content in workshops and trainings.

Events kick off on Saturday with bike tours of Los Angeles. Saturday night is the opening reception followed by a networking event and party in downtown Los Angeles! Sunday and Monday will be full of content, where we'll learn about best practices in bicycle advocacy from around the world and set the strategic direction of the statewide bicycle movement.

We need you to be a part of it, as a participant, and, if you have an expertise to share, as a content leader. If you want to present on something or lead a conversation, just email me with your idea and we'll work with you to see if it fits into the program.

We've subsidized the conference to reduce the cost, so more people can attend. You can sign up for only $85 if you register by Oct. 5! (Registration includes materials, refreshments, and light breakfast both days; transportation, lodging, and other meals are not included.)

Check out the CBC website for more details.

Sacramento Update

Caltrans to add non-motorized reps to the CTCDC

In a move that bodes well for our ability to work with Caltrans in the future, Wayne Henley, the Chief of the Office of Signs, Markings & External Support, has said that Caltrans will add two representatives of the nonmotorized community to the California Traffic Control Devices Committee. They're doing this over the objections of the CTCDC itself!

It's also a tactic that makes it easy for the Governor to veto AB 345 as unnecessary. We fully expect Caltrans to follow through on its promise, but as insurance, the CBC legislative committee is inclined to keep the bill in play (i.e., away from the governor's desk) until we see the result how Caltrans' initiative.

Three-foot bill will also face a challenge at the governor's desk

SB 910 has to first pass the Assembly against the opposition of the Teamsters and AAA, which looks likely thanks to the outpouring of letters from the state's cyclists and cycling organizations. But after that, it goes to the governor's desk where our opponents will ask for a veto.

I and our lobbyist are meeting with the governor's office on Monday where we'll get our first indication of the governor's inclination. Stay tuned for an update immediately after that meeting if we need your input or action!

Finally, this reminder: Don't miss the early registration deadline for the Los Angeles Winning Campaigns Training sponsored by the Alliance for Biking & Walking. More details here.