in a rural county · program evolution league ... ymca, publicity: partner with other groups: ymca,...

Promoting Promoting

BicycleBicycle TransportationTransportationinin aa RuralRural CountyCounty

Whatcom Smart Trips Whatcom Smart Trips everybodyBIKEeverybodyBIKE

Whatcom Council of GovernmentsWhatcom Council of GovernmentsWhatcom County, Washington Whatcom County, Washington

Overview Overview

►►Rural and urban characteristicsRural and urban characteristics►►Program elements: Lessons learned Program elements: Lessons learned ►►Marketing and materialsMarketing and materials►►Results, numbers, success measuresResults, numbers, success measures►►Budgets and fundingBudgets and funding

Rural Characteristics Rural Characteristics pertinent to bicyclingpertinent to bicycling

►►DistancesDistances►►Vehicle types and volumesVehicle types and volumes►►Terrain, gradesTerrain, grades►►CultureCulture►►AttitudesAttitudes►►PublicityPublicity►►FundingFunding

Urban Characteristics Urban Characteristics For bicycling ProgramsFor bicycling Programs

►►Traffic and speedsTraffic and speeds►►Media and publicity Media and publicity ►►Schedules and activitiesSchedules and activities►►DistancesDistances►►Tax baseTax base►►Parking costsParking costs

Initial Plan Initial Plan Program ElementsProgram Elements

►►League Certification for Fitness TeachersLeague Certification for Fitness Teachers►►Road OneRoad One coursecourse►►Bicycle AmbassadorsBicycle Ambassadors►►Community bike ridesCommunity bike rides►►Bike Month eventsBike Month events

►►Bicycle Traffic CountsBicycle Traffic Counts

everybodyBIKE everybodyBIKE Program EvolutionProgram Evolution

►►League Certification for Fitness League Certification for Fitness TeachersTeachers

►►Road One courseRoad One course►►Bicycle AmbassadorsBicycle Ambassadors►►Community bike ridesCommunity bike rides►►Bike Month eventsBike Month events►►Bicycle Traffic CountsBicycle Traffic Counts

Original Concept:Original Concept:

►► Train and certify at least 10 Train and certify at least 10 local school teachers in bicycle local school teachers in bicycle safety instructionsafety instruction

►► Schools incorporate a bicycling Schools incorporate a bicycling segment in segment in annual curriculaannual curricula

►► Offer classes at bike shopsOffer classes at bike shops

►►Contract with League of American Bicyclists Contract with League of American Bicyclists to host an Instructor Seminar in Whatcom Countyto host an Instructor Seminar in Whatcom County

Course Corrections:Course Corrections:

►►Fitness Teachers too busy for trainingFitness Teachers too busy for training►►School curriculum requirements fullSchool curriculum requirements full►►Seminar Seminar focusfocus on on teaching techniques teaching techniques ►►Bike shops not ready Bike shops not ready

to offer classesto offer classes

What Works:What Works:

►►Partner with schools for Partner with schools for events, assemblies, bike events, assemblies, bike rodeosrodeos

►►Find school bike Find school bike ““championschampions”” through annual through annual Bike Month eventsBike Month events

►►Trained six community members as League Trained six community members as League Cycling Instructors Cycling Instructors –– ““The everybodyBIKE The everybodyBIKE Teaching TeamTeaching Team””


►►League Certification for Fitness TeachersLeague Certification for Fitness Teachers

►►Road OneRoad One classesclasses►►Bicycle AmbassadorsBicycle Ambassadors►►Community bike ridesCommunity bike rides►►Bike Month eventsBike Month events


everybodyBIKE Teaching Team


►►Offer the LeagueOffer the League’’s s Road Road OneOne course to the public on course to the public on a monthly basisa monthly basis

►►Partner with bike shops to Partner with bike shops to host the classeshost the classes

►►Use League materials and Use League materials and curriculumcurriculum


►►Road OneRoad One is time intensiveis time intensive►►Road OneRoad One is a difficult name for is a difficult name for

advertising, marketingadvertising, marketing►►Bike Shops sometimes intimidate Bike Shops sometimes intimidate

people new to bicyclingpeople new to bicycling►►Low registrationLow registration


►►Short introductory class called Short introductory class called ““First GearFirst Gear””offered monthlyoffered monthly

►► Invent a marketable name: Invent a marketable name: ““Full CycleFull Cycle””10 hours, offered quarterly10 hours, offered quarterly

►►Publicity: partner with other groups: YMCA, Publicity: partner with other groups: YMCA, Food CoFood Co--op, Health Centerop, Health Center

►►Provide incentives and Provide incentives and healthy refreshments from local healthy refreshments from local bikeable businessesbikeable businesses


►►League Certification for bicycle instructorsLeague Certification for bicycle instructors►►Road One classesRoad One classes

►►Bicycle AmbassadorsBicycle Ambassadors►►Community bike ridesCommunity bike rides►►Bike Month eventsBike Month events



First Gear & Full Cycle classes


►► Imitate Chicago Bicycle AmbassadorsImitate Chicago Bicycle Ambassadors►►CommunityCommunity--wide informal outreach and wide informal outreach and

education education


►►Outreach skills combined with an Outreach skills combined with an interest in bicyclinginterest in bicycling

►►Scheduling, deploying, Scheduling, deploying, monitoring, and evaluatingmonitoring, and evaluating

►►Low number of candidates for Low number of candidates for Ambassador workAmbassador work


►►Teaching Team members become versatile Teaching Team members become versatile ““Bike BuddiesBike Buddies””

►►Host Host ““PumpPump--YouYou--UpUp”” Booths: offer basic bike Booths: offer basic bike adjustments and repair evaluationsadjustments and repair evaluations

►►Offer Helmet Fitting and Offer Helmet Fitting and ABC Quick Check instruction, ABC Quick Check instruction, route planning advice, etc.route planning advice, etc.



First Gear classesBike Buddies

►►League Certification for bicycle instructorsLeague Certification for bicycle instructors►►Road One classesRoad One classes►►Bicycle AmbassadorsBicycle Ambassadors

►►Community bike ridesCommunity bike rides►►Bike Month eventsBike Month events



►►Advertise and lead Advertise and lead regular, free, regular, free, recreational rides recreational rides

►►Partner with Parks and Partner with Parks and Recreation DepartmentsRecreation Departments

►► Include fun themes Include fun themes


►►Low attendanceLow attendance►►WeatherWeather►►Differences in paceDifferences in pace►►Driving to bikeDriving to bike►►Bikes in poor shapeBikes in poor shape►► InsuranceInsurance

What Works:What Works:►► Require prior registration and Require prior registration and

minimum three participantsminimum three participants►► Partner with other community Partner with other community

events for publicity and events for publicity and increased attendanceincreased attendance

►► Support and partner with Support and partner with existing community bike rides existing community bike rides conducted by other groupsconducted by other groups

►► Offer customized bike rides Offer customized bike rides for families, neighborhoods or for families, neighborhoods or groups, led by Bike Buddies groups, led by Bike Buddies




►►League Certification for bicycle instructorsLeague Certification for bicycle instructors►►Road One classesRoad One classes►►Bicycle AmbassadorsBicycle Ambassadors►►Community bike ridesCommunity bike rides

►►Bike Month eventsBike Month events►►Bicycle Traffic CountsBicycle Traffic Counts

Customized rides


►►Expand Bike to Work Expand Bike to Work and School Day and School Day

►►Promote Bike Month Promote Bike Month events throughout Mayevents throughout May

►►Bike Month ChallengeBike Month Challenge


►►Graphic design and marketing issues for Graphic design and marketing issues for volunteer eventvolunteer event

►►Bike Month Bike Month ““ChallengeChallenge””image, lengthimage, length

►►Prize award issues for Prize award issues for government office/grantgovernment office/grant

►►Donations from local Donations from local businessesbusinesses


►►Separate publicity for Separate publicity for Day and MonthDay and Month

►►Partner with nonPartner with non--profit profit for donations,awardsfor donations,awards

►►TeamTeam--based month based month event: focus on worksitesevent: focus on worksites

►► Include nonInclude non--work tripswork trips►► Include childrenInclude children




►►League Certification for bicycle instructorsLeague Certification for bicycle instructors►►Road One classesRoad One classes►►Bicycle AmbassadorsBicycle Ambassadors►►Community bike ridesCommunity bike rides►►Bike Month eventsBike Month events

►►Bicycle Traffic Counts Bicycle Traffic Counts

Customized rides

Team Up for everybodyBIKE


►►Use timeUse time--lapse video lapse video device or purchase device or purchase infrared trail counterinfrared trail counter

►►Station at highStation at high--volume volume bicycle commute routesbicycle commute routes

►►Recruit volunteers or Recruit volunteers or interns to review videointerns to review video

►►Video device, power supply, monitoringVideo device, power supply, monitoring►►Theft Theft ►►Labor intensive countingLabor intensive counting►►Equipment qualityEquipment quality►► Infrared countersInfrared counters



►►Whatcom Smart Trips Whatcom Smart Trips databasedatabase

►►Bike to Work and School Bike to Work and School Day annual tallyDay annual tally

►►More research in progressMore research in progress

Marketing Marketing

►►Market Research Market Research ►►Reaching the Target Market Reaching the Target Market ►►Themes and ImagesThemes and Images►►MaterialsMaterials►►PublicityPublicity

FundingFunding

►►Budget planningBudget planning►►Funding sourcesFunding sources►►StaffingStaffing►►EquipmentEquipment

Budget PlanningBudget Planning

Sub-total57,700

teaching team, part time 10,000

website and data800

rodeo bikes and kit1900

graphic design2000

advertising media buys4,000

overhead8,000

120 days/yrMgr. salary25,000Sample Annual Budget

Budget PlanningBudget Planning

Sub-total57,700

Bicycle Traffic Counts5,700

Bike Month events14,600

Bike Buddies8,400

Full Cycle 12,000

Teaching Team17,000Sample Budget by Program

►► Safe Routes to SchoolSafe Routes to School►► State Pedestrian and State Pedestrian and

Bicycle Safety GrantsBicycle Safety Grants►► Safe Kids Coalition Injury Safe Kids Coalition Injury

PreventionPrevention►► Coordinated Human Coordinated Human

Services TransportServices Transport►► Community FoundationCommunity Foundation►► Legislative appropriationLegislative appropriation

Funding SourcesFunding Sources

Measuring ResultsMeasuring Results

►► Evaluating progress Evaluating progress ►► Smart Trips database Smart Trips database

counts of bike tripscounts of bike trips►► Bike to Work and School Bike to Work and School

Day countsDay counts►► Month event countsMonth event counts►► Class enrollment increaseClass enrollment increase

2006 2007

13% increase

Number of bicycle smart trip makers in Whatcom Smart Trips

42% increase

Number of trips made by bicycle

Measuring ResultsMeasuring Results

►► Evaluating progress Evaluating progress ►► Smart Trips database Smart Trips database

counts of bike tripscounts of bike trips►► Bike to Work and School Bike to Work and School

Day countsDay counts►► Month event countsMonth event counts►► Class enrollment increaseClass enrollment increase

2006 2007

30% increase

Number of participants in Bike to Work and School Day

39% increase

Number of participants in month-long Team-Up for everybodyBIKE

ConculsionsConculsions

►► Rural areas have some Rural areas have some cost advantages over cost advantages over urban areasurban areas

►► Number and distance of Number and distance of bicycle trips increase bicycle trips increase over timeover time

►► Emphasize other trips Emphasize other trips rather than the work rather than the work commutecommute

Promoting Promoting

BicycleBicycle TransportationTransportationinin aa RuralRural CountyCounty

Whatcom Smart Trips Whatcom Smart Trips

Ellen BartonEllen BartoneverybodyBIKE Program ManagereverybodyBIKE Program Manager(360) 676(360) [email protected]@everybodyBIKE.com

Whatcom Council of GovernmentsWhatcom Council of GovernmentsWhatcom County, Washington Whatcom County, Washington

in a rural county · program evolution league ... ymca, publicity: partner with other groups: ymca,...

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