WABA Quick Release

Posts Tagged ‘league of american bicyclists’

Marya McQuirter is based in D.C. and is a League Certified Instructor who has taught a number of WABA’s safe cycling classes. On the League of American Bicyclists’ blog, she recently detailed some of her research on a group of five black women that, in 1928, biked from New York City to D.C.

When asked what motivated them to embark on the group ride, they responded that they were motivated by “the love of the great-out-of-doors” that each of them cherished.  Interestingly, they also challenged other young women, 21 years old and older, to replicate their trip in less time. What are we to make of this challenge, the professed love for “outdoor” culture and the trip, in general? And what was happening in 1928 that provides a context for the ride?

Read the rest of McQuirter’s post here.

Image via the League of American Bicyclists

Yesterday’s Congressional Ride, the last major event of the League of American Bicyclists’ yearly National Bike Summit, gave D.C.-area cyclists and Summit attendees a short, seven-mile tour of downtown’s bike facilities.

The weather cleared up after a wet and windy (if nonthreatening) Wednesday evening, and over 60 people met at Lafayette Park to ride on the 15th Street, L Street, and Pennsylvania Avenue cycletracks. D.C. has quickly ascended into a city that’s great for cyclists, and we hope that Congressional Ride participants are able to return to their communities with our cycletracks in mind.

Congratulations and many thanks to the League for a fantastic Summit. We loved the chance to show off the great bike infrastructure that D.C. has installed over the past few years!

See some photos from the Congressional Ride below the jump, and even more on Flickr. Did you take any photos at the Congressional Ride? Add them to our Flickr pool!

Read the rest of this entry »

The weather might be dismal today, but we’ll be out in force tomorrow morning for the Congressional Ride!

Join WABA, the League of American Bicyclists, and bike advocates from across the country for a short (7-8 miles) bicycle tour of D.C.’s bike infrastructure. The Congressional Ride is the last hoo-rah of the League of American Bicyclists’ National Bike Summit. You’re encouraged to bring your own bike, and helmets are required.

Meet at Garfield Circle (in front of the U.S. Capitol) at 9 a.m. 8:30 a.m. tomorrow, Thurs., March 7. The ride will begin at 9 a.m. Click here for more information.

See Black Women Bike co-founder Veronica Davis speak during the yesterday’s Ignite sessions at the National Bike Summit about the founding of her advocacy organization. Black Women Bike, which started in 2011 and now boasts a Facebook group of over 750 members, recently joined up with WABA.

We’ve been talking about it forever, so we’re excited to announce that WABA’s Women & Bicycles program will officially launch this Sunday evening.

The sold-out launch party, at the City Vista Busboys & Poets, precedes the first event of the League of American Bicyclists’ National Bike Summit, the Women’s Bicycling Forum, which will feature Janette Sadik-Khan, Tammy Duckworth, and Georgena Terry.

Other bike-world luminaries will be present at our launch party, including Taking the Lane Media founder and Everyday Bicycling author Elly Blue, Director of Women Bike Carolyn Szczepanski, and co-founder of Black Women Bike:DC Veronica Davis. Women from across the country who have made cycling a part of their lifestyle will be in town, so it’s a great opportunity to show off a program we’ve spent years developing.

Before the party, Black Women Bike DC will lead a ladies-only, hour-long bike ride around the city. Click here for more information on the launch party and the ride.

If you weren’t able to reserve your spot, we still encourage you to attend. Even though the room we rented will be at capacity, there is plenty of room to come hang out with other bike advocates and supporters  in the Loft.

Women & Bicycles is fully funded, thanks to a $15,000 grant from the League of American Bicyclists’ Women Bike initiative, a national effort to get more women on bikes through local programs like ours, and thanks to your generous support. We couldn’t have done it without you, and we can’t wait to celebrate what will be a great season of events, activities, and educational experiences for D.C.-area women.

If you were can’t attend Sunday’s party, please join us for future Women & Bicycles events! We’ll keep you updated on our blog, or you can sign up to receive updates here.

The face of bicycling is changing in cities across the country, and nowhere is that more evident than in the nation’s capital. Since 2004, Washington, D.C., has seen a 175 percent increase in cycling and a 300 percent increase in its bike lane network. Despite these incredible gains, the number of women on bikes has remained steady at 23 percent.

With a $15,000 grant from the League of American Bicyclists, the Washington Area Bicyclist Association is launching an initiative that will further elevate the D.C. region as a national leader in encouraging more women to ride.

WABA’S Women & Bicycles program will kick off on Sun., March 3, with a launch party from 8 to 11:30 p.m. at Busboys and Poets (1025 5th St. NW). Featured speakers will include Nelle Pierson, WABA’s outreach coordinator, and Elly Blue, founder of Taking the Lane Media and author of Everyday Bicycling, an accessible, easy-to-read guide to cycling for transportation.

WABA’s program is the result of several years of discussion and feedback, which concluded that a strong community is essential to getting more women on bikes. Women & Bicycles is encouragement-based: 10 Roll Models will be identified, then asked to tap into their personal networks to loop in women who might be hesitant to ride a bike for transportation. A series of small social gatherings hosted by Roll Models and practical-skill workshops and group rides run by WABA will engage Women & Bicycles participants and provide them with all the resources they’ll need to bike confidently in the D.C. area. WABA is in the process of selecting Roll Models, and the program will be underway by late March.

“Generally speaking, women admit to being more intimidated by the perceived risk of bicycling, maintaining appearances, and the responsibilities of being a primary caretaker in the household,” says Pierson. “So we’re going to tackle these issues together at meetups, workshops, and group rides, and we’re going to have a lot of fun in the process.”

Supporting such innovative efforts is a key aspect of the League’s new Women Bike initiative, the first national advocacy campaign aimed at engaging, empowering, and elevating women in all aspects of the bicycle movement.

“One of our primary goals is to seed, support, and spread new campaigns and ideas that are getting more women on bikes,” say Carolyn Szczepanski, the League’s director of communications and Women Bike. “WABA has been at the forefront of women’s outreach for years and we’re excited to partner with them on a pilot project that could be a model for communities nationwide.”

On the heels of WABA’s launch party, the League will bring together hundreds of leaders from across the country at the second annual National Women’s Bicycling Forum. On March 4 at the Renaissance Washington (999 9th St. NW), more than 25 diverse female leaders from bike advocacy, industry, policy and racing will present at the all-day forum. Keynote speakers will include Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, and industry trailblazer Georgena Terry.

Registration for the public is $85 and media is invited to attend. Learn more about the Women’s Forum here. Learn more and get involved with WABA’s Women & Bicycles campaign here.

In addition to this fantastic news, we’d like to thank our members and friends who have so generously given to Women & Bicycles. Were it not for you, we wouldn’t have met and exceeded last December’s match grant or continued to receive donations well into the new year. Your support continues to be critical in raising funds and raising awareness for WABA’s work, and we can’t wait to show you the progress of the Women & Bicycles program.