A New Hire and a Transition for the Cadence Cycling Foundation

One of the goals of merging the Cadence Cycling Foundation (CCF) into the Bicycle Coalition is to expand CCF's range and scope. We want to bring the program to more schools and student-athletes, expand the spectrum of its impact, and better synchronize it with Safe Routes Philly. Today we are excited to announce a new (familiar) hire which will help us accomplish that goal: Cy Maramangalam will be joining us as the new Program Manager of Cadence Cycling Foundation.

Cy presenting to a high school in Silver Springs, MD as part of his previous role with Alliance for Climate Education

Cy's background makes him a prophecy-level good fit for CCF's future. He has been a Philly high school math teacher, worked for us as a Youth Educator with Safe Routes Philly, and is coming from D.C. where he was a Program Manager for the Alliance for Climate Education.* ACE educates and inspires high school students to break through the challenge of climate change and become leaders in their schools and communities. Cy educated and inspired more than 20,000 students and helped hundreds become leaders in their schools, local communities, and on a national stage. The CCF program will benefit enormously from Cy's enthusiasm and ability to work at both the micro and macro levels of youth education and empowerment.

Cy's hiring is in response to another shift: Ryan Oelkers will be transitioning to a new role, as CCF adviser and coach, in order to pursue another professional opportunity. All of the team coaches -- including Ryan -- are planning to coach again this year, so the continuity of the program from the athletes' perspective should be unchanged. And we are pleased that Megan Rosenbach, who has worked on Safe Routes Philly since its inception, will be promoted to Education Director and lead the efforts to expand CCF and Safe Routes Philly.

Between Ryan's continued involvement, the coaches, Cy, and Megan , we are very excited for CCF's next season. Stay tuned to our blog for profiles, updates, and news as the weather warms and the teams start back up again.

*One of the things discussed on NPR's All Things Considered was Cy and the ACE program, which they covered back in May. 

The Bicycle Coalition (that's us!) Wins a 21st Century Solutions Grant

On a snow day it's hard to focus on anything indoors or remotely abstract, but we're pulling ourselves away from sleds and snow goons to share some very exciting news:

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia is the recipient of a $50,000 21st Century Solutions grant from NBCUniversal Foundation. In its second year, the 21st Century Solutions program "supports initiatives designed to address emerging and ongoing community challenges in new and creative ways." The foundation awarded $100,000 to three Philadelphia non-profits; The Food Trust and The Trust for Public Land each received $25,000 grants.

This grant supports our Walking School Bus program. A little background: our Safe Routes Philly program trains health and physical education teachers in Philadelphia public schools to teach bicycle and pedestrian safety lessons. Since 2010, these lessons have been taught in 133 schools reaching over 60,000 students. With the recent school closures, thousands of students are travelling farther than ever to get to school, crossing unfamiliar and often busy roads. Our Walking School Bus Program organizes teachers and parents into "walking school buses" or parent-led groups that walk students to and from school. This makes the trip to school safer, and builds physical activity into the children's daily lives.

Hark! Cadence Cycling Foundation Has Joined the Bicycle Coalition

Two bicycle-oriented nonprofits, sittin' in a tree..

As Wash Cycle Laundry put it, we're getting hitched to the Cadence Cycling Foundation!

The Cadence Cycling Foundation has joined the Bicycle Coalition. This makes us the biggest, boldest, baddest bicycling nonprofit, in terms of urban educational impact, in the country.

Yeah, wow.

This is an important moment for bicycling in the Greater Philadelphia Region. This will strengthen our ability to make bicycling in our region better, in ways and with a speed we could not achieve otherwise.

So, what is the Cadence Cycling Foundation? 

Cadence Cycling Foundation's Shoemaker team, from 2013

For the unfamiliar, the Cadence Cycling Foundation (CCF), founded in 2007 by Ryan Oelkers and Jay Snider, uses cycling as a tool to help underserved youth gain the skills and education needed to break the cycle of poverty. Its cycling teams are organized out of schools and housing projects in Philadelphia and Camden, and its athletes are typically between the ages of 9 and 18. Cadence's deep and transformative work with its young athletes produces incredible stories of personal growth and achievement, and we are excited to share those stories with you in the upcoming weeks.

Why are they joining us?
Because we're both total catches.

Besides that, a tremendous amount of thought and deliberation went into this decision. We've long admired the work of CCF and Ryan Oelkers, its co-founder. So the opportunity to bring CCF, Ryan, and the CCF board under the same roof is a great opportunity.

Cadence Cycling Foundation is an effective and stable bicycling nonprofit committed to the transformative power of the bicycle. Their strengths and capabilities complement our own. While our Safe Routes Philly program focuses on broad reach through schools, CCF works at a much deeper and more personal level with a smaller group of athletes. So, depth and breadth on the educational front (basically, we're doing the whole vertical integration thing, like bicycling hero Andrew Carnegie).

And the steel magnates of yesteryear, to whom nonprofit bicycle organizations owe so much, would also approve of the operational efficiencies we will reap by combining our organizations, allowing us to better grow and invigorate our work.

How will this change the Bicycle Coalition?

Cadence Foundation co-founder Ryan Oelkers, right, at the end of year race in 2012

Our mission remains the same, as does our name and location. Alex Doty remains our Executive Director, and CCF co-founder Ryan Oelkers (above) is joining us as our Director of Youth Education. We are combining the strengths of both boards into a new board of directors, chaired by our current chair Leslye Abrutyn.

What comes next?

Hooray! Also, who is
Andrew Carnegie?

Keep an eye on our blog and Cyclegram newsletter in the upcoming weeks for more information about CCF and its terrific work. We will begin a new strategic planning process in December to create a refined vision for the Bicycle Coalition's future. Both organizations will maintain their separate websites until a new, unified site is ready to launch by year's end (oh lordy, we cannot wait for that). This nonprofit marriage, however, is effective immediately.

So sorry, hon, we're off the market.

Young Bicyclist Injured on Roosevelt Blvd in North Philly

CBS reports that an 11-year old girl riding a bicycle was struck by a vehicle while crossing Roosevelt Blvd near Garland St. in the Lawncrest section of North Philadelphia.

According to the article, the girl was crossing the southbound lanes against the light when she was struck by a car. The driver remained at the scene and the girl was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. The CBS article is here.

Our heart goes out to the girl, her family, and the driver of the vehicle.

Moments like these remind us of the importance to talking to our children and students about street safety. Teaching them how to stay safe when walking or bicycling through city or suburbs can save a life. If you want help with such conversations, or would like to obtain free information, resources, or lessons for your school, contact our Safe Routes Philly program.

Volunteer Bicyclists Needed for a Noble Bike Ride Next Wednesday Morning

Faster, noble wolves! The books are thawing!

Have you ever dreamed of mushing a pack of sled dogs over the Canadian Rockies to bring much-needed medical supplies to a small fur trapping outpost nestled between those magnificent peaks?

Us too! We should share our sled dog fanfic sometime. In the meantime, though, you can do something less abusive of animals and far more convenient: bike books to an elementary school!

We need volunteers to help with the Ride for Reading happening the morning of Wednesday, May 8th.

We need bicyclists to help us deliver 1,000 books to elementary school students!

Interested volunteers need to meet up at 2000 Hamilton Street next Wednesday at 7:30 AM (this is by the Fairmount Whole Foods). Bring a bike and something to carry books in (backpack, messenger bag, trailer, cargo bike, etc). We will be riding the books along a 5-mile route to Childs Elementary in South Philly.

Once arrived, there will be a short ceremony at 8:30 am at which every child will get to take home 1-2 books. It's going to be pretty much straight adorable. Interested? Contact Megan at megan@bicyclecoalition.org directly or attend our volunteer night tomorrow night from 6-7:30 pm.

Study Finds Link Between Biking to School and Concentration In Class

An article this week in the Atlantic Cities discusses a study finding a connection between children who walk or bike to school and those children's ability to concentrate in class.

A quote from the article:

The survey looked at nearly 20,000 Danish kids between the ages of 5 and 19. It found that kids who cycled or walked to school, rather than traveling by car or public transportation, performed measurably better on tasks demanding concentration, such as solving puzzles, and that the effects lasted for up to four hours after they got to school.

Our Safe Routes Philly program helps Philadelphia schools encourage safe bicycling and walking to school. Interested in learning how we can help your school get organized or acquire funding or curriculum? Contact us. It's never too late to give your students a health and educational step up.

Pitching In To Help Philadelphia Schools' Obesity Rates Continue To Drop

Today the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that obesity rates among Philadelphia schoolchildren fell by a substantial percentage from 2006-2010. Across the district obesity rates declined nearly 5%, while some subsections of students saw drops of as much as 7.6%.  

This is obviously heartening news, and news we find encouraging because of the work our Safe Routes Philly* program has done in Philadelphia schools. 

Safe Routes Philly works with teachers and educators to encourage elementary school students to walk and bike to school safely and frequently. The health benefits of daily exercise are numerous, and this encouragement campaign nests in the prevailing strategy for combating obesity mentioned in the Inquirer article: encouraging many small health and behavioral changes in order to make a large impact.

Encouraging daily exercise through walking and bicycling is one of those small changes which compound on one another to make substantial positive changes. But Safe Routes Philly's impact has not been small:

Philadelphia's First-Ever Bike to School Day

Last month Safe Routes Philly assisted Penrose Elementary in Southwest Philadelphia with holding the first-ever Bike to School Day at a Philadelphia public school. The event was an extraordinary success.

Students arriving at school on two wheels

The day came about through the efforts of Penrose nurse and wellness champion Bob Carozza, plus two Americorps volunteers. Mr. Carozza learned about the Bike to School Day concept through Safe Routes Philly community representative Steve Taylor. Steve recommended the day as a way to introduce students and parents to the value and fun of bicycling and active transportation.

Mr. Carozza passed out fliers to Penrose teachers to send home with students advertising the April 18th event. Steve and Mr. Carozza were expecting a handful of students - instead, over 30 students came riding onto school grounds that Wednesday morning, many accompanied by parents on bikes or on foot. Once at school, the participating students were served healthy snacks while the bikes were locked up to the school's six bike racks.

Bicycling and Pedestrian Advocacy Workshop This Wednesday In Berwyn PA

Learn how to build a
safe biking & walking
community!

Are you concerned about your children's safety when they walk or bike in your neighborhood or community? We are holding a workshop this Wednesday on that very subject!

Join us in Berwyn PA this Wednesday to talk about what you can do to make your community safer for bicycling and walking, particularly for school children.

What: Safe Routes Workshop
When: Wednesday, April 25th 2012
Where: East Town Library - 720 First Avenue, Berwyn PA 19312
Time: 7:00 - 8:30 PM

Despite the limited amount of dollars for transportation today, there is still much you can do on the local level to make your neighborhoods and communities safer for children to ride and walk.

Our Safe Routes Philly program has brought bicycling and pedestrian safety lessons to more than 30,000 Philadelphia school children. In this workshop, Safe Routes Philly staff will teach you how to apply for funding, advocate for infrastructure changes, and work with your local schools on encouragement and education activities.

Please RSVP to Diana at 215-242-9253 x 309 or diana@bicyclecoalition.org so we have an idea of how many people to expect. We look forward to seeing you there!

Get Your Students Active And Creative With Our Bike Month Poster Contest

May is Bike Month, and Safe Routes Philly is offering a contest to get Philadelphia's elementary school students involved!

We will be holding a poster contest open to all Philadelphia students in grades 2-6. The contest asks students to create a poster answering the question: Why do I ride a bike? The deadline for entry is May 7th. Five winners will be chosen to participate in the Philadelphia Bike to Work Day with Mayor Nutter on May 18th!

If you are an educator interested in getting your students more active and healthy, this is a great way to combine such lessons with a creative project.

Find the complete contest rules here, and a social studies lesson which can be easily adapted to incorporate the contest. Questions? Contact Safe Routes Philly Community Representative Megan at megan@bicyclecoalition.org or 215-399-1598 x706.

Helping Philadelphia Teachers and Students Lock Their Bikes At School

Our Safe Routes Philly program brings pedestrian and bicycling safety lessons to Philadelphia elementary schools. More than 30,000 students have received our lessons since the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year. However, teaching children about the fun (and health benefits, sshhhh) of riding their bikes to school is hindered if the children can't keep their bikes at school once they arrive.

Recently-installed racks at Meredith Elementary at 5th & Fitzwater
(pots installed by the Terracotta Potting Solutions Coalition) 

The Bicycle Coalition learned in fall 2009 that the School District of Philadelphia had a stash of U-racks, but was not installing them. Once Safe Routes Philly began working with the School District in the fall of 2010, we began nudging the School District to find funding to install them. (That, or start an over-sized horseshoe pitching league.)

Shortly thereafter, the School District found funding! Safe Routes Philly staff worked with interested principals and schools to properly site the racks, and to date have facilitated the installation of 249 U-racks at 44 schools across the district. (The schools were chosen on a first-ask, first-served basis.)

Getting our children excited about biking to school is a critical step in keeping them healthy. We are happy to be facilitating the merger of education and infrastructure which can, with dedication and support, make Philadelphia a healthier city.

Interested in obtaining bike racks for your school? While there is not currently funding for new racks, you can join the waiting list by contacting Diana at diana@bicyclecoalition.org. You can also investigate programs which offer discounted racks to schools.

FREE Walkability Audits for Schools in PA

The Pennsylvania Safe Routes to School Resource Center has free Walkability Audits available to schools in PA. This key planning tool provides schools with the technical assistance necessary to assess walking and biking conditions along routes to school and create a plan for improving them. The walkability audit process is led by a traffic engineer with the help of a team of local school officials, municipal representatives, law enforcement officials, and other community members. After a two-day assessment of existing or potential walking routes, the school is presented with a final report that includes short-, mid-, and long-term recommendations for improving safety and increasing student participation along the walking routes.

Any school interested in a walkability audit can obtain an application form online at www.saferoutespa.org/walkability-audits or by contacting info@saferoutespa.org or (717) 763-0930 (ask for Safe Routes). If your school is deemed eligible for an audit, a representative from the Pennsylvania SRTS Resource Center will be in touch to schedule a two-day site visit with an SRTS engineer.

In Which We Help Three High School Seniors Teach Their School About Bicycle Safety

Our educational efforts, particularly our Safe Routes Philly program, strive for sustainability. The joy of riding a bicycle, and the improved quality of life that mass bicycle riding brings to a community, are messages being adopted by an increasing number of Philadelphia individuals, agencies, and organizations. Proof of this fell onto our desks recently in the form of three high school seniors looking to serve their community.

Several weeks ago, we were contacted by three seniors at GAMP (Girard Academic Music Program), a magnet school in South Philly. For their senior service project, they wanted to teach bicycle safety to their school's youngest students (5th grade). Needless to say, we were all about that.

Winter Walking Safety Tips From Safe Routes Philly

As much of the fun part of the Internet is blacked out today, you might find yourself walking outside (don't panic, they're call pigeons, they're harmless). Snow, cold temperatures, and early darkness should not prevent you or your children from outdoor exercise this winter. Here are some safe walking tips you can review with your children before walking to school or the park, prepared by our Safe Routes Philly Community Representatives.

Be Prepared For Early Darkness

In the winter months it gets dark earlier, so be mindful of the time. If you know you’re going to be out after dark, have a walking buddy. Always try and stay in well-lit areas.

Look Out For Ice

Keep your eyes peeled for ice patches on the sidewalks or in the street. Ice can be hard to see, especially when clear on top of black asphalt. Ice can remain on the ground even if the air feels warm. Never scamper across the street against oncoming traffic, but especially when there could be ice on the road.

Take Extra Precautions When Walking Before/During/After Extreme Weather

Extreme weather can cause city traffic and parking to be a little disjointed. Keep an eye out for visual barriers, such as snow mounds or unique parking situations, which might block you from a motorist's view. Bicyclists, drivers, and pedestrians all have to be especially aware of one another during snowfall or flurries. Make sure you have a clear view of the street and traffic has a clear view of you before attempting to cross the street.

Bundle Up

A warm jacket, hat and gloves will keep you warm when playing a game of catch in the park or walking
to or from school.

Free Crossing Guard Training Sessions In Chester and Lehigh Counties

Are you a crossing guard or do you work at a school which uses crossing guards? The Pennsylvania Safe Routes to School Resource Center is offering one-day training sessions for crossing guards. Unfortunately none of them take place in Philadelphia, but there are a handful in the surrounding counties. More information from the Resource Center below:

Crossing Guard Train-the-Trainer Courses Now Available: REGISTER TODAY


If you are responsible for training school crossing guards, then make plans to attend the Crossing Guard Train-the-Trainer courses offered by the Pennsylvania Safe Routes to School Resource Center. This one-day training focuses on teaching adults how to be effective, efficient, and safe crossing guards so that participants can return to their communities and set up similar training geared for local crossing guards.

Two Student-Made Videos About Bicycling and Street Safety

It's Student Video Friday! Below are two recent videos, one made in Philadelphia and one in Florida, which emphasize bicycle and pedestrian safety. Both are made by students, and both are great viewing.

Video 1: BPSOS Talking To Philadelphians About Bike Lanes

Our Safe Routes Philly staff helped the BPSOS program this summer with its Summer Youth Bicycle and Environmental Program. The program led ten Philadelphia high school students through a 6-week examination of urban planning issues in the city, specifically surrounding transportation. We blogged about the program earlier this year.

Highlighting an Elementary Educator Finding Bicycles for His Students

Our Safe Routes Philly program is busy with its second year of encouraging Philadelphia elementary school students to safely walk or bike to school. In the course of working with educators to implement our curriculum, we meet many incredible men and women who have started encouragement activities of their own. Here is one of them:

Mr. Scott Kurzinsky is the PE teacher at Pratt Elementary (22nd & Susquehanna, in North Philly). He has been a valuable partner of Safe Routes Philly - he taught all of our curriculum last year and plans to do so again this year. On his own initiative, he started an earn-a-bike program at Pratt. We asked him about the idea.

Seeking Philly Public School Parents for Focus Groups This Week

Are you the parent of a Philadelphia public elementary school student? We'd like to talk to you!

We are hosting 5 focus groups this week at 5 different elementary schools around the city. The purpose is to talk to parents about their experiences and opinions concerning traffic safety around their students' schools.

Focus Group Dates and Locations:

Tuesday, Nov 29
1:30 - 3:30 pm
Frances E. Willard Elementary (1930 E. Elkhart St)

Wednesday, Nov 30
6:00 - 8:00 pm
George Sharswood Elementary (2300 S. 2nd St)

Thursday, Dec 1
10:00 am - noon
Anna L. Lingelbach Elementary (Johnson St. & Wayne Ave)

Thursday, Dec 1
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Edward T. Steel Elementary (4301 Wayne Ave)

Thursday, Dec 1
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
John Hancock Elementary (3700 Morrell Ave)

Each session is 90 minutes long. You don't have to be a parent at the school where the session is being held. Each focus group will have light food available, and a non-monetary token of our appreciation for your participation.

These conversations, being held in cooperation with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, will inform our Safe Routes Philly program's efforts to make travelling to and from Philly's schools safer and more fun for both parents and students.

If you are interested in participating, please e-mail or call Ben Cromie with the session you're planning on attending:

Benjamin Cromie

Research Fellow

Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia

215-242-9253 x308

ben@bicyclecoalition.org 

Training Teachers Helps Safe Routes Philly Broaden Its Reach

Our Safe Routes Philly program promotes walking and biking as fun, healthy forms of transportation in Philadelphia's elementary schools. While we hold some school assemblies, we work primarily on a train-the-trainer model, providing teachers with free lessons, training, and resources. Training teachers to implement our pedestrian and bicycling safety lessons multiplies the impact our Community Representatives have in Philadelphia schools, creating a sustainable program and reaching more students without our direct involvement.

One of the most effective ways to get our programming into teachers' hands is through professional development workshops. Bringing teachers together with our Community Representatives allows teachers to ask questions, learn about our programming in a collaborative environment, and see how Safe Routes Philly fits into their respective classroom or gym.

Last year we held 7 professional development events in cooperation with the School District of Philadelphia. Last week, we held our first one of this academic year at Northeast High School during the School District of Philadelphia's Health and PE in-service day.

Megan Rosenbach leads a workshop on running a bicycle safety lesson

We ran two one-hour workshops, in which a combined total of 31 teachers participated. Megan Rosenbach, one of our Community Representatives, led the participating teachers through the PE lesson plans we've developed for teaching pedestrian safety (2nd grade) and bicycling safety (5th grade). Some teachers had already taught our lessons this year, while others had not heard of our program and came away with new lessons and materials. In all, it was an extremely effective morning, providing resources and training to 31 teachers who are now equipped to bring valuable pedestrian and bicycling safety lessons directly to their students.

If you would like to learn more about our Safe Routes Philly program, contact a Community Representative.

Not Too Late For Your PA School To Apply For Walking or Biking Grant

Pennsylvania elementary schools (K-8) interested in getting their children walking and biking to and from school should consider applying to a grant made available by the Pennsylvania Safe Routes to School Resource Center. If you have questions or need help with the application process, you can contact our Safe Routes Philly Community Representatives. The deadline is November 15th.

Details on the grants below:

WHAT: Noninfrastructure grants up to $10,000 each are available from the Pennsylvania Safe Routes to School Resource Center for walking and biking-related items and activities targeting students in kindergarten through eighth grade. This is for nonconstruction activities that support and enhance Safe Routes to School projects. The funded activities must address one or more of the first four Es of Safe Routes to School: Education, Encouragement, Evaluation, and/or Enforcement.

Grant recipients are also eligible to receive a walkability audit. Walkability audits are a key planning tool that provides schools with the technical assistance necessary to assess walking and biking conditions around the school and create a plan for improving them.

WHO: Schools or school districts in Pennsylvania.

WHEN: Deadline to apply for a grant is by 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, November 15.

WHERE: Go to the Pennsylvania Safe Routes to School Resource Center website at www.saferoutespa.org/noninfrastructure-grants to view the grant guidelines and obtain an online application.

WHY: Noninfrastructure grants can help to create safer routes to school and encourage more children to walk and bike to school. And, by participating in a walkability audit, schools are taking an important first step in making their communities safer for pedestrians and bicyclists.

For more information about Safe Routes to School Noninfrastructure Grants, contact the Pennsylvania Safe Routes to School Resource Center at www.saferoutespa.org, info@saferoutespa.org, or (717) 763-0930 (ask for Safe Routes).