Watch slideshow below.
(Photos © J. Maus)

The eighth annual National Bike Summit came to a close today with the traditional bike ride around the Capitol.

100+ riders were guided along by staff from the Washington Area Bicyclists Association (WABA) and were treated to a handlebars-eye view of bicycling conditions on the city streets, residential boulevards, and multi-use paths in and around Capitol Hill.

We carried our bikes over broken bikeways, dueled and dodged several big trucks, rambled through posh, tree-lined Capitol Hill neighborhoods, pedaled high above the Anacostia River mere feet from freeway traffic, enjoyed a smooth spin along the riverfront and ended at the pool in front of the Capitol building.

Faces in the crowd included Dirt Rag Magazine founder Maurice Tierney, IMBA's executive director Mike Van Abel, League of American Bicyclists president Andy Clarke, Marin County Bicycle Coalition and Safe Routes to Schools National Partnership director/juggernaut Deb Hubsmith, and several folks from the Oregon contingent.

See more faces and places from the ride in the photo gallery or watch the slideshow below (30 images):

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Tonight, among the high ceilings and dramatic architecture of the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill, was the Congressional Reception; an event where Summit-goers could finally relax after two full days in bike advocacy boot camp.

There was a great sense of energy and optimism in the room and it was a fitting way to end what Bike Belong Coalition director Tim Blumenthal said was the "best Summit ever".

Below are a few thoughts and snapshots from the event...

The thrill of the night was by far the rousing speech given by Minnesota Congressman, and bicycling's #1 man in Washington, Jim Oberstar. Just weeks from receiving surgery on an arthritic hip, the usually bouncy Oberstar (whose 74 year-old legs had no trouble in the hills at Cycle Oregon last year) walked with a cane, but he didn't let that stop him from delivering an emotional speech that left the crowd yelling, "Encore!, Encore!".

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I knew Travel Portland was committed to making bikes a focus of their sustainable tourism efforts, but I was still impressed to see these cool business cards they were passing out...

Yep, that's a handmade Vanilla bicycle, made by Sacha White in Portland. Nice.

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I couldn't resist a chance to photograph two of the leading advocates in the bike industry: Jay Ferm from Planet Bike and Trek Bicycles President, John Burke. It was great to see both of them engaged in a conversation about how the industry can get more involved with advocacy, not just because it's the right thing to do, but because they are both smart enough to put their competitive corporate interests aside for a common goal.

John Burke (L) and Jay Ferm (R)

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I finally met Joel Gwadz, the man behind "gwadzilla," one of the original bike blogs. Joel started photographing bikes on the streets of DC way back in 2003 and he's still going strong.

(And thanks for the socks Joel...I mean Citybikes.)

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Here's a great-looking piece of bike propaganda. According to Noah Budnick (holding the poster, below) it's part of a new educational/promo campaign by New York City-based advocacy group Transportation Alternatives.

Noah says they've also got similar posters for transit, "Transit is wonderful," and for walking, "Walkers are the oxygen of the city." See them all here.

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Tonight's reception was the last official event of the 2008 National Bike Summit. Tomorrow morning I'll join the crew from the Washington Area Bicyclists Association for the annual Congressional Bike Caucus Ride. Stay tuned for photos from that ride and some final thoughts on the Summit.

Your regularly scheduled programming will resume on Monday.

Scott Bricker (L) and Scott Bricker (R).
(Photos © J. Maus)

Meet Scott Bricker, the Executive Director of Bike Pittsburgh. No, that's not a typo; that's just a guy with the same name, same title, and working in the same field as the Portland-based Scott Bricker whom many of you know as the leader of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA).

Let me explain.

Six years ago, an enthusiastic cyclist from Pittsburgh wanted to start a non-profit to promote and encourage bicycling; so he turned to the Internet to research existing and successful bike advocacy groups that he could emulate.

When he stumbled across the website of the BTA, he noticed someone on the staff with his same name and thought, "Now that's someone I need to call." And he did.

The two great Scotts hit it off right away, but their matching names and very similar positions have resulted in a fair amount of confusion over the years.

For instance, when news spread about the BTA's Scott Bricker being named the executive director of the organization back in October, the Pittsburgh Scott Bricker said he received several emails and phone calls from friends congratulating him on the position.

They're also both readers and posters to the same bike advocacy email list, where some folks have started calling them "Scoot" (Pittsburgh Scott) and "Brick" (Portland Scott) in order to avoid confusion.

The Oregon delegation on the balcony outside Congressman
Peter DeFazio's office with the Capitol Building in the background.
From L to R: (Front row) Ken Dennis, Daniel McGinnis, Brad Upton, (Rear) Jeff Hampton, Angela Koch, Chris Distefano, Scott West, Robert Ping, Roger Geller, Scott Bricker, Dan Bower, Jay Graves, Jerry Norquist, Jeanette Kloos, Veronica Rinard, Karl Rohde, Kristin Dahl. Not pictured: Paul Adkins, Meeky Blizzard, Emily Gardner, Jonathan Maus, Jill Van Winkle

Oregon is on a quest to be "the place bicycles dream about" so it should come as no surprise that the Oregon delegation at the National Bike Summit is nothing short of a Dream Team. This all-star cast represents diverse perspectives, has expertise in many areas, is passionate about the bicycle movement, and above all, they're just really nice folks.

Here's a list of who they are and what they do (if I left anyone out, please let me know)...

• Paul Adkins
  Travel System Consultant, Bike Friday
• Meeky Blizzard
  Livable Communities Advisor, Congressman Earl Blumenauer (works in the Portland office)
• Dan Bower
  Portland Office of Transportation, Transportation Options Division
• Scott Bricker
  Executive Director, Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA)
• Kristin Dahl
  Tourism Development and Sustainability Manager, Travel Oregon
• Chris Distefano
  Marketing and Communications, Chris King Precision Components
• Ken Dennis
  Citizen Advocate from Newport Oregon, Member of the Yaquina Wheels Bicycle Club
• Emily Gardner
  Policy Advocate, Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA)
• Roger Geller
  Bicycle Coordinator, Portland Office of Transportation
• Jay Graves
  Owner, The Bike Gallery
• Jeff Hampton - Policy & Research Manager, Travel Oregon
• Jeanette Kloos
  President, Friends of the Historic Columbia River Highway
• Angela Koch
  Safe Routes to School Director, Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA)
• Jonathan Maus
  Founder/Editor, BikePortland.org
• Daniel McGinnis
  President, The Bike Gallery
• Jerry Norquist
  Manager, Cycle Oregon
• Robert Ping
  State Network Manager, Safe Routes to School National Partnership
• Veronica Rinard
  Community Relations Director, Travel Portland
• Karl Rohde
  Government Relations & Public Affairs Director, Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA)
• Brad Upton
  Citizen Advocate from Corvallis
• Jill Van Winkle
  Trail Specialist, International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA)

With talent like this, and all the voices they represent back home, I'd say Oregon's bicycling future is in very good hands.

And by the way, there are no try-outs for this Dream Team. All you have to do is show up to become a member. So start making plans for next year's Summit, we'd love to have you join us!

The plan as of January 2008. Click to enlarge

An effort to stitch together thousands of miles of designated bike routes across the country is gaining steam in Washington. With the help of a key partnership with the Adventure Cycling Association, the American Association of State Highways and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has renewed their effort to develop a U.S. Bicycle Route System.

Jim Sayer, the Executive Director
of the Adventure Cycling Association
has been a key player in making
this dream a reality.
(Photo © J. Maus)

The effort began, in policy at least, some twenty years ago. But since that time only fragments of two bikeways -- the TransAmerica and Atlantic Coast routes -- have been officially designated. Then, in 2004, AASHTO passed a resolution to establish and extend the system and to create an ad hoc Task Force to develop a recommended national plan and blueprint for the program.

A key member of that Task Force is the Adventure Cycling Association, a non-profit that has mapped over 37,000 miles of bike routes in the U.S. Since 2005, Adventure Cycling has provided staff assistance for the effort and they have been relentless advocates for the project and have worked closely with AASHTO to move it forward.

Jim Sayer, Adventure Cycling's Executive Director, has been a tireless advocate for this project and he says all the work is about to pay off. "We're on the verge of it finally moving through and having AASHTO approve the final plan," he said, "and once all that comes to pass, we can start putting routes together."

According to Sayer, there are no set routes yet and the plan is to establish a system of "corridors" -- 50 mile wide bands that give rough parameters to help establish the routes. He also says the standards are not yet set for what type of path, trail, or road the routes would be (*Update: Read Mr. Sayer's comment below for more information.)

Time-frame for final approval is expected to come this fall when AASHTO's Standing Committee on Highways will take a final look at the plan. Between meetings on Capitol Hill today he told me, "It's exciting because they've historically been focused on moving cars, not bicycles." Sayer says the project has been a collaborative and deliberate effort; "We've really taken our time, but it's paid off because everyone involved feels really invested in the project."

Once complete, the U.S. Bicycle Route System will link cities, towns, and regions together with a publicized, maintained, and signed network of bike routes that will, according to the Adventure Cycling website, "connect communities and ensure opportunities for future generations to travel by bicycle throughout North America."

For more on the U.S. Bicycle Route System, go to AdventureCycling.org.

Dan Beard announcing the bike-sharing
program on Capitol Hill this morning.
(Photo: Earl Blumenauer's office)

Just hours after news outlets reported that oil prices have hit an all-time record high, Congressman Earl Blumenauer and Dan Beard, the Chief Administrative Officer of the U.S. House of Representatives, announced a new bike-sharing program at a rally for the National Bike Summit on Capitol Hill this morning.

Dubbed "Wheels4Wellness," the new program will initially place 30 bikes at three locations around the U.S. House offices on Capitol Hill and will be available for free to the House's 7,000 DC-based employees. Beard also announced that a second phase of the program will extend the locations to major transit hubs, like the train station at L'Enfant Plaza which is a popular hub for Capitol Hill commuters.

Speaking in a packed room, Beard acknowledged that the program, "Is not Paris, trust me...," but he said it will, "give our employees a new commuting option and also an opportunity to get some exercise during the day."

Beard says they hope to have the program in place by Earth Day (April 22) and that "plan b" would be do have it ready by National Bike Week (May 31st).

The details of the program are still being worked out. After the announcement Beard told me they're still trying to decide the exact type of system they'll use to access and return the bikes. Beard said he hopes the system can be integrated with an existing "QuickPay" payment card used for meals and other items on Capitol Hill that all employees already have. Another detail being worked out are making sure the bikes meet federal procurement laws that require the bikes to be American made.

Also giving his stamp of approval and speaking in support of the Wheels4Wellness program was the attending physician for the U.S. House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Supreme Court, Dr. John Eisold.

Unfortunately, my photos from this morning's rally were lost in a technical glitch (some nice ones too!), but I did manage to get the audio from the bike-sharing announcement. Have a listen below...
Download audio file (beardBikeSharing.mp3)
(3 min, 17 sec - MP3)

Roger Geller, Jerry Norquist, Scott Bricker, and
Veronica Rinard formed part of a dream team
of Portland bike advocates that filled in
for Commissioner Sam Adams at lunch today.
(Photos © J. Maus)

From the opening speech that was given by a former Portland City Commissioner (Earl Blumenauer) to the last event of the day which was headlined by a Portland-based lawyer (Bob Mionske) and just about everything in between, Portland was all over the National Bike Summit today.

Today's informational "breakout" sessions were also full of panels featuring Portland bike stars.

Among them was bike lawyer Bob Mionske. Mionske, who you might recall made headlines back in November for his claims of bias against cyclists in the Portland Police Bureau, was a panelist in a session titled, Promoting Cyclists' Rights, Responsibilities, and Protection Under the Law. He was also the featured speaker at the League's annual meeting which took place tonight.

Scott Bricker shared his insights into Portland's bicycle boulevards.

Veronica Rinard told the crowd about Travel Portland's work to use bikes as a tourism draw.

In a later session, Dan Bower from the City of Portland's Transportation Options division tag-teamed with Scott Bricker from the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) to share the Portland story in a session titled, Getting More People Riding: The Two Mile Challenge. That session was likely the most popular of the day, with an over-capacity crowd eager for more insights into what makes Portland tick (and to learn more about Clif Bar's awesome 2-Mile Challenge campaign).

Just down the hall from that session, former BTA staffer and North Portland resident Robert Ping was on a panel discussing the national Safe Routes to Schools program.

The Keynote Luncheon was next, and even though City of Portland Commissioner Sam Adams didn't show for his scheduled keynote speech (he's sick with the flu), five capable Portlanders stepped up to fill his shoes.

Jerry Norquist from Cycle Oregon, Jay Graves of the Bike Gallery, Veronica Rinard of Travel Portland, Roger Geller of PDOT, and Scott Bricker from the BTA each spent a few minutes telling a different part of the Portland story -- from financing strategies to tourism -- to the 500+ in attendance.

And the Portland show didn't stop there. In the afternoon sessions, City of Portland bicycle coordinator Roger Geller was on a panel for a session titled, Rethinking Transportation -- The Role of Bicycling in Great American Cities.

So, whether we're comfortable on stage or not, our bike-friendly accomplishments have made us the model that cities across the country are looking to for guidance, innovation, and a bold performance on behalf of bicycling.

I hope we continue to meet and exceed these expecations. After all, the show must go on.

John Horsley, Executive
Director of AASHTO, looking
very establishment-ish.

This morning we heard from John Horsley, head of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Horsley came to "give context on where bikes fit in the national transportation picture."

AASHTO calls themselves the "Voice of American Transportation" and League President Andy Clarke referred to them as the transportation "establishment". Suffice it to say, AASHTO is a powerful organization and to many, what they say, goes.

One the slides from Horsley's presentation.

Their Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities, has set influential standards for how states build bicycle infrastructure. And, even though many planners grumble that the standards are outdated, the book has been officially adopted as the bicycle facility design manual for many transportation departments around the country (including our very own ODOT).

So, when the head of AASHTO talks, people listen (whether they like it or not). And here's what he said...

First, Horsely laid out the facts: In the last 50 years vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in America has increased five-fold. According to Horsely, "That's just not sustainable," and he added that AASHTO has set a goal to cut VMT by 50% in 50 years (by 2055).

Horsley wanted us to know that, after all these years AASHTO gets the bike thing. He announced two positive steps; they have plans to make a major update and revision to their 30 year-old bike guide by Fall of 2009 and he pointed out their renewed commitment to the U.S. Bicycle Route System (which they initiated over 20 years ago but have never really put into motion. More on that later).

For a few more interesting facts and figures, I've recreated Horsley's slide presentation below.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

With Day 2 in the books, Sabrina Merlo
from the Bay Area Bicycle Coalition
wasted no time in letting loose (notice
the beer in her hand and the smile on her face).
(Photo © J. Maus)

Tomorrow is the day when the hopes and demands of America's burgeoning bicycle movement begin to take shape. It's the day when hundreds of advocates will march up to Capitol Hill to share their enthusiasm and visions for a more bike-centric America.

We'll start out with an event I always enjoy; the Capitol Hill Rally and Continental Breakfast. This year we're expecting to hear Rep. Earl Blumenauer formally announce his new bike bills (the National Bike Bill, the Congressional Resolution, his Capitol Hill Bike Plan, etc...) We are also likely to hear from another major bicycling ally; Congressman Jim Oberstar from Minnesota.

After the rally and breakfast everyone will team up with their statewide contingents and execute their plan of attack on their respective members of Congress. We'll share with them both local and national priorities.

On the national side, the League has selected four major "asks", or issues of special priority that need support from our electeds. The four issues are:

• Sign onto Blumenauer's Congressional Resolution on bikes
• Support recently introduced Complete Streets legislation
• Support the National Parks Service Centennial Initiative
• Ask them to join the Congressional Bike Caucus

After an exhausting day full of meetings, everyone will come back together for the Congressional Reception party. Held on Capitol Hill, this is always a treat. We'll hear about all the day's victories and toast our lobbying efforts with cold adult beverages and finger foods.