As I mentioned in my previous story, participants in today's Oregon Bike Summit broke off into brainstorming sessions today that were focused around three topics: transportation, recreation, and industry.

Their mission? To determine the top five priorities for action in each of them. In lieu of retyping them all, below are the slides that a representative from each group presented during a discussion among the entire summit:

What do you think of these priorities?

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Things are wrapping up here at the summit. If I can muster it, I'll do a final wrap-up sometime tonight.

-- Check out all the other coverage here.
-- See all the photos here.

The real heavy-lifting of the Oregon Bike Summit happens in the break-out sessions.

This morning the 200 nearly attendees selected from four topical sessions. Then, after a lunch that featured an overview of the national Safe Routes to Schools program and a keynote from Gail Achterman (Chair of the Oregon Transportation Commission), they broke out into legislative and action-oriented sessions.

This mornings sessions included sessions on how to plan successful bike events, how to effect policy at the local, state, and national levels, how to create successful partnerships, and how to build bike-friendly communities.

Brad Upton, a citizen activist who drove up to the summit this morning from Corvallis, attended the policy session. He said he learned the importance of connecting with local politicians and turning them into "champions" for the bike movement. "Karl Rohde [the BTA's legislative guy] told us how influential we can be just by making a connection," he said, "even if you can turn just one of them onto bicycling."

At the afternoon legislative sessions, attendees broke into three topics: transportation, recreation and events, and industry. The goal of these breakout sessions was to get into small groups and brainstorm ideas about priorities and action items.

The discussions were lively and the groups were a diverse mix of policy makers and citizen advocates.

In the industry session, attendees included Jennifer Nolfi from the Portland Development Commission, Paul Adkins from Bike Friday, Tim Blumenthal from Bikes Belong, Austin Ramsland from Sweetpea Bicycles, Diane Citrin from Chris King Precision Components, Bill Stites from Stites Design, and others.

Scott Bricker, the executive director of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance sat in for much of the industry discussion. He said, "I'm here to learn. This part of the bike community is new to me and it's exciting."

Each of the three sessions decided on their top five ideas and then presented them to the entire group for a discussion.

Next up, I'll present those top five priorities.

For more photos of the action at the sessions, check out my latest photos in the Oregon Bike Summit gallery.

One of the most important functions of the Oregon Bike Summit is an opportunity for advocates to meet with key partners and decision makers face-to-face.

Between workshop sessions, I noticed a lively discussion going on and I stuck around to see what it was about.

The meeting was between several mountain bike advocacy groups and Oregon State Parks' trails czar Rocky Houston. The group was discussing their ongoing collaboration to build a mountain bike trail system in Stub Stewart State Park -- the newly opened, 1,600 acre state park located 31 miles west of Portland.

Rocky Houston is the Trails Coordinator
for Oregon State Parks.

Around the table were Houston, Portland United Mountain Pedalers (PUMP) member Roger Louton, Joe Rykowski from the Westside Trail Federation, Steve Kruger with Stub Stewart State Park, and representatives from the Black Rock Mountain Bike Association.

Joe Rykowski of the
Westside Trail Federation

PUMP's Louton said that the ad hoc group has been exchanging emails for months, but they had some complicated issues that were tough to work out electronically.

After the meeting he told me, "It was great to get together, in person. In 20 minutes we got everbody on the same page, and I was able to get information straight from the source [State Parks' Houston]."

Houston says the group is working out some permitting and trail construction issues as they embark on an ambitious plan to build a network of bike-only singletrack trails and a freeride/stunt biking park within Stub Stewart.

It's these kind of moments, when advocates and decision-makers can connect and work through issues, that are the core mission of the Oregon Bike Summit.

Few people in the bike world have a longer, more diverse, and impressive resume than Tim Blumenthal.

He's a former bike journalist, he led IMBA into new territory and helped them become a force on the national advocacy scene, he is the consummate industry insider, and he now finds himself steering the Bikes Belong Coalition into a bright future.

Blumenthal's presence at this event helps give Oregon advocates and policy makers an important national perspective on the bike movement.

This morning, he gave a presentation titled, 10 Reasons Bicycling's New Golden Age is About to Begin -- and 5 Forces Threatening to Stop It. He then listed 5 things that are at "tipping points that could change the rules of the game".

Here are Blumenthal's three lists:

10 Reasons the Golden Age is About to Begin

1) Friends on Capitol Hill
We've got some very solid political chess pieces in place, but Blumenthal said we need more. "Find more champions," he urged.

2) Federal Spending is Up
The trend looks good, but bikes and peds still only represent 1.4% of the total federal transportation budget. "We're not even close to getting our mode share's worth." He also made the point that with increased funding, "pushback [from those who still don't think we deserve funding, or who think we're already getting enough] is coming."

3) Obesity Crisis Needs a Solution
[Updated: 4/7, 8:17am]
Blumenthal mentioned a recent Johns Hopkins University study that found, with current trends, 75% of U.S adults and 25% of children will be either obese or overweight by the year2015. He implored the crowd -- many of whom were taking notes -- to commit those three figures (75, 25, 2015) to memory and use them in elevator speeches with decision makers.

4) Bike-sharing is on a Roll
He outlined the success of Velib in Paris and said soon, similar programs will be sprouting up all over America. He also mentioned that Bikes Belong will outfit the upcoming Democratic and Republican National Conventions with 1,000 free bikes. Blumenthal said he hopes it results in national media coverage of politicians and celebrities riding bikes.

Blumenthal spoke at the National Bike Summit in 2007.

5) Aging Baby Boomers Coming into Cycling
Not only is much of America's population aging, says Blumenthal, but many of them are getting turned onto biking as a way to stay active and stave off injury. Among that population are many "influencers, business leaders, and policy makers," who we need to support cycling.

6) An Invested Industry
He noted that the bike industry is (finally) beginning to put their money into advocacy programs.

7) A Viable Transportation Option
41% of all trips in the U.S. are two miles or less -- a perfect distance for a bike ride!

8) Motivated Communities
Blumenthal noted the ongoing success and momentum of the League of American Bicyclist's Bicycle Friendly Communities program (which Bikes Belong is the title sponsor of).

9) A Dynamic, Organized Movement
The recent National Bike Summit, according to Blumenthal, was a "phenomenal display" of the bike movement coming together to achieve our goals in a professional, organized way.

10) Smart Growth Alternatives
Blumenthal said that two growing movements -- Complete Streets, and New Urbanism -- hold major promise for bike-friendly communities. He also noted that they are attracting some no-so-likely proponents, like the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and the National Association of Realtors.

The 5 Threats

1) Suburban Sprawl

2) Incomplete Streets
For a clear definition of the problem, see this "Stupides Bike Lane" video by Slate V that has spread around the web like wildfire in the last week or so.

3) Car Culture
It is powerful, Blumenthal says, and we are reluctant to give up our cars, but he also offered hope. Quoting an environmental activist (whose name escapes me), Blumenthal said, "Your most important ally, can be your most potent foe," and he encouraged us to think about how to partner with the dominant paradigm (cars) to achieve our dreams.

4) Sedentary Lifestyle / Fear of Failure
One of the main reasons more Americans don't bike is that they feel like they'll look silly doing it, crash while trying, or that they don't even feel good enough about their bodies to get off the couch.

5) Economic Uncertainty
In a climate of financial stress for Americans, Blumenthal told us, it will be even more difficult for bike advocates to make the case that investment in more bike-sensitive infrastructure is imperative in solving many problems our nation faces. [*Thanks to reader Matt Picio for sharing these.]

5 Tipping Points That Could Change the Rules of the Game

1) Federal Transportation Funding - "T4", the new transportation bill

2) Bike Rental Systems in the US

3) Rising Gas Prices

4) Safe Routes to School

5) Bicycling Becomes Mainstream

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After the opening presentations, participants chose from one of four workshop sessions. I'll have a little report and some photos from those next.

-- See the latest photos from the Summit here.
-- Browse all my coverage of the event here.

U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer opened the Oregon Bike Summit today by outlining three steps bike advocates can take to help spur the movement toward a bike-friendly America.

Blumenauer referred to Oregon as the "cycling epicenter of the U.S," and said that, "what we're doing is having a ripple effect on the rest of the country."

In a speech to the nearly 200 summit attendees at the Red Lion Hotel in Janzten Beach, Blumenauer said there's, "never been a better time to be advocating for bicycles." Speaking about his 2008 National Bike Bill -- an effort to emulate American transportation infrastructure revisioning efforts in 1808 and 1908 -- Blumenauer recounted how bicyclists "got bushwhacked in the 1800s".

He was referring to a time when bicycling was mainstream in America and the League of American Wheelmen (now the League of American Bicyclists) had over 1 million members. The threat of horseless carriages and poor roadways coalesced those bicyclists into a "Good Roads Movement" to improve America's transportation infrastructure.

We all know what happened next. Blumenauer says that effort was "hijacked" by the rush to the automobile.

Mary Fellows, a "bike commuting grandma" from Southwest Portland has a word with Blumenauer.

Now Blumenauer says, in order to seize our opportunity to transform America into a place where bike riders are comfortable and safe, our job (as advocates, politicians, business leaders, etc...) is to make sure we don't get "sidetracked".

To direct our efforts he offered three things we need to do:
1) Get our story straight and pass it on
Blumenauer challenged the crowd by asking, "Why are you here?" He impressed on us that there is important power in our individual cycling stories and encouraged us to refine that story and share it with others.

2) Pick a path
Blumenauer urged everyone to find causes (non-profits, projects, etc...) to support and be active in moving them forward.

3) Get political
Blumenauer says we all need to implicate ourselves into the political process. If we don't, he says, the "other side" will push their own "public policy perversions." On that note, similar to his speech at the National Bike Summit last March, he referred to the partisan bickering that has tied up good bicycle-related policy (like the Bike Commuter Act).

Blumenauer specifically referred to the House floor speech made by North Carolina Republican Patrick McHenry back in August -- a speech that drew ire of bike advocates worldwide when he said bicycles are a, "19th century solution to 21st century problems". McHenry earned the moniker of "weasel" and Blumenauer urged us to pounce on politicians who make comments like that and hold them accountable.

Rousing up advocates is familiar territory for Blumenauer, but no matter how many times I hear him speak, he always manages to add a new wrinkle of inspiration to his words.

The Oregon Bike Summit got officially underway last night with a healthy (and inspiring) dose of perspective.

Attendees gathered in the ball room Red Lion Hotel on the Columbia River (the I-5 bridge loomed in the background) and heard a speech by mountain biking advocate Hill Abell and a listened to a presentation by the City of Portland's bicycle coordinator Roger Geller.

Abell is the President of the International Mountain Bicycling Association, which has transformed itself over the past decade or so into one of the most powerful advocates for biking in the country. IMBA works with their 85,000 members all over the world to educate people about sustainable trail building and to advocate for mountain bike access.

IMBA's Hill Abell.

Besides sharing information about their programs and letting us know that they have plans to open one of their new "IMBA Ride Centers" in Oakridge (south of Eugene) Abell stressed the importance of mountain biking as a "gateway" activity that brings people into cycling.

Abell acknowledged that some folks still don't see how mountain biking fits into the larger context of the bicycle (as transportation) movement. He quieted that perspective by saying, "As far as we're concerned, if you ride a bike, you're a good person."

Up next was PDOT's Roger Geller.

Geller was in rare form. I've seen him talk numerous times in the past few months, but he brought something extra to the podium last night. His presentation was titled, "Bicycles are the low-hanging fruit," and his basic premise was that bikes are a simple, cheap solution to many of our complex problems.

Reminiscent of Trek President John Burke's presentation at the National Bike Summit two years ago, Geller led us through the problems we face as a nation -- obesity, climate change, etc... -- and than queried the crowd for what could be a solution. With an engaging mix of humor, passion, urgency and optimism, Geller made his case that bikes are the best return on our transportation investment dollar. Or, as he likes to put it, "bikes are a very cheap date."

Geller left the crowd buzzing.

After outlining Portland's impressive successes, he illustrated that all the accomplishments have come via a miniscule investment and that, overall, Portland has done very little in the way of concrete engineering and infrastructure improvements specifically for bikes.

After demonstrating how much has been done with so little, he than laid out a new plan for bike funding over the next 15 years.

Geller's big idea (and please realize this is not a new PDOT policy, it's just food for thought)? To raise the money needed to make a significant leap in bicycle mode split (to 25% of all trips), he asks for just $18 per person per year for 15 years -- a total of $350 million.

That investment would equate to $150 million for Portland and $20-40 million each for Oregon's other major cities like Eugene, Salem and Corvallis.

To drive the point home, Geller said that $350 million is just .04% of Oregon's annual budget, 1.3% of the state's transportation budget, and that it would buy a mere 800 feet of the proposed $4.2 billion dollar Columbia River Crossing project.

But he warned, "It's not just about building [infrastructure] for bikes, it's about reigning in the automobile." Geller admitted that we cannot achieve our bike-friendly future, without discouraging car use (either through policies or infrastructure).

The crowd securely in his corner, Geller pleaded that now it's our job to convince decision makers ("those that hold the pursestrings") that bikes are the low-hanging fruit and they should not think twice about picking them when it comes time to dole out funds.

Before the opening keynote and dinner of the Oregon Bike Summit, Roger Geller from PDOT and Scott Bricker from the BTA led summit attendees on a bike tour of Portland.

Ride participants included Hill Abell (Board President of the International Mountain Bicycling Association), Sheila Lyons (from ODOT's bike and ped program), and Paul Adkins (from Bike Friday in Eugene).

Roger Geller (and his cohort Greg Raisman) shared fun facts about all the cool bike facility innovations that make riding in Portland so great. We got a primer on a bike-only traffic signal, the new bike boxes, the HAWK signal (at Burnside and 42nd), bike corrals (on Mississippi), bike boulevards, and more -- all with a backdrop of a gorgeous spring day.

Check out the slideshow below for a glimpse of what it's like riding through Portland this time of year:
Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Also check out my Oregon Bike Summit photo gallery (updated throughout the event).

Third Annual Oregon Bike Summit to Focus on Funding, Support for Bicycling Issues

Two-day event will bring together cycling advocates to address a broad agenda of issues including legislation, safety and tourism

PORTLAND, Ore. – April 3, 2008 – The third annual Oregon Bike Summit, to be held April 4-5 in Portland, will bring together several hundred people interested in cycling to coordinate their efforts to pass important cycling legislation, create a safer cycling atmosphere in the state and the nation, and make Oregon a premier cycling-tourism destination. The theme of the event is “Oregon: the land bicycles dream about.”

The event will feature a group bike ride and an evening reception and dinner on Friday, followed Saturday by a complete day of general and breakout sessions on bike-related topics. Hill Abell, President of the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA), will be the keynote speaker Friday evening, while Saturday’s slate of speakers is scheduled to include U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, Bikes Belong president Tim Blumenthal, Oregon Transportation Commission chair Gail Achterman and Alta Planning + Design principal Mia Birk.

“We’ve made significant progress on cycling-related issues in the last few years, but there are still many efforts we need to direct Oregon’s cycling advocates toward,” said Jerry Norquist, Cycle Oregon ride director and co-organizer of the Oregon Bike Summit. “Bringing together a diverse and committed group in one place for two days of learning and discussion really focuses everyone’s energy into the effort to make Oregon a safer, easier and more desirable place to ride.”

This year’s summit will focus on a variety of issues, with a primary focus on strategizing for the 2009 renewal of the National Transportation Bill, which provides funds for bicycle projects. Additional topics for breakout sessions include putting on successful bike events, affecting policy on local and national levels, building fruitful partnerships and creating bicycle-friendly communities.

“We want to have a strong voice in transportation policy, and also make Oregon a state cyclists immediately think of as a great place to ride,” said Norquist. “To achieve that, we need to know how to influence decision-makers to fund and prioritize cycling projects – as we continue to create a great cycling atmosphere in our own state.”

The workshop is titled, Get out of my dreams…and onto my bike! Bike Friendly Communities - a tool for making Oregon a Premiere Cycling Destination. As a part of the conference agenda the workshop will attract business owners, chambers of commerce, convention and visitors bureaus, county commissioners, economic development professionals and publicly elected leaders from across the region.

From the conference agenda:

Interested in making Oregon a premiere cycling destination? There is nothing more sustainable than getting out of your car and onto a human-powered, two-wheeled transportation device. Following the heels of the National Bike Summit and the Oregon Bike Summit (April 4-5), this workshop will take a close look at the Bicycle Friendly Communities Program – what it has done for Oregon communities already and how other communities can take advantage of this tool to guide their work towards becoming a cycling destination.

The workshop will be moderated by Cycle Oregon Executive Director Jerry Norquist. Joining Norquist on the panel will be:

• Elizabeth Train, Grants and Research Director at Bikes Belong
• Steve Rogers, Director of Public Works for the City of Corvallis
• Jill Van Winkle, IMBA Trail Solutions
• Carol Potter, Executive Director of Mountain Trails Foundation in Park City, Utah

Attendees of the workshop will also be eligible for a prize if they take the "Oregon Cycling Pledge" (not sure what that is yet).

This is great exposure to an audience that can have a major impact on improving conditions for bicycling throughout Oregon.

The 24th annual Oregon Tourism Conference will be held April 6-8 at the Red Lion Hotel in Jantzen Beach.

An Oregon bike rack at last
year's Oregon Bike Summit.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Oregon's dream to become the #1 bicycle destination in the country will move closer to reality when the Oregon Bike Summit comes to Portland in April.

The event, now in its third year, brings together advocates, exhibitors, politicians, city planners, and members of the bike industry. The agenda includes ample networking time, a slate of nationally prominent speakers, and workshops designed to educate and inspire attendees.

Hoping to build on momentum of the recently concluded National Bike Summit, event organizer Jerry Norquist has put together an impressive agenda. Among the speakers are:

• Hill Abell, Board President of the International Mountain Bicycling Association;
• Mia Birk, Principal, Alta Planning and Design;
• Congressman Earl Blumenauer, U.S. House of Representatives;
• Tim Blumenthal, Executive Director of Bikes Belong;
• Gail Achterman, Chair of the Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC)

Blumenauer's speech on Why Cycling is Important to Oregon should be good and I'm also looking forward to Gail Achterman's insights into Oregon's political climate for bikes.

I've been to the two previous Oregon Bike Summits (in Eugene and then in Sisters), and they're a great way for everyone to coordinate efforts, learn about new initiatives, and become better advocates.

Registration for the event is available online until March 28th. I hope to see a large and energetic crowd again this year!

The Oregon Bike Summit
April 4-5
Red Lion Hotel on the River - Jantzen Beach
Conference fee: $100 (includes Friday dinner and Saturday breakfast, lunch and reception)
-- Register Online --