Congressman Peter DeFazio in 2009.
(Photos © J. Maus)
Earlier this week I bought my plane ticket and officially registered for the 2010 National Bike Summit in Washington D.C..
With a transportation bill in limbo, “livable communities” buzzing on everyone’s lips, high-speed rail and distracted driving making major headlines, and social media changing how people communicate, it should be a very interesting year.
This will be my fifth straight year at the event and my first time on the official agenda. On Wednesday March 10th, I’ll be on a panel for a workshop session titled, Social Marketing – Real Potential for Advocacy. Joining me will be Bryan Goebel, editor of Streetsblog San Francisco and Sarah Stuart from the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. The panel will be moderated by Paul Miser, a social marketing/brand expert.
The Summit celebrates its 10th anniversary this year and I’m sure there will be a lot of well-deserved celebratory retrospection. After all, it started with just a few visionary advocates and industry leaders and has now grown to a major event that has left more than a few marks on Capitol Hill. Organizers are shooting for 1,000 participants this year.
Last year there was an air of optimism with President Obama just getting settled into the White House and his Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood riling up the crowd with promises of partnership. This year I hope we send a clear signal that we’re done with promises — it’s time for action.
Joining me will be the All-Star Advocacy Team from Oregon. We usually have one of the largest contingents of any state and it’s an honor to be on that team. If you haven’t been to the Summit, I’d strongly recommend it. It’s one of the most inspiring and educational things you can do in the bike world.
I hope you’ll follow my daily coverage and photos of the event this year. To get a sense for what it’s like, check out my coverage from the Summit in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009.