Bike Maryland December 2014 Newsletter
It Has Been a Busy Season at Bike Maryland!
Sure, winter may be around the corner but there are plenty of great riding days to be enjoyed in 2014! When your friends from Bike Maryland are not out on the roads or the trails, we are here at the office working to raise awareness, raise funds and raise the collective voice of cyclists across the state. Here is a recap of what we have been up to, events you can participate in and a great opportunity for you to invest in your right to bike.
Advocate, Gather, Educate and Ride!
As part of our mission to promote multi-surface bicycling for recreation and transportation, Bike Maryland has been traveling to counties far and wide to support local cycling initiatives. The proactive workshop tour was launched in early August and has successfully gathered and educated experienced and budding advocates in Cumberland, Anne Arundel and Salisbury, Harford, Hagerstown, Emmitsburg, Berlin and Ocean Pines and before the end of the year we will also meet to collaborate (and ride, of course) in Williamsport, Brunswick, Frederick County and Garrett County! If your town, company or university is interested in learning how to become more bike-friendly, please email Emily Ranson, Bike Maryland's Advocacy Coordinator.
Fueled by the positive momentum at the Hood College Bike Friendly University workshop last winter, the Bike Maryland Bike Friendly program hosted an inaugural University Summit in partnership with University of Maryland which gathered sustainability directors, facilities planners and bike advocates from 15 Maryland colleges and universities on October 14th.
The discussion continued and was pushed into high gear on November 8th at the Bike Maryland Legislative Planning Session, where local bicycling advocacy leaders from counties across Maryland came together with highly motivated tactics and agenda items for the upcoming 2015 Legislative Session. The contributions and take-aways from this session were referenced while finalizing the Bike Maryland's strategic plan.
The positive strides in advocacy coincided as the Bike Maryland Bike MINDED Safety Program wrapped up it's 2014 fiscal year on October 31st, meeting the goal of educating 15,000 adults and children at over 200 educational workshops, tabling events and rides in counties surrounding in the Baltimore metropolitan area over the course of 12 months. We happily report that the Maryland Highway Safety Office program grant was renewed and workshops for the coming year are now being planned! To learn more about the youth and adult workshops, visit here.
We encourage you to become a part of the conversation and to express your bicycling desires, concerns or questions! Bike Maryland strives to be the leading resource for bicycling in the state and we want to help connect you with opportunities to ride, engage and belong.
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Upcoming Events
December 2- City of Frederick: Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee: An open meeting to help build recommendations for improved bicycling
December 3- Rockville Bicycle Advisory Committee Meeting: An open meeting to help build recommendations for improved bicycling
December 7 - Trail Build Patapsco Fun Series: Bring your favorite tool and expect to get dirty and this truly fun gathering of trailheads! Please RSVP
December 12 - Maryland Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee Meeting: all meetings are held at MDOT and are free and open to the public.
December 13 - Bike Maryland Bike MINDED Adult Commuter Safety Workshop: a free workshop and ride to learn techniques and meet like-minded folks!
December 15 - Bike the Lights: a festive holiday experience on two wheels benefiting Howard County General Hospital for all ages and experience levels!
December 26 - Baltimore Bike Party: a themed mass monthly ride starting out of St. Mary's Park in Baltimore City for all ages, backgrounds and abilities!
Invest with Bike Maryland and Your Stock Will Double. Instantly!
We are thrilled to announce that December 2nd, Giving Tuesday marks the launch of Bike Maryland's 2014 End of The Year Charitable Matching Campaign! Thanks to a generous contribution from Race Pace Bicycles every donation between now and December 31st will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $5,000! That means your gift will travel twice as far and help us pedal twice as hard to achieve our mission to improve bicycling conditions across the state! Please consider Bike Maryland as you plan for your end of the year giving and click HERE to donate.
Thank you to Race Pace Bicycles for their continued support of Bike Maryland and bicyclists across the state. We are grateful of your partnership!
Looking Forward to the Next Newsletter
Keep your eyes open for our next newsletter, which will feature:
- 2014 Bike Maryland Annual Report
- 5 Year Bike Maryland Strategic Plan
- Dates for Bike Maryland's 2015 Events