When you read the news about cities and states making streets safer for bicyclists, you'd be correct to assume that the push comes from the advocacy arm of a bike club.
Usually, the more members in the club, the louder their voice.
The 14,000-member Cascade Bicycle Club in Seattle, for instance, can afford to have paid and volunteer advocates pressing for better streets in cities and visiting the offices of lawmakers in Olympia. They also run education and bike commuting programs, as well as present a slate of cycling events every year.
It's a great example about how it pays to support your local bicycle club. Seattle is ranked as a gold level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists.
Membership drive
Chris Kostman would like to achieve that kind of support for the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition.
Chris is chief adventure officer and race director at southern California-based AdventureCORPS. This past April, a friend and fellow cyclist Jim Swarzman, 47, was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver during a long-distance cycling event. (That motorist, who turned himself in the next day, was sentenced to 2 years in state prison but is expected to serve less time.)
At a memorial service, Swarzman's fiance Nicole Honda asked those in attendance to do two things: Don't let yourselves be distracted while you drive and support the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition.
Chris knew he could amplify that request from Nicole, so he set up the Jim Swarzman Memorial Membership Drive. AdventureCORPS will match the amount of all new memberships, renewals and donations at double the amount. The offer covers up to $10,000 for a limited amount of time.
'Stunned'
The Los Angeles Bicycle Coalition can use more members. Writes Chris:
“I was stunned to learn that the sole organization in this giant county
of ten million people which represents and furthers cyclists' rights and
needs has barely over a thousand members! Eleven hundred members, out
of ALL those LA area cyclists??? I was stunned, and appalled. Knowing
how critical a collective voice is to gaining, and then keeping, our
rights to safely ride on the roads of Los Angeles County is, everyone
who rides a bike in LA County should be a member of the LACBC! (Even
those living outside LA County should consider supporting LACBC, because
they have become a role model organization for promoting cycling in
large metropolitan areas.)”
In spite of low membership, the bicycling coalition is getting a lot of work done.
Just last week, in a story about the opening of downtown LA's first commuter bikeway, BikeRadar credits LACBC for working with locals to see the bikeway to completion. The coalition also has been instrumental in pushing for implementation of the LA City Bike Plan and other causes.
So, if you ride your bicycle around LA, joining the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition is a great investment. And with the double-match, your dollars will go further.
Local clubs
If you live somewhere else in the US, but you're inspired to join you local bicycle club, you can go to the “Find It” tool at the League of American Bicyclists. You can search for you local bicycle club by state, city or zip code.
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