Dear Senator,

[Start with who you are] I am the President of the Nevada Bicycle Coalition. We have gathered a strong base of support statewide for Assembly Bill 168. These groups, from children to non-profits, businesses to government agencies are onboard because AB 168 is a rare opportunity to dramatically improve safety and encourage cycling at no cost to taxpayers. We aren’t alone. Stop-As-Yield has been shown to work across the United States. Here is why Stop-As-Yield is safer for cyclists AND drivers. A high proportion of traffic violence occurs at intersections. But unlike drivers, cyclists are much more vulnerable at intersections. Drivers do not want to inadvertently hit us. So reducing conflict for drivers through AB 168 will benefit drivers as well. Therefore, to modernize our traffic laws, vulnerable road users need the capability to make decisions to protect their safety at intersections without fear that they are breaking the law to protect themselves and their children. Please modernize our traffic laws to improve safety, educate the public regarding vulnerable road users and encourage this safe, healthy and financially practical solution for our state’s growing road challenges. RTC north and south are trying to increase bicycle use for all those reasons. This is one quick, easy and low-cost way to do that. Please pass AB168, talk to other legislators and the public about the vulnerability of cyclists. Thank you for your time, support and care for the safety of cyclists and drivers. If you would like to speak with me, or if you have constituents who want to know more, call my cell at 775-287-0302.

Again: USE THIS LINK, SELECT AB 168 AND SEND YOUR LETTER.

Being a member of the statewide Nevada Bicycle Coalition does not require much commitment. Just attending a meeting once a month, discussing and voting. We will be holding a strategic planning meeting later this month and invite the public to attend: 6pm at Pignic on May 23rd. Bring something to grill and your ideas. In addition to AB 168 we are discussing incentives to purchase bikes and how to help rural Nevada communities build protected paths from their campgrounds to their town centers. We learned about all of these opportunities at the National Bike Summit last year and our first attempt at statewide legislation through AB168If you would like to apply to be on the board, please fill out this application.

I was riding my bike recently for Bike Month and thinking about how our bylaws at TMBA require a new president every two-3 years. I had the epiphany that our success and strength today is a result of the vision of our previous President and founder John McCann. While a new president every two years could be seen as a destabilizing shake up, it is turning out to be beyond valuable. The past 8 years has demonstrated why.

When it was time for me to step down, some wanted me to stay on board. I declined because I knew it was important for the growth of the organization and we must follow the vision of our founders. I wasn’t sure it would work. But now, I see that it is working out exactly as intended.

Each president builds on the work of the last one, grows and becomes a strong leader with the support of previous presidents.

TMBA’s start was meager. Bike Valet was a big focus for John at the start. But because of his groundwork, I was able to secure funding. We now have a Bike Valet contractor and have expanded dramatically in a sustainable way that also increases our income at the same time. We never had a sustainable source of income. And now we do, thanks to Food Truck Friday and the Aces and Earth Day. This would not have been possible without John’s groundwork, the work of the board and an anonymous donor.

That anonymous donor likely came on board because I was so focused on stirring things up in the media about road safety projects like the Center Street Cycletrack. While we lost on Center Street, we won in terms of turning that one mile of protected infrastructure into a 6-mile network that is in the works. This is something that Mayor Schieve and City Engineer Kerrie Koski wanted to do, but without our support, they had little reason to pursue it.

We were able to bring the Dutch Cycling Embassy and Board Member Thomas Albright brought the League of American Bicyclists to Reno where we learned how to do a public bike ride to focus on road safety improvements – Ride Reno, Spin Sparks. Raising our profile also connected us with the Reno Public Market which, for a third year in a row is now hosting Biketopia – bringing all the bike groups together. That was the vision of RPM Manager Mike Macmillan. Northern Nevada Public Health had been looking to us for ways to support cycling for years, but we had little traction. Now, NNPH has stepped up with an employee dedicated to organizing it. Ride Reno Spin Sparks will leave from there with the help of Procrastinating Pedlers. RTC of Washoe County is sending two-three representatives every week to organize meetings and they are stepping up by helping to promote it and produce flyers. They see how hard it is to produce safe cycling routes and that encourages them to take a second look at road projects in terms of vulnerable road users.

The grand vision here is that we are piloting and kicking off projects and others like NNPH, Reno Public Market and RTC take the reins and we can support them and move on to even more fantastic safety improvements. It’s working!

When it was time for me to turn things over to a new president, Thomas Albright was nervous. What I had done felt like big shoes to fill and I had laid a lot of groundwork. He has grown to be an incredible leader for TMBA – mending fences, building coalitions, bringing in new voices and taking the organization in a new direction, focusing on underserved communities.

Bike Valet, Ride Reno-Spin Sparks, Biketopia, a protected bike network in the works and now work is being done to create a bike library for underserved communities. TMBA and our partnerships are stronger than ever under Thom’s leadership.

Just as a new leader is starting to get their feet under them, it seems it’s time to find a new one because our bylaws say we have to. But we should want to. As uncomfortable as change is, that is what we need – major change on our roads and major changes in our education. By doing this, we are developing new leaders, our experienced leaders are staying onboard at TMBA to support the new leaders and their vision. This is a very exciting time for TMBA and Washoe County.

The weekly Wednesday, Bike Night Reno drew 40-50 people this week. Children, families and some of the wilder side of the bike community all come together with bike lights and music, cruising to businesses, having fun and chatting. The organizer gives a heads up to the businesses that we are coming. He and the volunteers are also trying to slow the ride down for the sake of kids and so that we are not as stretched out, stopping traffic for too long.

Find Bike Night Reno on Instagram and come on out for a ride. Bike Nights in other communities are huge and Reno’s can be too if you come. I have heard that some people drag burning BBQs behind their bikes. Who wants to give that a try! Message Bike Night Reno if you are interested in doing that or would simply like to volunteer.