Encourage Leadership Candidates to Support Cycling

Three political parties, the BC NDP, BC Liberals and BC Conservative Party are in the midst of readership races. This is an excellent opportunity to engage and educate these political leaders on cycling. Please contact them through the links below and encourage them to support cycling.

Volunteering on their campaigns and going to campaign events are a great ways to show your support for cycling and build relationships with the candidates and their aids who may key people in government at some point.

Please indicate your support for the BCCC's recommendations and in particular the four year investment of $175 million dollars per year totalling $700 million to fund bicycle paths, separated bike lanes and other high quality cycling facilities in communities and on provincial roads throughout BC. Investing in a Healthy Future is summary of the recommendations prepared for the candidates.

The message can be as short or as long as you want. The most important thing is to let them know that investing in cycling is important. It could include some or all of the following:
- The mention any of the other recommendations that are important to your or your community.
- What these recommendations and improved cycling would mean for you, your family and your community
- Specific cycling facilities you would like to see built
- Stories on what new cycling facilities have meant to you and your community
- Stories about impact of the lack of cycling facilities in your community

BC Liberals
Contact information for the candidates:
http://conservationvoters.ca/leadership-race-2011/liberal-candidates

BC NDP
Contact information for the candidates:
http://conservationvoters.ca/leadership-race-2011/ndp-candidates
Note that the deadline for new members to be eligible for the leadership was Feb. 4.

BC Conservative Party
Deadline for joining to vote in election of the party leader: May 7, 2011 at midnight
Leadership convention: May 28, 2011 - Details to be announced

Green Party of BC
The Green Party is not holding a leadership race.

The BCCC is also planning to survey the candidates. Stay tuned.

Please share this with your cycling friends.

BCCC Priorities for 2011

The newly minted Board of Directors of the BC Cycling Coalition held its first meeting in Vancouver on January 22. As a brand new Board member, I have to say I felt honoured to meet some of the bastions of cycling activism in BC! Present were Jack Becker (President), Colin Brander (Treasurer), Peter Stary (Secretary), Richard Campbell, Ed Schum, Arno Schortinghuis, Sue Vince, Jim Alix, Rhiannon Chernencoff, Robert Rao and myself.

Board Members managed to agree on the BCCC’s priorities going forward.

Some of the BCCC Priorities for 2011:

1. Improving the website

2. Increasing membership

3. Branding

4. Coordinating volunteers

5. Finding funding for some paid staff

6. Developing a well-rounded communication strategy, which would include:

o creating an e-newsletter

o keeping the Blog current

o developing links and coordination between BCCC and member organizations’ websites

o collecting and making available information from member organizations, and

o posting correspondence from members.

7. Building an information clearinghouse, which might include:

o a list of links

o a library of minutes, correspondence and responses, and reports and

o contact addresses (such as maintenance contractors, road authorities, and community newspapers).

That’s an ambitious list of priorities. However, there was no shortage of volunteers to steer them. And with the proposed volunteer coordination, there should be no shortage of BCCC members to achieve all of these.

It’s a little daunting, but I’m looking forward to it. I joined the BCCC because I’m tired of just fuming impotently about the marginalized plight of cyclists in a world that’s built around what I see as an insanely selfish and destructive transportation mode (solo driving in cars). That’s just my motivation – I haven’t spent enough time with other BCCC members to find out what motivates them.

Whatever it is, I’m happy to be working with a group of people dedicated to promoting cycling throughout BC, and I look forward to meeting many more when I get to meet other members of the BCCC.

Call for Directors

The British Columbia Cycling Coalition (BCCC) is seeking enthusiastic individuals who are passionate about cycling to stand for nomination as candidates for our board of directors at the Annual General Meeting on December 4, 2010. We encourage people from all around the province to consider this opportunity to help improve cycling in the province and in your community.

About the BCCC
The British Columbia Cycling Coalition (BCCC) is a registered Non-Profit Society whose members are individuals and cycling organization throughout the province.

Specifically, the BCCC:
• Advocates for improved cycling leadership, funding, policies, laws, design toolkits, cycling-friendly roads, programming, and education at the provincial level
• Nurtures and supports local cycling coalitions and chapters throughout British Columbia

The organization is currently volunteer run with the majority of work being performed by members of the board of directors. The current board recognizes that the growth and effectiveness of the organization is limited under this model. The intent is to transition to a model where day-to-day operations are managed by staff and volunteers while the board provides organizational and advocacy leadership and governance. This transition, however, will likely consume a significant amount of board time over the next two years.

A Great Opportunity
The change in political leadership in BC presents an ideal opportunity to increase support for cycling including:
• A dramatic increase in funding for cycling infrastructure, education and promotion
• Policies ensuring good cycling facilities on new and existing roads and bridges
• Updates to the Motor Vehicle Act to improve cycling safety and encourage more people to cycle

Experience and Skills
We are looking for individuals who are passionate about cycling with experience in one or more of the following areas.

Organizational Development
• Organization leadership
• Support for chapters and coalitions
• Assist in the creation of new chapters and cycling groups in communities around BC
• Reorganization and measures needed to support staff
• Support for advocacy efforts
• Volunteer coordination
Fund Raising
• Foundation and corporate grants, donations and memberships
• Individual memberships and donations
Membership Development
• The development of a membership strategy
• Corporate and individual membership recruitment
Internet
• Redesign of website based on a content management system
• On-line donations and membership payment
• Forums, wikis and other information sharing mechanisms
• Integration of social media
Communications and Media
• Development of a media strategy
• Media writing – Story telling
• Electronic newsletter
Advocacy
• Government relations
• Organizing and coordinating grassroots campaigns
Networking
• Contacts in governments and bicycle industry
• Ability to quickly make new contacts and connections

Time Requirements
Board business - Basic board business will require an average of one hour per week and consist mainly of responding to email messages on organizational business.
Additional Responsibilities - In addition, we encourage board members to undertake further organizational responsibilities as detailed above that may require up to an additional five hours per week.
Board Meetings – Four to six meetings per year on weekends. While in the past, these have been in-person meetings requiring travel, we are investigating various means of tele-conferencing to reduce travel requirements.

Contact
If you are interested or would like more information, please contact:
Richard Campbell
Chair
Board Recruitment Committee
604-733-1764
Email

Annual General Meeting - Dec. 4

Mark Your Calendars for an Interactive Afternoon
With Your Provincial Cycling Advocate Colleagues!

British Columbia Cycling Coalition Annual General Meeting
Saturday, December 4, 2010

Time: 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Location: Tsawwassen Library, 1321A 56th Street, Delta BC

Transit: Buses 601 or 609 - for info go to Trip Planner at http://www.translink.ca/

View Larger Map
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM AGM

2:30 PM - 4:00 PM BCCC Strategy Workshop - All are welcome to participate in this workshop to plan the future direction and priorities for the organization as well as how to make us stronger and more effective.

RSVP on Facebook

If you are interested in joining the board of directors, please go to:

http://bccyclingcoalition.blogspot.com/2010/11/call-for-directors.html

Welcome to the New BC Cycling Coalition Blog

This is the new BC Cycling Coalition Blog, which should allow us to post more timely information with respect to cycling issues in BC.  Stay tuned for new issues to be posted here.