== Bike-Walk Alliance of NH ==

In Review: BWA-NH 2007 Activities

BWA-NH 2007 In Review

Below are some of the areas in which BWA-NH has been active in 2007. Please review and think of what areas might be of interest to you in 2008 so you can help make good things happen!

1. NH BikeSmart: This program as coordinated by Roger Lohr of Hanover brought standardized bicycling education to grades 3-5 reaching over 3,300 students and 330 adults in public schools around the state. This service was provided at no cost to the schools or taxpayers - expenses were covered by private grants. Six instructors reached 28 schools. For 2008, we envision 14 instructors to cover more schools. Training for the BikeSmart instructors was provided by Roger at the BWA-NH Concord office.

2. Advocacy in the Capital: In February, three BWA-NH representatives met with Governor John Lynch's Special Assistant for Policy, Alice Chamberlin, in the Governor's Executive Council Chamber. Three key points were discussed in the two hour meeting: 1) establishing state-wide policies concerning road design and maintenance; 2) creating a more direct link with various departments within NH DOT; and 3) seeking support for the Salem-Concord Rail Trail as suggested by Governor Lynch and others at the Windham Rail Trail dedication ceremony in September 2006. By reaching the Governor's Office, working with state departments such as DOT, and finally being involved at the town level, we feel progress can be made by everyone pulling in the same direction.

3. Memorial Bridge and East Coast Greenway: Various meetings and presentations hosted by NH DOT and SABR (Seacoast Area Bike Routes) in Portsmouth were attended and supported. Key issues discussed were the refurbishment of the Memorial Bridge (Portsmouth to Kittery, the only crossing available for bicyclists) and how the modifications will affect bicyclists, both during the reconstruction phase and when the project is complete. Included in these discussions were plans for the NH section of the East Coast Greenway. Alternate on- and off-road routes were proposed and mapped for future reference.

4. LAB "Road-I" Course: A five-week, 15-hour bicycling course based on the League of American Bicyclists' "Road-I" program was held at the N.H. Community Technical College, now the Community College System of N.H., Manchester campus. Fourteen adults signed-up for this nationally recognized program. By passing both written and on-road tests, participants were then certified by the LAB. The college has requested the course be offered again in May 2008 for our third such program with them, so stay tuned for details if you are interested.

5. National Bike Month: This is an annual event every May and the 18th was "Bike or Walk to Work Day", BWA-NH requested and received a proclamation signed by NH Governor John Lynch making this day "official" for the State of NH. Publicity for known events was posted on our web site along with the proclamation. Various towns, state offices, and businesses around the state participated in this one-day event with very good results, especially in the seacoast area thanks to SABR leading the way.

6. Subway "Start!" promotion: In May, BWA-NH worked with the Subway restaurant chain to distribute approximately 5,000 coupons around 50 stores in southern NH with the idea to promote healthy eating and exercise. Each coupon was worth a free sub and a chance on one of two Trek mountain bikes. This "Start!" program, as in start walking and start bicycling, included a walking press conference in downtown Manchester featuring Mayor Frank Guinta and Subway spokesperson Jared Fogle. The drawing for the two bikes was held in late June.
7. Residential LAB "Kids-II" course: A unique bike-ed program for a group of 9-11 year-old girls was conducted in a Londonderry neighborhood at the request of one family. LAB's "Kids-II" program was conducted over three days with much positive feedback. Taking a bike-ed program to the kids during summer vacation in their own neighborhood was very practical for the families and eliminated the hassles of transporting the kids and bikes to a rented facility.

8. "Safe Kids 500" at the NH International Speedway: BWA-NH supported this third annual event in Loudon with helmet fitting and bike checks for about 500 kids who enjoyed cycling on the famous race track in June. Plans are underway for the fourth annual event in 2008.

9. NH "Safe Routes to School" (SRTS) program: As administered by John Corrigan of NH DOT, BWA-NH has been involved via meetings and discussions concerning bike-ed programs in public schools. Both elementary and middle schools in Concord have applied for funding and BWA-NH would provide the instruction based on LAB's "Kids-I" and "Kids-II" programs.

10. SRTS Statewide Advisory Committee: A second part of BWA-NH involvement with the SRTS program is being one of ten voting members on the committee to determine which applications from the various towns are approved for funding. Approximately $2.9M is available but only about $900K worth of funding has been requested in 2007. NH DOT expects many more applications to be received for the second round of funding in 2008. BWA-NH is pleased to be working on this program aimed at grades K-8. Note that of the $1M per year per state as provided by the Federal government, each state must spend 10-30% on non-infrastructure programs such as bike-ped education.

11. Salem-Manchester rail trail: Support for this project continued with Salem now having the engineering firm of VHB lined-up to start work this fall. BWA-NH was one of five voting members on the Salem committee to determine which firm received the $133K engineering contract. Further work with VHB and Salem as part of the local rail trail committee is now underway.

12. Derry Rail Trail Alliance: A short but critical extension to the Salem-Manchester rail trail in downtown Derry was supported via emails and in-person testimony with the project being approved. This was a complete turn-around as reportedly the town councilors were against the project. In the end, the town expressed a sincere interest in completing the town-owned rail trail to connect to the existing Windham Rail Trail. The Derry Rail Trail Alliance is actually a sub-group of BWA-NH with Treasurer Erich Whitney being the volunteer director. This will greatly help in the completion of the entire Salem-Manchester rail trail project and is an example of what advocacy can accomplish. Check out the new Derry Rail Trail Alliance web site at http://www.derryrailtrail.org.

13. "Healthy Eating, Active Living" program: Since June, BWA-NH has been involved with the state-wide HEAL program to determine ways to promote better health via many different venues including the infrastructure of outdoor facilities available around NH. Obviously, bicycling and walking are part of the "active living" component. Funding for improvements based on findings of the workshops is expected in late November.

14. State of NH Bike Maps: A major revision to the maps as produced by NH DOT has been under review for months with BWA-NH being a member of the Steering Committee. A final public hearing in late October will lead to printing of the seven maps for distribution in the spring of 2008. They will be available at NH DOT rest areas along the Interstate highways and possibly directly from NH DOT and BWA-NH, plus there should be on-line versions.

15. NH First Lady Dr. Susan Lynch: On September 25, BWA-NH had a chance to speak with Dr. Lynch at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Derry during a grant presentation by the Harvard Pilgrim HealthCare Foundation. Dr. Lynch, who is a staunch supporter of walking programs and bicycling (she is a "roadie"), was very interested in BWA-NH accomplishments to date and goals for next year. She offered to be of assistance if and when possible to promote bike-ped plans as proposed by BWA-NH. (Dr. Lynch now has a BWA-NH "One Less Car" safety vest to wear when walking or bicycling. All favorable publicity and recognition helps!)

16. Favorable bicycling legislation pending: On September 18, after working with BWA-NH, NH Representative Gene Andersen of Lebanon submitted legislation for the 2008 session to update NH laws and policies concerning many aspects of bicycling. The "model" for this legislation is the highly acclaimed State of Maine law enacted in June dubbed "the three foot rule" - motorists must pass bicyclists with at least a three-foot clearance. However, a lot more is included in the bill. Lifting restrictions to use a bicycle at drive-up facilities like banks, ATM machines, fast-food restaurants and even establishing a state-wide policy for rumble strips are included. Initial feedback from businesses, cyclists, and NH DOT has been very positive. Multiple hearings on the bill will be held after the holidays. Please see a posting of the draft on this site when it is available and plan to support it when it reaches the NH Legislature.

17. MassBike connections: On October 10, BWA-NH met with MassBike Executive Director David Watson at the "MyTV" studio in Derry to discuss various bicycling advocacy issues affecting bicyclists on both sides of the Mass-NH border. The taped interview should help bring favorable publicity to both organizations and enable bicyclists in both states to obtain better facilities and recognition as valid vehicle operators.

18. GACIT hearings: The NH Governor's Advisory Commission in Intermodal Transportation (which is composed of five Executive Councilors and the NH DOT Commissioner) scheduled state-wide hearings in September and October on the NH Ten-Year Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) covering 2009-2018. BWA-NH actively sought members of the BWA, GSW, and all concerned bicyclists and pedestrians to attend these hearings to insure that long-range plans incorporate facilities for all modes of transportation, not just motor vehicles. Many meeting attendees obtained information from BWA-NH via our email listserves, web site, and articles in local papers. Early involvement and helpful suggestions from the bike-ped community can make a big difference when concerned people make their thoughts known to public officials. That's what advocacy is all about!


BWA-NH has a long way to go to catch up with the Bicycle Coalition of Maine (BCM) and MassBike, but we feel some good progress has been made this past year toward making NH more "bicyclist friendly." We encourage all interested parties, cyclists or not, to speak up in favor of improved bike-ped policies, education, and facilities. GSW members can renew their membership for just $20.00 more than the basic GSW rate of $15.00 if they wish to help financially with a tax deductible donation. Anyone can join the free BWA-NH email listserve (E-Group) to learn what is going on then take action as desired.

BWA-NH strives to be the voice for all bicyclists and pedestrians in New Hampshire. Together we can make a positive difference!