We have a new bicycle advocacy organization in Minnesota, the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota (BAM). Thanks to the hard work of many volunteers and generous donations from the Minnesota-based bike businesses Quality Bicyle Products, Erik’s Bike Shop, Penn Cycle, Park Tool, and Dero Bike Racks, the new organization is under way and has hired two staff members: Dorian Grilley, executive director, and Rita Ann Youngs, Director of Events, Marketing, and Promotions. Dorian was very successful as the executive director of the Parks and Trails Council of Minnesota.

Planning for the new organization picked up steam at last year’s Minnesota Bike Summit. While attending that event and hearing about the good work of the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin, I learned how effective an advocacy organization can be. The Wisconsin group works closely with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and has employees working on a contract basis at DOT offices, staffing Safe Routes to Schools and bike education projects. There are so many policy, education, and advocacy issues to work on, and state-level coordination is needed, particularly since the bulk of transportation funding is managed by the states.

Any new organization or business will have its challenges when starting up, and BAM is no exception. They can use your membership now as they get going, particularly given our current economic downturn. So please go to their web site (still very much under construction), download a membership form, and mail it in with a check. If you can’t do that, consider volunteering some of your time. And put this date on your calendar: the 2009 Minnesota Bicycle Summit will coincide with the BAM annual meeting and will be on April 25 at Quality Bicycle Products in Bloomington. Contact me if you want to carpool from Northfield.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 17th, 2009 at 6:10 pm and is filed under Biking/Walking, Transportation.