2014 Summer Newsletter
People are continuing to notice our efforts and looking to us for advice on bike safety.
THANK YOU to all of our members, volunteers, sponsors and contributors!
Your support is essential to achieving safer communities for everyone.
2014 Accomplishments in Review:Since our Spring Newsletter we've been busy with all sorts of programs and efforts, here are the highlights:
Membership and Volunteers
Our members and volunteers are the core of this organization and we'd like to acknowledge those who have contributed with their time, money or both. (learn more) 
Awareness and Outreach
Bike Month was crazy busy for us starting with the Rally for Respect and ending with our Bike Month Wrap Party. Our efforts focused on the launch and promotion of our Bus Wrap Program that has earned attention from concerned cities across Texas. We also participated in numerous events and discussions to improve road safety. 
Education
With our eye on the prize, we have poured countless hours into maximizing the TxDOT grant that is aimed at producing a bike safety video to be shown in Driver's Education and Defensive Driving classes all over Texas. 
Tragedy Assistance Program
It is deeply upsetting to see cyclists injured and killed by motorists but even worse if we didn't try to help those affected and work towards making positive changes to improve safety. The stories highlighted below are what motivates us to volunteer so much time to this organization. (read more) |
Big Events in NovemberSave the Date! Annual Fundraiser - Nov 8th
On November 8th, 2014, we will be hosting an event to raise funds for Please BE KIND to Cyclists. This is our biggest fundraising event of the year and what enables us to do everything we do. Fall Classic Ride - November 15th Bryce is cooking up another spectacular ride through the Hill Country and you're gonna want to be there. Be on the lookout for more details and an online signup in the coming weeks.
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Rally for Respect and Bus Wrap Program Launch
A huge thanks to our sponsors: Austin's Pizza, Edelman, Khabele Strong and Gay Simmons
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To kick off Bike Month we worked with CapMetro to promote a message of safety and respect by wrapping 20 city busses with our Safe Passing graphic. This graphic stayed on the buses for two months and was viewed millions times!!! Among other things, the law it promotes states that "an operator of a motor vehicle passing a vulnerable road user operating on a highway or street shall: vacate the lane in which the vulnerable road user is located if the highway has two or more marked lanes running in the same direction; or pass the vulnerable road user at a safe distance. (Safe distance is defined as at least 3’ for a car or light truck or 6’ for a truck, other than a light truck or commercial motor vehicle." As motorists this is how we show respect to vulnerable road users and as cyclists we return the favor by following the rules of the road summed up in our VIP safety class (Visible, In the moment and Predictable). Since starting this campaign there have been numerous cities who have contacted us wanting to launch similar efforts to help curb cycling related injuries and we are working to do just that. This program was made possible by our amazing sponsors: Austin's Pizza, Edelman, Khabele Strong and was done in memory of Gay Simmons.
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Austin Traffic Safety Symposium
On August 5th, the Austin Police Department, along with community partners, hosted a symposium to address intoxicated, impaired, distracted and aggressive driving. Please BE KIND to Cyclists was invited to take part in the discussion and that recognizes the hard work we have done to educate cyclists and drivers.
Brownsville, TX - CycloBia
"CycloBia Brownsville creates a car-free street environment to encourage people to try and adopt transportation cycling, recreational cycling, and other active forms of transportation."
Please Be Kind was honored to be invited by the city of Brownsville to participate in this event and while there also made time to meet with local officials about improving road safety through our Bus Wrap program. During the same trip to this region we also had an opportunity to present information to TxDOT in McAllen, Texas. |
Annual FundraiserSave the date! Saturday, November 8th, 2014, we will be hosting a casual event to thank all of our supporters and raising funds to support our current and future programs. We have reached a pivotal growth crossroads that will determine how far we can spread our message in the coming years so your support is more important than ever. Fall Classic RideOur 2nd annual Fall Classic Ride will return to the hills of northwest Austin on Saturday, November 15, 2014. The route is still being finalized but it will again offer distances for all riders. Registration to open in September.
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Making Positive Changes
In response to the death of cyclist Morgan Marold, we worked with TxDOT engineers to improve infrastructure along Bee Caves Road. The previous shoulder proved to be too narrow and unsafe especially given the popularity of this route for cycling. TxDOT showed their commitment to safety by widening the shoulder and adding an extra painted line to alert drivers of cyclists' use of this road. We still advise cyclists to be cautious due to the high-speed of motorists and to ride single file as far away from the painted lines as possible.
Bike Month Wrap Party
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At the end of March we threw a party at the Austin Beer Garden and Brewpub (ABGB) to celebrate the successes of Bike Month, generate new members and show off our Bus Wrap Program that put our Safe Passing graphic on 20 city busses for two months. The effort finished off a month that saw our membership grow by 100 and was celebrated with $1,000 worth of prizes, drinks, food, an art auction and live music.
Thank You to our Event Sponsors, Musicians and Artists:
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TxDOT Grant
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Please BE KIND to Cyclists has been fully engaged in using our TxDOT grant with our new program and we are happy to announce that filming will begin in September! For those of you who are unaware, Please BE KIND to Cyclists has been working to produce a video to be used in Driver Education and Defensive Driving classes to teach how motorists and cyclists can safely interact with each other on the road. Hard work and long hours have been poured into completing this program but the end result will all be worth it if it means saving lives.
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VIP ClassesThis summer, Al was able to give a VIP Cyclists class to Deloitte Consulting LLP. Over 30 employees participated and some also joined as new BE KIND members! A big thank you to Bicycle Sport Shop who also presented and Josh Marcus for setting up the event.
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Gay Simmons Anniversary Memorial Ride
The untimely death of Gay Simmons, who was struck and killed by a motorist in a tragic hit-and-run accident on April 17, 2006, launched a movement to change the way motorists and cyclists interact. Due to a change in TxDOT policy, the ghost bike memorial at the location of the crash had to be removed but was replaced with a smaller memorial. This new memorial (like all the ghost bike memorials) serves as a reminder to passing vehicles to respect each other and drive carefully so that other families don't have to suffer the same heartache of losing a loved one. The Simmons family has played, and continues to play, an integral role in the success of Please BE KIND to Cyclists. We are supremely grateful for their support.
SXSW Crash MemorialThis year's SXSW event was overshadowed by a terrible incident where an intoxicated driver fleeing the police drove through a crowd of people on Red River Street. Jamie Ranae West and Steven Craenmehr were pronounced dead at the scene, DeAndre Tatum and Sandy Thuy Le passed in the days that followed and numerous others sustained injuries. Steven Craenmehr was visiting Austin from the Netherlands and was riding his bike when hit. The memorial and ghost bike were to honor all the victims and bring everyone together for a moment of healing. The driver has been charged with one count of capital murder, four counts of felony murder and 24 counts of aggravated assault.
Nathan Aikele FundraiserPlease Be Kind participated in a fundraiser at ABGB for injured cyclist Nathan Aikele who wrecked during a race and suffered spinal injuries that left him paralyzed from the waist down.
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John Fusselman MemorialPictured below with his son, John was hit and killed by a motorist as he began a routine 100 mile ride. "Police said the driver appeared to be blinded by the sun and initially did not know that she had hit a cyclist. They said alcohol or a mobile device did not appear to be factors in the crash. No charges have been filed." As of now the driver still does not face any charges despite failing to control their vehicle under normal conditions.
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Kristina Bacon - A Veteran, Mother and Cyclist in need of help
Kristina Bacon is a single mother of three children who joined the Air Force at 19 and then again as a reservist after 9/11. On December 17th, 2013, she was riding her bike in her Bastrop, TX, neighborhood when t-boned by a teenage girl making an illegal left turn. The police did not ticket the driver until contacted by Kristina's lawyer. She recently reached out to PBKTC for help promoting her campaign to raise funds to cover her expenses. You can download her story to learn more about her and contribute to her campaign here - http://www.gofundme.com/dmzg7k.
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"Due to my injuries and subsequent diagnosis with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, I am in the process of being discharged from the US Air Force Reserve and will not be able to earn retirement benfits. I have recently learned that the auto insurance policy belonging to the driver that hit me will not be sufficient to cover my outstanding medical bills and lost wages."
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Other Victims Please BE KIND Assisted:
Phil Carson - from Dallas, TX Injured in July 2014 Gennadi Bersuker - from Austin, TX Injured in May 2014 | ||
Member Spotlight: Melissa Holan
We would like to begin spotlighting members that have gone above and beyond helping our mission at Please BE KIND to Cyclists. We are proud to announce that our first spotlight goes to Melissa Holan! Aside from consistent volunteering and donations, Melissa competed in the float decorating contest in the Port Lavaca Independence Day parade by decorating her float with our Safe Passing banner; she won first place! The entire Holan family sported Please BE KIND to Cyclists gear and looked fantastic while doing it. Thank you, Melissa and the entire Holan family, for all of your hard work and support!
Meet A Board Member
Bryce Hendrix! Bryce's first cycling memory was racing his friends on Big Wheels, after that he was hooked. While not riding, or dreaming of riding, Bryce runs a successful software consulting firm. Bryce is Please BE KIND to Cyclists' ride organizer and is always looking for suggestions for improving the rides.
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100 New Members During Bike Month
Please BE KIND to Cyclists set a goal for registering 100 new members during Bike Month and succeeded during the closing moments of our Bike Month Wrap Party. In just over a year since the launch of our membership program we have registered 350 concerned citizens who support our efforts; this program creates a solid foundation for us to build from and allows us to focus our time on the issues and programs that make a difference.
Volunteer OpportunitiesIn June we took part in the GreenLights Board Summit and had the honor of meeting highly-qualified individuals who are actively seeking to work with non-profits.
We have lots of goals to achieve in 2014 and we could really use your help. Our new Volunteer Coordinator, Amanda McCarty, has stepped up and is ready to help you find opportunities to be a part of. Take a moment to visit our volunteer page, join the email list and browse our list of current opportunities. |
