2015 Fall Newsletter
THANK YOU to all of our members, volunteers, sponsors and contributors!
Your support is essential to achieving safer communities for everyone.
Giving Thanks - Our Annual Gala!This year, Please BE KIND is honored to celebrate the soul of our organization: our supporters. Your dedication to our grassroots movement, which began over nine years ago right here in Austin, Texas, has been nothing short of incredible. To all of you, we say, “thank you.”
We’re also pleased to invite you to our fall 2015 gala: (click here for all the details and sponsorship opportunities) Saturday, November 14, 2015 at 7pm
Pure Austin Speed Shop 410 Pressler Street Austin, Texas 78703 
Outreach
With our Gala fast approaching it's time to grab a dance partner, get your tickets and plan on celebrating the night away while supporting a great cause! Did you see us at the The MobilityATX Town Hall or have a jam session on the Hella Ivory piano at Fast Folks Cyclery? (learn more) |
We are growing!
Drop by our Downtown office and tell us hello, we love having guests. 805 W. 10th St., Ste 300 Austin, TX 78701 
Awareness and Education
The DriveKind RideKind public service announcement videos have launched! We will be helping to educate drivers across the state with this series of highly informative clips. Our "Rally for Respect" Bus Wrap campaign is all wrapped up and we have moved on to partner with Elbowz Racing. (read more) 
Tragedy Assistance Program
Words can't describe our disappointment in the Brian Silva verdict. The message being sent to drivers who hit and kill cyclists is being heard loud and clear and it's not the message we want to hear. (read more) 
Members, Volunteers and Sponsors
Who are the businesses and individual leaders in the community who help make the roads safer? You are! (learn more) |
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TxDOT-Approved PSAs Launching Across Texas
Please BE KIND and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) are pleased to launch a collaboratively-developed series of public service announcements (PSAs), as part of the DriveKind RideKind initiative. The ten PSAs focus on motorist and cyclist safety, and aim to educate, modify risky behavior, and encourage personal responsibility. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 743 cyclists were killed in motor vehicle-related collisions in 2013. Forty eight of these deaths occurred on Texas roads. |
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To view all of the PSAs, visit the DriveKind RideKind website at www.drivekindridekind.org. Please share these PSAs with friends, loved ones, and on social media. Help us spread the word, prevent future crashes, and save lives.
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"Rally for Respect" 2015!
In 2014, Please BE KIND partnered with Capital Metro to install safe passing graphics on the exterior of 20 buses. The safe passing graphics are a visual interpretation of the safe passing law in the city of Austin, where motorized vehicles must give vulnerable road users at least 3 feet of space when passing, and 6 feet if it is a commercial vehicle. The intent of the law was clearly illustrated by our graphic and was seen by drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians alike. In 2014, the campaign ran for two months and had over five million views. For our 2015 campaign, that number increased to eight million over sixty days and included three messages highlighting how all road users can show respect to one another and help to keep the roads safe. We would like to again thank our generous sponsors for the 2015 campaign: 
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We would also like express our gratitude to Lone Star Logos, as well as the families of Gay Simmons and John Fusselman, as well as Pure Austin. Of course, we are deeply honored to have partnered with Capital Metro on this effort, particularly during Bike Month.
Watch our video from our Rally for Respect, here: https://vimeo.com/126670943.
Watch our video from our Rally for Respect, here: https://vimeo.com/126670943.
New Partnership Spotlight: Elbowz Racing
Please BE KIND is excited to announce a new partnership with Elbowz Racing! The Elbowz Racing Bicycle Safety Program’s goal is to promote bicycle safety to riders and motorists in Texas. Elbowz regularly visits elementary schools and hosts community events, where they teach kids a few steps about bike safety, including how to inspect their bikes. Moreover, they have also pledged to provide 1,000 new Specialized bicycles helmets to kids annually. We are very excited to be working with this fantastic group! For more information, please visit: www.elbowzracing.com.
Please BE KIND is excited to announce a new partnership with Elbowz Racing! The Elbowz Racing Bicycle Safety Program’s goal is to promote bicycle safety to riders and motorists in Texas. Elbowz regularly visits elementary schools and hosts community events, where they teach kids a few steps about bike safety, including how to inspect their bikes. Moreover, they have also pledged to provide 1,000 new Specialized bicycles helmets to kids annually. We are very excited to be working with this fantastic group! For more information, please visit: www.elbowzracing.com.
Representing Cyclists at Mobility ATX Town Hall
Please BE KIND Founder Al Bastidas joined community and business leaders at the Mobility ATX Town Hall meeting on June 25, 2015. Panelists included Austin mayor Steve Adler, as well as Capital Metro CEO Linda Watson. Led through a partnership with RideScout, the City of Austin, Capital Metro, Austin Technology Council, and CleanTX, Mobility ATX is a newly-launched initiative that is rooted in finding solutions for Austin’s most challenging transportation issues. As Austin continues to grow and traffic fatalities rise, it is important for Please BE KIND to lead and represent vulnerable road users through transportation-based forums, panels, and events.
Learn more about MobilityATX at: www.mobilityatx.com.
Please BE KIND Founder Al Bastidas joined community and business leaders at the Mobility ATX Town Hall meeting on June 25, 2015. Panelists included Austin mayor Steve Adler, as well as Capital Metro CEO Linda Watson. Led through a partnership with RideScout, the City of Austin, Capital Metro, Austin Technology Council, and CleanTX, Mobility ATX is a newly-launched initiative that is rooted in finding solutions for Austin’s most challenging transportation issues. As Austin continues to grow and traffic fatalities rise, it is important for Please BE KIND to lead and represent vulnerable road users through transportation-based forums, panels, and events.
Learn more about MobilityATX at: www.mobilityatx.com.
In addition to our own programs we also attended conferences, summits, forums and events to listen to experts and network with community leaders. By being a part of the discussion we can share our experience as well as incorporate new information and cutting edge approaches in our programs.
Giving Thanks - Our Annual Gala
This year, Please BE KIND is honored to celebrate the soul of our organization: our supporters. Your dedication to our grassroots movement, which began over nine years ago right here in Austin, Texas, has been nothing short of incredible. To all of you, we say, “thank you.”
The theme is “Deep in the Heart of Texas,” so we encourage guests to don their best boots and bolos, and join us for a night of fun, complete with a star-studded photo booth, two-stepping, and chances to win some downright awesome stuff at the silent auction and raffle. So mark your calendars, and get your tickets today!
This year, Please BE KIND is honored to celebrate the soul of our organization: our supporters. Your dedication to our grassroots movement, which began over nine years ago right here in Austin, Texas, has been nothing short of incredible. To all of you, we say, “thank you.”
The theme is “Deep in the Heart of Texas,” so we encourage guests to don their best boots and bolos, and join us for a night of fun, complete with a star-studded photo booth, two-stepping, and chances to win some downright awesome stuff at the silent auction and raffle. So mark your calendars, and get your tickets today!
Want to sponsor this event?
Donations of ALL sizes are greatly appreciated! The first 5 sponsors at the $500 level or above will enjoy a VIP experience, with named tables, gourmet Texas chili bowls, and swag bags for up to eight people, PLUS first dibs on silent auction items. To register as a sponsor, visit www.bekindtocyclists.org/2015gala before November 6th, 2015. Questions? Email [email protected]. Let’s make 2015 our most successful year yet, with an eye to make even bigger things happen in 2016!
Donations of ALL sizes are greatly appreciated! The first 5 sponsors at the $500 level or above will enjoy a VIP experience, with named tables, gourmet Texas chili bowls, and swag bags for up to eight people, PLUS first dibs on silent auction items. To register as a sponsor, visit www.bekindtocyclists.org/2015gala before November 6th, 2015. Questions? Email [email protected]. Let’s make 2015 our most successful year yet, with an eye to make even bigger things happen in 2016!
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Hella Ivory "Plays It Forward"
Austin, Texas is known as the “Live Music Capital of the World,” and Hella Ivory is helping to keep that title relevant—with an unexpected twist. Hella Ivory acquires, tunes, and refurbishes pianos and then installs them at bars, restaurants, and businesses. The pianos include tip jars, which help support non-profits chosen by the hosting venue. The initiative uses the hashtag, #playitforward, to share their altruistic model with others on social media. On June 12, 2015, Please BE KIND was selected as the first beneficiary of Hella Ivory, with a fun event hosted by Fast Folks Cyclery in east Austin. More than fifty people gathered to hear some of the best Austin musicians jam for a good cause. Our thanks to Ben Morgan, Natalie Goforth, and Francisco Chavez; Hella Ivory’s support has been the “key” to our success in 2015! |
Reaching Out Through Social Media
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Facebook
With nearly 6,300 followers, Facebook is our most popular way to connect with supporters. |
Instagram
Our Instagram page is back in action and updated regularly. Enjoy our bike-inspired images!  |
Twitter
We're tweeting so if you prefer the tweet-o-sphere, just click the button bellow to hear us. |
Strava
Join us on a ride or compete with fellow supporters! 
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PBK Continues to Support Silva Family Despite Disappointing Verdict
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Please BE KIND hosted a memorial ride to honor local teenager Brian Silva, who was killed on June 6, 2015 after a crash with a motor vehicle on Johnny Morris Road in Austin, Texas. The memorial ride took place mere weeks before a disappointing verdict from a grand jury; on September 3, 2015, they declined to pursue any charges against the driver of the vehicle.
From the Austin Chronicle: “Silva, who’d saved money from his weekend job at the 290 Flea Market to buy the bike, was the 43rd traffic fatality this year—almost twice as many as occurred from January to June of 2014. Al Bastidas of Please Be Kind to Cyclists—a local nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about road safety and offering assistance to injured cyclists and their families—has been a lifeline for Silva’s family in the last three months, calling his mother, Diana Guerrero, when few others did. He said it should have been a “no-brainer” to charge the driver, who the family says tried unsuccessfully to pass Silva on Johnny Morris Road, a two-lane road with no shoulders, sidewalks, or bike lanes. “It shouldn’t be a suicidal mission when you get on your bike to go to school, to visit a friend, or to go to work,” Bastidas said. “But the message that we’re sending to the rest of the community is: It is okay to hit a cyclist because you’re going to walk free.” Read the full article at: www.austinchronicle.com/news/2015-09-18/few-protections-for-cyclists/ |
In Memory of Natalie Renee Dailey
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On August 18, 2015, twenty-six-year-old Natalie Renee Dailey was riding on the back of a friend’s motorcycle in downtown Austin. According to the Austin Police Department and multiple eye-witness accounts, a Buick LaCrosse, heading westbound on 15th Street, struck a Harley Davidson motorcycle traveling eastbound near the intersection of Red River Street. Police said the car failed to yield, and both the motorcycle driver and passenger were ejected. Natalie died from her injuries.
Natalie was a resident teacher at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and was involved in the First Baptist Church of Austin’s children’s programs. We encourage motorists to be alert and aware of vulnerable road users, including motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians. We send our deepest condolences to Natalie’s family and friends. |
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Meet A Board Member: Erica Ryan
When Erica isn't working on design needs for Please BE Kind, she's freelancing as a Senior User Experience Consultant and working on her MFA in Visual Communication at Texas State University. She's a pretty happy lady with a pretty sweet chocolate lab, Lola.
They love joy rides on bikes through town & hikes on the greenbelt & swims & campouts & cool drinks & grillin steaks & downward dogs & travels - & most importantly - the folks in life who make all those things more fun. Erica is fresh back from a month in Vieques Puerto Rico. Why? Because why not?! Don't tell her we told you, but you should definitely ask her about the wild horses in Vieques next time you see her... Show Your SupportOver 400 people have shown their support in the last two years for Please BE KIND to Cyclists by donating through our membership program and we appreciate every drop. There are limitless options for becoming a donor, from a single contribution to a recurring monthly donation or simply buying a bumper sticker, it's up to you to pick the terms.
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Volunteer OpportunitiesWe have lots of goals to achieve this year and could really use your help. Take a moment to visit our volunteer page and join our mailing list to stay up to date on volunteer opportunities.
Sponsor Spotlight: Whole Foods
We were looking for a community leader to help us get our message out on 30 city buses across Austin and we found that leader in Whole Foods. Without delay they moved to align themselves with our campaign to help educate all road users about how to share the road with respect and follow the law. We can't thank Whole Foods enough for their support.
A HUGE thanks to National Trial Law for being a Bronze Level Corporate Sponsor and for supporting the cycling community members who have been injured. Their work sets a precedent for future cases of enforcement and just compensation for their clients.
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