1. Report it.
When you experience road hazards – potholes, vegetation, debris, signs in the bike lane – report them to the relevant jurisdiction. (See our list of apps, website, and phone numbers here.) They can’t fix it if they don’t know about it! Just kvetching on social media won’t help, although sharing it with others and asking them to report can get the numbers up and get results. Keep reporting it until it is fixed. This also applies to harassment or other incidents with drivers – report them to the relevant law enforcement agency.
2. Be a good example.
Follow trail etiquette and rules of the road – unfortunately bad behavior by one of us reflects badly on all of us. (Not sure what those rules are? Take one of our Smart Cycling classes – they’re FREE right now!)
3. Recruit new riders (and new SCBC members).
The more of us there are on the road, the SAFER we ALL are! The more riders SCBC represents, the more influence we have.
4. Follow local politics.
Transportation projects like bike lanes take a LONG time to get built; and they have to be in the city or county’s planning documents before money can be allocated. Pay attention to the meeting agendas for the jurisdiction you live in; most have emails you can subscribe to. (We try to keep you informed about major activities in this newsletter and on social media, but we can’t be everywhere at once and sometimes we miss the smaller items.)
5. Write a letter.
Write, call, or email your elected officials and their staff about the projects you care about. Go to their meetings and speak (easier now online!) Share this info with your friends, family, colleagues, neighbors. (Here’s a handy list of all our local elected officials and their email addresses.)
6. Vote.
Vote for candidates and ballot initiatives that are bike friendly. (As a nonprofit we can’t support candidates, but we can and do take a position on relevant legislation.)
7. Volunteer.
SCBC and our other local bike organizations are all nonprofits doing good work with small staff, and all have a myriad of volunteer opportunities. (Contact our volunteer/outreach coordinator)
8. Donate.
Become a member, contribute to a campaign, purchase a fundraising item – every contribution helps keep the lights on and the organization running!
