For the second year, LMB was privileged to help foster the growth of bicycling initiatives around the state through a Micro-Grant Program. This year, LMB was able to narrow down the applicants to 14 amazing organizations with unique programs that promote bicycling or bicycling safety in their area. We are pleased to share their stories and how the Micro-Grant funds are helping them further their own missions, moving us all toward a more bicycle friendly state.

One of the Micro-Grant recipients is Common Cycle, an Ann Arbor-based organization empowering Ann Arbor to ride bicycles by providing access to education, work space, and resources. Common Cycle received a Micro-Grant fund for their Co-op.  Thank you to, Emma Wendt, of Common Cycle for telling their story.

"We launched Common Cycle in a physical location this summer, with a grand opening held on July 29, 2018. LMB’s Micro-Grant was instrumental in making the space more user-friendly and welcoming for an even broader user base, beyond those who are already comfortable in a traditional bicycle repair shop setting.

LMB's support allowed us to purchase and hang signage in time for our grand opening to denote each area of our co-op, as well as a large logo for our main door. The contrast was notable, as the new visual cues turned the space from a room full of bicycle parts and tools to one that looked organized, where a volunteer or user could quickly start to work on a project, without feeling lost or the need for help from an 'insider.'

More recently, we’ve purchased a set of folding chairs for use in our maintenance course and other convening so that participants will have a comfortable place to sit during instruction and meeting time. This set of chairs will also help us accommodate more people to participate in our regular steering committee meetings, as well as a space for allied organizations in our community.

To set up our co-op over the summer and fall, we’ve had participation from a wide range of volunteers, including our board, steering committee, and regular bike repair volunteers. We also saw support from others not regularly involved in programming, including several people who attended our maintenance classes, and some who began engaging with Common Cycle through our Women/Trans/Femme Program.

Our community benefits from a physical space where we can hold programming more frequently and throughout the whole calendar year. Compared to last year, we've already added more frequent Women/Trans/Femme events, and a weekly hands-on skill-building class. Furthermore, we’ve seen visitors come into our space and be able to work semi or fully independently, implying that our new setup of workbenches and organization is welcoming and user-friendly.

Through setting up our new space, we’ve learned that our core volunteers are highly committed to expanding Common Cycle, and that there is indeed demand in our community for this space. We’ve erred more towards testing out ideas and structures in the physical space rather than mainly relying on remote meetings, and also pushed ourselves to disperse leadership and take on projects and decision-making more in committees."

For more information on the Micro-Grant program and the other 2018 projects, visit: https://bit.ly/2PoAFOe

For the second year, LMB was privileged to help foster the growth of bicycling initiatives around the state through a Micro-Grant Program. This year, LMB was able to narrow down the applicants to 14 amazing organizations with unique programs that promote bicycling or bicycling safety in their area. We are pleased to share their stories and how the Micro-Grant funds are helping them further their own missions, moving us all toward a more bicycle friendly state.

One of the Micro-Grant recipients is Kids Repair Program (KRP), a Lansing-based organization. KRP received a Micro-Grant fund to provide tires to their KRP van used by volunteers to pick up donated bikes. Thank you to Jeanne Wright of KRP for telling their story.

“In 2018 League of Michigan Bicyclists provided a grant to our youth nonprofit program, Kids Repair Program(KRP). KRP is located in the south side of Lansing and teaches a 20-hour bike repair program to ages 10 to 17. In the program, the youth learn repairs, maintenance, map reading, rules of the road, biking as a life-long healthy exercise, and nutrition. KRP was established by founder, Curt Eure, to help neighborhood youth who lived in the lower income neighborhoods of the city. In 1995 it was established as a 501(c)3 and was given a lower level space in the Impression 5 Museum in downtown. By 2005, the program was moved to a leased building on the Lansing Public School grounds on the south side of town where it resides now.

From the current location, classes are run year-round and house 10 sessions of Bike Camps in the summer when school is out. When the youth finish the training, they will have 'learned and earned' the refurbished donated bike to take home, a new helmet and new lock.

In many situations, KRP volunteers have to go out and pick up donated bikes. This is done with the Kids Repair Program van. KRP has a flatbed trailer that is used many times when the donation of bikes collected is more than what can be fit into the van. KRP also has a covered trailer stocked with tools and tune up supplies. During the summer of 2018, KRP volunteers performed 5 Tune-Ups for free to keep youth bikes rolling in the area. The LMB grant was used to provide much-needed tires to the KRP van and also restock supplies that were used over the summer for the free tune-up events out in the community. Bikes that are donated, typically all have to be refurbished with parts. Volunteers refurbish the bikes and then used for class, given away to community events, school events, and even given out at the Tune Up in the Parks.

The goal of the program is to keep kids on bikes, teach them how to keep their own bikes rolling, use them for transportation and create life-long cyclists.”

For more information on the Micro-Grant program and the other 2018 projects, visit: https://bit.ly/2PoAFOe

Starting today, September 27, 2018, drivers must give a minimum of 3-feet of room while passing bicyclists on Michigan roadways. The new Public Act was passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and were signed into law by Governor Snyder on June, 29 2018.

PA 279 of 2018 requires a motorist attempting to overtake a bicyclist traveling in the same direction to give at least three feet of distance between the bicyclist until they have safely cleared the bicyclist.

Working with our membership and organizational partners, the League of Michigan Bicyclists (LMB) led the charge to enact this common-sense safety measure. "This is a major first step to educate the public and improve bicycle safety in Michigan. We are encouraged to see the overwhelming support from lawmakers, law enforcement, and the general public for this new law," said John Lindenmayer, LMB Executive Director. "Bicyclists on the roads are not just bicyclists, they are moms and dads, brothers and sisters, best friends, neighbors, and co-workers – they are people in our communities trying to safely navigate our streets. They also are vulnerable roadway users. These new laws recognize this and help to create a safer environment for all roadway users in Michigan."

Violations of PA 279 of 2018 is a civil infraction resulting in a fine and three points on the motorist's record.

Until today, Michigan was one of only 11 states without a safe passing law. "We were really lagging behind other states on this issue," said Lindenmayer. Michigan saw a significant spike in bicycle fatalities in 2016, with 38 cyclists killed on Michigan roads. This was nearly double over the previous year. According to the Office of Safety Planning, 21 bicyclists were killed in crashes on Michigan roadways in 2017 and another 1,356 were injured. "We are encouraged that bicycle fatalities are down and optimistic that this new safe passing will help continue that trend since a significant portion of crashes and fatalities involve a motorist striking a cyclist from behind."

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For the second year, LMB was privileged to help foster the growth of bicycling initiatives around the state through a Micro-Grant Program. This year, LMB was able to narrow down the applicants to 14 amazing organizations with unique programs that promote bicycling or bicycling safety in their area. We are pleased to share their stories and how the Micro-Grant funds are helping them further their own missions, moving us all toward a more bicycle friendly state.

One of the Micro-Grant recipients is Bike Friendly Soo (BFS), a Sault St. Marie-based organization. BFS received a Micro-Grant fund for their bike rodeo to provide helmets to outfit children in their community. BFS along with Lake Superior State University and Sault Police Department were pleased to inform us of the overall positive outcome of their recent bike safety rodeo which was held on June 2nd. Thank you to Vice Chair, Emily Weber, of BFS for telling their story.

"We successfully reached our goal of educating our young riders and their parents about how to bike safely in our community. The bike rodeo was designed to be a family-focused event where participants were given a handbook to visit a series of stations to learn about bike maintenance, bike safety, ride an obstacle course, and create a bike-related craft all of which helped impact ridership and safety. The stomp rockets that the children made from repurposed bike tubes were an absolute hit! Once the handbook was completed, children were treated to a root beer float donated by our local Soo Brewing Co.

BFS really felt we reached the youth in various ways to advertise the event and feel we will grow from here. LMB bike safety pamphlets, with a 'save the date' flyer, were sent to every k-5 student in our area schools. BFS members were on the radio twice, a Facebook event page was created, posters were up downtown, and an article was placed in the paper (Sault News). The League of Michigan Bicyclists was properly mentioned, and a logo was present in these ways as a means of advertising.

Our Sault Ste Marie community continues to amaze us. The support we received was very encouraging. LMB joined other committed partners such as Capstone Leadership Solutions, Parker Ace Hardware, Soo Brewing Company, Pro Sports, Eagle Radio 95.1, Wicked Sister, Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corporation, Lake Superior State University, and Sault Police Department.

BFS once again thanks LMB for having the confidence in our group to be a recipient of the 2018 Micro-Grant."

For more information on the Micro-Grant program and the other 2018 projects, visit: https://bit.ly/2PoAFOe

Ann Arbor, Dearborn, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Twp, Muskegon, Norton Shores, Oshtemo Twp, and Portage have all adopted five-foot passing ordinances. On June 29, 2018, Governor Snyder signed PA 279 and 280 of 2018 into law, making three feet of space the statewide standard for safe passing. The new law put into question whether the new Public Acts supersede the existing local ordinances. With our partners at Bike Law Michigan, LMB sought to clarify this confusion about the law. Below is an analysis of conflicts between state and local laws. The conclusion drawn from the case law outlined below leads LMB to the opinion that the three-foot passing statute does not preempt local five-foot ordinances. Thank you to Bryan Waldman and Ted Larkin of Bike Law Michigan for their legal research into this matter.

In People v. Llewellyn, 401 Mich. 314, 322 (1977), the Supreme Court created a two-prong test for adjudicating conflicts between municipal ordinances and state statutes. A municipal ordinance is said to be preempted where (1) it is in “direct conflict with the state statutory scheme” or (2) the state statutory scheme occupies the entire “field of regulation which the municipality seeks to enter, to the exclusion of the ordinance, even where there is no direct conflict between the two schemes of regulation.” Id. In other words, a municipal ordinance will not stand if it’s in direct conflict with a state statute, or if the state has exclusive control over the area of law that the municipality has tried to enter.

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Posting Date: August 29, 2018

SUMMARY
League of Michigan Bicyclists (LMB) seeks a dynamic, experienced professional to join the LMB team as Development Director. This is a full-time position based in our Lansing, Michigan headquarters.

This position provides leadership for the creation and implementation of strategic fund development initiatives including: major and annual giving, direct mail, events, sponsorships, peer-to-peer fundraising, donor stewardship and recognition, and administration related to development. The ideal candidate must have a bachelor’s degree, a minimum of two years of progressively responsible fundraising experience in a non-profit organization, and an interest in bicycling.

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Posting Date: August 29, 2018

SUMMARY
The League of Michigan Bicyclists (LMB) seeks an energetic, well-organized, and detail-oriented person with strong writing skills to fill the role of Communications Director. This is a full-time position based in our Lansing, Michigan headquarters.

This is a unique opportunity for a creative individual with initiative to join the team of a growing statewide membership-based non-profit. The Communications Director will be responsible for expanding LMB's visibility and brand to support our efforts to promote bicycling and the safety of bicyclists on Michigan roadways. This position will be responsible for public relations and a variety of communications including print publications, special promotions, advocacy engagement, email marketing, and social media.

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This past year has been an exciting time for LMB. From implementing new programs like our Bicycle Safety for Law Enforcement training series, continuing our Micro-Grant Program, ushering in seven new bicycle-friendly laws, and completing another stellar year of LMB bicycle tours, LMB staff has been hard at work all year long. After a successful year so far, as the summer comes to a close LMB will be going through a transitional time before gearing up for an even bigger and better 2019.

Ben Saint-Onge, LMB Tour Director and Outreach Coordinator, will be taking a sabbatical from September through December of 2018 at which time he will be living in Jordan to further his studies in Arabic at the Qasid Institute, an Arabic language center located in the Capital Amman. While Ben is overseas, he will continue to do work for LMB remotely – namely, coordinating the Sunrise Adventure and Shoreline West tours. Upon his return, he will take up his responsibilities as Outreach Coordinator and Tour Director. This is a wonderful opportunity for Ben and we wish him the best of luck in his studies. In his place, Scott Neumann has joined the LMB team through the fall. Scott is a MSU grad and has extensive experience in the nonprofit sector. He served as Canvas Director at Clean Water Action for many years. Scott also recently served as a Legislative Aid for eight years in the House of Representatives.

Aneta Kiersnowski, LMB Development and Communications Director, has accepted another position and will be leaving LMB this fall. Aneta has contributed greatly to our organization’s successes over the last two years. We will miss her and wish her the best of luck in the next chapter of her career.

With Aneta’s departure, LMB is seeking not one, but two new members to join the LMB team. We are seeking a Communications Director and a Development Director. These positions are a wonderful opportunity for bicycle enthusiasts to become involved with LMB and help us as we continue to grow and evolve. You can find the job postings here for the Communications Director position and here for the Development Director position.

LMB is excited about this transitional time and looks forward to the growth our organization will experience because of it.

Shoreline West 2018 was once again a week of great cycling. The 32nd year of this bicycle tour brought together over 470 cyclists to ride along the beautiful Lake Michigan coastline.

The tour began in Montague, MI, where cyclists set up camp and had an option to swim in Duck Lake or, for the braver folks, take a chilly dip in Lake Michigan! The rest of the night was spent exploring the town and becoming acquainted with fellow riders. 

The first day's ride to Ludington passed lighthouses and the famous Cherry Market where riders indulged in their annual cherry turnover or two. From there, riders conquered Arcadia hill, aka Watermelon Hill, where they were given fresh, juicy watermelon as their prize for making the climb. After they arrived at the day's destination, Frankfort, many cyclists also visited Stormcloud Brewing Company for a cold beer after a big day of riding. 

Traverse City was the next destination, where riders had a day off to enjoy all of the sight-seeing and activities in the Traverse Bay area. After everyone had a day to rest their legs, riders headed to Charlevoix, passing orchards and large, beautiful sunflower fields, a favorite spot for a photo op along the route. From Charlevoix to Harbor Springs, cyclists were encouraged to participate in "Spirit Day' sporting their favorite jersey to support their college, business, or club. 

The last day brought riders to Mackinaw City, but not before riding through the historic and protected, "tunnel of trees", 20 miles of breathtaking Michigan wilderness. Riders were given a week of beautiful Michigan summer weather, leaving everyone a little sad to say goodbye to Shoreline West 2018. 

Thank you again to the amazing volunteers and cyclists who came out to make this year's tour one to remember!

On June 29, 2018, Governor Snyder signed our safe passing bills, HB 4185 and 4265, making leaving 3 feet of space when passing a vehicle the statewide law.

The passage of our safe passing law is a huge victory, but there is still plenty of work to do. We must work together to spread the word about the new law. LMB has developed safe passing yard signs, buttons, and stickers that will allow you to show your support and help spread the word to the general public about the new law. Our safe passing merchandise is now available for purchase in the LMB store.

All proceeds from your purchase support LMB's help promote the safe passing law and continue to advance new bicycle-friendly legislation. Our work is not possible without your support. We hope you will proudly display and offer for sale our Safe Passing merchandise to educate and remind motorists to pass safe and save lives. Thank you!