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MISSOULA BICYCLING AMBASSADORS 2009 REPORT Laura Goldberg Ben Weiss ---PAGE BREAK--- 1 INTRODUCTION The City of Missoula, through its Bicycle and Pedestrian Offi ce, strives to enhance bicycle and pedestrian safety and encourage the use of bicycles and other alternative methods of transportation. One function of the Bike/Ped Ofi ice is the Bicycling Ambassador program, which attempts to address the behavioral component of transportation. Each year, two Bicycling Ambassadors work from mid-June through the beginning of October to promote cycling in Missoula. Through fi rst-hand contact with citizens, be it on the streets or at organized events, the Ambassadors educate cyclists, pedestrians, and motorists about safe riding habits and how to better share the road. Over the course of the summer, the ambassadors talked to 2474 people of all ages, and were seen by thousands of others. The main goals of the Ambassadors are to: -Provide bike safety education for riders of all ages and skill levels -Reduce confl ict between cyclists, motorists, and pedestrians -Increase helmet use -Promote the bicycle as a viable transportation option Children Teens Young Adults Adults Total 765 [PHONE REDACTED] 2474 List of Donations: -Blinking Lights from MIM ~250 -DQ Dilly Bar tokens ~175 -Big Dipper free cone cards ~25 -Carousel coupons 100 -REI 15% off coupons ~25 Other Tools: Biked Today" stickers -bike maps -pamphlets -coloring sheets/12 Hazards -display -radio (KUFM/KBGA) ---PAGE BREAK--- 2 CHILDREN’S ACTIVITES • City of Missoula Parks & Recreation Camps (ages 6-12) Every Tuesday we met with each of the three weekly Parks & Recreation camps. We attempted to vary our presentations so as to not bore repeat campers. We taught general bike safety, quizzed kids with true/false questions and rewarded them for correct answers, talked about cycling sports, did helmet demonstrations and went on rides with campers when they had bikes. Many kids were excited to see us, and those who were in camp every week understood that when riding a bike they should wear a helmet and be aware of their surroundings. • YMCA sports camps (ages 6-14) Every Wednesday afternoon we met with the YMCA sports camp. As with P&R camps, we tried to vary our lessons, as there were many repeat campers each week. Challenges included presenting to a larger group of kids (45-60) and working with kids of lower socio-economic status (YMCA camps are offered on a sliding scale). These campers seemed less attentive, more prone to wander off topic, and less aware of bike safety than any of the other camps we went to. Even still, many campers were enthused to answer questions and they all got excited by the egg-drop helmet demonstration. • Zootown Arts Community Center art camp (ages 6-12) We went to the ZACC art camp once this summer to do helmet painting. We brought nine helmets provided by St. Patrick Hospital, spray painted them fl at white, and let the kids decorate them while we incorporated some safety lessons. The kids loved this activity; we wish we could have provided them with enough helmets for each camper, and gone back to other ZACC camps to do this with more kids. The ZACC raffl ed the uniquely painted helmets off at the end of the day, and the kids were okay with the outcome. Ben let the kids decorate his helmet, and he promised them that he would wear it for the rest of summer. When we saw a few of the campers later in the summer they were really happy to see Ben in his painted helmet. The ZACC liked the activity so much that they volunteered to provide a helmet painting station at PEDal Fest. •SpectrUM Wonder Wheels Bicycle Camp (ages 8-12) The SpectrUM Science Discovery Area at the University of Montana held a week-long bike camp, where children got to learn the science behind cycling. We met with this camp several times during the week to work on safe riding skills. This camp was the most responsive to us, as all the children there were clearly interested in bikes and had bikes with them each day. By visiting with the same group several times, we were able to gain their trust, reinforce our lessons, and put into practice much of what we talked about. It was exciting to see the kids advance markedly over the course of the week. For example, on Monday, we discussed hand signals but few campers were signaling. On Friday, every kid used their signals for every turn we made. •Downtown Tonight kids activity (ages 1-101) Another Caras park event at which we were not the featured attraction. However, our prominent placement at the entrance allowed many people to walk by and at least hear about who we are and what we do. Again, the coloring activities and fi nd-the-hazards sheets kept the kids occupied while we got to speak with parents about the cycling issues they and their children face. "Wear your helmet and watch where you're going." We talked to hundreds of kids this summer, a few of whom heard our spiel more than once. Many of them were eager to see us each ti me, but there were some who seemed disinterested or were unable to pay att enti on. At our last children's presentati on of the season, at the Boys & Girls Club, we asked the kids – who had seen us throughout the summer – what they thought was the most important message we taught them this season. One child excitedly said the quote above, making us confi dent that our message sunk in to the minds of many kids. ---PAGE BREAK--- 3 •Children’s Museum/Families First (HealthyU, Farm Night) (ages 1-101) The Children’s Museum/Families First caters to young families, so many of our lessons were a little advanced for the young kids, and a little elementary for the adults. Still, these events were some of the only times we got to address both kids and parents about the importance of wearing helmets and the necessity for courtesy on the trails and sidewalks (all of these kids were too young to be road riders). For the farm night, we lead a family ride from downtown to the PEAS farm and back. We provided a helmet demonstration at HealthyU. •Kids Fest (ages 1-101) Kid’s Fest, the annual Parks and Rec party at Caras Park, attracted a large crowd of children and their parents/grandparents. Our message was a little buried beneath the whirlwind of activities, music, and pie-throwing, but the people who stopped to talk with us were inquisitive, receptive, and grateful for the information we provided. We also attempted to stage a bike rodeo, which was only attended by 3 children. •Kiddopolooza (ages 1-101) Similar to Kid’s Fest, although the kids were a bit younger. They liked the coloring pages and identifying the hazards. By occupying the kids, we were able to talk to parents about routes to school, getting on their bikes more, and some of the more adult topics (infrastructure issues, planning, etc.) •Boys and Girls Club (ages 6-12) We twice went to the Higgins Ave. Boys & Girls Club site, once during its summer camp session, and once for an after school program in September. We talked to the kids about general bike safety, and used the “12 Hazards” activity to engage the kids in a discussion about safe cycling habits and the importance of being aware while riding. Though the counselors had to discipline a couple of the kids, several of this group asked very advanced questions about what to do in certain situations, and they seemed to grasp the concept that just because you can see a car soes mean that the driver can see you. Around Town We saw many children riding with their parents, grandparents, and babysitters over the course of the summer. We liked stopping them to congratulate them for riding well (nearly all children wear helmets). We handed out stickers and/or carousel coupons or ice cream coupons, and reinforced the message of courtesy on the trails and safety on the streets. While rewarding the children, we were able to talk to the adults about sidewalk vs. street riding, and tried to encourage thoughtful route planning when riding with kids. Sometimes parents were not wearing helmets, and we chastised them in front of their kids, occasionally asking the kids what they thought of their dad or mom not wearing a helmet. Parental response was generally sheepish, and we were then able to discuss how their helmet use would be a positive infl uence on their children, especially as the kids reached an age when helmets were no longer cool. Particularly on the trails, we began to see the same kids riding to and from school, or day care, and we thanked them for making the choice to use a bicycle for transportation. "Actually, we are on vacation here to bicycle." We were surprised by the number of bicycle tourists we met this summer. This quote came from a parent we met on the trail by Caras Park. He was from Utah, and brought his family (and their bikes!) to vacati on in Missoula because he had heard it was a great city to bike in. They wanted an urban cycling experience, and were very impressed by our trails and bike lanes, and the number of people they saw cycling. We met several other families on bikes who were also from out of town who said similar things. It was great to hear from non-residents how great our city is for cycling, and we enjoyed hearing about what biking is like in their towns. We also met people on fully-loaded touring bikes who were just passing through on a long bike tour. We loved hearing about their trips, and were delighted that they made Missoula one of their stopping points. We congratulated many of these out of town cyclists, as they were most oft en the ones we saw obeying all traffi c laws and riding courteously throughout town. ---PAGE BREAK--- 4 TEEN ACTIVITIES •Flagship Program bike club We visited one Flagship group on its bike club day. We talked about basic bike safety, did helmet fi ttings, and led a ride. These middle school aged teens were easy to talk to, as they already had a clear interest in biking. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to meet with more Flagship groups, which would have been a great way to get through to more kids in their early teens. •Youth Homes A great way to reach teenagers is through the youth homes in the city. We set up meetings at four youth homes to talk about safety and issues pertinent to teens, such as transportation independence (in terms of getting to and from school, sports practice, etc). We geared our discussions towards more advanced concepts, such as road position and traffi c laws. Often times the people who were most interested at these events were the house leaders, but considering teenagers in general are hard to get through to, we felt these visits were productive. Each home served a different purpose within the Youth Home system, and there was a variety of freedoms, rights, and responsibilities conferred to the teens. The kids who had jobs, or were aloud to commute by themselves to school, or go with their families unsupervised took a greater interest in what we had to say. The major positive in these situations was that we got and hour and a hal their time, and were thus able to have meaningful, in depth conversations. •City of Missoula Parks & Recreation Workreators Each Parks & Recreation camp had a few teen volunteers, working under the City’s Teen Workreation program, which allows teens ages 14-16 train as assistant camp counselors. These Workreators were always helpful and attentive during our camp presentations, and over the course of the summer we saw them put into practice what they learned from us. Some of them rode their bikes between the camps they worked at, and one day we saw Ikou riding to a park. She was wearing her helmet properly and using turn signals. Around Town Of any age group, we probably saw the least amount of teens riding around town. We stopped those that we could to talk to them about riding by the rules. Our tone was not authoritative, but more conspiratorial. We approached from the point of view that they were on to a good little secret – that bikes could get you around town quickly, cheaply, and excitingly – but that it was in everyone’s interest for them to obey traffi c rules. Response to this tone seemed good, and teens generally liked getting some bike tips (raise the seat, take this street instead of that one, it is safer and more polite to walk through a crosswalk, etc.) ---PAGE BREAK--- 5 YOUNG ADULT ACTIVITIES •Counselors at Camps Many of the counselors at the various camps we went to were young adults. Though some of them used our visits as an opportunity to take a break from their jobs, many were helpful in keeping the campers attentive during our presentations, and listened to us and asked questions about how to become better bicyclists. •UM/COT orientations College students, especially ones that are new to town, represent some of the gravest offenders of bicycle laws and yet are some of the hardest people with whom to fi nd an audience. We attempted to talk to them at several orientation events over the summer. At the College of Technology, we set up a table during lunch on orientation days, offering students and their parents information, handouts, lights, maps and conversation relating to the legal, safe, and courteous practice of riding a bicycle in Missoula. At the University main campus, we participated in one of the orientation evening events. We had a table set up, and probably talked to more parents than students. Many parents confi ded in us that their child did not know it yet, but they were getting a bike instead of a car to take to school, and the parents were happy to get as much bicycling information as possible to give to their kid with their new bike. We got to talk to the students themselves at Welcome Feast, an all-campus lunch on the fi rst Friday of classes that takes place on the oval. At Welcome Feast, many students approached our table to take information and ask questions about proper riding habits in town. While the ASUM transportation offi ce had a table set up to provide information about transportation alternatives, we were the only ones there with a wealth of information regarding behavior: traffi c laws, helmet use, locking practices, and road position. Several students thanked us for setting them straight about certain issues – sidewalk riding, stop signs, bike lanes, etc. Around Town There was no shortage of young adult bicyclists on the streets of Missoula this summer. Many of them were safe cyclists and well aware of cycling laws. However, while this group was the most abundant, it was also the most likely to be seen ignoring the law and riding dangerously and without regard for other cyclists, pedestrians and motorists. These young adults were the hardest people to reach, as they often sped through traffi c lights and ignored us when we asked them to stop. We observed many of them running stop signs and red lights, failing to use turn signals, and taking short cuts through parking lots, down the wrong side of the street, or on sidewalks. On those occasions when we were able to talk to these young adults, we stressed that unpredictable, erratic behavior makes all cyclists look bad, and that riding within the law is safer for many reasons. ---PAGE BREAK--- 6 ADULT ACTIVITIES •Senior Center We spent two afternoons at the Senior Center, upon the suggestion of an older gentleman we met outside Grizzly Grocery one day. He mentioned that senior citizens may be interested in learning more about cycling or airing their grievances about cycling behavior. During our visits we allowed them to ask questions and patiently listened as they explained their concerns about dangerous cycling-related incidents and behaviors they had seen around town. We met only one or two seniors who regularly ride their bikes. We had hoped to convince others that cycling was still a great way to get around even at their age, but many of them said they no longer ride because they fi nd it uncomfortable or think it’s dangerous. Even though we didn’t succeed with that goal, we found the visits to be helpful to both us and the senior citizens, as they appreciated having someone to listen to them and were able to acknowledge us as positive members of the cycling community. They also brought to our attention some issues we had not heard about before, and gave us a different perspective than many of the younger people we talked to. •Helmet Sales We helped sell helmets at St. Patrick’s Hospital on the third Wednesday of each month, during their regularly scheduled helmet sales. They sell helmets at wholesale cost, and we informed many helmet-less cyclists about the sales throughout the summer. While we encountered people of all ages at the sales, we talked mostly to adults, whether they were there alone or with their families, or buying helmets for themselves or their children. While we fi elded questions about anything cycling related, and had maps available, the focus was on properly fi tting helmets, which we eagerly helped customers do. We also heard many great stories from customers about why they were getting helmets, such as the man who needed to replace a helmet that saved his life in a crash, and the girl whose friend threw up in her helmet after a party Around Town It was probably adults who we talked to the most around town, whether we were out-to-lunch at Caras park, hanging out by the farmers’ markets, at the BUB, or just on a street corner. We were able to talk to cycling and non-cycling adults about a wide range of issues concerning transportation by bicycle in town. From bums to attorneys, we preached the good word of better bicycling behavior to everyone who would listen. We solicited opinions about behavior and infrastructure from everyone we came across. There were varying degrees of acceptance of our ideas, but many people saluted us and the job we were doing. Some adult riders were set in their ways, and didn’t want to hear what they may be doing wrong. Others were intrigued about the prospect of getting back on a bike, and were grateful to have us as a repository of information about routes, laws, safety, courtesy, and “Hello, this is (Ben/Laura), Missoula Bicycling Am- bassador, reminding you to bike and drive safely while you're listening to…" There were two ways we did reach hundreds of drivers. We recorded a stati on ID (quoted above) at KUFM, the local public radio stati on. This ID is broadcast on public radio stati ons in several Montana citi es, and there is no way to measure how many drivers may have heard this while listening to the radio in their cars. Hopefully many Montanans heard this ID and took our message to heart. We also stood on the corner of 5th Street and Maurice several ti mes holding signs that said "Please watch for bicyclists a nd pedestrians crossing on your right" or "Bike/Ped X-ING." This corner is a dangerous one, and many drivers fail to see cyclists and pedestrians who are crossing the street from the north, as traffi c is coming from only one directi on (the south). In any given hour we were there, about 200 drivers and passengers passed. Nearly all of them saw us and our signs, and hopefully will remember our message when at that intersecti on (and all intersecti ons!) in the future. While both of these were helpful, neither compares to the number of people in cars who saw us riding around town wearing our red t-shirts. As visible Bicycling Ambassadors, riding safely and sharing the road, hopefully our message was transmitt ed to drivers even without direct interacti on. ---PAGE BREAK--- 7 even feelings. One woman asked us whether we feel safe on the roads here. We said we did, but that we have a lot of riding experience, and comfort level is a subjective thing. The question of comfort became one of our staple questions over the summer when talking to anyone that wasn’t completely confi dent in what they were doing. As cycling becomes more commonplace, we hope to see a big growth in the amount of adults who begin riding bicycles again. This is a good group of people to talk to at length about riding behavior, because many of them have been driving for years, and already have an established understanding of the rules of the road. Adults also have the perspective of drivers, so often it was easy to get them to see why it would be important to follow traffi c laws as a cyclist. Major Events •Bike to the Ballpark Every Tuesday home game of the Missoula Osprey, Missoula in Motion hands out 2-for-1 tickets to cyclists at the ball park and recruited us to help. These were great opportunities to talk to people of all ages about the importance of helmets, the necessity of lights, and the benefi ts of being a courteous and conscientious cyclist. Also, by rewarding cyclists, non-cyclists witnessed a tangible benefi t to making a more sustainable transportation choice. The down sides to these events were that no one really wanted to talk to us for all that long – they wanted to be inside the stadium watching the game, and that many riders had bought tickets in advance, or were there solo, or for some other reason, were not benefi tted by the generosity of the Osprey and Missoula in Motion. •PEDalFest As Bicycling Ambassadors, we spent some time on the planning committee for this year’s PEDalFest, the local inheritor of New Belgium Brewery’s Tour de Fat. The festival, held in mid September in Caras park, celebrated cycling and walking in Missoula with bands, food, beer, a parade, and all sorts of activities for kids and adults alike. The event exposed a lot of people to cycling, and there was much information at the event about both behavior and infrastructure. We handed out stickers, had coloring pages for kids, helped sell helmets, gave away maps and lights, encouraged more bicycle use, and even emceed the event. While the exposure was excellent, there was not much time for in depth discussion with individuals, as the music was loud and there were many things to do. Also, turnout was lower than expected; we would like to have seen more people. •Bikes on Board With the help of Missoula in Motion, Moutnain Line Bus, and Big Dipper Ice Cream, we held an event called Bikes on Board, where we demonstrated to passersby how to put a bike on a bus and rewarded them with free ice cream when they performed the task themselves. Many people thanked us and said that they had actually not brought their bike on the bus before because they were embarrassed about putting it on the rack. Now that they knew how, they said they were going to use the bus. The astonishing thing about this event was how many people did not want free ice cream. Many adults that we talked to were eager to have the ear of public works employees with whom to discuss infrastructure issues. Usually, the more heated conversations came from die-hard cycling advocates. Other less confrontational conversations about current current and future infrastructure were very fruitf ul, and the average concerned citi zen was very encouraged by all of the improvements that the city is undertaking. ---PAGE BREAK--- 8 •Pannier Days We set up our display with information about shopping by bicycle at the Orange Street Food Farm, the Good Food Store, and the Clark Fork farmers’ market. We used our own bikes, panniers, and trailer as examples of ways to carry groceries by bicycle, and also displayed pictures of other bags, baskets, and trailers. Though we didn’t convince as many people as we would have liked to shop by bike, we did meet a few who were eager to equip their bikes with racks and panniers. We also fi elded many questions from people who already shop by bike about how to make the process easier, and about cycling in general.