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Thanks to Tim Blagden and Abby Evankow for these reports on their recent New Hampshire Lobby Day experience as part of the National Bike Summit. This is what effective advocacy is all about!

NH Lobby Report (Abby Evankow)

On March 3rd, 6 of us participated in the annual League of American Bicyclists Lobby Day and met with thoughtful, engaged aides from the offices of Representatives Annie Kuster and Chris Pappas and Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan.

Collectively, we represented BWANH, NH Rail Trails Coalition, Friends of the Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail, the Cross NH Adventure Trail, Granite State Rail Trail, Granite State Wheelers, Friends of the Salem Bike-Ped Corridor, UNH Recreation, and year-round cycling commuters.

LAB staff did an excellent job pulling together all of the materials we needed so we cycling advocates could clearly ask our Legislators to support the following federal-level bills that will improve New Hampshire’s cycling infrastructure.

We asked that Reps Kuster and Pappas support, or better yet, co-sponsor both HR 463 to make the Transportation Alternatives Program more efficient and effective, and HR 508 –  the SAFE Streets Act.

We asked that Senators Shaheen and Hassan support, or co-sponsor, the Transportation Alternatives Program and S. 425, The Complete Streets Act.

The thoughtful questions and supportive answers we received were gratifying.  Our federal delegation clearly understands the importance of safe cycling infrastructure to our state’s residents and visitors.

By Abby Evankow, BWANH supporter, New Hampshire Rail Trails Coalition Board Member

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NH Lobby Day Report (Tim Blagden)

As a NH resident who wants safer, inviting, enticing bicycle infrastructure, it requires action.  One step is joining BWANH, our statewide advocacy organization.  But BWANH needs citizens to take action.  We have to know what good infrastructure looks like, where funding can come from, and what policies can lead to more of the infrastructure we want.  Every year the National Bike Summit is an opportunity to join a multitude of advocates to get inspired, learn how they did it, and to better understand the policies and funding sources that are responsible for most of the road and rail trail bicycling infrastructure in NH.

This year I joined over 1000 advocates from across the country to be inspired by a virtual bike tour of Delft in The Netherlands.  We listened to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg say how hard his agency would work to implement multimodal transportation. We heard from the League of American Bicyclists why this year is the best chance in a decade to push for attainable changes in the transportation bills that will improve the policies and the funding for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.  And we had a chance to speak with the transportation staffers of our NH federal delegation at this year’s “Lobby Day” event.

The saying goes if you’re not at the table, you are what’s on the table.  Showing up and asking for increased funding for buffered bike lanes, rail trails, sidewalks, multi-use paths,  and other elements that contribute to a low stress connected network of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure is essential.  This effort needs you.  Talk with BWANH to find out what NH bills may affect cycling and walking.  Contact your senators and representative and ask them to support the Transportation Alternatives Enhancement Act and the Safe Streets /Complete Streets Act at the federal level.  Make a difference.  A call or an email to your elected officials will help bicyclists and pedestrians be at the table instead of on the table.

By Tim Blagden, BWANH supporter, former Executive Director & Board Member, Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail Director