via The Bike-sharing Blog

Image Courtesy: Russell Meddin bikesharephiladelphia.org via The Bike-sharing Blog

via MomentumMag

A simple infograph that explains the nexus between bicycles and their economic value to the communities.. While you are checking out the infograph below, you might also read up on this Momentum Mag piece from April 2013: How Bicycles Bring Business

Image courtesy: http://momentummag.com

Via Momentum Mag

Have you been in Washington, DC and New York City recently? These two cities, along with a growing number of other American cities, offer a great bikesharing programs. A good majority of the users of these systems are women, who have fondly embraced cycling (not just as a workout but also for many other reasons) and the numbers are growing rapidly as the popularity of the bikesharing continues to expand across the country.

A recent report from League of American Bicyclists shows a growing a trend seen on streets nationwide: Women are changing the face of bicycling, and bicycling is transforming the lives of women. Momentum Mag, in conjunction with League of American Bicyclists, has put together an infographic that highlights 10 common myths about women cycling, which is filled with all kinds of interesting statistics.  Check it out

Image Courtesy: Momentum Mag

Click here to download the high-resolution version.

While we are at it, let me also share the Women on a Roll report, which serves as the basis for this infograph.

Spotted this image in the “In Focus” photo series by The Atlantic, covering protests from around the world.  Might be a bit too much for the American sensibilities but the Spaniards are not bothered by all the skin on display.  Apparently, more than a hundred cyclists gathered in the Spanish capital as they took part in the city’s 10th Naked Bike Ride aimed at highlighting the dependency on oil and road safety issues for cyclists.  Here is one of them riding naked in a public fountain in front of the Royal Palace as others bathe in Madrid, on June 15, 2013. More pics (NSFW, obviousy) from the protest can be seen here.

Image Courtesy: AP Photo/Andres Kudacki – Naked Cyclist Protesting for better & safe biking infrastructure in Madrid, Spain

Image courtesy: AP Photo/Andres Kudacki via The Atlantic

Related articles

• Police fine 400 cyclists for ‘dangerous and irresponsible’ riding
• Madrid’s bin men told to wear cycle helmets
• Look Mum, no pants! The rise of naked bike ride protests

Here is some pretty cool hand drawn and animated stuff (from fellow Redditor NathanwPyle) to gently remind fellow bicyclists in NYC about a few things to do and watch out for while on the street riding a bike.  Oh, and some of these etiquettes are universal, not just applicable to NYC.  When you finish scrolling through the pics. remember to check out Nathan Pyle’s website too for more goodness.

Source: NathanwPyle via Imgur

The Washington Area Bicyclist Association is looking for a dedicated, self-motivated lover of bicycling to assist in planning and executing major components of our East of the River 2013 Bicycle Outreach Initiative. This is an expansion of our successful 2012 program and includes distribution of community engagement and outreach materials and organization of educational offerings, bicycle repair clinics, bike rides, and community events. The project area is the District of Columbia east of the Anacostia River, with specific emphasis on the Congress Heights, Anacostia, and St. Elizabeths areas.

The East of the River Program Associate will have primary day-to-day responsibility for delivery of bicycling outreach through one-on-one, grassroots community engagement, and will be responsible for coordinating logistics of numerous outreach events to communicate to community members the value of bicycling as a viable form of affordable, healthy, sustainable transportation.

Image Courtesy: Anacostia Yogi – http://www.anacostiayoga.com

This position is grant-funded and is anticipated to run through mid-August 2013. The ideal candidate will be highly motivated, committed to getting more people on bikes, a strong communicator, knowledgeable about the community to be served, and organized. Hours are flexible, but weekend work will be required. The majority of work will be outdoors likely involving bicycling, interacting with the public, or at outdoor community events, but the associate will also be responsible for planning and preparing reports for supervisors and funders.

The associate will report directly to the WABA outreach coordinator and will be directed by WABA program staff. This will afford the associate the opportunity to learn from professionals in the fields of event planning, community planning, grassroots organizing, online activism, and outreach.

The ideal candidate will have:

• A strong commitment to WABA’s mission, growing bicycling as transportation
• Excellent writing, presentation, and public-speaking skills
• A flexible schedule and willingness to work evenings and weekends as needed
• The ability to organize time wisely and multi-task in a relaxed and fun, but demanding, environment
• Experience with Microsoft Office

Benefits include a flexible schedule, vacation, and sick and personal leave. Compensation is $15 an hour. This position is part-time, about 20 to 25 hours per week.

Apply

Send a cover letter describing why you are the best candidate for this job, along with a resume, to jobs@waba.org. No phone calls, please. The position is available immediately, and applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

WABA is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all persons regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, marital status, political affiliation, sexual orientation or gender identity, disability, sex, or age.

About the Washington Area Bicyclist Association
Making bicycling better through advocacy and education, the Washington Area Bicyclist Association promotes biking as a healthy, low-cost, and environmentally friendly form of transportation and recreation. With 4,000 members region-wide, WABA serves bicyclists throughout the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, including the District of Columbia and parts of Maryland and Virginia.

Job Title:  General Manager
Job Location: San Francisco, with regular travel to the South Bay

Job Summary
Bicycle sharing is a sustainable, healthy, and community-based transport option that enhances urban livability and mobility. Alta Bicycle Share, contractor to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) and operator of the Bay Area bike share program (BABS), is seeking a General Manager to oversee staff of over 50 people and all aspects of launch and ongoing operations. Core program functions include: program marketing; bicycle and station assembly and installation, programming and deployment; bicycle and station maintenance, repair and cleaning; bicycle redistribution; shipping/receiving and inventory control; client and customer service; and budget management.

Reporting to the Operations Director, the General Manager is accountable for overall success of Alta’s Bay Area bike share program as measured by program P & L, performance in core program functions, and client and customer satisfaction. Primary responsibilities include business strategy development and implementation; staff recruitment, training oversight, leadership and coaching; client and customer service; and contract negotiation and compliance. Ideal candidates will be diplomatic delegators with a track record of safety and success managing multifaceted operations with a diverse and committed workforce.

Primary Responsibilities
Manage all aspects of Alta Bicycle Share Bay Area pre-launch activities, including but not limited to:

• Recruitment and selection of key leadership team.
• Branding and marketing plan development.
• Identification of key marketing partners and sub-contractors.
• Property identification and acquisition.
• Acquisition of vehicles, equipment and tools.
• Site selection and planning.
• Contract and client management. Establish strong vendor and client relationships.
• Receive, inventory, and oversee assembly of all bike share equipment.
• Establish or improve policies and policy documents as required.

Manage all aspects of Alta Bicycle Share Bay Area program deployment and launch, marketing, customer service, administration and oversee all aspects of ongoing operations, including but not limited to:

• Hire, train, schedule, and manage a diverse workforce to necessarily and continually accomplish core program functions. Delegate tasks as needed.
• Working with the management and street team to develop strategies to accomplish operational functions including bike and station deployment, maintenance, repair, and cleaning, and bicycle redistribution.
• Working with the local client, management and street team to develop strategies for membership and corporate sales, public relations, and customer service leveraging social media.
• Manage multiple subcontracts.
• Lead collaboration with multiple clients and multiple sponsors.
• Continuous operation with adherence to policies, contracts, and budgets.
• Implement, improve, and share operational best practices.
• Ensure strict adherence to safety policies and procedures.
• Forecast revenues and expenses, and manage a budget.
• Ensure reports, invoices and purchase orders are complete and timely delivered to project officers and managers.
• Maintain strong client and vendor relations.
• Ensure overall success and future growth of Alta Bicycle Share the Bay Area.

Core Competencies

• Communication Skills: Collaborate and communicate effectively; requires listening, strategic context, win-win negotiating, situational leadership; great written, verbal and presentation skills.
• Leadership Skills: Inspire and motivate employees to successfully achieve operational goals; provide a stable, positive environment that challenges and develops employee potential; remove obstacles that interfere with team goals; earns respect of team and clients alike.
• Interpersonal Skills: Maintain confidentiality; remain open to others’ ideas; demonstrate willingness to try new things.
• Resource Management: Find creative ways to accomplish goals in the face of resource constraints; develop and manage realistic operating budgets that accomplish program objectives.
• Continuous Improvement: Proficient in company best practices in each function; looks for ways to improve efficiency and performance; analyzes data to make fact based decisions; incorporates feedback from various stakeholders to improve processes.
• Emotional Intelligence: Self-aware, easily establishes trust and integrity with clients and staff.
• Adaptability: Enthusiastically adapt to changes in the work environment; manage competing demands; maintain team focus and optimism when dealing with frequent change, delays or unexpected events.
• Dependability: Follow instructions; respond to management direction and client requests; communicate frequently; solicit feedback to improve performance.

Requirements

• College degree in business administration, engineering, transportation or related field required. Advanced degree a plus.
• 7+ years of demonstrated success in the areas of general management, sales/marketing, general operations and finance in a fast growth environment. Experience in logistics or transportation industries a plus.
• Prior P & L responsibility in a multi-site/multi-unit operation.
• Ability to identify priorities and focus on critical tasks.
• Must have demonstrated leaderships experience and history of hiring and developing key employees.
• Experience working with government, businesses, and non-profits.
• Strong analytical, organizational, communication and problem solving skills.
• Valid driver’s license.
• Passion for bikes, efficiency, or sustainability a plus.
• Sense of humor required.

Note: The above description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the job. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities due to the nature of work performed to accomplish Alta Bicycle Share’s Mission. Alta Bicycle Share is proud to be an equal opportunity/ affirmative action employer.
To Apply:
Please submit a cover letter and resume to: resumes+SFGM@altabicycleshare.com
Please, no phone calls

Click here for the original announcement.

(Source: Imgur)

Not sure what he is implying with the score keeping (possibly the 8 years he spent as a cyclist and four on a wheel chair or it could very well be the number of bikes and wheel chairs  he took out while driving the car) but he seems to have a good sense of humor..

Image courtesy: Imgur

(Source: via Gizmodo)

This strangely intriguing video was a submission to the Bike Shorts film competition.

Bicycle Sounds from Stephen Meierding on Vimeo.

A short film created using bicycle parts.

Created by Stephen Meierding
Opening Title Design: Mark Mccormic
Camera Assistants: Shelly Rangsiyakl, Johnny Huttenberger, Jesalee Go

Source: Imgur via Reddit

Came across this cool pic. and had to share.. If you need a reason to buy a bicycle, here is all you need.  It doesn’t get any better than this. LOL!

Image Courtesy: Imgur via Reddit