July 2008

Vol. 1, Issue 6

Contents:
1. Learning Education Techniques
2. Resources Highlights - Making Cycling Irresistible
3. Hot Topics - Countering Bicycle Discouragement

Learning Education Techniques
By: Sue Knaup, Executive Director

One Street continues our work with our local university, Prescott College, on the development of their course - The Bicycle: Vehicle for a Small Planet. This course won't run again until spring 09, so the instructor and I have lately been focusing on education techniques. After assessing with him the results from the course this past spring, I realized college students suffer from many of the same learning problems as our politicians, general public, health practitioners, traffic engineers and yes, even leaders of bicycle advocacy organizations! These include:

  • Laziness - not putting the energy into learning something new.
  • Excuses - whether their dog or their secretary ate the intriguing resource meant for their benefit, the result is the same.
  • Resistance - holding onto old ideas even if those ideas have been proven to be harmful.
  • Fear - of learning something new.

So, how do great teachers work around these human tendencies and nurture curiosity in their students that drives them to learn? I vividly remember the great teachers in my past who helped build my endless (and often times annoying) curiosity. But I can't say how they guided me that way. If any of you can recommend books or other resources on education techniques, please email them to me: sue{at}onestreet.org. This is not just for the class next spring, but for all of One Street's services to leaders of organizations working to increase bicycling. Thanks in advance!

Resources Highlights - Making Cycling Irresistible

John Pucher, one of One Street's cherished Advisors, recently published a profoundly inspiring paper, with help from his partner in bicycle inspirations, Ralph Buehler. The paper, Making Cycling Irresistible: Lessons from The Netherlands, Denmark and Germany, starts with a reality check: "For readers in many countries, the title of this article might sound so impossible as to seem absurd. Most Britons and Americans, for example, must find cycling quite resistible indeed, since they make only about 1% of their trips by bike..." But as you'll find, the paper is written for readers in such countries and is so thorough and enjoyable to read, that absolutely anyone can walk away from it with the courage to make cycling irresistible in their communities. Don't miss it!

Hot Topics - Countering Bicycle Discouragement

Many of our recent requests from leaders of organizations have been for assistance countering the discouragement of bicycling. These issues have been in the form of:

  • Harmful helmet promotions and mandatory helmet laws
  • Calling for more severe penalties for bicyclists who do not obey the laws - even if the roads are too dangerous to do so.
  • Attempts to ban bicycling on streets that are seen as too dangerous - for the bicyclists' own good...

We're currently engaged in helping several campaigns to counter such "blame the victim" attacks. Each campaign has its own unique problem and solution. But all of them share these common tactics - keep them in mind next time one of your officials attempts to twist your advocacy efforts into a similar monstrosity:

  • Always bring the discussion back to improving the safety of the bicycling environment.
  • If anyone attempts to divert the discussion because a bicyclist didn't behave some way or wear something like a helmet, bring it back by asking the last time a car safety project was stopped because drivers didn't behave.
  • Remind resistant officials that the public right-of-way is for the public, no matter how they choose to travel. Here in the US, on average, more than one third of our citizens do not drive a car. For your country, compare the number of drivers' licenses to your population. The difference is the number who do not drive. In general, the number of people with licenses who choose not to drive is close to the number of people without licenses who do drive. So it comes out quite close to accurate. Then ask your officials how they aim to provide for those who do not drive.
  • Be relentless! Gather your helpers and constantly show your officials the many faces of those who bicycle and those who want to bicycle.
  • Contact us to help you and your organization plan a powerful campaign to counter the push in your community to discourage bicycling.
  • Read John Pucher's paper (above) for inspiration!