Mar 6 - How to get things done

Short answer: Do them. This week a customer came in looking for a donor bike for a project, and we had time while sitting in gridlocked traffic to talk about some things. This gentleman, Stan, was the first president of the Mon Rail Trail Coalition (MRTC). Before that though he lived in Masontown where the railbed had been abandoned and cleared but not graded. Stan knew someone with a grader, so they graded it. This kept going until the graded section of the railbed reached Morgantown, where it might would have been an embarassment to do nothing - so things got done. Activists in Morgantown got together, made a plan and implemented it to create the 50+ miles of trails we now enjoy. If there's something you want done and you're hoping for help or cooperation from someone else, stop waiting. Do what you can do now to get the ball rolling, then it will be much easier for others to see how they can help.
In case you can't think of anything, let me share some ideas. This week I'll be travelling to the 10th annual Bike Summit in Washington, DC where much of our time will be spent lobbying senators and congressmen to vote for legislation that promotes biking and walking. It will make our job a lot easier if you're sending letters and calls to their offices to let them know you back us up - and you vote.
Here's the web page with more information (Specifically on the Active Communities Transportation act)
http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/2636/
Other bills currently in consideration include:
“Safe Routes to Schools” Act S. 1156/HR 4021
“Complete Streets” Act - S. 584/HR 1443

And whenever you have the chance advocate for
1) Bike/ped safety education as a requirement in schools (rider education at the grade school level, bike/ped awareness in drivers' education) This will have impact beyond training the current generation of walkers/bikers, it will educate the next generation of voters, legislators, planners and traffic engineers.
2) Increases in non-motorized funding to a level comparable to its mode-share in WV (currently we're the worst - walking/biking is 8% of all traffic, but only gets 0.2% of transportation funding).
Talk to your senators (Byrd, Rockefeller) and congressman (Mollohan). Candidates are already appearing to replace Mollohan after his current term expires, so let these candidates know that you want Morgantown to be a place to walk and bike safely, instead of the traffic slum it's become.
Nick