The Greater Grand Rapids Bicycle Coalition (GGRBC) is cruising forward on its strategic priorities after receiving grants from the Frey Foundation and the Grand Rapids Community Foundation, along with donations from a successful Founding Sponsors campaign.
GGRBC, a grassroots, community-based coalition created during the planning of the 2009 Grand Rapids Bike Summit, provides a centralized organization that advocates for a safe and healthy bicycling community.
Since it began, GGRBC has hosted two Bike Summits; produced a map showing street lanes, singletrack routes and bicycle trails in Greater Grand Rapids; sponsored the first regional bicycle traffic count; initiated a youth bicycle safety education program; and launched a bicycle-friendly business program and the May 14-18 Active Commute Week.
Recently, GGRBC received a $45,000 grant from the Frey Foundation that will be paid over three years. The Grand Rapids Community Foundation also gave a $10,000 one-year grant and encouraged the organization to reapply again next year.
Marcia Rapp, VP of Programs at the Grand Rapids Community Foundation -- an organization committed to the idea of a bicycle-friendly city -- says she is impressed with GGRBC’s level of advocacy and their ability to increase bike lanes and gain supporters.
Rapp says, “GGRBC is likely close to reaching a ‘tipping point’ where people will say, ‘of course we need to be a more bike-friendly region’ rather than ‘why do we need bike lanes?’”
She adds that that as more people use non-motorized methods for commuting to work and elsewhere, “Our air will be cleaner, our people will be healthier and our region more sustainable.”
The Interim Director of GGRBC, Tom Tilma, says that in addition to the recent Frey and Community Foundation grants, the organization has raised more than $42,000 since January as part of its Founding Sponsors campaign. Each sponsor pledges a three-year financial commitment and receives permanent recognition and lifetime membership in the coalition. A list of all of the 2012 donors is on GGRBC’s website.
The monies from the grants and campaign donations will go toward the implementation of the coalition’s advocacy and education priorities as well as start-up operation costs. The organization is also evaluating staffing needs and looking at options for establishing an office.
An advocacy project in the works called “100 by 2014: Bike Lanes Now!” proposes adding bike lanes to 100 miles of streets in metro Grand Rapids by 2014. Progress toward that goal is being made and, after several months of engagement with City of Grand Rapids officials, GGRBC is excited to learn funding for 25-30 miles of bike lanes has been added to the City’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year starting July 1.
GGRBC also educates children on how to bike safely. Recently, 1,431 future bicycle commuters currently in the fourth, fifth and sixth grades participated in a bicycle safety program.
Tilma, who averages nearly 50 miles of bicycle commuting per week, and the coalition want to create a “a thriving, growing bike culture” in Greater Grand Rapids. He says GGRBC is always looking for volunteers to help with its advocacy and educational programs to promote cycling as a part of daily life.
If you’d like to help GGRBC make Greater Grand Rapids a more bicycle-friendly community, here are some ways you can get involved:
- Visit
GGRBC online to find out more about the organization.
- Become a
member.
-
Donate to GGRBC.
-
Volunteer your time and skills.
- Help
advocate for a bicycle-friendly community.
- Sign up to receive their
newsletter.
- Like GGRBC on
Facebook.
- Follow
@bikegrandrapids on Twitter.
Sources: Tom Tilma, Interim Director of the Greater Grand Rapids Bicycle Coalition, and Marcia Rapp, Vice President Programs at the Grand Rapids Community Foundation
Writer
: Heidi Stukkie, Do Good Editor
Photos provided by the Greater Grand Rapids Bicycle Coalition.
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