Advocacy
To most of our members, cycling is not just a means of transportation, but an important part of who we are. Why else would we put on brightly colored spandex and go out in public? One portion of BCLC’s charter is to help add our voice to the ongoing conversations about cycling.
Cycling brings up a wide spectrum of opinions, look at the comments section of any news story on the web be it discussing the Divvy bike sharing network, adding cycling lanes, or discussing an unfortunate accident. The passion for and against cycling is strong.
BCLC works to add a positive voice to the discussion. To better accomplish this, the club appoints an Advocacy chairperson to monitor the local pulse of cycling and keep the membership informed of activities and topics that may concern or impact them. This might include things such as IDOT seeking public comment on new road projects, a community developing their open streets public transport plan, towns seeking volunteers to help take a census of riders, or bills being floated at the state or national level which affect cycling.
The Advocacy chairperson holds membership with several cycling advocacy organizations in order to keep informed. S/he also maintain contact with our sister cycling clubs to coordinate and share information from around the region. Some of the organizations they follow include:
Advocacy is not limited to just our chairperson though. If you come across something you feel deserves attention of the club, please contact our Advocacy chair so s/he can coordinate and spread the word to our club and the other organizations in the region.