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Boise State University's Bicycle Congress Rides Again!

Boise State University's Community Bicycle Congress presents a workshop for business and civic leaders, advocates, and all interested members of the community:

Bicycle-Friendly Business Districts

Economic returns are higher in bike-friendly business districts, where merchants encourage customers to ride bicycles to shop and dine. Learn why this is the case in a two-hour workshop presented by April Economides, the featured guest speaker at Boise State University's Bicycle Congress on Thursday, May 30th.

"Bicyclists tend to shop closer to home - and more often," says Economides, who will make the business case for bicycling. Workshop participants will learn and discuss easy and low-cost ideas about how business districts can increase clientele who enjoy biking and "shopping locally."

Please join us from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 30, at the Boise State Student Union, Simplot Ballroom BD. The workshop is free and open to the public. To reserve a seat, visit http://orgs.boisestate.edu/bicyclecongress/

April 12, 2013 - Good News

We have some incredible news! We have succeeded in keeping TA funds where the federal government intended them to remain - for biking and walking projects throughout our state. This is an unbelievable moment for us, we never ever, in a million years, thought we would see this happen. The Idaho Transportation Dept. board voted unanimously on April 10, 2013.

And we could not have done it without the support of Mary Lauran Hall and Brighid O'Keane at peoplepoweredmovement.org. The grants we received just boosted our outreach efforts that much more which paid off on so many levels. Our work is not done, but we kept those dollars where they were when EVERYONE said they would go to roads and bridges. Everyone!

An announcement from:

We're excited to announce that the Steps to a Walkable Community Guide now has an online home at

Walksteps.org is an interactive online resource aimed at putting innovative, pro-walking tactics in the hands of citizens, planners, and engineers!

Walksteps.org is ready for YOU to:

1. Create your own pro-walking plan.

2. Collect your favorite tactics from a range of disciplines.

3. Select the category that interests you and start learning and compiling tactics.

Check out all the pro-walking tactic categories and case studies:

Advocacy
Policy
Land Use
Design and Engineering
Encouragement and Education
Enforcement

Creating a pedestrian-friendly community often means tackling the challenges to walking from several different angles at the same time. To address that reality, Sam Schwartz Engineering and America Walks teamed up to create the guide Steps to a Walkable Community, now available in multiple formats (website, pdf, and hardcopy).

Walksteps.org was created through support from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in partnership with the American Public Health Association (APHA).

Support our work with a donation

Bike/Ped funds in Map-21

Idaho Pedestrian & Bicycle Alliance is committed to improve the safety, viability and accessibility of biking and walking trails, sidewalks, and lanes for all Idahoans. MAP-21 has already cut 28% of bike/ped funds nationwide, so we need to ensure the remaining funds do not get tossed into more vehicle lanes. We need your help today to make this happen. Now is the time to speak up to elected officials so Transportation Alternative funds remain for biking and walking improvements around Idaho.

To learn more about MAP-21 and how it affects you, your kids, family, community and state, please click here

Funding for Safe Routes to Schools

Statewide Bike & Pedestrian Improvement Projects and Safe Routes to Schools:If safe facilities and infrastructure for biking and walking are important to you, then please contact the Idaho Transportation Department Executive Team today and tell them to OPT IN to Transportation Alternative funds before September 30th. Funding for Safe Routes to Schools, Transportation Enhancements and Trail funds will all be affected.

Contact ITD

New Federal Transportation bill

The new MAP-21 will take effect on October 1st. You can view details about the bill here. IPBA will encourage ITD to make grant money available for biking and walking projects around Idaho.

Campaign Update: Ban on Texting While Driving

Why are we so happy to see the ban on texting while driving become a law in Idaho? According to the Idaho Transportation Dept., from 2008 - 10, there have been 179 fatal crashes and 1,199 serious injury crashes involving distracted drivers that resulted in 192 people killed and 1,534 people seriously injured. This represents 30% of fatal crashes and 36% of all serious injury crashes. These numbers represent any crash involving a motor vehicle and not specifically with a bicyclist or pedestrian. However, we want our roadways to be safer for all users and if motorists are less distracted, than A) we will be safer motorists because most of us drive cars, and B) we will be safer as non-motorized users using our roads.

On April 5th, 2012, Idaho became the 37th state in the nation that bans texting while driving. The texting ban is primary enforcement meaning officers can ticket texting while driving without any other traffic offense present. Thank you to Senator Hammond for his sponsorship of this bill, and thank you to all the Idaho Legislators who voted to pass this important piece of legislation to make Idaho safer.

IPBA is working to make walking, bicycling, and other human-powered transportation a viable choice in our daily lives. We envision a seamless network of streets, sidewalks, and paths providing safe and convenient non-motorized transportation options for people throughout Idaho. We do this through education, advocacy and technical assistance.