In this issue:
  • Bike Month
  • Invitation to our 2022 Webinar series
  • News from 1000 Friends
  • Events
  • Resources and Funding Opportunities
May is National Bike Month
In lieu of a community highlight, this month features a message from Special Projects Manager Susan Gaeddert

May is National Bike Month and there are a number of ways to celebrate! To start off, Sunday, May 1 was National Ride A Bike Day. Despite the cold, windy weather, I decided to ride a portion of the Badger State Trail. You can view snippets of what I saw along the way on this reel I posted to Instagram. In fact, I will be doing many more long weekend bike rides (and getting more practice making reels) over the next few months, because I'm training for Ride Across Wisconsin! I will be riding 165 miles from La Crosse to Waterloo over 2 days. This is definitely one of the most physically challenging endeavors I've undertaken, but I'm excited to see so much of the state from the seat of a bicycle. I'll post more training updates as the weather warms up!
Photo provided by Susan Gaeddert
Important dates for Bike Month:
  • May 4: Bike & Roll to School Day
  • May 16-22: Bike to Work Week
  • May 20: Bike to Work Day
Is your community doing something special to promote walking, biking, or transit, and to encourage people to get outside this summer? Let us know! We love to highlight the good work happening in our network.
Upcoming Webinars in 2022
May 18, 2022 - Active Summer! Community Support for Outdoor Recreation

Summer is right around the corner! Thanks to an extensive recreational trail network, Wisconsin is full of possibilities for hikers and bikers of all ages and abilities. Join us for our May webinar and hear about different ways to build community through outdoor recreation, and bring your questions about group rides, inclusive biking, and trail building. The webinar will feature special guests Michelle Bachaus from Wisconsin Bike Fed, James Longhurst from UW-La Crosse, and Amy Lord from the Ice Age Trail Alliance.

In case you missed it...

Our April webinar was called "Reclaming Our Streets for Living, Together" and included a dynamic group presentation from Lori DiPrete Brown (UW-Madison), Amber Miller (AARP Wisconsin), Caressa Givens (Bike Fed), and Joyce Tang Boyland (Alverno College). Click here to view the recording on YouTube.
News from 1000 Friends
Our online forum, Clean Transportation in Wisconsin, was a hit! We were thrilled to hear from keynote speaker Kevin Brubaker from the Environmental Law & Policy Center, along with panelists discussing Active Transportation, Public Transit, and Passenger Rail. If you missed it, you can watch the whole thing on YouTube here.
We are excited to announce that we have been chosen to participate in a special charitable giving campaign, sponsored and funded by Target. And you have the chance to help direct a portion of Target’s donation to us! Now through June 30th, vote for us through the Target Circle program to help determine how Target’s donation will be divvied up. Find out more about Target Circle here: www.target.com/circle Every vote counts to help us receive a portion of the available Target funds as we continue to promote health and equity through active transportation and smart land use planning. Thank you for your support!
Events
Sign-ups are now open for Ride Across Wisconsin, which will be August 20-21, 2022. Ride Across Wisconsin was founded to promote great riding in the state of Wisconsin and is a fundraiser for Wisconsin Bike Fed. There are several options for joining the route from La Crosse to Milwaukee for either 1 or 2 days.

Bike Week 2022 is June 4-11 and celebrates all things cycling with events and activities around the state. Click here to learn more.

Rural Assembly Everywhere is a virtual festival May 10-11 for rural advocates that celebrates all aspects of the rural experience. The two days of programming will feature poets, experts, artists, and more. Learn more here to register and submit something to share.

Ride with RENEW will tour renewable energy facilities in Eau Claire on May 22, 2022. The tour will be a bike ride at a leisurely pace. Click here to learn more and register for the ride.
Read, Watch, Listen, & Learn
8 80 Cities has released the Seniors' Outdoor Activation Toolkit, which aims to expand outdoor opportunities for seniors in parks and open spaces. Learn more here. Access the tool kit directly here.

County Health Rankings has released new rankings for 2022, along with new measures, including maps reflecting the Gender Pay Gap, Living Wage, School Funding, and Childcare Cost Burden. Read more here. They also have a new podcast, "In Solidarity," that tells the stories behind all that data. Hosts Ericka Burroughs-Girardi and Beth Silver explore the connections between power, place, and health. Learn more here.

The Environmental Protection Agency offers technical assistance, training, and research to help communities address Brownfields. Learn more here. Smart Growth America also has a Brownfields Coalition.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has published a report for Congress about the opportunities and challenges of Complete Streets. Read the report here.

The National League of Cities has some tips for successful grant proposals for the highly anticipated Safe Streets and Roads for All (SSRA) program that will be announced in May. Click here to read more.

No Mow May is a conservation initiative that encourages people not to mow their lawns for the month of May in order to benefit native bees and other pollinators. Read more about it from Wisconsin writer Anne Readel in this piece she recently published in the New York Times. Is your city participating in No Mow May this year? Let us know!


Rails to Trails published an informative blog post about new guidance for transportation alternative funding. Read it here.

Rails to Trails is offering a new webinar series discussing trail networks and housing stability. Part 1 is on May 3. Click here to read more and register.

Safe Routes Partnership co-hosted a webinar with WalkBikeKC on how to decriminalize mobility (i.e. reform jaywalking laws that disproportionately punish people of color). The webinar accompanies the guide published by WalkBikeKC. Watch here.

This 9-minute video from Smart Growth America explains why safety and vehicle speed are incompatible goals for street design.

Streetsblog published a summary of studies and reports from Europe and ranked the 12 most effective strategies for reducing car use in cities. Read more here.

The Urban Institute released a comprehensive report, The Health Benefits of Parks and Their Economic Impacts. Read it here.
Funding Opportunities
AARP is accepting applications for the Small Dollar Big Impact grant (up to $1000) through May 17, 2022.

The BUILD Health Challenge invites communities with innovative ideas to apply for cross-sector awards to address health disparities. Awards include $300,000 over 3 years, plus support services. Applications open May 3 and are due by June 30, 2022. Visit the application page to learn more.

The Community Heart & Soul Seed Grant program provides $10,000 in funding for resident-driven groups in small cities and towns 2500-10k population) to start the Community Heart & Soul model. $10,000 municipal/organizational match required. Applications are accepted any time; awards are announced every month. Click here to learn more and apply.

Emerald Cities has announced the launch of their Emergent Communities Capacity Building (ECCB) Program for BIPOC or frontline communities incorporating energy, energy systems analysis, and energy democracy into their work. Grants available range from $25K-50K for operations and come with technical support. Deadline June 1, 2022. Click here to learn more and apply.

The EPA is awarding grants up to $100,000 to address issues of environmental justice. Deadline is May 20, 2022. Click here for more information.

The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin is accepting applications for a number of grants:
  • The Go Outside Fund provides $100 or $500 to teachers or partner organizations seeking to connect youth to outdoor, nature-based experiences. The next application deadline is June 30. Learn more and apply here.
  • The C.D. Besadny Conservation Fund supports grassroots conservation and education projects that benefit Wisconsin's land, waters, and wildlife, and connects people to natural resources. Awards range from $500-$2000 and the application deadline is September 1. Learn more and apply here.

WisDOT: the deadline for TAP funding for both infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects is June 3, 2022. Visit the WisDOT TAP page here (note that the website still denotes Jan. 28 as the deadline). A PDF memo with more information is available here.

The US Department of Transportation is accepting proposals for the Low or No Emission Grant Program and the Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Competitive Program through May 31, 2022. Learn more here.
Did you know we have TWO e-newsletters? Along with Active Wisconsin, 1000 Friends sends out e-news every month. If you would like to be on the mailing list for 1000 Friends, sign up here.
What Active Wisconsin provides to participating communities:
  • Resources (grant opportunities, tool kits, etc.)
  • Local and statewide advocacy opportunities
  • Collaboration and educational presentations during network-wide calls
  • A platform (social media and email newsletters) to share your work

Please reach out with questions or comments. We look forward to hearing from you!