Attend Velo-City Taipei Conference

Who Am I:  Stu Lindsay, Valet Bike Parking Coordinator for Local Motion in Burlington, Vermont; Steering Committee Member, Burlington Walk/Bike Council; Member, Bikeable Burlington Now; An Engaged Advocate for improved bicycle infrastructure and facilities in Burlington and beyond.

Goal: To raise $2500 by January 31 to attend Velo-City 2016, the global cycling conference, in Taipei, Taiwan February 27 to March 1

Why: To return full of fresh new ideas and bold strategies to help make Burlington a more walkable/ bikeable community!

The Benefit: When I come back, I'll invite all who are interested to an open meeting where I can share what I learned and experienced during the conference and beyond and see if any ideas percolate to the top which we can start to implement.


Hi, that's me, Stu Lindsay, leading the way to set up Valet Bike Parking at our local Farmers Market. If you’ve ever parked your bike at any of the many events in and around Burlington, we’ve probably met.

I've done this in our community for the past 4 years, starting the same year  I "graduated" from a League of American Bicyclist's "Winning Campaigns" 3 day workshop on implementing a plan for our progressive city to expand the use of bicycles for transportation, not just recreation. My good friend Phil and I did the necessary missionary work to establish the program the first year, as steering committee members of the Burlington Walk/Bike Council, volunteering to run a Valet Bike Parking program at our Farmer's Market in City Hall Park every Saturday. We leveraged money to purchase and build the secure bike parking system that’s still in use today.

In just 4 years we’ve gone from parking 150 bikes to 6200 a season!
 
From just a once-a-week event, today there is Valet Bike Parking at over 60 events per season. 
 
I’ve watched a young girl, Isa, first come to the market in a kid carrier on the back of her parent’s bikes, then in a trailer and then on a tag-along. This year she pedaled in on her very own bike! She will grow up thinking there was always parking for bikes.

The program is now under the umbrella of our bicycle advocacy organization, "Local Motion", a dedicated non- profit organization serving Burlington and the whole state of Vermont. I am now the official Valet Bike Parking Coordinator for the program, a responsibility I take seriously, yet joyfully. (For more on Local Motion and its activities, please see here http://www.localmotion.org/)

This program has become an integral part of our local cycling culture, helping to solve the dilemma of the “Last Mile” in personal transportation, which is “What do you do with your bike when you get to B?”

But we as a city can do more! Much more!

Burlington is on the cusp of a biking transformation. The city’s Walk/Bike Master Plan is creating a vision of a more walkable, bikeable Burlington that will benefit all its citizens and visitors alike. Change happens when forces align at different levels; when supportive leaders, local advocates and enthusiastic and committed activists all work towards a common goal. 

That's why I am asking for your support to send me to Velo-City 2016 in Taipei at the end of February. Velo-City 2016 recognizes that cycling can be one of the best solutions to curbing global warming through the reduction of fossil fuel use. (Don’t forget, transportation is the biggest user of fossil fuel in Vermont. )The conference is devoted to bringing about the change we all want to see.

Here is an extract from the Conference brochure:

"Velo-city Global 2016 will focus on discussing the profound impact of the evolution of cycling through the lens of the following five themes: Urban Transitions, Moving Lifestyles, Sustainable Economy, Sharing Society, and Design in Motion by the daily program themes. This is an interactive conference, built around several innovative sessions designed to engage the audience. Parallel sessions will be in the formats of lecture, workshop, panel discussion, two-way track, speed dating, and pecha-kucha. Parallel sessions will include invited talks from UITP, German Cycling Embassy, Dutch Cycling Embassy, and Danish Cycling Embassy, and a diverse range of contributions selected from a successful abstracts submission process."

Whew! That’s a lot of information to absorb in a few days!

 Here is a link to the website for Velo-City 2016 so you can explore the conference in  greater depth.:
http://www.velo-city2016.com/index.php/en/about
/2016-conference-theme 
 
 I would love to attend this year's conference and bring the knowledge I obtain back to the community to help implement some of the creative designs and programs I'll learn about over the 4 full days of intensive and thought-provoking sessions.

Some of the seminars and workshops such as Smart Parking Solutions, Bikenomics, How to Share Space and Changing Behavior, are all relevant to cycling in Burlington. Plus, what another organization did in Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Taipei or Rio de Janeiro may be applicable to us here, and there is no better way to network than talking with those who are doing it!
 
I received a sponsorship to attend Velo-City Vancouver in 2012 and I'm still utilizing that information and contacts to help build a better cycling community. Working with non-profit organizations, it's challenging to find the funding for such worthwhile expenditures. Hopefully you can help make my Velo-City fund-raising a success!

 I'm looking to raise approximately $2500 USD to attend the conference. 

This is on my own initiative and not affiliated with any local, state or national organization. I’ll gladly share my knowledge with any and all interested parties.

"Why so much?"  You ask.

It may be better to ask, "Why so little?"

 Anybody who knows me knows how frugal I am. This will not cover the whole cost and I'll be responsible for anything over the amount raised. Here is a breakdown of expenses. (In US Dollars)

Airfare from Montreal or Burlington to Taipei        $950
Conference Fees   (Early Bird Registration)              $615 
Accomodation at inexpensive"Businessmans" Hotel                                                                                               $500
Additional On-Ground Expenses                                    $400

To take advantage of lower costs available now, I would like to raise the funds by January 31, 2016. That way I can take advantage of early registration, cheaper airfare and booking an inexpensive room.

I know how to keep costs down, so I'm confident my budget is realistic.

Soon after my return, I'll find a location and invite all who are interested to an open meeting where I can share what I learned and experienced during the conference and beyond, and see if any ideas percolate to the top which we can start to implement.

I guess I wear my heart on my sleeve when it comes to working on bicycle related projects. I firmly believe bicycles are one of the fastest, cheapest, most effective forms of transportation that individuals can use to help solve the urban transportation problem and climate change in turn. If I can help to effect that change in my lifetime, in my community, all the better!

Thank you very much for considering my request. I'll make sure your investment is returned to Burlington and beyond by helping to make it a more bikeable, walkable community.

Any size contribution will be welcome and appreciated.

If I don’t raise sufficient funds and am unable to attend, I’ll cheerfully refund your donation promptly at the end of the campaign.

What can I offer you in return for your support?

Take a look at the little boxes below for some hopefully interesting but simple gifts as my way of saying “Thanks”.