2012 Get Up and Ride National Bike Challenge

A Trail Plan for 4 Million

Better Block [...read more]]]> Presentations can be viewed in their session description page or downloaded in PDF format from the links on this page.  If there is a problem with your slide show or you would like to upload one, please email support@biketexas.org.

2012 Get Up and Ride National Bike Challenge

A Trail Plan for 4 Million

Better Block Initiatives

Bicycle and Pedestrian Workshop – Public Sector

Bud Melton

Clark Martinson

Elizabeth Hilton

Proposed Guidelines for Pedestrian Facilities in the Public Right-of-Way

Unite States Department of Transportation – Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodation

Julia McCleeary

Lydia Bryan

Renee Burke Jordan

Shawn McMahon

Charles Riou 

NACTO

Bike – Ped Advocates Workshop

Biking Babes

NACTO

Boltage and Pe-3 Using Innovative Technology in Schools to Change a Culture and Grow a Healthy, Active Community

Bringing Diversity to Cycling, Keynote – Senator Ellis

CRIS, GPS, and  BLOS- Data Collection Tools for Effective Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning

City of San Antonio Sustainable Neighborhood Planning Tool (PLACE3S)

Collin County- Regional Trails Master Plan

Creating a Complete Street Active Transportation Network

Marita Roos

Mark Goode III

Evaluation; Planning, Implementation, Presenting Results

Heritage Trails to Foster a Regional Trail System in Texas

Krista Sherwood

Mark Stine

Incorporating Planned Trails Projects Into the NEPA Process for Highways

John Burke Keynote Speech

Lady Bird Lake Trail Boardwalk Expansion

Learning from the Nonmotorized Pilot Program- Lessons in Active Transportation Implementation from Minneapolis

Master Bike Plans- Dallas and San Antonio

Modeling the Benefits of Green Infrastructure – A Case Study of Houstons Bayou Greenway Initiative

Promoting Bicycle Commuting

San Antonio B-Cycle Bike Share

San Antonio Bikes

Municipal Bike Share System

San Antonio Greenway Trails

Scalable Efforts to Integrate Youth Bicycle Safety Education and Enforcement into Underserved Populations for Public School Physical Activity Classes and Municipal Summer Camps

Texas Childhood Obesity Prevention Policy Evaluation

Trail Builders and Equipment Workshop

Follow the Texas Star plaques set into the sidewalk downtown to see some of San Antonio’s most significant commercial and public buildings of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The tour begins in Alamo Plaza and returns [...read more]]]> Guided option: Friday, Feb. 3, 2012 | 2:00 pm – 3:15 pm

Starting in August of 2011 The City of San Antonio opened up a portion of the San Antonio River known as the King William Neighborhood for paddling recreation. Since then this historic neighborhood, home to many historic homes, [...read more]]]> Dale Bransford

Starting in August of 2011 The City of San Antonio opened up a portion of the San Antonio River known as the King William Neighborhood for paddling recreation. Since then this historic neighborhood,  home to many historic homes, eclectic restaurants, shops, and art galleries now has a new attraction.

The San Antonio River Authority is offering an opportunity for conference participants to experience this ¾ mile urban paddling area. Due to equipment limitations, spots are limited to the first 20 participants. Participants will need to be physically able to get themselves into and out of the canoe with assistance from SARA staff, and balance in the canoe while on the water.

Topics will include:

• A brief history of the River and the paddling zones
• explanation of basic paddling safety and basic paddling techniques
• and city ordinances/issues involved with contact recreation.

Presented By:

Dale Bransford                            
Manager of the Park Services Department
San Antonio River Authority

Dale Bransford is a certified Park and Recreation Professional and a Certified Interpretive Guide who manages the Park Services the Department of the San Antonio River Authority. Mr. Bransford graduated from Texas A & M University with a Bachelor of Sciences degree.

Separated bike lanes, social marketing, what comes first?

The presentation will explore the proposition that true cycling traffic growth will not come about until a cycling infrastructure exists that is appealing to customers of the target market for future cycling traffic growth, [...read more]]]> Hans-Jurgen (Jack) Becker, BASC, MBA
Friday, Feb. 3, 2012 | 3:30 – 4:45pm

Separated bike lanes, social marketing, what comes first?

The presentation will explore the proposition that true cycling traffic growth will not come about until a cycling infrastructure exists that is appealing to customers of the target market for future cycling traffic growth, the non-cyclists and particularly motorists.  Furthermore, a strong dose of targeted marketing is needed to entice the target customers to use cycling infrastructure and to achieve the full growth potential.

The presentation will consider the effect of three waves of cycling infrastructure designs on cycling traffic growth and also of social marketing from the shotgun style to focus and targeted marketing.  The marketplace that makes up the future customers of cycling will be reviewed. The question of “What do the future customers need to make the transition to cycling for transportation?” will be considered, including the contribution of separated bike lanes.

Then, there is the dialogue on value of municipalities having policies for order of priority of transportation modes.  What modes get priority over what modes?  What about the question on use of public roadway for car parking rather than for the movement of people?

The presentation will explore the opportunity of cycling traffic growth for the future.  Where is the future cycling growth going to come from?  What is needed to make it happen?  Finally, how does it all fit together?

The presentation will also highlight the Cycling in Cities study, a major research project undertaken by a local university in 2005 / 2006 involving approximately 1,500 people in the survey stage.  The project focused on factors that might influence the likelihood of cycling.

The presentation will focus on the City of Vancouver with a population of 550,000 and medium land densification that continues to experience growth of cycling and transit while driving into the City’s Centrum continues to drop.  The presentation will highlight the ongoing upgrading of the city’s infrastructure design toolkit for cycling over 25 years and its effect on cycling traffic growth and mode share.  Special focus will be placed on the contribution of separation of cyclists and motorists, including separated bike lanes on roads and bridges.  Vancouver is an up and coming cycling city with a significant cycling mode share for a North American city (4%) and a developing cycling culture.

Presented By:

Hans-Jurgen (Jack) Becker BASC, MBA
Conference Director, Velo-city Global 2012 Conference
President, Third Wave Cycling group Inc.

For two decades, cycling has been Jack’s primary mode of urban transportation.  He is also a long distance touring cyclist. He is actively involved in the promotion of cycling for transportation, which includes cycling combined with transit and public transportation.  Jack spends his efforts focusing on the role of human behavior influencing successful infrastructure design, social marketing of cycling, and network design and infrastructure design toolkits.  He expresses his passion for cycling through his business involvement and by his support for cities to be very liveable, vibrant, sustainable, and green with balanced transportation options, accessible by all without artificial barriers.

Jack has been keenly involved for two decades searching for better solutions for people wanting to cycle from on-the street practical solutions to visions for cycling, policies, and strategies, sometimes as an advocate, sometimes as a consultant.

As Conference Director, Jack is currently active in planning the Velo-city Global 2012 Conference to be held in Vancouver in June 2012.   He is also President of the Third Wave Cycling Group Inc., a cycling planning and consulting organization and President of VeloWorks Cycling Society, focusing on cycling education and promotion through conferences and other forums.

Jack is mow the Past-President of the British Columbia Cycling Coalition, founding member of the Sustainable Transportation Coalition, and director of Bike to Work BC.  Past involvement included being a director of The Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition and member of the City of Vancouver Bicycle Advisory Committee, the Vancouver & UBC Area Transit Plan Stakeholder Group, BC Trails Strategy Stakeholders Committee, and the Stanley Park Restoration Stakeholders Committee.   When he lived in Toronto, he was the co-chair of the Toronto Cycling Committee for 5 years.

Jack has spearheaded cyclist’s development of a citywide network plan including trail systems along rail & electrical transmission corridors. He has authored submissions on cycling for the Canada Line, The Gateway Project, and the City of Vancouver Capital Plan.  He has lectured on traffic redistribution, the “third wave” of cycling, and other cycling-related topics at universities and conferences, including in Taiwan and China.

Jack’s diverse career includes transportation of goods, procurement, and engineering with experience in program management, strategic and tactical planning, business process development, large contact negotiations, operations of truck fleet, and construction engineering for a major Canadian oil company before changing gears to cycling infrastructure planning. Parallel to this work, he was also a farmer for a decade in Ontario.

 

The long awaited final trail connection around Lady Bird Lake (formerly Town Lake) in Austin is finally about to be implemented. This case study session will recap progress for this over the past two years, [...read more]]]> Nadia Barrerra, David Kim Taylor

The long awaited final trail connection around Lady Bird Lake (formerly Town Lake) in Austin is finally about to be implemented.  This case study session will recap progress for this over the past two years, since the 2010 Texas Trails and Active Transportation Conference in Austin. This year’s presentation will focus on the many aspects of this effort and how it has all come together. Come learn about how significant challenges can be overcome with a little creativity.

Planners will learn about:

• The fundraising achieved which has made implementation possible
• the design challenges and property issues resolved to complete this boardwalk along Lady Bird Lake (a dammed area of the Colorado River) in downtown Austin

get a preview of  what it will look like when completed.

Presented By:

Nadia Barrerra, MCRP
Bicycle/Pedestrian Project Coordinator
City of Austin, Neighborhood Connectivity Division, Public Works Department

Nadia Barrerra is a Bicycle/Pedestrian Project Coordinator for the City of Austin’s Public Works Department, Neighborhood Connectivity Division

Her main role as Project Coordinator is the implementation of the Bicycle and Sidewalk Master Plans.  She is responsible for tracking implementation and providing regular benchmarking reports. To that end, she has helped the Neighborhood Connectivity Division win almost $6.5m in grant funds in the last four years.  She has also been instrumental in the development of the Neighborhood Connectivity Division’s intern, volunteer, and mentoring program.

During her time at the City, Nadia has helped mentor over 50 students in bicycle and pedestrian planning, engineering, and project implementation. She has also helped the City implement innovative practices such as shared lane markings, bike boxes, bike cages, and employee bike share systems.

Finally, as a League Cycling Instructor for the City, Nadia has educated over 200 employees on bicycle safety and has helped the City achieve a Silver-Level Bicycle Friendly Business status from the League of American Bicyclists.

She also helped develop the City’s Bicycle Master Plan which won several awards – from the Texas Trails and Active Transportation Conference, and the Texas Chapter of the American Planning Association.

She holds a MS in Community and Regional Planning,  BS in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation, a BA in Spanish Literature, all from the University of Texas at Austin.

David Kim Taylor, MSCE, MSTC
Project Manager
City of Austin, Public Works Department

David Taylor is a Project Manager with the City of Austin Public Works Department. He is responsible for the Boardwalk Trail project as well as other recreational and cultural facility projects for the City. He has over 30 years’ experience on development and construction projects, including a variety of technical efforts with an international consulting firm; land and commercial development; and over 100 infrastructure, transportation and building construction projects. His efforts and projects have won several awards.

He holds the following degrees: BSAD Architecture – Building Systems and MSCE – Construction Management from Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and MSTC from the University of Texas at Austin.

Texans are proud of their heritage and the history of the State’s various regions. Part of this history includes the almost forgotten paths that helped shape the State’s growth and identity. Many Texans desire a [...read more]]]> Mark Stine,  Krista Sherwood, Trisha Bicknell 

Texans are proud of their heritage and the history of the State’s various regions.  Part of this history includes the almost forgotten paths that helped shape the State’s growth and identity.  Many Texans desire a regional trail system linking the State’s many regions.  Developing heritage trails that incorporate such historic roads would foster such a regional trail network in Texas.

As the world has come to learn, Texans area a breed unto themselves and Texans are proud of their heritage.  Engrained in this heritage are the paths that brought people to Texas.  These old roads hold many stories about a people seeking fortune, glory, or an uncertain future.  Today, the spotlight shines on Texas because of its diverse, strong economy that has attracted more people to the State’s rapidly growing metro areas.  Sometimes lost in between these fast-expanding urban areas are the smaller Texas towns with their Main Streets, noteworthy houses, and stories from the past.  As the State absorbs these new Texans and its metros continue to expand, there should be concern about what might be lost in process.  Many of those old routes blazed across the State are disappearing.  The heritage that Texans are so proud to point to could be marginalized unless steps are taken to preserve and highlight the State’s fading history.

All Texans, whether urban or rural, still need to get out and experience what our State has to offer.  They simply need to take a hike, or better yet go backpacking and get to know the many treasures and stories the State has to offer.  The only problem is that there are few regional trails in Texas.  As more Texans look for alternative ways to spend their off hours through outdoor activities such regional trail systems should have a place in the State’s landscape.  An important ingredient in the development of a regional trail system should incorporate notable historic roads that once help shaped Texas’ growth and identity.  These ‘Heritage Trails’ that recognize and celebrate the importance of these early paths would be embraced by the local residents while enhancing the trail user’s experience by telling the story of the region it passes through.

Three learning objectives:

• The process for developing heritage trails in a region and its communities.
• Steps needed for enhancing the experience of the regional trail users.

How to engage local residents to embrace and be the active users of heritage trails.

Presented By:
Mark Stine, MPH
Special Projects Manager
BikeTexas

Mark Stine is a Special Projects Manager for BikeTexas, the Texas statewide bicycle education and advocacy organization. He developed an interest in Texas historic trails while working in many communities across Texas during his 22 year plus career with the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the Texas Council on Environmental Quality.  Joining BikeTexas in 2003, Stine has toured by bicycle over 2000 miles of Texas trails.  Stine works in a number of roles at BikeTexas including the Community Trails initiative.

He serves on the board of El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail Association, Friends of Fort McKavett State Historical Park, Envision Central Texas and Texas Active Living Network.  He is currently BikeTexas Project Manager of Bike/Walk Our Rich Texas History (BWORTH), a TxDOT-funded Safe Routes to School Project to develop a website that encourages children to bike and walk safely using Texas historic trails as a backdrop.

He has a master’s degree in public health from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston and an undergraduate degree in biology and chemistry from Ball State University.

Krista Sherwood, MUP
Community Planner
National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior

Krista Sherwood is a Community Planner with the Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) Program, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

The RTCA carries out the natural resource conservation and outdoor recreation mission of the National Park Service in Communities across America.  Projects include natural area preservation, rivers conservation and development of recreational trails and greenways in urban, suburban and rural settings.

Prior to her current position, she worked as a Transportation Planner for the Federal Highway Administration in Baltimore, MD.  In 2008, was selected as a Transportation Scholar for the National Park Foundation and was assigned to Big Cypress National Preserve in south Florida to manage transportation projects aimed at mitigating vehicle and wildlife conflicts.

Publications include:

• Transportation Research Board Annual Conference (2011), Washington, DC. “The Challenges and Considerations in Developing a Wildlife Crossing at Turner River: An Effort to Protect the Endangered Florida Panther from Highways and Vehicles in Big Cypress National Preserve”
• Chapter in “Safe Passages: Highways, Wildlife, and Habitat Connectivity” (Island Press publication, Spring 2010). Co-author of “The I-75 Project: Lessons from the Florida Panther”

She has a degree in Master of Urban Planning from the University of Utah.

Trisha Bicknell                               
Resource Specialist, Wildland Firefighter
Texas Forest Service

Trisha Bicknell is a Personal Trainer and Boot Camp Instructor at VillaSport. She is also a Texas Forest Service Resource Specialist and Wildland Firefighter. In 2008 she hiked the Appalachian Trail as a Through-Hiker.

She holds professional certifications in Professional Fitness Instructor Training (PFIT); National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), CPT, CES.

She is Co-founder/Board Member of Team Inspiration Texas; and is a Texas Master Naturalist and Water Quality Monitor.

She holds a BA in Geography from the University of Texas at Austin.

• AICP CM’s applied forThe North Central Texas region has a population of over 6 million people and a Transportation Improvement Program estimated at $6.7 billion over the next 3 years. To address the needs of all roadway users it is critical to include [...read more]]]>

Deb Humphreys

Friday, Feb. 3, 2012 | 3:30 – 4:45pm

• AICP CM’s applied forThe North Central Texas region has a population of over 6 million people and a Transportation Improvement Program estimated at $6.7 billion over the next 3 years. To address the needs of all roadway users it is critical to include bicycle and pedestrian facilities in the programming of regional funds, and as routine accommodations in roadway projects. A Complete Streets policy has been developed to ensure roadways are designed, constructed, and retrofitted to address the needs of all roadway users including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, individuals with mobility impairments, and motorists.

Planners will learn about:

• the process of creating the complete streets policy for the North Central Texas region
• components of the complete streets policy, and

implementation strategies.  

 

Presented By:
Deb Humphreys
Transportation Planner; Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator
North Central Texas Council of Governments

Deb Humphreys is a Transportation Planner and the Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator for the North Central Texas Council of Governments. She also serves as NCTCOG’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee Coordinator.

She holds Certificates of Training for FHWA-NHI-142046 Bicycle Facility Design; FHWA – Designing for Pedestrian Safety; FHWA – Developing a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan;  and Personal Certification in GIS.

She is a member of the American Planning Association (APA), League of American Bicyclists (LAB), Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP), and Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS)

She holds a BA in Urban Planning from the University of Texas – Austin.

]]> http://texastrails.biketexas.org/developing-a-regional-complete-streets-policy-for-north-central-texas/420/feed 0 http://texastrails.biketexas.org/leon-creek-greenway-trail-bike-ride/474 http://texastrails.biketexas.org/leon-creek-greenway-trail-bike-ride/474#comments Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:07:33 +0000 BikeTexas http://texastrails.biketexas.org/?p=474

Thirty-four miles of developed urban Greenway trails are now open to the public. The Linear Park Development Program for Salado Creek, Leon Creek, Medina River and the San Antonio River is funded through sales [...read more]]]>

Thirty-four miles of developed urban Greenway trails are now open to the public. The Linear Park Development Program for Salado Creek, Leon Creek, Medina River and the San Antonio River is funded through sales tax approved by voters in 2000 and 2005. Approximately 1,100 acres of property along San Antonio Creekways have been acquired for the program since its inception.

Join avid cyclist Greg Hammer and Project Manager Brandon Ross for a short (approximately 8 mile roundtrip) or long (approximately 13 mile roundtrip) ride on the paved Leon Creek Greenway, on the northwest side of the city. Participants will start that the Valero/1604 Trailhead.

Planners will learn:

• The availability of a voter approved special sales tax to fund linear park development
• How this tax has been used to fund the linear park development.
• See how floodplain has been turned into a cool, green oasis and recreational amenity for the citizens of San Antonio.

AICP Certification Maintenance credits are available for the 13 mile ride only.

Presented By:

Greg Hammer
Environmental, Health & Safety Manager
Brooks City-Base

Greg Hammer is the Environmental, Health & Safety Manager at the Brooks City-Base in San Antonio.

As a member of both the San Antonio/Bexar County MPO Bicycle Mobility Advisory Committee and the City’s Linear Creekway Parks Advisory Board, he has been advocating for and overseeing the development of improved cycling amenities throughout the city since 2003. He spends most of his saddle time riding the trails of Leon Creek. He has been cycling in San Antonio since his youth and riding mountain bikes in the creeks and hills around town since 1988.

Brandon Ross, AICP
Special Projects Manager
City of San Antonio

Brandon Ross is a Special Projects Manager for the City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department. He is currently working on planning, land acquisitions, design and construction of a 45-mile Greenway system along San Antonio’s major waterways. His previous experience includes participation on a variety of initiatives and projects related to community planning, land use initiatives and residential development.

He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin, a Masters of Urban Planning from Texas A&M University and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.

 

The Mission Reach Ecosystem Restoration and Recreation Project is transforming an eight mile stretch of the San Antonio River into a quality riparian woodland ecosystem. This unique project restores riverine features and riparian woodlands, reintroduces [...read more]]]>

The Mission Reach Ecosystem Restoration and Recreation Project is transforming an eight mile stretch of the San Antonio River into a quality riparian woodland ecosystem. This unique project restores riverine features and riparian woodlands, reintroduces native plants, enhances aquatic habitat, and reconnects cultural and historical features.

The San Antonio River Authority will lead a bike tour of the Mission Reach Project. Topics of this tour will cover:

• history of the San Antonio River
• the details of the Mission Reach project including: flood control, ecosystem restoration, specific project information
• Mission Reach recreational enhancements and cultural connections.

This tour will start at the El Tropicano hotel and travel on city streets to the beginning of the Mission Reach and through phases 1 and 2 (about 14 miles round trip) if participants would rather meet us at the Blue Star Bike shop on South Alamo they can rent a bicycle and ride only the river trails with us (no vehicular traffic) for about 6 miles. Bicycles are available for rental at Blue Star for a very reasonable rate. Participants are responsible for the operation and maintenance of their own bicycle, and in the interest of safety and projecting a responsible image of the cycling community; helmets are required for this trip.

Presented By:

Jim Doersam, P.E.
Senior Engineer
San Antonio River Authority

Mr. Doersam has over thirty years of experience in the areas of engineering and project management in the areas of:  water quality, water and wastewater treatment, solid waste, recycling, and operations.  He has worked in both the public and private sectors in these various roles throughout his career.  He is a Senior Engineer at the San Antonio River Authority (SARA) and serves on the Metropolitan Planning  Organization’s Bicycle Mobility Advisory Committee as a SARA Representative.

 

He enjoys bike riding with family, friends, and coworkers whenever it is possible and heads up an organized ride from downtown to Mission Espada each week.

Matthew Driffill
Education Specialist
San Antonio River Authority

Matthew Driffill began working with the San Antonio River Authority in October of 2009 as the Education Specialist. In his current position he develops and oversees much of the public outreach programming for the River Authorities projects and initiatives, in addition to acting as the program leader for SARA’s Nature Based Parks Program.

He holds a BS from Texas A&M University, where he graduated Cum Laude with a major in Renewable Natural Resources. A year later Matthew returned to A&M to pursue a master’s of science in water management. Previously he worked as the director of the Seguin Outdoor Learning Center in Seguin.

 

Through collaboration, Boltage and PE-3 enhance individual accountability, education, support and data that results in optimizing the overall health of children, their families and communities. The Boltage and PE3 large scale Wellness Initiative makes key inroads [...read more]]]> Leslie Luciano, Jen Ohlson

Through collaboration, Boltage and PE-3 enhance individual accountability, education, support and data that results in optimizing the overall health of children, their families and communities.  The Boltage and PE3 large scale Wellness Initiative makes key inroads in connecting all stakeholders in the process of teaching the whole child.  The greatest, most cost, time and resource efficient opportunity to intervene and turnaround the obesity epidemic is within our schools.  Schools also prove the greatest opportunity to sustain that effort. However, our schools are not equipped to handle the issues faced by today’s children, nor do they possess the proper resources to implement better accountability measurements in the physical education realm.

To that end, the Boltage / PE-3 collaboration produces a viable, large-scale plan that includes five components:

(1) The Spirit System, a complete PE “tool set” focused on measuring and reporting student achievement and effort level in the PE classroom and beyond to capture, store and deliver a child’s movement throughout the day while correlating academic, attendance and behavior patterns and connecting all stakeholders.

(2) Boltage, an innovative bike-to-school program that complements Interactive Health Technologies’ Spirit System.

(3) A first-of-its-kind, innovative curriculum, “PE 3” that specializes in supporting students in regard to their overall health.  The Texas Education Agency approved the curriculum as an official state-wide elective course that can now be implemented in every high school in Texas.

(4) Support, Research and trend analysis to measure/evaluate outcomes in child health and physical achievement.

(5) An inspiring, educational documentary entitled “Health Needs a Hero” on childhood health that has a major bike aspect that shows the needs of our children in regard to their health and well-being and the need for enhanced support in all areas of their lives.

Leslie Luciano
Director of Advocacy - Bicycle Sport Shop
Director of Communications – BikeTexas

Leslie Luciano has been Bicycle Sport Shop’s Director of Advocacy for over 3 years.  She came into this newly created position on Bicycle Sport Shop’s 25^th Anniversary of doing business in Austin.  Leslie works on Public Policy Issues on a local, state, and national level, partnering with advocacy organizations, other industry retailers, and public officials.

She recently accepted an additional position at Bike Texas, as their Director of Communications.  Bike Texas is the state advocacy organization that works on policy, and legislation regarding cycling.

Leslie sits on the board of Boltage, and “Please Be Kind to Cyclists.”  She also serves on the Bicycle Advisory Committee that advises Council on cycling issues and initiatives.  She works closely with SRTS and supports and nurtures Kid Commute Programs throughout the greater Austin Area.

She has been awarded the Professional Bike Advocate of the Year 2009; and Advocate of the Year in 2010 and 2011. She is a SRTS Bicycle Coalition Founding Member.

She holds a BS in Psychology and has undertaken PhD work in Cognitive Psychology.

Jen Ohlson

Jen Ohlson is President and Founder Interactive Health Technologies, Writer Producer “Health Needs a Hero”, Author “Every Town Needs a Trail”, Founder PE 3 Foundation.

She is Founder, President of Interactive Health Technologies, which is transforming physical education by coupling technology with well-being. She also started a production company that produced several award winning cable television shows.

She provides on-air sports reporting to news stations in Washington DC, Dallas and Austin; and is the best-selling author of the award winning coffee table book, Every Town Needs a Trail. She wrote and produced, “Health Needs a Hero”.  The film was the catalyst for the formation of Jen’s nonprofit foundation, “PE 3” whose PE curriculum was approved for statewide implementation in Texas. Her ultimate mission is to make PE the 5^th requirement.

Jen Ohlson holds a BA in Communication from George Mason University.