BTA Board of Directors announces change in leadership
Posted by: MargauxNov 18 2009, 11:36 am
Message from the Bicycle Transportation Alliance Board of Directors:
The Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) Board Chair Mary Roberts announced today the need for a change of leadership at the BTA and that Scott Bricker has left his post as Executive Director.
Bricker served in several capacities since joining the BTA in 1998, including directing education and policy programs and as executive director since October 2007. During his tenure, Bricker successfully lobbied the legislature to pass bills that dramatically improved conditions for cycling. Bricker was integral in creating and implementing the Portland Bike Master Plans that earned Portland the League of American Bicyclists’ “Platinum” city rating and achieved 8% of commuting trips by bicycle. He also created and promoted bicycle safety programs for school children across the city and state.
On behalf of the entire board of directors, Roberts thanked Bricker for his years of passionate dedication to and involvement in advancing the cause of cycling. “For more than a decade, Scott has been a highly effective bicycle transportation policy and program advocate in our region and state. We would not be where we are today without his many contributions.”
The Board announced the beginning of a national search for a new Executive Director. “We cannot rest on our successes of the past but must push forward to secure a healthier future for all of our citizens. As an essential component to the health of our region, the BTA will become a more assertive advocate for 25% of Portland's trips to be made by bike by the year 2030. Everyone benefits from cleaner air, less congested streets, and healthier children and adults. Without a dramatic increase in bicycle transportation, the state will not come close to meeting its stated commitment to reducing greenhouse gas pollution, let alone arrest other conditions that will make our state less livable” says Roberts.
During the transition, the BTA board and staff remain focused on key projects and programs:
• Demanding the City of Portland fully adopt, and invest in bicycle lanes, trails, and policies in the 2030 Bicycle Master Plan.
• Advocating to adopt the “Green Transportation Hierarchy” statewide and significantly increase resources spent on building out Oregon’s bicycle plans for the overall benefit of Oregon's citizens.
• Working with a coalition of non-profits including Environment Washington, Environment Oregon, the Coalition for a Livable Future and Upstream Public Health to ensure that any Columbia River Crossing planning process be solely focused on our region's health and livability.
• Promoting new laws to protect cyclists’ rights to the road and to hold road users responsible when their actions cause the death of others.
• Expanding bicycle safety and education and encouragement programs to more Oregon children and adults.
• Ensuring that Oregon becomes a national model for advancing cycling, health, and livability; and that Portland becomes a truly “world class” cycling city.
About the BTA
The BTA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit advocacy organization formed in 1990. It has 5,000 members, and advocates on behalf of citizens who bicycle at the local, regional, state and federal levels. It works to improve the conditions for bicycling through education, engineering and enforcement. The BTA is dedicated to creating healthy, sustainable communities by making bicycling safer, more convenient and more accessible.
November 19th, 2009 at 1:40 am
Expanding bicycle safety and education and encouragement programs to more Oregon children and adults.
November 21st, 2009 at 1:39 pm
"… hold road users responsible when their actions cause the death of others."
Kind of a morbid project or program. Not exactly encouraging.
November 25th, 2009 at 11:03 am
Did Scott get forced out like the other director before him? What's going on with this organization? Sometimes board members really get in the way. The press release says the group needs a change in leadership…. maybe the board should leave and let staff do their job. . . Dangerous stuff.
November 25th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
An open comment to the BTA Board:
As a long-time BTA member and supporter, I need to let you know how unhappy I am with how this change has been handled. I am not trying to second-guess the board's decision to change leadership - I don't know the inside story. I do know that Scott was a committed, effective long-time staff person who is well-respected in the bike community. Here's what concerns me:
First, Scott's position ended one month before Christmas in the worst recession in decades. I don't know what prompted this strategy, but it seems unkind to the point of unacceptable.
Second, on NPR, Mary's comments were snarky enough to imply that somehow BTA's accomplishments were ridiculous, and she did not emphasize how appreciated Scott is. The impression for me was that the Board did not respect Scott. Remember, you are serving a broad community of constituents, and we ARE listening.
Please, please, do a better job of handling difficult decisions, if you deem them necessary. I for one am questioning my support.