Below is my candadacy statement as it appeared during the campaign for LAB Regional Director in Jan 2003. All that has been changed is a few obsolete links have been updated. You can read what happened, including the LAB Election Scandal of 2003.

Fred Oswald’s Candidacy Statement
for LAB Board from Region 4

(Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio)

I have enough petitions to be on the 2003 ballot. A huge THANK YOU to all who helped, especially those who collected signatures from other LAB members.

The ballot will be sent out in mid-February. Ballots must be returned to LAB by April 15 to be counted. Now that I have qualified for the ballot, I will need your vote to actually be elected to the board.

My goals in campaigning for the board include working with volunteers and staff to: (1) Ensure that LAB does more to protect the right of cyclists to use the roads; (2) Educate society about proper bicycle operation; (3) Improve the status of cyclists in society; (4) Improve LAB’s service to members; (5) Make the LAB board and staff more responsive.

At present, four of the directors are appointed by the board’s nominating committee rather than being elected by members. This contributes to the lack of responsiveness of the present board.

Education and protecting cyclists’ rights can be accomplished through the following:

Teach society that bicycles are vehicles that belong on the roadway and that should be driven by the same rules of the road as are other vehicles. Much of this education must be through the media, such as public service announcements on radio & TV, op ed articles in newspapers, position papers sent to editors (so they write accurate stories about bicycle use and safety issues), etc. You can see educational materials I have written from the links below. Cycling education is the ultimate solution to most of our problems.

Support volunteers in a project to evaluate and propose reforms for the bicycle traffic laws in all 50 states starting with the rules of the Uniform Vehicle Code. I started a small committee that has begun this project. You can see our preliminary work from this link.

Assist in defending lawful cyclists harassed and wrongly prosecuted by misguided law enforcement officials for simply using the roads. Recent examples include Selz in Ohio and Clark in Michigan, among other cases. For details, see my article Bicycle “Right to the Road” Cases.

Support our right to fair treatment in civil court cases by working to overturn the dangerous precedent set in the Boub and Lattimer cases in Illinois. For information, see Bicycle “Right to the Road” Cases.

Maintain high standards for instructor training in the League Cycling Instructors in the BikeEd program. Give better support to the instructors. For example, maintain a “library” of visual aids for instructors. This could include be a web site for sharing what previous instructors have contributed plus a CD given to new instructors. I made much of my presentation available on the Web (3 Mb file). You can also see a condensed (lower resolution) version (pdf file, 1 Mb).

Give better support to state and local volunteer cycling organizations. Our “Model Bicycle Laws” and ratings can be a huge help for local cycling law reform campaigns.

Qualifications and accomplishments

Experienced bicycle commuter with over 4500 miles and 180 trips to work via bike each year. You can read about my history as a cyclist at The Making of a Vehicular Cyclist.
Certified League Cycling Instructor (LCI #947).
Board member of Ohio Bicycle Federation.
Have lead effort by Ohio Bicycle Federation for reforms to Ohio bicycle traffic laws.
Organized project to review the Uniform Vehicle Code. The committee eventually plans to rate bicycle traffic laws in the various states to help state cycling organizations lobby for reforms.
Have analyzed local bicycle traffic ordinances for 60 communities in NE Ohio and proposed model local ordinances. For details, see article “Sidewalk Laws” and Other Dangerous Bicycle Ordinances.
President and founder of GO-BIKE, an advocacy/education group at NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.
Have written many bicycle safety and advocacy articles for the Web, newsletters, etc. You can see many of my cycling advocacy and education projects on my Cycling Advocacy Pages.

Endorsements from cycling experts

Bill Hoffman, LCI #33, instructor trainer, Director 1974-82 and 2001-02 and LAB volunteer for 30 years.
John Allen, author of Bicycling Street Smarts, LCI #77, Candidate for LAB Director from Region 1.
Steve Gottlieb, ECI #82, Director 1987-1994, vice president 1991-1993
Chuck Smith, Chair of Ohio Bicycle Federation and OBF representative to the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Laws & Ordinances

Articles about cycling by Fred Oswald

Too busy?

It is easier for you to just turn the page and not to bother to send in your ballot. It would have been easier for me not to take the effort to run for the board, but I really love cycling and we really need to have the League stand up for us. Please allow me to work to make LAB the best organization that it can be for those of us who love to ride. I ask for your support.

If you do not live in Region 4 —

Please contact the board member from your region with your concerns. If you do not get a satisfactory answer, consider running yourself when that seat is next up for election. (Terms run 3 years.) If you are from New England or New York (Region 1), then please support John Allen, author of Street Smarts. John and I will work together to protect cyclists’ rights if you elect us.

Thank you for your help. For comments or questions, contact fredoswald_AT_yahoo.com.
Rev. 1/18/03 (minor update to links 11/20/07)

Fred Oswald’s Candidacy Statement for LAB Board from Region 4