City Thread looking for next four cities to fast-forward mobility network build-out
City Thread looking for next four cities to fast-forward mobility network build-out
City Thread, a nonprofit consultancy led by national mobility experts Zoe Kircos, Sara Studdard, and Kyle Wagenschutz, announced a competitive grant program that will award four cities up to $35,000 in technical assistance plus coaching on how to accelerate and complete projects that improve mobility, safety, and community connectivity.
Applications for the Accelerated Mobility Playbook (AMP) Technical Assistance program opened on Sept. 1 and are due by Oct. 31. More details about the program are at www.citythread.org/amp-technical-assistance-grant. Interested parties are encouraged to contact City Thread to discuss details of the program and sign up for a webinar to learn more about program eligibility and benefits.
The four cities will be selected and announced in January.
The grant award includes attendance at the 2024 AMP Gathering, where participants will join past AMP round cohorts and other experts to learn about diverse coalition building, rapid plan implementation, and strategies for building and supporting political will.
“Building networks of bike lanes, trails, parks, sidewalks, and open space is on every city’s checklist,” Wagenschutz said. “These projects have overwhelming public support from the start, but cities get stuck when the build-out gets bogged down by politics and design details.”
Building on the success of The Final Mile, which helped five cities build 335 miles of bike lanes in just two years, and on the successes of cohorts of cities since then, Wagenschutz said City Thread has the tested tools, approach and proven experience to help cities get unstuck and move fast.
“Cities already have the plans, expertise, and public support to invest in mobility projects. What they need is an action plan for accelerating project delivery. This technical assistance program is built on proven strategies and can provide the right tools, coaching and support to help city leaders move projects from paper to concrete,” Wagenschutz said. “Mobility networks don’t have to take forever to build. We’re looking for new partners and communities to work with. Any city in North America can do this.”
Kevin Muhs, City Engineer, City of Milwaukee said the AMP program’s development process and recommendations have already made a direct impact on the City’s work to build a more multimodal transportation system and implement the City’s Bikeway Vision.
“Your encouragement made us shoot higher,” he said. “You have given us lots to think about regarding how to do our work quickly and effectively.”
City of Cleveland Senior Strategist Calley Mersmann said she enjoyed the AMP gathering in Denver, because it gave her an opportunity to meet her peers from other cities.
“It was a special joy to meet the others in the cohort and talk about areas where we are facing similar challenges and trade strategies to address them,” she said. “I appreciate all the work City Thread put into making the gathering a smooth, hospitable, and enlightening experience.”
Once teams are convened, strengthening the relationship between elected leaders, municipal staff, grassroots, and philanthropic partners becomes the key to any community’s success. With her experience in mediation, coalition building, partnership management, grantmaking, and fund development, Kircos helps build and guide teams throughout the process.
“Without clear and consistent communication, people feel disconnected from public planning processes, even when they support the intended outcomes,” Kircos said. “By accelerating construction, cities can keep that public goodwill working for them throughout the project.”
The need for faster progress has never been clearer.
All cities want safer and connected streets, and there’s a growing consensus that all road users must benefit. But until recently, cities have been stuck. City Thread offers a new model to help cities move forward together faster, making the most of local coalitions and avoiding the familiar roadblocks.
“People want to be able to access their city in safe, convenient ways,” Studdard said. “They expect their leaders to provide a better-connected network of transportation options that give them real choices. Without everyone working together, it’s very hard to make it happen. We have the proven strategies to give cities the best chance of succeeding.”
Studdard said too many cities are trying to tackle modern problems with tactics developed in the last century.
“By connecting people and mobility networks around a shared vision, communities can push past the status quo and make real change. We know cities can move faster because we’ve seen it,” Studdard said. “Cities need a new playbook to solve these challenges with the urgency we need today. City Thread has that playbook and is here to help.”
Past recipients of the program include Bainbridge Island, WA; Syracuse, NY; Gulfport, MS; Cleveland, OH; Milwaukee, WI; Tucson, AZ; Santa Rosa, CA; Petaluma, CA; and Indianapolis, IN.
The AMP Technical Assistance Program was designed to support cities regardless of their starting place, and at any time, City Thread is working with a roster of cities that need customized assistance tailored to their specific needs.
“This program is adaptable and supports a variety of solutions reflecting the different needs and contexts in cities of all shapes and sizes,” Studdard said. “Our programs are adaptable and capable of helping any city that has interest and ambition.”
Wend Collective and SRAM are leading the funding for the AMP Technical Assistance Grant Program.
“Building safe, low-stress, and convenient bicycle networks is a pillar of SRAM’s advocacy investments,” said Rob Cappucci, Director of Advocacy and Industry Partnerships at SRAM. “After joining the City Thread team and representatives from ten cities for their convening in June, the capacity of the Accelerated Mobility Playbook to offer a proven roadmap for cities to quickly build connected mobility networks is clear. SRAM’s is proud to have helped extend the reach of the program, and help more cities and local partners move from talking about bike infrastructure to building it.”
To see a program FAQ, visit citythread.org/amp-technical-assistance-grant. For more information, visit citythread.org.
City Thread is a national, non-profit organization working to connect people and communities. Since 2010, the City Thread team has led successful projects in communities and neighborhoods across the U.S. City Thread combines 50 years of experience in urban planning, marketing, communications, equitable public participation, fundraising, grantmaking, community engagement, strategic planning, and campaign management. City Thread brings a fresh perspective and skillset rooted in community engagement, project delivery, and political campaigns. The team includes a White House Champion of Change (2015, Obama Administration), a trained mediator, facilitator and communication coach, and an award-winning creative and community campaign organizer.
