California Bicycle Summit Opening Plenary: In Discussion with Jeanie Ward-Waller

The opening plenary session at the 2024 California Bicycle Summit on April 18, 2024, will include a discussion with Jeanie Ward-Waller, Director of Transportation Advocacy at Fearless Advocacy, and Kendra Ramsey, CalBike Executive Director. 

Ward-Waller’s career has encompassed advocacy, including a stint as CalBike’s policy director and agency work, where she rose to Deputy Director for Planning and Modal Programs. Caltrans fired her in 2023 after she made a whistleblower complaint about the illegal use of road repair funds to widen a highway, raising a firestorm of outrage among the active transportation community. She’ll discuss the problems at Caltrans and what advocates can do to bring about change at the agency. 

The plenary will also cover the California Transportation Commission (CTC), the governor-appointed body responsible for overseeing Caltrans. The CTC’s oversight is often little more than a rubber stamp, and the plenary will provide ideas on how to improve it and ways for citizens to get more involved.

30+ reasons to attend the California Bicycle Summit

The opening plenary is just one of many can’t-miss sessions. The 2024 California Bicycle Summit will include 30 workshops, two plenary sessions, rides and tours, and networking opportunities over two days on April 18 and 19. 

The theme of the Summit is Crossroads, symbolizing the intersectional nature of bicycle advocacy that encompasses transportation justice and equitable streets for all. It also highlights the crossroads at which we find ourselves as a society and as a planet as the need for action to avert climate catastrophe becomes more apparent. The Summit will include sessions on infrastructure funding, advocacy strategies, mobility justice, local and state legislative action, and much more.

This year’s Summit will be held at the Wyndham San Diego Bayside, close to Old Town San Diego, the San Diego Bay, Coronado Island, and many other attractions. The conference sold out in 2022. Reserve your spot today.