BIKEIOWA NOTE: Here is a great tribute to Bill Dooley. Talk about a dedicated bicycle advocate! RIP Bill.

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Toward the end of last year, the Twin Cities lost a tireless and graceful advocate for all things transportation—Bill Dooley. A retired lobbyist who was a transportation advocate for over the last decade, Dooley passed away on December 23 after a lengthy battle with cancer.

People who worked with Dooley remember his passion and grace for all things transportation as well as him keeping tabs on the state legislature and ensuring people were kept informed. To honor his legacy, state legislators have introduced a bill on bicycle and pedestrian safety named after him.

Born on April 28, 1949, in Chicago, Dooley went to Northern Illinois University, where he met his wife, Susan, before moving to Minneapolis where he worked as a lawyer and lobbyist for an insurance company and spent time at the Minnesota State Capitol during the legislative sessions. He decided to retire early to lobby for something different: transportation. He became a fixture at the Minnesota State Capitol watching in-person transportation committee hearings and reporting back on his findings to the organizations he was involved in.