Posts tagged Bicycling
Bike to Campus Week: April 16-22
Apr 8th
ISEC is asking campuses across Illinois to encourage students to bike to campus April18-22. We’d like this to be friendly competition while having a bit of fun and encouraging a new bicyclists on campus.
Bike to Campus Week goals:
1) Take a picture of fellow bike commuters, as a group or individually.
2) Have students sign a commitment sheet with their email and why they ride, so we have a count for each campus. (e-mail Mark at mkenseth@greenstudents.org for the form)
3) Have a new bike commuter tell their story.
4) Gather signatures, pictures, and newbie stories and send them to ISEC so we can post them on our website as inspiration for other campuses.
Here is an example of what NEIU is planning:
Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago currently has 12 bicyclists signed up and committed to commuting to campus the week of April 18-22. Everyone has a different reason of why they ride. They include; “Biking rocks” and “To reduce carbon emissions.” We have a picture of our group and hope to take pictures of individual riders with their bikes during Bike to Campus Week. We also have two potential first-timers who want to try biking to campus: Michelle and Matt. They will give it a shot and tell us their story when the week is up. What’s your campus’ count?
Bicycle Parking: A Link in the Chain
Apr 1st
ISEC has drafted a letter to be signed by all those in favor of better bicycle parking. Our goal is to ecourage the City of Chicago to follow through on their plans to build more and better parking for bicycles in the city. We’ll present these signatures to the new Mayor and ask that he stay true to his commitment to incentivize bicycling on the streets of Chicago. A bicycle parking plan for Chicago will be a catalyst for the rest of Illinois, which is why Illinois students can take this opportunity to get involved.
Here is the draft of the bicycle parking letter to sign.
Cyclelogical: A bicycle festival
Mar 25th
Saturday, April 2nd
10:30am-1:00pm
Clarendon Park Community Center, 2nd Floor
4501 N Clarendon, Chicago
Win free bike gear, eat snacks and learn more about bike safety. Drop in to the festival any time, or stay awhile for our expert-led sessions:
* Bike Safety in Chicago – 11:00-11:30am
* Know Your Bike and Your Gear – 11:30am-noon
* Tips and Tricks for Bike Commuters Panel – noon-12:30pm
Enter the FREE raffle to win a helmet, pump, reflective wrist/ankle bands, lights, CTA passes, or a $75 iGO gift certificate.
After the event there’s a 3-mile celebratory ride, starting at Clarendon Park and ending at Bar on Buena (910 W Buena).
Event sponsored by the Chicago Conservation Corps (C3) and the Lesley University Urban Environmental Leadership program.
Contact cyclelogicalchicago@gmail.com with comments or questions.
Here’s information at Working Bikes.
Volunteers needed for Bike the Drive
Mar 18th
Active Transportation Alliance is currently recruiting volunteers to help out at the MB Financial Bank Bike the Drive. Volunteers get in free with 6 hours of volunteer time before the event. If you volunteer the day of the event, there’s a free breakfast and t-shirt for you.
They need help during and after the event: from packet pick-up, to fueling participants at rest stops, directing riders along the course, and helping to break down at the end of the day.
Bike Winter Art Show
Mar 18th
The 4th annual Chicago Bike Winter Art Show will take place from March 11 – 25 and is hosted by the new gallery, Chicago Urban Art Society (2229 South Halsted Street). There will also be a closing party on March 25.
The show is produced by Rapid Transit Cycleshop and supported by Chicago Bike Winter (a fantastic group devoted to helping people overcome winter riding trepidation).
Critical Mass
Mar 15th
Join ISEC for Critical Mass on Friday, March 25th at 5:30pm on Daley Plaza. Feel free to ride by, say “Hi”, and sign our letter to improve bike parking in the city. If you’re new to Critical Mass, visit their website for information and tips for newbies.
Lake Front Trail Winter Repairs
Mar 11th
Crews have been on the Lake Front Trail this week repairing the winter damage by cleaning up chunks of pavement and adding temporary pavement ramps. Here are some pictures from this morning of two areas where repairs have taken place: south of Fullerton and south of North Ave. So get out there and ride!
The Chainlink: An Online Chicago Bicycling Community
Mar 8th
The Chainlink is an online forum for Chicagoland bicyclists or anyone who wants to learn more about bicycling, with a side of Chicago. Currently there are 4,942 members, 4,024 topics of discussion (some repeated or related), 169 groups, a calendar of events, revolving pictures uploaded from members, news links and bike-related links, and even a “Craigslist bike-related missed connections.” It’s a daily bicyclist newspaper for and by the bicyclists in the Chicagoland area.
Check out the cornucopia of Chainlink discussions: how to wash one’s bike, movies, lesser-known routes, winter-biking, pets, what to do if one’s bike is stolen…and much more. Search for a question you may have, or scan the topics until one piques your interest. I’ve learned much from this website over the past few years and gained valuable insights into bicycling and beyond.
Don’t forget to bring your funny bone and wear your thinking cap. These folks are smart and funny.
Tuesday’s Bicycling Odds and Ends
Mar 8th
Retire those old bike parts with dignity
- The Recycler has some interesting ways of reusing bike parts; you can also submit your own design for the bike furniture you’ve always wanted.
- Resource Revival takes your bicycle chains and makes picture frames, key chains, clocks and such.
A bicycle-friendly Chicago coming to you soon?
- A bicycle count study was recently revealed by the Chicago Department of Transportation. Check out the story here. Don’t worry, the bicycle count doesn’t want to such your blood. (I couldn’t resist.)
The National Bike Summit
- The National Bike Summit is taking place right about now. Read why Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood jumped on a table for bicycling here.
Win a bicycle
- Adventure Cycling wants you to spread the joy of cycling for a chance to win some prizes.
Bikes Belong Coalition
- Bikes Belong is a coalition that works to fund bicycling projects. Sign up for their newsletter.
Cycle Track Planned for Chicago
Mar 1st
A cycle track pilot project for Chicago is planned to be constructed along Stony Island Avenue, between 69th and 77th streets. A cycle track is a bicycle lane separated from motorized vehicles by a physical barrier, which is important in creating a safe environment for bicyclists of all ages. By creating a separate safe zone for bicycling, more people may take to the streets, or in this case, the cycle track. And of course, more people riding bikes means less automobile traffic.
Unfortunately, we will have to wait until 2014 for Chicago’s first cycle track.
Check out the Chicago Tribune article for more information.
Alos, check out a few examples of cycle tracks in Portland, Oregon with pictures and diagrams: exhibit A, exhibit B, exhibit C, and exhibit D.
The Navy Pier Flyover
Mar 1st
How many times have you been riding along the Lake Front Trail with the sun and wind, only to find yourself suddenly stopped at the red light on Grand Avenue? You end up waiting on that little triangle island, ready to merge with pedestrians on the narrow sidewalk under Lake Shore Drive, hoping to get to the other side where you can once again ride with the sun and wind. I have. I try to avoid that stretch of the trail and wonder if someone will redesign it. Well, someone has.
The redesign of the Lake Front Trail along DuSable Park is called the ‘Navy Pier Flyover’. Here is the Department of Transportation’s presentation of the project.
The project won’t start until 2012, so you’ll have to be patient, just like on the little triangle island, waiting for the sun and wind on the other side of the bridge.
People for Bikes
Mar 1st
Check out People for Bikes for a chance to win a messenger bag by signing the pledge to help accomplish their goal of gathering 1 million names of support to advance the safety, convenience and the appeal of bicycling for everyone. There are almost 200,000 pledges.
People for Bikes believe in connectivity for bicyclists, asking everyone to “imagine a place where one bike lane leads to the next. Where trails, bridges and underpasses lead safely to exactly where you want to go. And regardless of your bicycling experience and fitness, you can pedal smoothly across the street, across town, or even across the country. We believe this can be a reality and that, by uniting, we can make our world a better place to ride.”
Click here to sign the pledge and your chance to win one of five custom PFB messenger bags.
Bicycling to Save the Economy
Feb 24th
The economic recession and dwindling social capital are tripping us up. Should we keep investing billions of dollars in automobile infrastructure that undoes social ties, or should we invest millions in bicycling infrastructure and double-knot our social equity?
Check out the article How bicycling will save the economy (if we let it).
Modal Bias of Bicyclists
Feb 22nd
In a recent article in Outside Magazine, Rage Against Your Machine, Tom Vanderbilt takes a look at “social categorization,” the invisible justice towards cyclists and the “modal bias” bicyclists often confront.
“What is it about cyclists that can turn sane, law-abiding drivers into shrieking maniacs? The author ponders the eternal conflict with help from bike supercommuter Joe Simonetti, who each week survives the hostile, traffic-clogged rat race between the New York exurbs and Midtown Manhattan.”
Chicago Bicycle Film Festival – Feb. 24-26
Feb 22nd
The Bicycle Film Festival is having its 10th Annual celebration this weekend, February 24-26. The BFF began in New York City and now stops at 40 cities around the world. Bicycle films are one way of providing a view into the world of bicycling. “In the last ten years the BFF has given the bicycle movement a venue to make, show and celebrate their movies and art.”
There’s a film festival pass, or five separate programs to choose from. Each program contains several films, ranging in time and type, from 1 to 49 minutes and racing to reckless, with 30 films in all. There are also trailers to view online, like Riding the Long White Cloud.
In addition to the films there are several parties throughout the weekend, including a Thursday Kick Off Party at Beauty Bar, a Friday After Party at the Viaduct Theatre, and a Saturday After Party at Darkroom.
Contact Terry for more information or volunteer to distribute promotional materials or help with ”day-of” activities such as the bike valet.