Indiana Bike Summit Review

by Joshua Brewster

First the positives: Indiana had a Bike Summit! This is the first of its kind that I am aware of in Indianapolis. It was great to see local and national experts in attendance, from manufactures, to urban planners, to architects, to advocates and championship cyclists. The fact that such a meeting was even held is a positive sign of progress on the bicycling front. Other positives include the diverse topics addressed in three separate "tracks" (advocacy, planning and cycling enthusiasts), knowledgeable speakers, and last but not least--INDIANAPOLIS WAS RECOGNIZED BY THE LEAGUE OF AMERICAN BICYCLISTS AS A "BICYCLE FRIENDLY COMMUNITY." We have come a long way, baby!

The Negatives: Disappointing attendance. Where was the young audience of IndyCog? Average age at the Summit I'd peg in the forties. I've seen larger attendance at some CM's. Change will NOT come from demonstration alone. The youth must make their needs known to people who can make a difference, ie. legislators. I hope to see greater involvement from this crowd in the future. Also on the down-side: too much info packed in to just a few hours. The content could have been either spread out over the entire day or more focused. Finally, there was a lack of a "call to action" from Bicycle Indiana. While the concluding session announced Indianapolis as a BFC, the opportunity to rally the attendees to action in some form was lost. There was just a lack of excitement.

The first (hopefully annual) Indiana Bike Summit was a step in the right direction. I like the changes I've seen in the Bicycle Indiana organization. I hope to see more concerted efforts at lobbying and organizing for change in the coming year.

Some Summit Love from Carroll County

From the Carroll County Comet:

Bicycle Indiana, the collective voice of Indiana cyclists, is convening its first Bicycle Indiana Summit on Saturday, to address ways to make the state more bicycle-friendly. The event, to be held at the Indiana Government Center in downtown Indianapolis, will kick off with morning bike rides (free and open to the public), followed by lunch, a nationally known keynote speaker and breakout sessions for planning professionals, bicycling advocates and biking enthusiasts.

Full blip here.

Have you registered yet to attend?

Seriously, you need to go to this. We need to come out in droves. And, it's not just because of the speakers and breakouts. That's cool, too, and will be super informative. But think of it this way, too:

The more people who show up to this, the bigger the number Nancy and the rest of the BI crew can give to state and local legislatures to say, "Look. These are your consituents. This is how many people care about cycling in your state. This is how many voters you are ignoring when you vote against cycling infrastructure."

I can't stress that enough.

Summit Breakout Sessions

Bicycle Indiana released info last week about the various breakout sessions/seminars they're going to have at the Bicycle Summit. Looks like they've covered all their bases, having sessions for everyone from the advocate to the recreational rider to the commuter. Here's a run down of what's going to be there; if anything piques your interest, go here for more info.

For Planners:

Bike Lane Striping - the Devil Is in the Details
Safe Routes To School - How To Get Them
What It Will Take for Indiana to Break Away from the Pack

For Advocates:

Bicycle Friendly Initiatives - Welcome to the Five E's
Trails and Greenways: Where They Really Are Taking Us
Complete the Streets! Accommodating Cycling's Rightful Place on the Pavement

For Enthusiasts:
How To Get The Most From Your Ride
Smart Cycling - How to Promote Bicycle Safety in Your Community
Bike Fitting...It Is Not All About the Bike

Some press for the Indiana Bicycle Summit

Indiana Business Journal just upped an article overviewing the agenda for the Indiana Bicycle Summit happening next week:

Indianapolis, Ind.---Bicycle Indiana, the collective voice of Indiana cyclists, is convening its first Bicycle Indiana Summit on Saturday, October 17, 2009, to address ways to make the state more bicycle-friendly. The event will kick off with morning bike rides (free and open to the public), followed by lunch, a nationally known keynote speaker and breakout sessions for planning professionals, bicycling advocates and biking enthusiasts.

"Indiana has become more bicycle-friendly in the past few years, but we still have a long way to go to make bicycling a full-fledged transportation option," said Nancy Tibbett, executive director of Bicycle Indiana. "This summit is a first step toward joining together the voices of everyone who rides--whether they ride for fun, for exercise, to get to work or to run errands. Together, we can start to make the changes that will benefit all of us."

Full story here.

More info on the Indiana Bicycle Summit here. More info on what's happening at the Summit here.

This Summit is super important, and it's happening next Saturday, so I'm going to pummel you with info about it in the upcoming week, and you're just going to have to put up your dukes.

A few quick callouts from today's Health by Design newsletter

I know there are some talented photogs who follow this blog and love bikes, so check this out:

People Powered Movement Photo Contest from AllianceBikeWalk on Vimeo.

You could win an all-expense paid bike trip to Tuscany and a year's supply of Clif Bars. Two runners-up will win great new commuter bikes – a brand new Breezer Uptown 8 or a Dahon folding commuter. There are also first, second, and third place prizes in each of seven categories: Biking, Walking, Biking and Walking, Complete Streets, Advocates in Action, Youth, Inspirational.
Winning images will be published in the 2010 March/April issue of Momentum Magazine
Just for entering, you can receive a trial subscription to Momentum Magazine and Bicycle Times Magazine.

More info, including submission guidelines and such, here.

*

Register now and spread the word about the Inaugural Bicycle Indiana Summit!

Seriously, everyone who rides a bike in Indy should be at this. I can't, because I'm getting married that day, but if you ride a bike, and you're not going to be at my wedding, you should be at the Summit.

*

Lastly--

As you may have heard through other affiliations, earlier this week there were several amendments proposed to the transportation funding bill currently before the US Senate which would have undermined transit, bicycle, pedestrian, and high-speed rail projects. One amendment in particular (S. Amend 2371) would have allowed states to ignore the requirement that 10% of their surface transportation budgets be spent on Transportation Enhancements (TE). Both Indiana Senators Bayh and Lugar voted FOR this amendment, though luckily it failed overall. This seems to be a clear demonstration of the tremendous amount of work we have to do to create a balanced and sustainable transportation system for Hoosiers!

I find it sad that Indiana cyclists didn't have a single voice in their corner on this bill. Basically, we need to get on the phone with those dudes and say, "Hey! Stop voting against a strong, vocal part of your constituency!"

Oran is one of the lucky two

Congratulations to Oran Sands, one of the two winners of the $50 gift cards for filling out the Bicycle Indiana survey! He forwarded us the email from Bicycle Indiana, along with a thank you, since he'd read about the survey here on Indy Cog.

Glad we could facilitate some free cash for you, Oran, and thanks for the support and comments! And, thanks to everyone who filled out the survey for Bicycle Indiana. Hopefully it gives them a pointed idea of how they can better serve the cyclists of Indiana.

Today's the Last Day...

To complete the Bicycle Indiana survey that we posted about awhile ago. If you've not completed it, I'd encourage you to do so, so that Bicycle Indiana can have a better idea of how to serve cyclists in Indiana and give them an idea of what's expected of them as the state's bicycle advocacy group.

BICYCLE INDIANA is working to establish a clearer, more needs-driven agenda for our growing organization. We have designed this survey to give every Indiana cyclist a voice in this process. We want to know your bicycling patterns, opinions and ideas so we can serve you better!

In appreciation for your time, upon completion of the survey you will be invited to enter your name into a drawing for the following prizes:

GRAND PRIZE (2 winners): $50 gift card for an Indiana bicycle retailer

SECOND PRIZE (20 winners): 180s eco-friendly fleece hat with the BICYCLE INDIANA logo OR a copy of the book "Pedaling for Pizza" (signed by its two Indiana authors)

Also, there's a question at one point asking whether you are member of a cycling club or advocacy group on the survey--even though there is no "membership" for Indy Cog, it'd be awesome if you readers would check the "Other" option for this question, and let them know that you are a regular reader of Indy Cog.

Bicycle Indiana Survey

Bicycle Indiana is conducting a survey to get information about how to better serve cyclists in our state. It takes a little longer than they say, but I finished it in about 10-15 minutes. If you want, at the end of the survey, you can enter your name and contact info for a drawing for a couple of $50 gift certificates or Bicycle Indiana beanies.

Also, there's a question at one point asking whether you are member of a cycling club or advocacy group on the survey--even though there is no "membership" for Indy Cog, it'd be awesome if you readers would check the "Other" option for this question, and let them know that you are a regular reader of Indy Cog.

Take the survey here. Bicycle Indiana can't fulfill their purpose if they don't know what is expected of them.

Nancy Tibbett Sounds Off About Commuting Experience

Over at the Bicycle Indiana blog:

I had the pleasure of working with Samantha Cross, Business Development Director for IndyGo, regarding the Indianapolis Bike To Work Day events. As you might expect, we discussed transit a great deal. We also discussed how transit and bicycling are complementary. I live in one of the so-called donut counties and the closest bus stop is about 5 miles from my home. Even Samantha agreed that a bus trip for me to downtown Indianapolis would be a long ride. However, I feel a bit guilty for not being more of a utilitarian cyclist (I’m really a roadie) and had been mulling around an idea.

(...)

I talk a lot about biking (imagine that) and why we don’t commute more in Indianapolis, or in Indiana for that matter. The truth is that is not that inconvenient to drive in our state and more often than not, motorized transportation is the most effective. We have to want to ride our bike, or take the bus, or car pool because of our health, the environment, or even the economical impact.

Full story here.

It's great to see Nancy promoting the use of a bicycle as more than a training tool, and promoting IndyGo as well. I was really glad to see her last Friday at the CM/CM. Hopefully more cooperation and discussion can happen between Bicycle Indiana and Indy Cog as we find ourselves at more events together.

Bicycle Indiana Needs Your Support

From Randy Clark in the BGI Newsletter:

Let me get right to the point - Bicycle Indiana (formerly Indiana Bicycle Coalition) needs your immediate financial support. I encourage each of you to become a household member at a cost of $25. But wait, that's not all! BGI is offering a $10 Gift card with each new membership between now and Friday, June 19th. In addition, $21 of this cost is tax deductible. If your incremental tax rate is 25%, that's a total $15 discount on a membership - a pretty good deal I'd say. Become a member now.

Visit http://www.bicycleindiana.org/membership.html

Bicycle Indiana is the legislative voice for bicyclists in all of Indiana. It is also the central resource for education and programs for advocates all across the State including individual cyclists, advocate organizations, teams, clubs and many state, county and municipal agencies. Look for more details soon about the first ever Indiana Bicycle Summit to be held at the Indiana Government Center on Saturday, October 17, 2009.

Please help now by going to the Bicycle Indiana website to join!

Randy Clark, Board of Directors, Bicycle Indiana

Bicycle Indiana License Plate Update

From Nancy's update on Bicycle Indiana's site:

Bicycle Indiana has been notified by the BMV that our application for the specialty license plate was declined. The main reason for this decision is due to the fact that specialty plates are not given to recreational groups. Whereas we do not consider our organization a recreational group, we certainly support recreational bicyclists and respect the BMV's decision on the request. Unless the parameters change, we will not submit an application in the future. I, along with the board members of Bicycle Indiana, thank each of you for your support and your ability to quickly rally in order to obtain enough signatures for our petition submittal.

I rarely come out and really say what I think on a lot of the issues that we post, but I have to admit, I don't particularly respect the BMV's decision on this.

After reading this, I immediately went to see what organizational plates are already available and noted a good portion of plates that I would consider on par with Bicycle Indiana's mission in regards to recreational endeavors. Celebrate the Arts, Boy Scouts, 4-H--to name a few. (DISCLAIMER: I don't call them out to say they're not valid and worthwhile organizations--they are--I simply mean to say that they have similar mission as Bicycle Indiana.) Not to mention the Indianapolis Colts plate, the sole purpose of which is "to help defray the costs of the Lucas Oil Stadium and Convention Center expansion project."

Sadly, I'm not sure whether this is the state's way of being political and bureaucratic, or of saying that Bicycle Indiana isn't doing enough on a level beyond recreation to warrant the production of a plate.

Yes, Bicycle Indiana exists for cyclist recreation, but also for infrastructure, advocacy, and education (the same way that you could say that the Boy Scouts exists for youth recreation, but also for education and mentorship). And, a good part of me wishes that Bicycle Indiana would stand up and exclaim that, that maybe instead of waiting for the BMV parameters to change, Bicycle Indiana would change to be something more to the state of Indiana than just another bicycle club.

Represent.

For those of you who don't know, Bicycle Indiana has started a blog over at their site. It is only being updated once a month right now, but I believe plans are to make it a more regular thing eventually.

Steve Surette is this month's guest blogger, and posted a solid piece called Are You Ready to Be a Representative? which tackles some of the same feelings I had when I first started tossing the idea for Indy Cog around with Ben back in February.

For years people have been doing things for us when we can do for ourselves. As a self-employed 47 yr old this was the nagging feeling when my 16 yr old daughter introduced me to Facebook for my Home Inspection Business. I thought there must be others who are looking to contribute to cycling outside of the traditional bureaucracies so I threw my lot in with Facebook and began “Friends of Hamilton County Cycling” hoping others would contribute within this type of forum. I chose Hamilton County in part because this is where I live, but in part because I couldn’t get my head around a something as large as a state wide responsibility.

...

Local representatives, such as yourself, could link these people together and or coordinate these efforts.

So have you been looking for a way to contribute? I wonder how the State of Indiana would benefit if Bicycle Indiana had trained local help at the grassroots level? What skill set do you have?

Full post here.

We Are Awoken - My Article in Momentum Magazine

I was asked to write a small clip on what Indy and the Indy cycling community has been like since NAHBS left town. The piece appeared in the recent issue of Momentum Magazine:

Over the last few years, Indianapolis has been moving towards cycling with a new bike lanes initiative, legislation in the works to enact a three-foot passing law, a Mayor's Bike Ride, and growing media coverage. Still, the winter interrupts our cadence. When the North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) rolled into town in the middle of February, it came with more than just pretty bikes. It came with a reason to wake up, stand taller, and suck in our guts.

"The city was alive with energy," says Nancy Tibbett, Executive Director of the Indiana Bicycle Coalition. "The number of people who rode to the show, in spite of the colder temperatures, was astounding. Our parking corral was full to capacity on Saturday afternoon."

Full story here.

Bike To Work Day keeping us busy!

It's going to be a busy day here at Indy Cog with Bike-to-Work Day posts, so I hope you guys don't mind your RSS feeds blowing up. First off, we'll get you started with a press release from the Mayor's office and a great photogallery of today's festivities at the circle by Joshua Clement.

Also, we reached a record for page hits yesterday at 1350 hits, and it looks like today is shaping up to even demolish that one. Ben and I got a lot of kind words and support today at the Circle for and about Indy Cog, and I just wanted to say thanks to all of you for reading and coming back day after day. It means a lot to us as people as well as cyclists to see so much love and support for what we're trying to do here.

Without further ado, some words from the Mayor's office:

INDIANAPOLIS -- Mayor Greg Ballard was joined today by Mike Terry, President and CEO of IndyGo, Nancy Tibbett, Executive Director of Bicycle Indiana, and Joshua Gonzales, with INShape Indiana, to welcome the hundreds of cyclists who participated in the Sixth Annual Bike to Work Day in Indianapolis.

“There is no question that more bicycle traffic on Indy streets means healthier people, cleaner air and less congestion,” said Mayor Ballard. “It is a great opportunity to showcase the steps the City has taken to make Indianapolis a more bicycle-friendly, pedestrian-friendly and a more sustainable city overall. We are committed to continuing these improvements throughout Indianapolis” Bike to Work Day has seen a significant increase in participation over the past few years, with over 500 residents cycling to work on this day last year. The largest group that traveled together to work today was 100 cyclists who traveled to downtown Indianapolis from Carmel, Ind.

The month of May marks National Bicycle Month and Mayor Ballard will follow up today’s event on Saturday with the inaugural Mayor’s Bike Ride. The ride, which will start at 1 p.m. at Veteran’s Memorial Park, will showcase both the downtown Cultural Trail and the new bike lanes on Michigan and New York Streets. For more information on the Mayor’s Bike Ride, visit www.sustainindy.org.

Bike to Work Day would not be possible without the support of IndyGo, the Central Indiana Bicycling Association, the Central Indiana Commuter Services, the Central Indiana Community Foundation, and Bicycle Garage of Indy. In addition to the City of Indianapolis, INDOT and INShape Indiana served as partnering government sponsors.

A Call for Help, pt. 2

Just heard from Kevin Whited about what volunteer work is needed this Friday morning:

We can use volunteers starting at 5:30 am to help set up (setting up bike corral and tables) and from about 6:30am to 10:30am passing out food and parking bikes. in fact, the bike parking is open from 6:30am to 6pm and we always need people to cover that. Thanks for the help.

I'll be showing up myself to help at 5:30 a.m. or so. I have a funny feeling that is going to be too early for most people, but I'd be pretty stoked if at least a few of you readers would prove me wrong. And, even if you're not a morning person, it'd be great to see some support for the things/amenities/what-have-yous that Bicycle Indiana is doing to support the event throughout the day.

A Call for Help

We've just heard from Kevin Whited, a board member for Bicycle Indiana, that they need some volunteer help for this Friday morning's Bike-To-Work Day festivities on the Circle. I'm not too sure what is it they need help with, but Kevin is supposed to get back to me with more details that I'll post as soon as I hear. I'm guessing it's activities like manning (Peyton?) the bagel tables and helping with bike parking and stuff like that.

If you are interested regardless of details, you can contact Kevin personally at kevinwhited@yahoo.com.

Bicycling to work encouraged in Richmond

From the Palladium Item out of Richmond, if you're passing through the eastern part of the state, see if you can tune in to this guy:

Today marks the start of Indiana Bike Week and in Richmond, the Cycling and Fitness Warehouse is working with G101.3 FM radio personality Dave Snow to promote bicycling to work.

Although Wednesday* is national Bike-to-Work Day, Snow is using a bicycle loaned to him by the Cycling and Fitness Warehouse to cycle to work each day this week. A novice in bicycle commuting, Snow is scheduled to share his experiences during his daily radio program.

Throughout the state, the group Bicycle Indiana is organizing routes and meeting places to allow cyclists to link up and safely commute to work. Bicycle Indiana plans to promote more than 40 different bicycle-related rides, races and events throughout Indiana during this week.

Full story here.

*Note that Friday is the actual National Bike-to-Work Day.

Bicycle Indiana Celebrates Indianapolis Bike-to-Work Day on May 15

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Bicycle Indiana (formerly the Indiana Bicycle Coalition), in conjunction with IndyGo and the City of Indianapolis, is celebrating Bike-to-Work Day on Friday, May 15. Organized rides led by experienced cyclists will leave from 11 Indianapolis-area locations on the morning of May 15. All routes end at Monument Circle before 8 a.m. for a celebration that includes free breakfast, bike parking, giveaways, demonstrations and other information about bicycling. To register and find the start location nearest you, please visit www.bicycleindiana.org.

The celebration on Monument Circle will feature a chance to win a free bicycle from Central Indiana Commuter Services and demonstrations of Indiana Bike Port’s bicycle storage facilities and IndyGo’s bus bicycle racks. Bicycle Indiana, its sponsors and a representative from the City of Indianapolis will discuss the lifestyle benefits of regular bicycle commuting.

"Bike-to-Work Day is a nationally celebrated event promoting cycling as an alternative mode of transportation," said Nancy Tibbett, Executive Director of Bicycle Indiana. "Our mission is to create a bicycle-friendly Indiana, and Bike-to-Work Day is a perfect way to support healthy, green and cost-effective commuting."
Indianapolis employers can participate in the Bicycle Garage Indy bike-to-work corporate challenge—a friendly competition designed to reward company teams for riding the most total miles. Individual riders may also take advantage of the city’s numerous bike paths and lanes or bike and ride with IndyGo. Last year’s Bike-to-Work Day was a huge success, with more than 1,000 participants across the state.

"Bicycle Indiana will help promote more than 40 different bicycle-related rides, races and events throughout Indiana during week of May 11-17—a week proclaimed by Governor Mitch Daniels as Indiana Bike Week.

Go to www.bicycleindiana.org or call 317-466-9701 for more information about Indianapolis Bike-to-Work Day.

Founded in 1993, Bicycle Indiana (formerly Indiana Bicycle Coalition) is a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a bicycle-friendly Indiana through promotion, education and advocacy. Bicycle Indiana represents the interests and concerns of all bicycle users. Visit www.bicycleindiana.org for more information about bicycling in Indiana.

WTHR's Focus on Indy Biking

IndyCog even got a mention toward the end, and an awesome write up over at Angela Cain's blog on WTHR.com. I'd say this calls for a "Boosh!" Thanks for the shout out, WTHR and Angela Cain.

So, who's gonna be downtown next week?

Bikes Highlighted in Noon Focus segment on WTHR today

Today, on the afternoon news on WTHR Channel 13, Bicycle Indiana is going to be featured talking about their Bike To Work Week/Day initiatives that are happening next week. They're also going to be talking about the Mayor's Bike Ride happening next Saturday.

I believe that they upload the Focus segments on their website, so if that happens, we'll have the segment embedded hopefully this afternoon. Check out today's afternoon news either way to see the live segment. It's great to see some mainstream media coverage of cycling here in Indy.

Bicycle Indiana License Plate

Ben and I attended the annual meeting for the Indiana Bicycle Coalition (they announced at the meeting that they are now Bicycle Indiana), and while there, they passed around a petition for a license plate that would benefit Bicycle Indiana, similar to the other organizational benefit plates out there currently. Here's the blurb from their site:

Beginning in 2010, if the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles approves our application, you can buy a special Bicycle plate for only $40 (not including your vehicle fee).

IBC will receive $25 from each plate sold. Those funds will go a long way toward helping our mission to assist communities throughout Indiana to realize the economic, recreational and health benefits of bicycling.  More importantly; however, for the first time Hoosier citizens will be able to display a license plate that expresses their support of bicycling. We need to quickly acquire the name, address and signatures of 500 individuals who would be willing to purchase a Bicycle Indiana license plate, if approved.

You can download the petition form here. You can fax the signed petition to the Bicycle Indiana office at 317.466.9701. You can fax a copy with just your signature on it, or do some legwork of your own for signatures. Just make sure you have the petition faxed by April 24th.

Also, I gave a copy of the petition to Joe at Joe's Cycles, and I know he's pimping it out. I mentioned to Randy Clark of BGI that he could easily place a copy of the petition next to the counters at his BGI stores and get signatures that way, so he is hopefully doing that. I have one personally. If anyone is interested in signing, feel free to drop in to any of those locations, print and fax a copy yourself, or contact me (Christopher) and we'll get your signature.