A couple of late sound-offs

From the Indy Star:

Amy Deitchley normally rides a bicycle 71/2 miles to work twice a week, but on Friday she had lots of company.

She was among more than a hundred bicyclists who joined in National Bike to Work Day, a nationwide event organized locally by the city, IndyGo and Bicycle Indiana. Its aim was to promote bicycle commuting and to celebrate the city's completion of bicycle lanes along major city routes.

Indianapolis has almost 14 miles of on-street bike lanes, including 11 miles along New York and Michigan streets completed in late March. Another 200 miles of bike lanes are planned, including 34 to be added in the next two years.

Deitchley said she sees cyclists using the new lanes every day and expects more people to start biking when additional lanes are created.

"If they build more, more people will come," said Deitchley, a quality assurance representative at Eli Lilly and Co.

Full story here.

From the Muncie Free Press:

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Spring has arrived, which means that more and more commuters are reaching for their bicycle helmets instead of their car keys. Last year, many Hoosiers chose to ride a bike on their daily commute after they became frustrated with rising gas prices and congested traffic. Now that winter is over, bikers are dusting off their rides and getting back into the bike lane.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) is promoting commuting alternatives with video podcasts, or vidcasts. The first vidcast is about commuting on bicycles, and it can be found at www.idem.IN.gov/4099.htm.

The vidcast features IDEM employees who ride their bike to work on a regular basis. The employees explain how biking helps them save money, get some exercise, and help improve air quality. They also talk about ways motorists can help make cyclists' commute safer.

"I'd like for people to understand the rules of the road a little better," said Sarah Finley, an IDEM employee who bikes often. "Bikes actually have to act as legal vehicles on the road."

Full story here.

Over the Wire - Media Buzz About Today

Looks like the media is all atwitter (like excited, not socially networking in 140 character increments) about all of us cranking around the city (and state, as Ft. Wayne got some press) this morning.

First off, a story from theindychannel.com, featuring my good friend, Anna Schwinn:

INDIANAPOLIS -- It was a brisk, but dry morning Friday as hundreds of cyclists headed out for Indianapolis' sixth annual Bike To Work Day, in conjunction with a long-running effort nationwide.

Most are involved in the effort to either promote physical fitness, a cleaner environment or both, 6News' Julie Pursley reported.

Cyclists said they want everyone to see that biking to work is a fun, easy and healthy approach to commuting. ...

"Right now, it's nice because in the morning, it wakes me up," said cyclist Anna Schwinn. "When I ride home at the end of the day, I just feel better when I get home. I'm in a better mood."

Full story here. Video on the site; just click the link.

From WTHR:

Indianapolis - Bikers hit the trail Friday for National Bike to Work Day. It coincides with the city's plans to create safer bike trails and lanes for cyclists. It's National Bicycle Month, and there are two events in Indiana to raise awareness and get Hoosiers involved. National Bike to Work Day got started early, and ended with a celebration at Monument Circle.

Last year on Bike to Work Day, 500 Hoosiers participated. That was 100 more people than the year before. High gas prices encouraged many Hoosiers to change their transportation habits, and for every gallon of gasoline saved, you reduce 19 pounds of CO2 in the air.

Full story here. Video here.

Some news from Ft. Wayne:

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Indiana's NewsCenter) - You may have seen a few more bikes on the road this morning. Scores of Fort Wayne residents participated in bike to work day.

The mayor's office offered free bagels and coffee to anyone who stopped by the City-County Building this morning and dozens of bike riders showed up.

Mayor Tom Henry thanked everyone for riding in, and says he hopes the event will only get bigger as more bike paths are built.

Full story here. Video 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.

IPFW Joins 2009 Bike to Work Day efforts

From the FWDailyNews.com:

May is National Bike Month and Friday, May 15, has been designated as National Bike to Work Day. Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) is joining other businesses across the city, state, and country in urging its students, faculty, and staff to ride their bikes to work that day.

Bike commuters to the campus will have free access to the shower facilities at Gates Sports Center that day, as well as light refreshments from 7 to 9 a.m. At noon, David Coar of Summit City Bikes will present a lecture on bike safety, basic bike repair, important tips for bicycle commuting, and more. The lecture will be held in Walb Student Union, Rooms 114-116, from noon to 1 p.m. It is free and open to the public.

Three local bike shops are offering discounts on service in preparation for Bike to Work Day. Customers must ask for the “Bike to Work Day” discount. Contact the following shops for further details:

· Summit City Bicycles and Fitness at 3801 Lima Road
· Bikes and Boards at 6648 St. Joe Road and at 5719 CoventryLane
· Fort Wayne Outfitters and Bike Depot at 1004 Cass Street

There's some stuff like this happening around Indy over the course of next week, too. We'll be posting it in the coming days, so keep an eye out (or an RSS feed, okay).