Archive for June, 2012

As infrastructure improves, more Twin Cities women bike

Thursday, June 28th, 2012

In recent years, have you noticed not only more bicyclists, but also more female bicyclists rolling around the Twin Cities?

It’s not your imagination. According to multiple studies, the Twin Cities has one of the nation’s highest rates (if not the highest rate) of women bicyclists.

Depending on the data, between 37 percent and 45 percent of Twin Cities bicyclists are women – far and above the national average of 25 percent female bike ridership. Kudos, ladies!

Why should the Twin Cities, of all places, have so many women bicyclists?

One likely reason is an exceptionally strong system of Twin Cities colleges and universities – natural magnets for bike ridership – that boast increasingly high ratios of female students. For example, 52 percent of students at the University of Minnesota are female; at Augsburg College, women comprise more than 55 percent of students; even at the University of St. Thomas, which was all-male until 1977, 47 percent of students are female.

Yet perhaps the greatest boon to women bicycling is a significant recent increase in local bicycling infrastructure. Simply put: more and better bikeways result in more bicyclists – male and female.

With the addition of 37 miles of new bikeways in 2011, Minneapolis now has 167 miles of bikeways, including 80 miles of on-street bikeways. This bikeway bonanza is especially appealing to female bicyclists.

Research shows that on a high-traffic street with good bike lanes, bicyclists will still be mostly male. But, on streets with low traffic volume and bicycle features – such as bicycle boulevards – the ratio of women cyclists increases dramatically. As Minneapolis and surrounding communities have provided more options for riding apart from heavy traffic, more people are trying bicycling.

Researchers have found that women are barometers for perceptions of bike safety in a community. “If you want to know if an urban environment supports cycling…just measure the proportion of cyclists who are female,” said Jan Garrard, in a 2009 interview in Scientific American. Garrard is a senior lecturer at Deakin University in Australia and author of several studies on biking and gender differences.

As the article points out, women are more risk-averse than men, which in bicycling translates to increased demand for safer infrastructure. Additionally, because women predominantly do most of the child care and household shopping, bike routes need to be organized near practical urban destinations, such as schools, parks and shopping centers, to be practical and used.

Bicycle boulevards often are located on slower residential streets adjacent to more commercial, busy streets. For example, the Bryant Ave. bicycle boulevard in Minneapolis runs between Hennepin and Lyndale Aves. and the 5^th St. bicycle boulevard in Northeast Minneapolis runs parallel to University Ave. In Saint Paul, the Jefferson Ave. bicycle boulevard is between St. Clair and Randolph Aves.

Portland, vying with Minneapolis and a few other cities for the nation’s top bicycling city, recently rechristened its “bike boulevards” as “neighborhood greenways,” in the belief the new term would be more appealing to female bicyclists. Terms matter.

For female bicyclists, opportunities also matter, such as the chance to participate in female-oriented bike rides or learn about bike repair from other women. Co-ed bicycling groups and opportunities abound; the following are more specifically geared toward women:

• Grease Rag Ride and Wrench – offers female-oriented group rides, discussions, shop nights and educational seminars. One of the group’s most popular events is the Girls Gone Grumpy Ride, a casual bike ride for women in which any men attending are required to wear skirts or dresses.
• Babes in Bikeland – an annual  race and ride for women
• TC Ladies Trail Blazers – a meetup group for women interested in mountain biking through group and guided rides
• Wellstone Bike Club  – empowering East African women and girls in Minneapolis through bicycling

Many local bicycle shops, such as The Hub (named “most woman-friendly bike shop” by Minnesota Women’s Press magazine), Cycles for Change, and Recovery Bike Shop (to name a few), and local athletic clubs will also have information available on bicycling events and classes for women.

Just know that if you’re a woman and want to bike in the Twin Cities, you’ll have plenty of female company. Roll on!

Tags: 5th St. bike boulevard, Bryant Ave. Bike Boulevard, women bicycling, women bicycling in Minneapolis, women biking, women biking in Minneapolis
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Featured Bike Route: Bicycle lanes on Emerson and Fremont Avenues in North Minneapolis

Wednesday, June 27th, 2012

Last month, we featured the bicycle boulevards in Northeast Minneapolis along 5th Street and 22nd Avenue. Today, we take a look at the bicycle lanes that were unveiled along Emerson and Fremont Avenues in North Minneapolis last Fall.

Location/Description:

The Emerson and Fremont Ave. bicycle lanes are great north/south routes in north Minneapolis, providing access to nearby destinations on West Broadway and Lowry Avenues and (via connecting routes) to Theodore Wirth Park, the Mississippi River, and Target Field and the rest of downtown Minneapolis. Emerson Ave. runs north from 7^th St. and Plymouth Ave. to 33^rd Ave. Heading north on Emerson takes cyclists through North Minneapolis into the Jordan neighborhood. Head west on 33^rd Ave. and you’ll run into Fremont Ave. to head back south towards Plymouth Ave. Cyclists can also go west on 26^th Ave. off of Fremont Ave. to hop on the Theodore Wirth Parkway. There also are bike lanes on Lowry Avenue. And, cyclists can continue north on neighborhood streets to catch bike lanes on 42nd Ave. North and the Weber Parkway/Victory Memorial bike paths (part of the Grand Rounds). 

Route Amenities:

Dedicated bike lanes—among the first in North Minneapolis.

Buffer zones–You’ll also notice some stretches of this route that include “buffer zones”, which protect cyclists to traffic.

Bicycle detection stoplight—You’ll notice this stoplight at the corner of Emerson and Lowry.

Nice Ride Stations:

You’ll find a series of Nice Ride stations along this route (or very close to it): 

• Plymouth Ave. N. & Fremont Ave.
• Plymouth Ave. N. & N. Oliver Ave.
• Bryant Ave. N. & W. Broadway

Connections: 

• Go east on the Lowry Ave. bike lanes to catch the 2^nd St. North bike lanes near the Mississippi and the Lowry Bridge into Northeast (reopening in 2012) or west to the Victory Memorial bike path on the border with Robbinsdale. Don’t miss this bike/bus shelter at Lowry and Penn.
• Go west on 26^th Ave. from Fremont Ave. for access to the Theodore Wirth Parkway and all the trails and spaces of that wonderful park.

• Go east on 7^th St. from Plymouth Ave. for access to downtown Minneapolis. The 7^th St. route also connects to bike lanes on 10^th Ave. N. (toward the River) and Glenwood Ave., where better bike facilities are coming soon. Glenwood Ave. is also home to Milda’s Café (great for breakfast) and the Venture North Bike Walk Center (below).

• Bike lanes on Plymouth Ave. provide another east link to the Mississippi River (and over the Plymouth Ave. bridge into Northeast, when it is rebuilt) and west to Theodore Wirth.

Landmarks and notable businesses along routes (just to name a few):

• Cookie Cart (Emerson & Broadway Ave)
• West Broadway Farmer’s Market at Broadway & Bryant (Fridays from 3-7pm during summer)
• Minneapolis Public School Headquarters (West Broadway & Fremont)
• Shiloh Temple (West Broadway & Fremont)
• Parks—there are a number of parks within a few blocks of these routes including Fairview Park on 26^th, Jordan Park between 29^th and 30^th and the North Commons on 16^th
• Cub Foods—between 18^th and Broadway (great for those short grocery trips)
• North Regional Library (at the corner of Lowry & Fremont)
• Lowry Café, North End Hardware, Aldi Grocery, Doc’s Gym on Lowry Ave. at Penn Ave., about 10 blocks west of Emerson/Fremont bike lanes 
• University of Minnesota Urban Outreach & Research Center–UROC (about 6 blocks west of Fremont)
• Minneapolis Urban League (Plymouth & Penn Avenues)

Tags: buffered bike lanes in north Minneapolis, Minneapolis bicycle lanes, Minneapolis bike lanes, new bike routes in Minneapolis, north Minneapolis bicycle lanes, north Minneapolis bike lanes, Venture North Bike Walk & Coffee
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St. Paul Smart Trips’ Ride — Exploring the new Como Ave. bike lanes from St. Anthony Park to the Mill City Farmer’s Market

Monday, June 25th, 2012

There was a big turn out for a group ride on Saturday, June 23, to showcase new bike lanes along Como Avenue in Saint Paul and Minneapolis. The Como Ave. lanes provide a very good east-west route from the University of Minnesota campus to downtown Saint Paul (see Google map below for the exact route).

The ride is one of two meant to make cyclists familiar with how easy it is to get to popular destinations on a bike. This ride focused on the western end of Como Ave. The next ride, heading east to the Hmongtown Marketplace, will be on Saturday, August 4. Thanks to Mary Heer-Forsberg and Emma Pachuta from St. Paul Smart Trips for organizing the ride, and to Jason Tanzman, of Cycles for Change bike shop, who lead the ride.

Here’s a photo tour of the route and some of the stories gathered along the way. For one Saint Paul native, the ride provided a pleasurable first-time experience (read on to find out what and where). For others, it was a way to discover a new route across the cities, riding with friends old and new.

Gathering at Saint Anthony Park

Jason Tanzman, a League Certified Instructor of bicycle safety, gave the group some tips about how to check bikes before a ride—the ABC Quick Check—and to be safe on the ride to the Mill City Farmer’s Market, which is along the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, next to the Guthrie Theater.

 

Taking off

About 30 riders spooled out from the St. Anthony Park Library and headed west on Como Ave. In addition to the Library, the St. Anthony Park commercial district features several shops (including PeaPods and Micawber’s Bookstore), restaurants (Mufalettas and Colossal Cafe), and a Dunn Brothers Coffee Shop and Panera. The area of was full of bikes on a Saturday morning.

Everybody enjoyed riding down the hill next to the Luther Seminary, to the light at Highway 280, next to HealthPartners. There is a mid-block crosswalk at HealthPartners, a feature to make Como Ave. safer for people walking added with the same Bike Walk Twin Cities funding that brought the new bike lanes to this east-west route across the Cities.

West of Highway 280, Como Ave. is a nice, flat ride, passing by Weekes Lumber, a Nice Ride station at SE 29^th Ave, and Manning’s Cafe & Bar, a popular hangout for burgers and sports on TV since 1932.

 

Turning on SE 15^th Ave

The bike ride turned left onto 15^th. There are several businesses at 15^th and Como, including a hardware store, shops, restaurants, and Muddsuckers Coffee. There’s a Nice Ride station next to Van Cleve Park. The University of Minnesota intramural fields are also along 15^th.

 

Turning on SE 5^th Street Bicycle Boulevard at Dinkytown

Everybody on the group ride got to experience one of the unique bicycling lanes in the Twin Cities: the “contraflow” bike lane along a One-Way section of SE 5^th Street. In some European cities, it is legal for bikes to travel both ways on all one-way streets. But here in the Twin Cities, we have this one street, with the contraflow bike lane clearly marked with an orange stripe. Next up was the bike/ped bridge over 35W.

 

 

Over the Stone Arch Bridge

And then we took a left on SE 6^th Avenue and headed down to the Stone Arch Bridge over the Mississippi River. There we were literally stopped by the huge crowds participating in the Heart Beat 5000 run/walk sponsored by Children’s Hospitals of Minnesota. We walked our bikes through the throngs until we could pedal freely again.

As we walked over the bridge, one of the men on the ride, who grew up and lives in Saint Paul, said it was his first time on the Stone Arch Bridge. It was marvelous to hear that the bike ride included a cross-city first for him!

 

Destination Achieved!

 

It was a quick few blocks from the Stone Arch Bridge (left on West River Pkwy, right on Portland, left on S 2^nd Street) past the Mill City Museum to the organic and local Mill City Farmer’s Market.

Once at the Market, we discovered that one of our group managed to fit in a stop at a yard sale along the way, scoring a London Underground clock. There were bikes and riders of all description on the ride. Mark your calendar for August 4 and join the next one.

Tags: Como Ave bike lanes, Como Avenue bicycle lanes, Como Avenue bike lanes, Smart Trips, St Paul Smart Trips
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Attention Visitors and Locals: Go Short this Summer to Have a Great Time

Friday, June 22nd, 2012

Short is beautiful – especially when it comes to bicycling and walking in Minneapolis.

Minneapolis is becoming increasingly ideal for making short trips by bike or foot because so many great places are nearby – work, food trucks, restaurants, small shops, big box stores, museums, parks, music…you name it!

Think of how many places you go each week, and see how your travel patterns compare to national norms:

According to the League of American Bicyclists, in urban areas,

• 30 percent of all trips are 1 mile or less
• 44 percent are 2 miles or less
• 53 percent are 3 miles or less

Yet even with that destination proximity – the nearness of things – we still make most of our short trips by car: 60 percent of all trips of 1 mile or less are driven.

Here’s an idea: rather than driving to a destination of 1 mile or less, try bicycling or walking instead, even if it’s just once a week. Get a map, find your home, and draw a circle with a 1-mile radius from your home. Or if you’d like to try a handy and free online tool to see a 1-mile radius around your home, go to “Radius Around Point,” simply enter 1 mile, your home address, including city and state, and click “Draw Radius.”

You may be surprised how many of your regular destinations are a mile or less away. At a very easy pace, you can travel a mile by bicycle in about 7 minutes, or walk within about 20 minutes. Along the way, you’ll be able to enjoy the scenery, benefit your physical and mental health, and save costs by not driving! Health fact of the summer: If half of all short trips in the Twin Cities were done by bike during just the summer, 300 deaths and $57 million in medical costs would be averted annually, according to a 2011 study by University of Wisconsin researchers.

Notable Local Short Trip Destinations

So, where is good to go for short trips? Nice Ride Minnesota bike-sharing gives us a good picture. If you’d like to imagine yourself a tourist (or if you are a tourist), downtown Minneapolis is a great starting point for short-distance travel.

According to Ellen Apel, marketing manager for Nice Ride, the most popular Nice Ride station in the Twin Cites is in front of the IDS Center. 

Using the IDS Center as your hub, popular downtown destinations within 1 mile include:

• Target Field and Target Center
• Loring Park
• The Walker Art Center
• The Minneapolis Outdoor Sculpture Garden
• Minneapolis Central Library
• Nicollet Island
• Mill City Museum
• The Guthrie Theater
• Stone Arch Bridge
• St. Anthony Main

Expand your trip from the IDS Center to 2 miles (a 15-minute ride), and you’ll reach:

• The Minneapolis campus of the University of Minnesota
• The Northeast Minneapolis Arts District
• Uptown
• The Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Nice Ride has stations at or near all of these locations. For a listing of multiple Twin Cities bicycle tours, visit the Nice Ride tour library online.

How does Nice Ride work? While many readers may already be familiar with Nice Ride, here’s the skinny for those who are not: In exchange for a daily ($6), monthly ($30) or annual ($65) subscription (made via credit or debit card), you have access to more than 1,300 green bikes at 140+ stations in Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

The key thing to know about Nice Ride is that it’s based on short trips: plan to keep a Nice Ride bike for only 30 minutes at a time. Get a bike, ride to your destination station, and dock it. When you’re done with your lunch or meeting or seeing the museum or shopping, use your credit card to get another unlock code and take off for another 30 minutes.

If you want a longer ride, plan to exchange Nice Ride bikes every 30 minutes to avoid “trip fees.” Otherwise, you’ll pay $1.50 for the next 30 minutes after the free first half-hour, and a sharply increasing rate after that.

Another resource chock-full of potential short-distance destinations is the website of Meet Minneapolis, the city’s official convention & visitors association. Check out the site’s helpful Itinerary Creator; it’s filled with a multitude of destinations that can easily be reached by bike or on foot from downtown.

By bicycling or walking for short trips, instead of driving, you’ll enjoy firsthand the city’s amenities, likely boost your physical and mental health, and save on transportation costs. That way, you’ll have more to spend on yourself (and others) when you reach your destination!

Tags: bike Minneapolis, Biking Minneapolis, Meet Minneapolis, Nice Ride, Nice Ride Minnesota, Nice Ride MN, short bike trips, short bike trips Minneapolis, short trips via bike
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Biking by example

Thursday, June 21st, 2012

Joseph Bloedoorn isn’t just an avid bicyclist; he’s also a bike evangelist, sharing his passion for biking with everyone from middle school students in Northeast Minneapolis to members of a casual Saturday riding group that he started organizing eight years ago. In the post below, Joseph shares how he discovered his passion and how he’s leading by example – on two wheels. 

Joseph Bloedoorn

Age: 62

Neighborhood: Mac/Groveland
Occupation: Community & Family Liaison at Northeast Middle School (NEMS)

“I changed my relationship with my car to a relationship with my bicycle and now that’s what I use to get from point A to point B.” You said this in a conversation we had earlier this year. How did you become such a big a biking enthusiast?

I always liked riding a bike. My dad got me a very nice Raleigh 3-speed (classic English touring bike) when I was a teenager – you could really get around on something like that. I started experimenting with biking to work around 1999-2000. I was actually living in Saint Paul and working in Eden Prairie at the time, so the 20-plus mile commute was more something I did when I needed to get into the office over a weekend. In 2004, a friend and I started fiddling around with a sort of fitness group, starting with cross-country skiing, and when the weather turned, we turned to biking. He would bring a friend; I would bring one – we’d go back and forth and it grew.

You live in the Mac/Groveland area in Saint Paul but work in Northeast Minneapolis. What routes do you use to make that commute via bike?

My “standard” route is Prior north to Gilbert (runs only between Prior and Cleveland) west to Cleveland, across University, Charles west, Hampden north then west, Raymond north, Kasota west and north and continuing where it turns and becomes Elm – then it’s 18th, which becomes Stinson at Hennepin, St. Anthony Parkway to 29th, and in to Hayes & school. Coming home is more variable: I might cut through the U and get on Mississippi River Boulevard; if it’s later, I might cross back to West River Road and take 25th over to the Birchwood and meet my partner for dinner – it just depends. I only used a car to commute to work three times this past school year (and that goes back to when classes started last August). Commuters that ride in my Saturday group go anywhere from about 3 miles (6 miles round trip) to 17-plus miles (34-35 miles round trip, although that individual only has to work from his office 2-3 times/week). 

You’ve also mentioned that you make a lot of shorter trips by bike (5 miles or less). What kinds of shorter trips do you make and how has biking to these locations compared to making them by driving your car? 

The classics are Lunds in Highland Village on a weekend afternoon and Whole Foods at Fairview and Grand. Both can be super busy, and parking a car can be a real pain. But you can always find a place to lock your bike, and at Lunds, we have a spot for our tandem that nobody else ever uses. These are trips that are less than 5 miles round trip. Also, when it’s that short and parking is part of the issue, the time difference between riding and driving is quite small. 

For years, you’ve been organizing a regular Saturday ride with a group of folks ages 40-60, where you sometimes bike as far as 70 miles. How did that group come together and what’s kept it going? 

We’ve actually done “centuries” [riding 100 miles]– usually about one sometime during the warm-weather months. But it was two guys – in their fifties – deciding they needed to get in shape. Our first time out was in February, 2004 – so, our eighth anniversary was this winter. We were on cross-country skis. We lasted all of 20 minutes – I thought my friend was going to die of a heart attack (and I was going to die of one trying to resuscitate him). I think what’s kept it together is we always try and take some time aside for a social component: ride an hour or two or whatever, have a nice coffee break / second breakfast, ride home after. Every Saturday. Sometimes we do non-bike events where we just party together. We try and keep it fun:  no dress code, no secret handshake.

Northeast Middle School (NEMS), where you work, and Waite Park Elementary School were just awarded a fleet of 15 bikes to share through a grant from Safe Routes to School and MnDoT. Can you tell us about how you applied and won these bikes? What was the motivation? 

One of the motivating factors was (and remains) this obesity epidemic. The Washington Post recently published a piece based on recent Harvard and CDC data around obesity, diabetes, and CVD in young people. Twenty-five percent of U.S. teens are pre-diabetic or diabetic now.

How will the schools use the bikes in the years ahead? 

Next year we deploy the Florida State University-developed bike safety curriculum MnDOT supports here in our state. I have been to all-day trainings on this recently. I actually tried some of the bike handling exercises with a few of my kids before school let out. 

Aside from the grant for 15 bikes, how else have you encouraged students to bike?

Hopefully, just making sure they see my bike on the rack here every school day. Safe Routes gives me various incentives, and I try to tie these to biking or walking to school. I’m doing a second year of a math challenge, and this year it’s got a bike theme (the math is about biking to Tierra del Fuego from Alaska). 

In April, you biked with a group of students from NEMS to the Mall of America Field for an event hosted by Fuel Up To Play 60, a program that encourages kids to get active and make healthy food choices. How was that decision made?

I was asked to chaperone some NEMS students because no other staff could get away for the event. Then I found out from our principal, Padmini Udupa, there was no money for transportation (it was not in the budget). We had just gotten our bike fleet, and it was a small number of students – five eighth-grade boys I think.  I just said we could ride it; I knew a route that would work, was safe, etc. It’s also the case that we probably could have gotten the money for cab fare from our Family Involvement Group, but getting there under our own power seemed more in keeping with the Fuel Up To Play 60 mission.

What feedback have you heard from kids on the bike activities?

Originally, our little after-school bike club – the Beacons Bikesters – was just going to meet Thursdays. We added Tuesdays by popular demand, and we extended the sessions beyond the end of May. I think if we had had time to explain the “program” to parents in more detail, we would have had quickly run out of bikes – as it sits, I think we’ve had six or seven kids out at a time (so far). I think in the fall it will be a bigger deal – more staff involvement will translate into more students, more students will translate into even more students, and there you go. Kids recruit their friends; we’ve already seen some of that.

What’s your advice to other schools who would like to facilitate bike programs for students?

• Make sure there’s support from building leadership.
• It helps to have the appropriate district entities (legal, health/nursing, physical education, community education, etc.) aware and on board.
• It helps to have bikes.
• It helps to remember that the risks of biking are nothing in comparison with the risks of obesity (which include hypertension, CVD (cardio-vascular disease), and Type II diabetes). Plus exercise is good for your brain.
• Recruit staff, parents, and adult volunteers to help. Even kids with a bike passion from the closest high school have shown interest in riding with my kids.
• Be conservative. If you are an experienced adult rider, you may be in for a rude shock when you find out what capabilities your kids have – or don’t have.
• Try and do as much teaching as possible with kids while they’re on bikes. It’s tough on a kid to think she’s in a bike club or activity and have to sit around and listen to a bunch of lectures.
• Think of helping kids form the sorts of habits they will need to ride independently, even if that’s a few years away yet.
• Bill Nye the Science Guy did at least one bit on bike safety, and it’s very kid-friendly (at least middle school-friendly, in my opinion). If you can hit that sort of a note — a balance between manic passion for biking and a genuine obsession with keeping kids safe while still having fun – that feels like it would be about the right note (and yes, it’s easy to say, not so easy to do).

Tags: bicycling Northeast Minneapolis, biking Northeast Minneapolis, Joe Bloedoorn, NEMS, Northeast Middle School
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Events galore at Bike Walk Week

Tuesday, June 5th, 2012

Considering we’ve had one of the warmest springs in recent local memory, it’s not as if we need another reason to get outdoors. Yet another reason arrives in the form of Bike Walk Week, the Twin Cities’ annual cavalcade of events and activities promoting bicycling and walking. From June 2–10, nearly two dozen formal Bike Walk Week events promise to please everyone from staunch activity enthusiasts to couch potato graduates. The main point of Bike Walk Week is simply to encourage Twin Cities residents to bike or walk, rather than drive, for at least one trip during the event’s week. In 2011, nearly 10,000 Twin Cities residents participated in Bike Walk Week, by bicycling or walking to work, school, for errands or fun. Given a significant increase in local bicycling and walking, Bike Walk Week organizers expect even greater turnout this year. A complete list of events can be found on the Bike Walk Week web site. There, you can also register to earn special Bike Walk Week prizes, including those awarded through Metro Transit’s Commuter Challenge. Highlight events of 2012 Bike Walk Week include the following: Saturday, June 2 Northeast Ride, 10 a.m., meet at the Northeast Armory, across from Beltrami Park. The Northeast Ride will take cyclists on a tour of Northeast Minneapolis, through the arts district, and past the great Northeast creative buildings and historical landmarks like the Casket Arts Building and the Grain Belt Brewery. The approximately 12-mile route also includes a stop at the Johnstock Festival, with over 50 arts/crafts vendors. Cost is $25, supporting the Northeast CDC and economic development in Northeast Minneapolis. For more information, visit northeastride.org. Bike Walk Move Jingle Contest Concert, 6–8 p.m., Ritz Theater, 345 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis. If you love music, and bicycling and walking, don’t miss the finals of the Bike Walk Move Jingle Contest, with performers playing their own songs promoting bicycling and walking. The winning song will be featured this summer on Cities 97! Free admission. For more information, go to bikewalkmove.org/contest (Note: Learn more about the winning performers here). Wednesday, June 6 Women’s Wednesday Bike Ride, 5:30–7:30 p.m., Downtown Minneapolis YWCA, 1130 Nicollet Mall. Bring your bike and helmet for a leisurely ride around downtown Minneapolis, off-street trails and on-street bikeways. Sponsored by the Minneapolis Bike Walk Ambassadors, the goal of this ride is to help women build their confidence when bicycling. The first 15 women who attend will receive a free bike tool or accessory. Note: there is also a “get ready” clinic on Wednesday, May 30th from 5:30 p.m.–7 p.m., at the Downtown Minneapolis YWCA, covering ‘Need to Know’ information for riding comfortably, basic bicycle maintenance and trip planning. Not required, but encouraged!  Thursday, June 7 Bike Walk to Work Day Celebrations: Minneapolis: Nicollet Mall in front of the Central Library, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The capstone event will be the national unveiling of the new “Forever” bicycling stamp from the U.S. Postal Service. In St. Paul, join St. Paul Smart Trips and its partners in a celebration that includes free breakfast snacks and coffee, and entertainment by the Twin Cities Unicycle Club. Celebration events also are happening in Anoka and Bloomington.  Saturday, June 9 Midtown Greenway Coalition’s Greenway Glow, 9 p.m. to midnight, Midtown Freewheel Bike Center – If you love the Midtown Greenway, art and things that glow in the dark, the Greenway Glow is for you! In this illuminated biking extravaganza, bicyclists will briefly tour Northern Spark art installations along the Greenway, enjoy food from Bryant Lake Bowl and beverages from New Belgium Brewing Co., and a post-ride party at Intermedia Arts. Registration is $30 per person. To learn more, go to midtowngreenway.org. Sunday, June 10 Open Streets Event, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Lyndale Ave S from 22nd St to 42nd St. Back by popular demand, Open Streets — organized by the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition — provides a traffic-free street for six hours along a 20-block stretch of Lyndale Ave.  Bike to the Ballpark Day, 1 p.m., St. Paul Saints, Midway Stadium, 1771 Energy Park Drive, St. Paul. Bike to a St. Paul Saints game and earn a prize! For more information, go to saintsbaseball.com. (Excerpted from original article published in the Southwest Journal. Reprinted with permission from Minnesota Premier Publications).

Tags: Bike Walk Week, Minnesota Bike Walk Week, Twin Cities Bike Walk Week
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Congrats to Bike Walk Move Jingle Contest Winners

Monday, June 4th, 2012

The Bike Walk Jingle Contest drew to a close Saturday with a showcase of the top five finalists at Ritz Theater, where the winners of the contest were announced at the end of the night. Finalists Luke Warm and the Cool Hands, Audra Tracy, The Jing Jings!, Glen Everhart and Michael Loonan each played a 15-minute set, including their Bike Walk Move jingles, and shared their stories of biking and walking.

For example, Luke Warm and the Cool Hands rode their bicycles to the Ritz Theater from Saint Louis Park. Audra Tracy rides daily, averaging 25 miles each morning. And Glen Everhart shares a car with his 16-year-old son and each year sets a goal of riding 3,000 miles! 

At the end of the showcase, emcee Michael Rainville, partnership marketing manager for Meet Minneapolis, brought Hilary Reeves of Bike Walk Twin Cities on stage to announce the winner of the contest. After much debate, the judges decided on a tie between Luke Warm and the Cool Hands and Glen Everhart! See both performances here:

The jug band and the interactive musician/comedian will both have their jingles played on Cities 97 and other stations this summer and will split the prizes:

• Studio recording time from The Art Institutes International (Luke Warm and the Cool Hands)
• $500 gift card to Music Connection (shared)
• A new Sun Revolutions CB-26 bicycle from Behind Bars Bicycle Shop (Glen Everhart)

Congratulations to the winners, and a big thanks to everyone who entered the contest!

 

Winner Luke Warm and the Cool Hands

Winner Glen Everhart

Finalist Audra Tracy

Finalist The Jing Jings!

Finalist Michael Loonan

Hilary Reeves announcing the winners

 

Tags: audra tracy, bicycle, Bike Walk Move, contest, glen everhart, jingle, luke warm and the cool hands, michael loonan, michael rainville, minneapolis, ritz theater, the jing jings, Transit for Livable Communities
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