As the cooler weather comes, bicycle events begin to slow down. But that doesn’t mean the end to bicycle celebrations. Bike Prom is coming, as is round two of Bikes ‘N Ales for 2015. Also, it’s that time of year when the city is looking for citizens who are interested in joining a board or commission. This is a great way to “give the city a piece of your mind.” There’s also one new survey that’s worth running through. It’s not specifically bicycle related, but it could have bicycle-related ramifications… depending how it shakes out.
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Local News – Events – Bike News and Views
Surveys
I attended an Old Town Neighborhoods Plan meeting this week and as we looked at the transportation data that was collected in a recent survey, it was clear that bicyclist had made a very strong showing. Thank you to everyone that took that survey! The results (pdf) are available online if you’d like to take a look.
There’s also a new survey by the city that has just popped up this week. There’s some thought to creating neighborhood groups that would be able to give feedback to city council regarding specific neighborhood issues. They’re not quite sure what that’s going to look like yet, which is why they’ve posted this survey. Give it a run through and let the city know what you think: Engagement Study Project.
Boards and Commissions Opportunities
There’s still a couple of weeks to submit an application to be on one of Fort Collins’ many boards and commissions. The Transportation Board has three members reaching the end of their term. (Unfortunately the website doesn’t indicate if this is the end of their first or second term. If it’s the end of their first, they’ll likely be re-upped. But if this board is something you’d be interested in, it’s always worth filling out an application and going through the interview. Even if they don’t choose you this time around, your application will remain on file in case one of the members steps down in the coming year.) The Air Quality Advisory Board also deals with some transportation related issues. (As does the Planning and Zoning board.) So if you have interests in other areas and alternative transportation issues might overlap into that area, I’d encourage you to consider applying for a position on that board or commission.
Also, all of the meetings held by any board or commission is open to the public. I’ve attended a couple Transportation Board meetings and learned quite a lot by doing so. You can find out when and where meetings are being held on the respective board or commission webpages. (Directory.)
– October –
Bike Prom – October 17, 8pm – 1am at the Downtown Artery.
Tickets are $15 and include one raffle ticket for an, as yet undisclosed, prize. Bike Fort Collins members can get into the prom for free! But they won’t receive a raffle ticket (unless they buy one). Not a member yet? Become one now!
There are some pre-sale tickets available at the FC Bike Library Hub, Brave New Wheel, and Downtown Artery and online. Tickets will also be available at the door on Oct. 17th.
All of the proceeds from Bike Prom go right back to the Fort Collins Bike Library.
Rat Ride – Saturday, October 17, 2pm. Meet at Drake Cyclery.
The winter RAT Ride schedule starts in October, which means switching from Thursday night rides to Saturday afternoons. The goal is to try out one of the low stress bicycle transportation networks as they’re presented in the Fort Collins bike map that came out this year. Meet at the Drake Cyclery at 2:00pm on Saturday. It’s located in a small shopping center at the corner of Drake and Taft Hill. Anyone is invited to join these rides. The goal is to evaluate infrastructure and get to know each other while doing it. The rides tend to be slow with lots of stop for discussion, plus a stop at the end to make notes that will be sent to City/County staff. So the ride generally works well for people of all ability levels. RAT Rides are hosted by the Bike Fort Collins advocacy committee.
– November –
Northern Colorado Bike & Walk Conference – Thursday, November 5, 7:30am – 4:35pm, Student Center, UNC Campus, Greeley
Presented by NoCo Bike & Ped Collaborative: Join us and national expert, Mark Fenton, to learn how biking and walking can affect economy, health, transportation and much more. For more information and to register visit:cpra-web.org/event/NOCOBikeWalkConference
Bikes ‘N Ales – November 6-8. Four brewery locations.
Bikes ‘N Ales is a chance to pedal around town, sampling local brews. It’s a great way to try a brewery that you haven’t made it into before. For $20, you’ll receive a pint glass & 3 tokens, good for one beer each. Or, if you already have a pint glass, you can pick up just the tokens for $15. Bike Fort Collins members receive 4 tokens for the same price. (Become a Bike Fort Collins member today! They’re our primary bicycling advocacy group in town.) Brewers that have signed up so far include Coopersmith’s and the Downtown Artery. Get updates on Bikes ‘N Ales through the event page on Facebook.
Smart Cycling Class – November 14, 8:30am – 4pm.
Smart Cycling (formerly Traffic Skills 101) is a course that the city hosts for beginners, returning and seasoned cyclists alike that will give you the confidence to ride safely and legally in traffic or on the trail. You will learn how to conduct bicycle safety checks, the rules of the road as they relate to cycling, on-bike skills and crash avoidance techniques. We recommended this class for adults and youth above age 14. Participants should be prepared to ride their bicycle as there is a riding portion to this class. A helmet and bicycle in good working condition are required. A water bottle is recommended. Registration required through the Recreator or by calling the Recreator registration desk at (970) 221-6256.
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– Bike News and Views –
“Sprawl Costs the U.S. $1 Trillion Annually,” by Liz Camuti, in The Dirt. (September 22, 2015). “Not only does sprawl increase the distance between people’s homes and jobs, a new study by the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate found that it also costs the American economy more than $1 trillion annually.”
“Cars are killing us – so how can we wean ourselves off them?, by Alexandros Nikitas, in City Metric. (September 23, 2015). “Road traffic accidents are the number one cause of death among 15 to 29-year-olds. If no action is taken, it is predicted that road traffic will kill as many as 1.9m people worldwide per year by 2030. Add to this the negative impacts of greenhouse gas emissions, air and noise pollution, chronic diseases such as heart disease or diabetes and rising levels of obesity, and a future full of cars looks bleak indeed.”
“Coronado Puts The Brakes On All Future Bike Lanes After Resident Complaints“, by Claire Trageser, on KPBS. (September 23, 2015) And here’s one that’ll give you a chuckle. Residents in the city of Coronado don’t like how the bike lanes look. You’ve got to watch the video to believe it. It’s worthy of The Onion.