Confident City Cycling class

Do you mostly ride on greenways but would love to ride more on streets? Do you already ride on streets but aren't sure about where to position yourself at intersections? Would you like to learn some emergency maneuvers to help avoid crashes? This class can help with that...and more!

Confident City Cycling (aka Street Skills for Bicyclists)
Sat., June 14
8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Blount Mansion Visitor Center, 200 W Hill Ave (corner of Gay St and Hill)
$30 fee includes the League Guide to Safe and Enjoyable Cycling

Please spread the word to anyone you think would be interested. Pre-registration is required, and the sooner, the better! Registration form at www.knoxtrans.org

Also, remember the next Knoxville By Cycle bike ride is Sat., June 28th at 9 a.m.!

CNN.com looking for interesting commute stories

Do you fight your way through traffic each morning, even with gas prices surging to record levels? Do you bike to work, or use public transit? We want to see the sights and sounds of how you get to work. Document your daily travel schedule. (Drivers, please be careful not to distract yourself behind the wheel.) If you have a unique way of getting to work, please tell us about it. Send photos, video and audio to share the story of your commute.

http://www.ireport.com/ir-topic-stories.jspa?topicId=27556

Bicycle resolution passes in House

Last week, the House passed a non-binding resolution calling for a national bicycle strategy. The preamble includes this language:

"Whereas bicycle commuters annually save on average $1,825 in auto-related costs, reduce their carbon emissions by 128 pounds, conserve 145 gallons of gasoline, and avoid 50 hours of gridlock traffic;

SNIP

Whereas 57 million adults in the United States bicycle each year, and bicycling and walking currently account for nearly 10 percent of trips and 13 percent of traffic fatalities, yet less than 2 percent of Federal transportation safety funding is currently spent to make bicycling and walking safer; and

Whereas communities across the United States are seeking ways to reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality, increase the safety of their neighborhoods, and decrease petroleum dependence, bicycles offer a simple, healthy, energy-saving alternative to driving"

This resolution is mentioned in this blog entry:
http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/trains-buses-and-bikes-oh-my

CNN Video on Biking to Work

http://money.cnn.com/video/#/video/news/2008/05/16/news.chernoff.bike.work.cnnmoney

"small world" side note: I went to grad school with Paul White, one of the people interviewed for this!

Ride of Silence

On May 21, 2008, at 7:00 PM, the Ride of Silence™ will begin in North America and roll across the globe. Cyclists will take to the roads in a silent procession to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways. Although cyclists have a legal right to share the road with motorists, the motoring public often isn't aware of these rights, and sometimes not aware of the cyclists themselves.

The Ride Of Silence is a free ride that asks its cyclists to ride no faster than 12 mph and remain silent during the ride. There is no brochure, no sponsors, no registration fees and no t-shirt. The ride, which is held during Bike Safety month, aims to raise the awareness of motorists, police and city officials that cyclists have a legal right to the public roadways. The ride is also a chance to show respect for those who have been killed or injured.

For the Metro Knoxville area, cyclists will meet in Maryville at 6:45pm in the Blount County Courthouse parking lot. A few words will be said, then our ride will leave promptly at 7pm.
You can find a map and route details here: http://www.jeffrothcyclingfoundation.org/events/ROS.htm

Happy Bike to Work Day!

We had good turn-out this morning at Market Square for Bike to Work Day. About 30 people came through to claim their "thank you" treats for choosing to bike commute today. If you biked to work today but couldn't make it to the square this morning, just log your commute with Smart Trips http://www.knoxsmarttrips.org/enroll.htm#reporting by Monday morning and we will mail you your gift certificate for a free coffee and pastry at Trio Cafe or Starbucks in Bearden.

Once everyone has logged their commutes, I'll update this to include the total number of bike commuters for the day. Last year, we had about 140!

Happy biking!

Running errands faster by bicycle!

The bicyclists, Adam Dattilo and Katie Ries, finished the 3rd annual Pedal Vs Metal Race in record time. They completed the three errands in 17 minutes! The motorists, Public Health Officer Martha Buchanan and MPC Director Mark Donaldson, took nearly 40 minutes to run the same errands. All racers followed the rules of the road. Specators were able to keep track of the racers' locations via GPS units. It made waiting at the finish line a lot more exciting to know where the participants were during the race.

Thanks to Sprint and the University of Tennessee's Office of Information Technology for their assistance!

This event was part of Smart Trips Month. Remember that Bike to Work Day is next Friday, May 16th. More info on the event at http://www.knoxtrans.org/plans/bikeprog.htm

Photos not available yet, but check www.knoxsmarttrips.org soon.

Get Outdoors Bike Ride

This is the first of the Knoxville By Cycle summer series:

May 17, 10 a.m.Get Outdoors Bike RideIn conjunction with the Get Outdoors Festival at World’s Fair Park, this short bike ride will showcase the new Second Creek Greenway connection to Neyland Greenway and the new skatepark at Tyson Park. Thanks to KnoxRevolution for leading this ride! Meet at World’s Fair Park on the south end of the festival grounds.

Other rides are:
June 28, Blooms and Bikes
9 a.m. Meet at entrance to UT Gardens

July 12, East Side Story
9 a.m. Meet at Caswell Park (playground), 620 Winona St.

Aug 9, Scavenger Hunt
9 a.m. Meet at Market Square

Save the Date!
Sept 27, 8th annual Neighborhood Bike Ride, 10 a.m., Market Square

Helmets required. All ages and skill levels welcome. More information at www.knoxtrans.org or call 215-3815.

Bike to Work Day

May 16, 7:30 – 8:30 a.m.
Whether you’re already biking to work or just starting out, stop by Market Square or in front of Hodges Library at UT to accept a token of our appreciation. Bike commuters will receive a coupon for a free coffee and pastry, as well as a tire patch kit.

Guided Bike Commutes
Want to bike to work, but aren’t sure about the best route? Or would you just like some company along the way for a change? More and more people are choosing to bike instead of drive. Meet at one of these locations to join the movement (call 215-3815 for more info or to sign up):

· 7 a.m., North Knoxville to downtown and UT. Meet at Office Depot/Food City parking lot on Broadway, 4212 N Broadway.
· 7 a.m., East Knoxville to downtown and UT. Meet at Holston River Park, 3300 Holston Hills Road (top parking lot by pavilion).
· 7:15 a.m., Bearden to downtown and UT. Meet at Third Creek Greenway trailhead, 130 Forest Park Blvd (former Bi-Lo).
· 7:15 a.m., South Knoxville to downtown and UT. Meet at Food City parking lot, 4580 Chapman Highway.