Tomorrow is PARK(ing) Day!

Tomorrow, September 21, people around the world will be transforming street parking spaces into mini-parks and public space.  Yes, it’s the return of International PARK(ing) Day!

PARK(ing) Day Tacoma - Downtown on the Go

PARK(ing) Day began in 2005 when Rebar, an art and design studio, converted a single metered parking space in downtown San Francisco into a temporary public park for two hours—the allotted time on the parking meter.  A photo of the temporary on-street park circulated on the internet and PARK(ing) Day was born!

Last year, metered parking spots in 162 cities in 35 countries were transformed into 975 temporary parks.  People were invited to use their streets in a fun and different way, and the public was encouraged to rethink the value of a metered parking space as public space.

If you live in Tacoma, check this map to find out where the dozen plus PARK(ing) Day mini-parks will be in your community.  They even suggest a PARK(ing) Day walk route for you!  Downtown on the Go and a host of others are the organizers for this year's events.

Seattle also has a dozen plus spots reserved tomorrow.  Here’s the map for Seattle’s PARK(ing) Day sites.  The Bicycle Alliance is co-hosting a Summer Lawn Party PARK(ing) Day site in Pioneer Square.  Drop by for some games, hang out in the lawn chairs, watch members of The Guardians put on a bike polo demonstration, and more!

Stand up for Tacoma's Progress to Grow Biking and Walking

Do you envision Tacoma as a vibrant and active community with bikeways, neighborhood sidewalks, trails and streets designed with all users in mind?  Do you envision a community that encourages its citizens to lead healthy and active lives by implementing its Mobility Master Plan, supporting Safe Routes to School, and making it possible for more people to safely bike and walk around town?

If you answered YES, then the City of Tacoma needs to hear from you now!

The City of Tacoma is holding a series of Community Budget Input Meetings in preparation for the 2013-2014 biennial budget.  Citizen input will help determine how General Fund dollars will be spent and what choices the City makes as it faces a projected budget gap of $60-65 million.

Over the past few years Tacoma has taken some great strides with the development of its award winning Mobility Master Plan.  This year the League of American Bicyclists rewarded Tacoma for its impressive work with a a Bronze level Bicycle-Friendly Community designation.  

City officials need to hear from you that it’s important to build on its good work to create safer streets for walking and biking. 

Please attend one of the following meetings to make your voice heard:

• June 27 – 5:30 p.m. at the Wheelock Library, 3722 N. 26th St.
• June 28 – 6 p.m. at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 6730 N. 17th St.
• July 9 – 6 p.m. at the Boys & Girls Club, 3875 S. 66th St., Community Room
• July 11 – 6 p.m. at the Moore Library, 215 S. 56th St.
• July 12 – 6 p.m. at the Center at Norpoint, 4818 Nassau Ave.
• July 16 – 6 p.m. at the Snake Lake Nature Center, 1919 S. Tyler St.
• July 18 – 6 p.m. at Stadium High School, 111 N. E St.
• July 19 – 6 p.m. at Lincoln High School, 701 S. 37th St.
• July 23 – 6 p.m. at Baker Middle School, 8320 S. I St.

If you cannot attend a meeting, submit written comments via the following link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/City_of_Tacoma_City_Services_Questionnaire_2012

Thanks for your good work in growing biking and walking in Tacoma!

Tacoma, Snohomish join the ranks of Bicycle Friendly Communities

The League of American Bicyclists (LAB) announced its 2012 round of new and renewing Bicycle Friendly Communities and the Washington communities of Tacoma and Snohomish joined the ranks at the bronze level.  Port Townsend improved its ranking from bronze to silver and Vancouver retained its bronze status.

Washington is currently ranked as the most Bicycle Friendly State by LAB’s Bicycle Friendly America program.  Ten of our communities are now ranked as Bicycle Friendly Communities with Seattle holding the only gold award.  Seventeen state businesses have earned a Bicycle Friendly Business designation and the University of Washington holds a silver ranking as a Bicycle Friendly University.  

The Bicycle Friendly America program provides incentives, hands-on assistance, and award recognition for communities, universities and businesses that actively support bicycling, and ranks states annually based on their level of bike-friendliness. Learn more about it here.

These April rides support a bicycle friendly Washington

Photo by Carla Gramlich

Spring has sprung and flowers are emerging from the earth in showy colors.  Why not enjoy the arrival of spring flowers with a couple of bike rides that celebrate daffodils and lilacs?

The 37^th Annual Daffodil Classic, organized by the Tacoma Wheelmen Bicycle Club, is on April 15 and over 200 riders are registered so far.  This ride winds its way through the beautiful Orting valley and surrounding hills.  There are four routes to choose from—enough to please families, recreational riders, and serious roadies.  And there’s strawberry shortcake waiting for you at the finish line!

Inland Northwest cyclists welcome spring with the Lilac Century & Family Fun Ride on April 29.  Organized by the Spokane Aurora Northwest Rotary Club, this 19-year ride offers a variety of fun, scenic and challenging tours for every level of rider.  There is also a tri-athlete’s bike/run “brick” option.  All participants can partake in the baked-potato feed at the finish.

The Daffodil and Lilac rides are not only great early season biking opportunities, they also support statewide bicycle safety education, Safe Routes to School programming, and complete streets efforts with a contribution to the Bicycle Alliance of Washington.  We all benefit when you sign up for these rides!

Over twenty event rides support our mission to grow bicycling statewide.  Check our Ride Calendar for other upcoming rides.

Pierce County Trails Conference

Do you live in Tacoma and wish you could ride your bike on a trail to Eatonville?  Perhaps you’re a Puyallup resident dreaming of the day that the Foothills Trail extends to Tacoma.  Maybe you live in Graham and your kids need a safe biking route to school and to the Foothills Trail.

The Forever GreenCouncil shares your vision of a trail network in Pierce County and they are holding their annual trails conference and dinner next week.  Trails and pathways don’t happen overnight and it often takes the work of many committed individuals to get these facilities off the drawing board and onto the ground.  Maybe it’s time for you to get involved in your local trails movement.  Details of the conference can be found here and I’ll be there as a speaker and supporter.

Going by Bike in Tacoma

Today's guest blogger is Tacoma resident Carla Gramlich. Now that she is newly retired, she has more time for biking, photography, traveling, and guest blogging.  All photos by the author.

Since I am going to be out of town for almost a month, I decided to stay closer to town this last weekend.  There were some fun things to do in Tacoma and I was free to participate.  First up, was a Community Garden Bicycle Tour which met up at the Franklin Park Community Garden.  I noticed right away a different dynamic for this group ride--I was the oldest rider!  But that didn’t seem to matter to the rest of the riders and we went off to check out some Community Gardens.

The first garden was built on an old substation lot.  The fencing was recycled and was tall enough to keep out the deer that has been known to appear in this area.  It was a beautiful garden complete with a gazebo on a cement pad that was also a leftover from its former substation days.  A lovely sign over the gate was a welcome addition.

The second garden of the tour was the Orchard and Vine Community Garden and neighbors were having a bake sale to raise funds for the garden.  We were informed that the lot was vacant and unsightly before the transformation with raised boxes of fruits, vegetables and flowers.

We completed our tour with at the Baltimore Retirement Center.  This small garden included raised planting beds that were ADA accessible and volunteers that were excited to shows us art projects that were created by the seniors.  The ride ended up at the Proctor Farmers Market were I enjoyed lunch while listening to a jazz trio.

From the Farmer’s Market, I pedaled to the grand opening of the Tacoma Co-op.  It has taken lots of volunteer and recruiting many members to make this happen but it has finally opened.  It was interesting to hear about all the products that came from the Northwest and many that were from Tacoma.  The central location of the Co-op is a plus for bicyclists or those who prefer transit.  The City is helping with more bicycle parking and I parked at one of the newly installed bike racks.

I completed some errands, visited with some friends and had dinner at the Hub, a local bicycle hangout.  My grand total for mileage was 22 and I enjoyed riding with new and old friends on such a lovely day in Tacoma. 

Bike Cage Opens in Tacoma

Photo: Downtown on the Go

Bike commuting to downtown Tacoma just got a little easier with the opening of the Park Plaza North bike cage. You’ll find it on the fifth floor of the garage, directly across from the skybridge to Broadway.

The bike cage offers secure, 24/7 bike parking for folks who bike to work in downtown Tacoma. The cage, which comfortably accommodates a dozen bikes, is accessed with a security code. You provide your own bike lock. There’s a nominal fee to use the bike cage--$8 per quarter or $25 per year.

Ready to sign up? Just download the agreement from Downtown on the Go website, sign it, and return it with your payment. You’ll receive a personal security code to access the bike cage. Start parking!

There’s a grand opening ceremony for the Bike Cage this Wednesday, August 31 from 8-8:30am.  A second bike cage is in the works at Pacific Plaza.

Coming to a City Near You: Car-free summer events

What happens when you take cars off the streets for awhile?  Folks come out to bike, walk, skate and socialize with each other!

Ciclovia (Spanish for bike path) refers to events that temporarily close streets to vehicle traffic, turning them into public space for people.  Bogota, Columbia, the city that pioneered the Ciclovia movement, has closed streets to cars every Sunday since 1976.  People of all ages and classes pour into the streets to do everything except drive.  Watch a video on Ciclovia in Bogota.

Ciclovia style events are appearing in US cities, including communities in Washington.  Seattle Summer Streets are car-free events scheduled in four different neighborhoods.  The city also closes a portion of Lake Washington Boulevard to vehicles most Sundays between May 1 and September 25 for Bicycle Sunday.

Spokane is bringing its SummerParkways to three neighborhoods, one of which will be an evening event.  Four miles of roadway will be closed and citizens are encouraged to come out for fun and physical activity.

Although Vancouver does not organize a car-free event, folks can head across the Columbia River and experience Portland’s Sunday Parkways.  Five parkway events are planned in different neighborhoods throughout the summer.

Folks in Tacoma can have a car-free experience every weekend. Five Mile Drive in Point Defiance Park is closed to vehicular traffic every Saturday and Sunday morning until 1PM.  Details are here.

Did I overlook a ciclovia event in your community?  Please share the details with us.

Should the Ride of Silence be silent?

It began in 2003 as a bike ride in Dallas to remember a cyclist who was hit by a mirror on a passing school bus and killed.  Today it has evolved into an international event, with 250 rides scheduled in nearly 20 countries.

The Ride of Silence was created to remember cyclists who have been killed or injured on our roadways, to raise public awareness that bikes belong on our roads, and to encourage everyone to share the road.  This year's ride occurs on May 18 and five Washington communities are hosting Rides of Silence:  Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver and Wenatchee.  Ride details can be found on the ROS website.

Thousands of bicyclists are drawn to this somber ride because they know someone who has been killed or injured on our public roads, or they themselves have been injured by a vehicle collision.  I have ridden several Rides of of Silence--to remember friends who were killed and to remember my own collision with a vehicle.  It can be an emotional experience. You can view a video of a past Ride of Silence in Seattle.

In spite of its popularity, not all cyclists are comfortable with the Ride of Silence.  Some believe that it places too much emphasis on the dangers of riding a bike.  Others don't like the fact that participants are supposed to ride in silence--how can you educate curious onlookers and passing motorists why you're doing the ride if you must be silent?  (If you watch the video of the Seattle ride, you'll see one of the riders speak to a pedestrian--no doubt explaining what the Ride of Silence is.)

Some Ride of Silence organizers have chosen trails and residential streets as their ride routes.  Again, this seems to undermine the visibility and public awareness potential of the ride.  It also doesn't speak to the bicyclists' right to use public roads.

Have you ridden in a Ride of Silence?  How do you feel about this event?

May is Bike Month

One of these days the rain will stop, the sun will come out and it will be May. And there will be a bunch of events going on around Washington State to celebrate the bicycle and the bicycle commuter. This post will highlight Bike Month events, stay tuned for a Bike to Work Day (and week) posts as well.

Bicycle Commuters in Whatcom County can form a team of 4-6 people and participate in the Team-Up for everybodyBIKE month long challenge. Team captains that register by April 29th
will get a free limited edition "I Bike B'Ham" t-shirt. Check out their website to register.

Cyclists in Seattle-King County can participate in the Group Health Commute Challenge. Form a team of 4-10 riders and bike at least 5 days in May. Register your team (or go solo) on their website.


Tacoma-Peirce County is also hosting a commuter challenge sponsored by REI. Form a team, bike at least five days and you're entered into their prize drawing! Register Here. Thurston County has held a Bicycle Commuter Contest since 1988! Way to go!
Intercity Transit’s Bicycle Commuter Contest (BCC) rewards participants with prizes, valuable coupons, and recognition for their accomplishments. Register here.

That's all the Bike Month Challenges I know about. Does your community have something going on? If so, let us know so we can post it on the Bicycle Alliance website. Like I said above, stay tuned for more posts on Bike Week and Bike to Work Day.

Until then, ride safe and let's hope for some sun!

Check the current listing we have for Bike to Work activities.

April showers bring the Daffodil Classic

flickr/Mr Ush

It's spring, we're on daylight savings time, and you're probably itching to ride your bike more. How about signing up for the Daffodil Classic on April 10?


Organized by the Tacoma Wheelmen's Bicycle Club, the Daffodil Classic winds through the scenic Orting Valley and surrounding countryside and offers route options of 40, 60, and 100 miles. There is also a family fun ride. And did I mention that they serve up strawberry shortcake at the end of the ride?

The Daffodil Classic is one of many event bicycle rides that support the Bicycle Alliance of Washington's advocacy and education efforts with a per rider contribution. Check our Rides calendar for a complete listing.

Drive Nice, Tacoma

A catchy public awareness campaign is reminding Tacoma motorists to share the road with bicyclists, pedestrians, and each other.  The Drive Nice, Tacoma campaign is a joint effort by the City of Tacoma and Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department and is funded through a grant from Washington State Department of Health.

The campaign features yellow and black signs that caution motorists with messages like "Pedestrians are not hood ornaments."  In addition to the signs, which are popping up around town, postcards and bumper stickers with safety tips will soon be available.  A News Tribune article includes images of three campaign signs.

Bicycle Rodeo: All Fun and Games

On October 20, Dave Janis and Katie Ferguson worked with the Liberty Ridge Elementary School in Bonney Lake to help run a bike rodeo for their Walk-Bike to School Day. Engaged parents volunteered, and additional help came from the Tacoma Wheelmen, the Bonney Lake Bicycle Shop, East Pierce Fire & Rescue. Cascade Bicycle Club generously let us borrow one of their excellent bike rodeo kits.

The kids started with a helmet check and a bike check, to make sure they were safe on the course.

East Pierce Fire & Rescue's Dina Sutherland checks helmets.

Bonney Lake Bicycle Shop's Jim Stevenson checks a bike.

Parent Paul helps a participant adjust his seat.

Once checked, the kids went to Station 1, where they practiced starting and stopping. Just out of the picture, a parent helper held a stop sign.

Tacoma Wheelmen president Tom Reardon directs rodeo participants.

Then on to Station 2, where participants practiced riding in a circle and looking over their shoulders -- what we grownups call "scanning."

Volunteer Louie Boitano helps run Station 2.

At Station 3, the bicyclists learned how to dodge objects in the road with the guidance of volunteer Peggy Fjetland.

Peggy and participant at Station 3.

Once they mastered dodging, the students learned how to steer by leaning. They practiced with the bike slalom.

Volunteer Pam Knight directs a participant at the slalom.

Finally, the participants practiced leaving a driveway. Many car-bike collisions can be prevented by teaching kids to stop and look before leaving a driveway.

Dave Janis monitors a student exiting the practice driveway.

In the final tally, over a dozen adult volunteers made it possible for 110 future bicyclists to dip their toes into the world of safe bicycling -- and had fun doing it. Reaching young bicyclists with bike education is a cornerstone of improving bike-motorist interactions. Thank you to everybody who made the event possible.

Rhapsodizing on RAPSody Bike Ride

We Northwesterners live in a beautiful place. I am reminded of that each time I get to enjoy views of the Puget Sound, of the Cascades and of the Olympic Mountains from the seat of a bicycle. Of course, you can see the scenery from a car, too, but on a bike you can smell the salt and the trees, live the shape of the landscape in its hills and see at a pace that lets you notice the smaller things as well as the big - the herons, the slack of the tide on the shore, the ripened blackberries within arms reach.

Enjoying the Puget Sound by bicycle is what RAPSody is all about. For seven years five bicycle clubs have organized the Ride Around Puget Sound with 100% of proceeds going to the Bicycle Alliance of Washington. RAPSody is Aug. 28-29 this year. We call it a ride “by cyclists, for cyclists.” Our priorities have always been a great route supported by great food stops. With 170 miles of rolling hills, RAPSody is not easy, but it is relaxed and friendly enough for most anyone to complete with a smile on their face. .

To fuel your ride, you get homemade cookies (thanks to West Sound Cycling Club), hot calzones (served by BIKES Club of Snohomish County ), yogurt and granola parfaits (Capital Bicycling Club ), sandwich wraps in the shade of an old McDonalds’ playground character (Cyclists of Greater Seattle) and ice cream and cow bells for your finish (Tacoma Wheelmen Bicycle Club).

A couple timely notes. First, the deadline to order a RAPSody jersey designed by Tacoma Wheelmen artist Steve Lay is June 30. Take a look at this year’s heron theme and you’ll see why his jerseys always sell out.

The early registration deadline for RAPSody is July 27. You’ll save $15 and help the organizers plan. This is the kind of event you CANNOT register for on the day of the ride, so do commit by Aug. 13. You also save $10 if you are a member of or join the Bicycle Alliance.

Finally, a request for help: We are looking for a fun, oldies rock band to play at Shelton High School during dinner Saturday night. We do have a budget to pay a stipend - and the rewards of getting tired cyclists to get up and dance are priceless. If you know of a local band that might be interested, please email info@rapsodybikeride.com.