Mayor's Bike Ride - May 11, 2012

Join the Mayors of Omaha, Bellevue, and Council Bluffs in a ride to promote commuter cycling in the metro area.

The Annual Ride to Work with the Mayor will celebrate May as NATIONAL BIKE MONTH!! 

Meet on Friday, May 11 at 8:00 AM at the Bob Kerrey Bridge. Presentations begin at 8:30 AM and Bike Rides with the Mayors begin at 9:00 AM.

Share this with your friends and co-workers.

GO OMAHA!

Looks like Omaha is MOVING in the right direction.

Raise your hand if you'll be bike commuting this winter!

Will you be biking to work this winter?  If so, Activate Omaha needs YOU!

We're coming off the heels of our most successful  Bike Omaha Commuter Challenge ever, and we want to carry the momentum into the winter.

The winter challenge (WBOCC) will be very informal, just giving people the opportunity to log their trips and miles for one big team.  (See the Activate Omaha website for all of the details, and then register at www.cycle-tracker.com/activate_omaha .) 

Here is the important part:  Having the ability to show concrete numbers to the Powers That Be about the number of people riding is worth its weight in gold to us in our quest to make Omaha more bike friendly.  We are getting a good handle on those riding during the warm weather months.  We hope that you will help us by signing up and logging those winter trips and miles, even though it might seem silly to you.

Want to bike to work over the winter, but not sure about what kind of gear you need?  Omaha Bikes will have you covered on that!  We will be hosting a Winter Bike Commuting Clinic on October 23.  More info coming to this space very soon!!

Omaha Bikes to Bronze

Congratulations Omaha on being recognized and awarded by the League of American Bicyclists as a bronze level Bicycle Friendly Community.

Presented today at the Heartland Active Transportation Summit by Congressman Jim Oberstar.

Bike Omaha Commuter Challenge: Inside the Numbers

Well, we've reached the 14 week mark of Activate Omaha's 2011 Bike Omaha Commuter Challenge.  This year's challenge has been expanded to May 1 - October 1, which is 22 weeks; however, we wanted to pause at the end of week 14 and take a snapshot of the stats so that we could compare "apples to apples" to the stats of the previous 5 years.  What we found is very interesting - and we're curious on your take, too!

Bear in mind as you ponder this that 2008 was the summer of $4.00/gallon of gas.

Data for your consideration:

NUMBER OF TEAMS:      NUMBER OF MILES:

2006 = 27                              2006 = 77,300
2007 = 32                              2007 = 109,000
2008 = 55                              2008 = 134,593
2009 = 60                              2009 = 129,104
2010 = 62                              2010 = 157,852
2011* = 109                          2011* = 157, 682

OK, so we had 47 (!!!) new teams in 2011, yet our mileage was still 170 miles short of 2010, when we had 62 teams?  Kind of a bummer .... until you look at this:

NUMBER OF RIDERS:       NUMBER OF TRIPS:
2010:  1000                              2010 = 10,500
2011*: 1352                             2011*= 12,054

These numbers have me very excited.  We have 359 more riders and 1554 (!!!) more trips in 2011.  This tells me that the new riders we added to the rolls are not riding as far as those who have participated in year's past ... which leads me to wonder: 

Has the idea of bicycle commuting in Omaha started reaching past the "choir" and into the masses? 

If I'm new to bike commuting (or cycling in general), I'm not as likely to start out going door to door, I'm probably going to start with a park/ride or bus/ride.  Another theory:  I live close to my office, but I've never considered riding to work before. 

Either way, this is cause for a happy dance.  More people making more short trips by bike is EXACTLY what we are going for. (...despite my recent challenge to BOCC team captains to see if we could break the 2010 mileage record. What can I say, I'm competitive. J). 
What is YOUR theory? 

In the mean time, carry on, bike commuters!  The challenge has been expanded from 14 weeks to 22 weeks  based on feedback from many of you who want to take advantage of the best weather of the year.  We'll celebrate with the BOCC Wrap Up Shindig on Friday, September 30 - so save the date!  More info will be coming soon.

Mayors' Bike Ride!!

We'd love to have the largest group of riders ever in 2011! Join mayors from Bellevue, Council Bluffs, and Omaha!

Spread the word!!

Grab your bike!!

Join us!!

Bike Friendly Business Lunch & Learn

We know that you are all doing a lot at your place of employment to encourage people to bike to work. Many of you are also lucky enough to work places that also go above and beyond to encourage bicycling. Here is an opportunity to get your business nationally recognized for your efforts while also helping Omaha’s vision of becoming an officially designated Bike Friendly Community!

Several Omaha businesses and organizations have already applied for and received League of American Bicyclists’ Bike Friendly Business designation … and we know that there are many more out there that easily fit the requirements. During a presentation at last year’s National Bike Summit, Omaha received special recognition for the number of BFB awards that were given out, and we’re hoping to blow them away again this year!

Check out the League of American Bicyclists’ website and then attend a lunch & learn to find out more about the application process and how Activate Omaha can help!

Thursday, December 2
12:00 – 1:00
Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture (Bronze level BFB!)
1516 Cuming Street (next to Barley’s Bar & Grill)
Bike parking available in front; Metro line 14/44

Tuesday, December 7
12:00 – 1:00
Activate Omaha (Silver level BFB!)
12565 West Center Road, Ste 220
(SW corner of 125th/Center, across from IHOP)
Bike parking available on north side; Metro line 15/55

Feel free to bring your lunch to either location.

Please RSVP to Julie Harris jharris activateomaha org; likewise, if you are interested but unable to attend, contact Julie and we’ll make sure you get all of the information.

BOCC Wrap Up Shindig/Tuesday Ride

Don't forget Activate Omaha's Bike Omaha Commuter Challenge Wrap Up Shindig!

(**NOTE: this will take the place of the previously scheduled Handlebar Happy Hour on this date)

Tuesday, Sept 28

5:30ish - awards begin around 6:15

Jimi D's (6303 Center Street, just off the Keystone Trail and the 15/55 Metro line)

Light appetizers will be served; other food and beverages will be on your own. 

Prizes/drawings furnished by BOCC sponsor Trek Bicycle Stores of Omaha! 

Open to all BOCC riders! 

Our friend Sean Morrison, team captain for the Physician's Mutual BOCC team is organizing a group ride to work on Tuesday the 28th, followed by a group ride back after work to attend the Shindig:

"There are several of us planning a group ride from there to downtown in the morning for those that want to join (snaking through Elmwood Park and across on Leavenworth).  As well, we will likely have cars in the covered parking of Aksarben Village.  We will be meeting at the Liv Lounge patio and riding out at 7am."

Sean reports that all are welcome; if you live east of the Aksarben Village area, watch for the commuter peleton to be rolling down Leavenworth and join in the fun.   

Hope to see you there!  Lots to celebrate!!

Matt & Julie's Excellent B-cycle Adventure

Can these two drive to Des Moines for a 10am event and be back in Omaha in time to catch the 2pm press conference introducing Omaha's new Bike/Ped Coordinator... all in one day ... without being late?

The answer is YES!  Ok, barely.... but YES nonetheless. 

We trekked to Des Moines for the launch of their new B-cycle program to do some recon and to talk to some of the relevant people involved in the project. 

What is B-cycle?  From their website:  "B-cycle is a next-gen bike-sharing system. In layman’s terms: B-cycles are magic bikes that are there when you want one and gone when you don’t. Just swipe your card, grab a bike, and get to where you’re going."

Imagine having dinner in the Old Market, and then checking out a bike to ride to the Qwest Center for a concert; imagine working at First Data and checking out a bike to ride to Aksarben Village for lunch.  The bikes are available at your starting destination, and then you just lock them back into another kiosk when you arrive at your ending destination.   

KP and TD checking out bikes in Denver

AO staff did some test driving of our own while in Denver a couple of weeks ago.  We grabbed bikes at the B-cycle station at Larimer Square on the 16th Street Mall (just a couple of blocks from our hotel) and rode a couple of miles down the Cherry Creek bike path to the REI store, where we locked them to the B-cycle station there.  We did a fair amount of retail therapy, then checked out the bikes and rode back to Larimer Square a couple of hours later.  Other than the $5 for the one-day membership, it did not cost us anything, since our trips were under 30min. 

At any rate, Matt and I met at Blue Line Coffee on 14th Street just as the sun was coming up and rode our bikes to the airport to pick up the rental car.  It was a perfect morning for riding.  After an encounter with a traffic jam involving a gaggle of geese along path next to Carter Lake, and then the realization that Google maps had led us astray on the location, we backtracked and finally made it to pick up the car, already 20 minutes behind schedule.  Julie sacrificed a stop for coffee in favor of getting out of town asap; thankfully, Matt lived to tell about it.  We arrive in Des Moines right on schedule and drove right to the location of the press conference.  I love it when a plan comes together!

BCBS/Wellmark provides the backdrop.

The launch press conference was held at one of the four B-cycle stations that have been installed in the downtown area.  The backdrop was the new BCBS/Wellmark headquarters that was underconstruction just across the street.  Elected officials touted the use of alternative transportation; Wellmark officials (the main sponsor) touted the system as a great addition to company wellness initiatives for the 75,000 people that work in downtown Des Moines.  [Also of note: the Des Moinians at the podium kept referring to the fact that they were striving to be the "Wellness Capital of the U.S." We're not gonna let them get away with that, are we?!]

I get this all the time.  (ha)

The bikes are made by Trek, and have 3 speeds, upright handlebars with baskets attached, comfy saddles and quick release adjustable seat posts.  The Des Moines bikes had a very cool feature that the Denver bikes did not have:  individually named bikes with cleaver slogans on each.  They are fun to ride! 

Matt (left) takes a spin.

We got to talk to reps from B-cycle, board members from the community bike collective (similar to our community bike shop) who are coordinating the program, a rep from the Des Moines downtown association, and even the mechanic that will be tasked with maintaining the bikes.  All had great things to say.  A couple of guys we spoke to were very familiar with Omaha, and talked about how this system would be perfect for downtown, especially during events like the CWS.

After grabbing some lunch to go for the trip home, and after several unsuccessful attempts to find our way back to the interstate (including a couple dead end streets and a trip through a parking lot that we thought was a road), we high-tailed it back to Omaha.  We turned in the car, grabbed our bikes, and pedaled furiously to the pedestrian bridge, arriving just as the press conference was starting.  Mission accomplished.

Can we make this a reality in Omaha?  Cross your fingers and stay tuned!!

Bicycle Pedestrian Coordinator Press Release

The press release from yesterday's press conference announcing Omaha's first Bicycle Pedestrian Coordinator can be found by clicking on this link!

Very exciting for the city of Omaha, the health of Omaha, and the quality of life in Omaha!

In the photo are community partners that made this happen: Kerri Peterson, Live Well Omaha; Rick Cunningham, City of Omaha Planning Department; Carlos Morales, new Bicycle Pedestrian Coordinator; Paul Mullen, MAPA; Mikki Frost, Alegent Health Systems; Jim Suttle, Omaha Mayor.

Adams Park Trail Day Party!!!!

Join us for a family event!!!!

Saturday, June 26th at 12noon
Adams Park
(3230 John A Creighton Blvd)

Celebrate with us the opening of a new hiking/biking trail!!! Bring your kids, bikes and helmets or try our demos!!! Snacks and drinks will be provided!!

This is an organized event sponsored by Activate Omaha, THOR, YMCA, City of Omaha, National Parks Service, and the North Omaha Development Project.

Federal Safe Routes Program Under Attack	Take Action!
Urge Your Representative to Support Safe Routes To Schools
House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) has targeted the federal Safe Routes to School program established under the 2005 Federal Surface Transportation Bill (SAFETEA-LU) as wasteful government spending in his weekly "YouCut program". Each week representative Cantor asks people to vote for which of five options they would cut from the federal budget. Republicans then hold a floor vote in the House of Representatives to try to eliminate the program that gets the most votes. This week, the federal Safe Routes to School program is one of Rep. Cantor's targets. He argues that SRTS duplicates other bicycling and walking programs, and that bicycling and walking infrastructure is a local government responsibility. We need your help making sure that Members of Congress understand the value of Safe Routes to School and support it. Please take a few minutes to send a message to your Member of Congress to ask them to vote against any effort to cut Safe Routes to School. Thank you in advance for your assistance in this matter.

Register now for the Urban Omaha – The Ultimate Adventure Race on June 5^th!!

Click here to register today!!!

Urban Omaha- the Ultimate Adventure!

A bit of shameless promotion for Activate Omaha here. :)

Our 2nd annual urban adventure race will be held on Saturday, June 5 this year. We'll be starting and finishing at Midtown Crossing!

What, you don't know what an urban adventure race is? Think "Amazing Race" tv show, or go check out one of the Alley Cat races that Mr.Douglas organizes from time to time. Your main mode of transporation is bicycle, but you'll also be running/trekking, paddling, climbing and doing various mystery team challenges as you try to located hidden checkpoints throughout the city.

Last year's event had about 450 racers, and with KMTV as a media sponsor this year, we expect particpation to be even greater!

Check out the Activate Omaha website for more information about the race and how to register!