Press release from the City:
Mayor Henry to welcome bike summit attendees
Velo Sport club offering three post-summit bike rides for all experience levelsMayor Tom Henry is looking forward to addressing attendees of the City of Fort Wayne’s community bike summit Saturday morning at the downtown branch of the Allen County Public Library.
Mayor Henry will welcome participants at the start of the summit at 9 a.m.
“Fort Wayne residents are ready to make our city more bicycle-friendly. From what I’ve heard from staff members and the public, Saturday’s summit should be well attended,” Mayor Henry said. “Improving Fort Wayne’s bicycle infrastructure is an economic development investment. I’m looking forward to giving an update Saturday morning on some projects we are working on.”
Participants will also give input about where they are currently riding their bikes and destinations where they would ride if appropriate infrastructure existed.
“We know current and future bike riders want connectivity, the ability to ride their bikes safely from their homes to places like downtown, library branches, work and shopping centers,” Mayor Henry said. “This summit will help City staff identify key locations as our employees write a bicycle transportation plan. Alternative transportation offers solutions to many of our urban challenges.”
In addition to Mayor Henry, Nancy Tibbett, executive director of the Indiana Bicycle Coalition, will speak about her visit to the League of American Bicyclists’ National Bike Summit and other Hoosier cities’ efforts to improve bicycle infrastructure and bicyclist safety.
Pam Holocher, director of planning, will give an overview of last year’s bike use survey and Dawn Ritchie, greenways manager, will speak about trails projects for 2009.Â
Attendees may also want to bring their bikes to the library. The Three Rivers Velo Sport club will offer three post-summit rides. Helmets are required for any of the free rides.
A 30-minute ride starting at 12:30 will go through downtown streets and possibly the Rivergreenway. A 2-hour ride starting at 1 p.m. will be an extended tour of Fort Wayne and could be include all types of terrain with hybrid and mountain bikes preferred. Also starting at 12:30 is a 40-mile road ride that will go into the country with an average speed of 17 to 18 miles per hour.
There will be an expo from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the library’s Great Hall with bicycle and health-related vendors, including a Citlink bus on the west plaza to learn how to attach a bike to the bus rack.
The summit will be from 9 a.m. to approximately noon.
Summit attendees may want to give themselves some extra time to find a place to park. The library’s underground parking garage is closed. Wayne Street from Fairfield to Webster is closed to through traffic and on-street parking is restricted on Wayne from Webster to Ewing.
On-street parking is free on weekends and library card holders who park in the library’s lots.
The new parking garage at Harrison Square will also be open Saturday for the summit. Drivers should use the entrance on Harrison Street. To exit the garage, insert the ticket into the exit gate. There is no charge for the new garage Saturday morning. To get to the library, use the east side of Harrison, then west on the north side Jefferson, then north on Webster.
Related Images:
