Press release from the City of Fort Wayne:
Mayor invites residents to bike to work May 21
Part of National Bike Month, local activities encourage residents to ‘ride your drive’Mayor Tom Henry invites bike commuters to jump on their bicycles and ride to work Friday, May 21, national Bike to Work Day. Fueling the spirit of the day as well as its participants, the Mayor is also hosting a breakfast for bicyclists at Headwaters Park West.
Between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., bicyclists can stop by the Madge Rothschild Pavilion for free coffee and bagels, courtesy of Starbucks and The Bagel Station, and free mini Clif Bars. Temporary bike parking and restrooms will be available.
Attendees can register to win prizes including bike messenger bags and Share the Road bike jerseys. This is the second consecutive year the City of Fort Wayne has hosted a Bike to Work breakfast.
“Bike to Work Day is a celebration of our collective efforts to create a more bicycle-friendly community, and we’re succeeding,” Mayor Henry said. “With miles of new bike lanes and trails, events like Bike to Work Day and the Bike Summit, plus the growing enthusiasm of local cyclists, it’s a good time to ‘ride your drive’ and try two-wheeling from here to there. To all those four-wheelers out there who think they still rule the streets, remember to be extra alert this summer and share the road.”
Before heading home for the day, bike commuters can stop between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. for food and entertainment at Fort Wayne Outfitters & Bike Depot, 1004 Cass St. The shop, which is along the St. Marys Pathway of the Rivergreenway and immediately east of the Wells Street pedestrian bridge, is offering free hot dogs and hamburgers and live music plus beverages for sale from Mad Anthony Brewing Co.
Four local bike shops – Summit City Bikes, Bikes and Boards, Fort Wayne Outfitters & Bike Depot and RediBike Cycling and Fitness – are offering discounts on bike service in preparation for Bike to Work Day. Customers must ask for the “Bike to Work Day” discount; contact the shop for details
The American League of Bicyclists recognizes May as National Bike Month, with a special emphasis on the week of May 17 to May 21 as Bike to Work Week and that Friday being national Bike to Work Day.
Here are some tips for people considering biking to work:
- Look at a street map to see if there is an alternate route to work that uses less busy streets.
- Consider using the Rivergreenway or other trails for transportation. For information about the Rivergreenway, click here.
- Drive to a trailhead and bike into work using a multiuse path.
- For people biking pre-sunrise, before 6:30 right now, or after sunset, which is about 8:50 p.m. this week, remember to have front and rear reflectors and lights to increase visibility. Indiana law requires bicycles to have a white headlight and red rear reflector.
- Evaluate bike parking options at the workplace, including bike racks, or other outdoor structures where a bike can be secured or an indoor storage location.
- Employers looking to install a bike rack for employees or visitors can download the City’s informational brochure.
- “Rack & Roll” with Citilink that day. All Citilink buses have bike racks on the front, making it possible to use public transit and a bike for the same trip. For more information about bus bike racks, click here.
- Consider bringing a change of clothes to work. Some employers may want to consider relaxing the dress code for bike commuters that day.
- Bike with co-workers or neighbors by organizing a predetermined starting point and time.
To correspond with National Bike Month, the City hosted the second annual Bike Summit May 8. The City teamed up with the Fort Wayne TinCaps and Men of Steel Racing for Bike to the Ballpark Day Sunday, May 16.
If employers are interested in more information about how to support Bike to Work Day at their place of employment, they can contact Amy Hartzog at 427-6228 or amy.hartzog@cityoffortwayne.org.
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