There's magic in the valet
First out the gate: our first-shift-on-Friday-of-Comfest team of Yay Valet! volunteers.
In our grant application for the Ohio EPA's Environmental Education Fund, which has helped us expand our focus from parking bikes to include educating people about bicycling for transportation, we emphasized the audience of "bike curious" event attendees. These are those who might happen by the corral and be reminded by the sight of all the bikes that they have questions about how to ride, or excuses for why they don't. And because we are there and accessible and not a bike shop that requires courage and intention to step into, they talk to us about it. We chat, we inform, we change some minds, we open people to the idea of getting back on their bikes. There is no better outreach to the cyclists of tomorrow than Yay Valet!, I'm telling you.
So that's some powerful magic right there. But there's another kind that maybe flies under the radar, the kind that makes being in the valet such a special experience. It's the life-changing and -affirming conversations among our volunteers.
Many conversations in the valet, as you might imagine, center around bicycling. And being among the valet community helps even volunteers you'd expect to be the hardcore-est of all cyclists (whatever that means!) knock out some of their thorniest obstacles to riding.
The large-bodied woman who thought she'd break a bike, who was scared of getting moo'd at by passing motorists: "No. No, you won't. And yes, you may, but you can call me to cry if it happens." (She started riding again.)
The woman who said to another, "yeah, but you're a hardcore cyclist and...(implied: "I'm not")": "I ride daily, but only a couple of miles at a time. You can do that, too." (She gave up shame and created access to riding more.)
The older gentleman who would have ridden to work but didn't have a route that felt comfortable in the dark: "Oh, I've gone that way before. I use this road and then the side street that feeds into the path and then it's just a little jog and you're there. Want me to ride it with you?" (They did.)
Other conversations are not about bicycling at all.
Two very shy persons staying an hour past their shifts to discuss a favorite video game.
Two women sharing their experience of transitioning from male to female.
A high school honor student and juvenile delinquent discussing normal teenage life.
Whatever the topic of the moment, being in the valet places you among a diverse, thoughtful group of people that includes all ages, races, gender identities, socioeconomic backgrounds, bodies, types of cyclists and more. It's good folks, working hard, talking and learning from one another. We ride more, and enjoy life more, from being together. Indeed, Yay Valet! offers a rare and unexpected—yes, even magical!—space for community in this world. Not just for cyclists. For all of us.
Wanna volunteer with Yay Valet!? Opportunities abound!
Fun and friendly sorts!
Here are all the fabulous people who made bike valets happen this month at Pride, Buckeye Country Superfest, Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival and Comfest (bolded names = volunteered for more than one shift):
- Terri Evans
- Shyra Allen
- Napoleon Allen
- Suzanne Hoffman Maginn
- Charis Caldwell
- Emily Monnig
- Jazz Jasmin
- Alec Fleschner (and kiddos)
- Shirley Droney
- Bertie Ford
- Ken Cohen
- Joe Powell
- Andrea Krupman Powell
- Clifford Beall
- Diane Strausser
- Kendra Kay
- Sarah Riegel
- Shay Holden
- Tim Price
- Larissa West
- Arthur Thomas
- Peggy Behrman
- Meredith Joy
- Michael Merrill
- Matthew Wolf
- Craig Kullik
- Catherine Girves
- Michael Webb
- Jeremy Woolf
- Bill Curtis
- Tony Davis
- Joy Robinson
- Scott Shiveley
- Thomas Babb
- Rahel Babb
- James Swanson
- Bill Adams
- Anne Bishop
- Nate Bishop
- Andrew Hoffer
- Corbin Kramer
- Mike Coakley
- Duane McCoy
- Alex Anderson
- Ray George
- Mitzy Noisette
- Leslie Hoerig
- Nik Olah
- Tyler Steele
- Andrew Hulvey
- Alyssa Shaw
- Bharati Jayanthi
- Nancy Niemuth
- Mark Ervin
- Jim McDermott
- Rachel Miller
- Melissa Tewart-Darwin
- Eddie Jayne
- Kent Koester
- Larry Pike
- Brian Ludwig
- Gretel Young
- Ryan Vincent
- Wendy Vincent
- John Bannon
- Alex Gallegos Samuels
- Joel Spokas
- Mike Kaizer
- Mitzy Noisette
- Mark Caral
- Megan Purcell
- Nik Olah
- Jim Good
- Corbin Kramer
- Jeff Gove
- Michael Cardi
- Ariel Wilson
- Alex Anderson
- Michael Coakley
- Duane McCoy
- Kathleen Koechlin
- Joe Liles
- Tom Orchard
- Katrina Darms
- Ben Houck
- Kathleen Watkins
- Ernie Rapson
- Bill Ferriot
- Blanche Luczyk
- Scott Bobbitt
- John Cresencia
- Maya Girves
- Abby Rhodebeck
- David Docktor
- Chet Ridenour
You are my people and I love you!
2016 Ride of Silence recap
Winding back towards downtown. Photo credit: Keith Lugs
Thanks to Columbus Ride of Silence committee chair Kathleen Koechlin for her leadership and this write-up, which will be featured on the national Ride of Silence site. Contact Kathleen to join the team planning next year's ride!
Approximately 400 people (380 of them riders) participated in the 2016 Columbus, Ohio Ride of Silence, which started and ended at City Hall. People began gathering at 5:30pm; some of them enjoyed dinner from a food truck as they awaited the start. Volunteers secured arm bands and provided instruction for the ride.
The program began at 6:30pm with a welcome by Catherine Girves, Executive Director of Yay Bikes!, which has organized the Columbus Ride of Silence since 2015. Catherine’s remarks were followed by the reading of the Ride of Silence poem by Abby Rhodebeck, who lost a mentor this past winter when a car crossed the line and hit him as he was riding on a wide berm. Then, as Columbus Chief of Police Kim Jacobs spoke, representatives from four neighboring jurisdictions (Grove City, Hilliard, Reynoldsburg and Upper Arlington) joined her onstage. Transportation professionals from around the region then joined the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Manager Michelle May as she described how she and her colleagues are working to build better infrastructure for cyclists on the road. To close the program, local cyclist Bambo Sanusi read the names of all cyclists killed on Ohio roadways from January 1, 2015 through May 18, 2016; there were 26.
Bag piper David Celebrezze began playing “Amazing Grace” as the cyclists silently lined up to begin the slow-paced ride led by police on motorcycles. The first bike in the line-up pulled a cart with Ride of Silence banners attached so onlookers would know what they were witnessing. Silence was maintained throughout the ride by the cyclists, but there was a palpable silence by onlookers as well. Cars stopped and patiently watched as they waited for us to pass. Ghost bikes were placed along the route—eight in all. At the end of the procession the final rider pulled a ghost bike, a representation of why we ride.
Local filmmaker Pete Vogel created this video, which is now being featured on the national Ride of Silence webpage.
'Obsessions' ride recap
On our most challenging ride to date, 53 intrepid souls joined us on a trip to enjoy target practice and ice cream (a couple of our favorite American "obsessions", of course)!
T'was a hot hot hot day for a long climb! Photo credit: Keith Lugs
Our first and only stop was at AimHi Family Firearms Center, where Charlotte & Olivia's Sublime Ice Creams awaited with treats. We cash bombed the heck outta these guys—most everyone bought ice cream, about half of us bought access to the gun range and one person even BOUGHT A $1,600 GUN! Who says you need a car to shop!?!
Yes, please!
Ride leader Aliceanne Inskeep shows off her shooting skillz.
Seriously though, this ride was hard and we learned some good lessons from it that we'll incorporate future ride planning. We strive to make Year of Yay! a challenging but positive experience for all involved—you'll probably ride places you may not have tried otherwise, but hopefully it'll be a great experience that gives you the confidence to try it again on your own. This route, however, featured a too-long stretch of uphill climbing on a one-lane road with fast traffic, and frankly even the most experienced among us found it stressful to ride. In the future, each ride will be pre-vetted by the ride leader and approved by staff before the group vetting ride (which comes too late in the game for major changes) and we'll ensure that no one leg of the trip is too long (10 miles is definitely too long—this isn't a fitness ride!) or too tough on the ole endocrine system. Thanks for hanging in there while we worked this all out, and thanks to all who provided constructive feedback!
Post-ride, hot and tired and ready for a cold one. Photo credit: Keith Lugs
We are grateful to everyone who braved the heat to come out with us this month! Until next time...
Takin' our show on the road thru Ohio
We're excited to announce that we are partnering with Ohio Department of Transportation to take our show on the road! This summer and fall we'll be offering professional development rides—similar to the "engineer rides" we piloted in Columbus last year—to transportation professionals and others who influence the experience of people biking for transportation throughout Ohio.
Our professional development rides are designed to provide opportunities to experience a community's current street infrastructure by bike to better understand how to: 1) engineer and evaluate bicycle-related infrastructure; 2) inform and educate all road users; 3) enforce laws governing behaviors that lead to conflicts between people on bikes and other road users; and 4) encourage active transportation. Previous participants have reported increased understanding of why cyclists make the choices they do and understanding what makes for an effective bicycle accommodation. In their own words:
““I learned there is a huge difference between a well designed bike lane or facility and one that is just thrown in last minute to a project to make it a complete street.””
““I got a feel for the perspective of a bicycle rider. I also learned some things about general bicycling practices that are contrary to what I’d previously thought (lane positioning, platooning at traffic signals, etc.). These are things that will aid me as I’m working on different issues pertaining to bicycling.”
”
““I learned quite a bit about what looks good on paper may not be the right solution in real life.”
”
““If I want to expand my engineering judgment, I need to experience it. And it was a lot different than I thought. Yay Bikes! gave our team a whole new perspective. As engineers, we’re focused on making it work, but Yay Bikes! gave us feedback from a customer perspective.”
”
Professional development rides are 3 hour experiences customized for each community to feature as many types of infrastructure as possible within approximately
8–10 miles. They roll at a casual pace accessible to most, and include several stops to discuss the experience of riding different streets, as well as traffic law and how it pertains to best bicycling practices. Ride leaders are extensively trained transportation cyclists and educators with deep respect for participants' professional expertise.
If you are interested in scheduling a ride for your team, contact Catherine.
June 2016 activity report
Catherine shows off our new outreach bike to Sandra López, Legislative Analyst, City Council Division of Community Engagement, at the Smart City award press release event.
Welcome to the monthly feature in which we round up all our events, earned media, program delivery, meetings and speaking engagements for the month. Representation and outreach like this is what you fund with your membership dollars and major gifts, folks! Behold, June:
June 1
Statewide meeting of the Active Transportation Plan group
June 2
NeighborWorks conference planning meeting for speakers, of which our Executive Director is one
Yay Bikes! membership drive
June 3
Ride of Silence wine tasting fundraiser
June 5
Bike the Cbus route vetting ride
June 6
Bike the Cbus planning meeting
June 7
Year of Yay! route vetting ride
June 8
Meeting with the Columbus Department of Development's Mike Schadek to discuss the role of biking in Columbus' economic development
June 11
Year of Yay! 'Obsessions' theme
June 12
Meeting with Mark Waggenbrenner of Waggenbrenner Development Co regarding their Bike the Cbus route sponsorship
June 15
Meeting with AAA's Sarah Frederick to discuss a forthcoming article in their regional magazine about how cars can share roads with bicycles
June 17
COTA wayfinding meeting
City of Columbus Engineer Ride in Franklinton
June 17–18
Yay Valet! @ Pride
June 18–19
Yay Valet! @ Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival
Yay Valet! @ Buckeye Country Superfest
June 21
Meeting with leadership team at the Ohio Department of Health to discuss potential mode shift programming for employees of state agencies
Conversation with Mayor of Grove City about outreach to local engineers
June 22
Meeting with Orange Barrel Media's Megan Knott about Bike the Cbus sponsorship
June 23
Regular meeting of the Built Environment & Transportation Infrastructure committee of Columbus' Green Team
Smart City press release and celebration event
June 24
Our Executive Director speaking at Comfest Jazz Stage
June 24–26
Yay Valet! @ Comfest
June 29
City of Columbus Bicycle Working Group meeting
Meeting with Origo Branding to discuss a possible public service safety campaign
June 30
Bike the Cbus planning meeting
Tour de Brew planning meeting
Bike the Cbus and me
Mr. Brian Jackson, in action!
“I had been biking a couple of months just to work, which was about 3 miles. Aside from that I didn’t bike in the road. I would ride the bike paths on the weekend to get longer rides. I saw the Bike the Cbus signs on my commute from Olde Towne and convinced my friend that we should ride it.
Bike the Cbus went through every Columbus neighborhood that I want to hang out in in a single day. It made me realize that all the places I want to visit are safely reachable via bicycle.
Bike the Cbus was the tipping point between weekend bike path rider and treating my bike as a legitimate form of transportation.”
Do you have a story to share about why you ride Bike the Cbus or its impact on your life? Send it to Catherine Girves at catherine@yaybikes.com!
Pedal Instead? Nay! Yay Valet!
But a taste of what's to come: many elements of our new bike valets were on display at Columbus' Bike to Work Day celebration.
At about this time last year we were announcing our grant from the Ohio EPA's Environmental Education Fund—awarded so that we could make our bicycle corrals more focused on educating "bike curious" event attendees about bicycling for transportation. The goals of this grant were threefold:
- To expand awareness of the Pedal Instead service, encouraging more people to ride to events
- To increase the extent to which Pedal Instead provides actionable information to event attendees regarding transportation bicycling
- To link event attendees to the on-road educational experiences available through Yay Bikes!, to increase their cycling knowledge and confidence
Now, after several months of working with a team of dedicated volunteers, and several more months working with a design team to implement their ideas, we are finally to the point of launching all our fancy new features. They include:
NEW NAME!
One of the problems Yay Bikes! had, marketing-wise, was an abundance of brands that lacked connection to the broader work of the organization. So "Pedal Instead" was often mistaken for a separate nonprofit, and people did not realize that we had a lot more to offer them than simply bike parking. Another problem also emerged since the 2007 launch of Pedal Instead—"bike corral" became a confusing phrase, because it's what the on-street bike parking that replaces a car parking space is called. To resolve both problems at once, Pedal Instead is now "Yay Valet!", and will be calling our service a "bicycle valet" going forward. (Note the updated Yay Bikes! logo, as well!)
NEW CLAIM TAGS!
The top part of our claim tag now will stay with the bicycle when it's returned to the cyclist, inviting them to visit our website for opportunities to engage and learn.
NEW STICKERS!
Each cyclist who parks with us will now receive an "I rode today" sticker, a badge of honor and conversation starter akin to the popular voting stickers. We're hoping that cyclists will testify to their friends about riding to the event and parking with Yay Valet!, making it seem possible and preferable to the experience of driving and parking a car. Next time, maybe they can all ride to the event together!
NEW TEES!
Our volunteers now have uniforms! The bike expert volunteers among us will wear blue shirts saying "Bike curious? I can help." to invite people into conversations about bicycling. Other volunteers will wear red shirts that read "Wanna ride? yaybikes.com for deets", to invite them to explore our website for opportunities to ride with us.
NEW DISPLAY!
Our fancy new cargo bike display pulls a trailer with interchangeable signs (e.g., "How far away did you park?", "Follow me to free bike parking", "Bike curious information here"), and will be a point of interest inviting people to approach the valet. It also features space for informational materials and can be ridden around an event to generate buzz and encourage people to "pedal instead" the next time.
NEW SIGNS!
People throughout an event will be able to see us from a distance with our new "lollipop" signs that tower above the valet with mode shift and bike love messages, free bike parking notices and more.
NEW ENGAGEMENT!
Behind the scenes we'll be working to better engage the people who interact with us at the valet. Whether they park with us or simply approach with questions, we will craft follow-ups that respond to requests for information and invite them into further participation with Yay Bikes!. And we'll be keeping track of our impact with improved data collection and analysis as well (our fave!).
COMMON THREADS!
Every element of our updated bike valet was designed to draw people into conversation and invite them to ride with us. Because we believe it is education within the context of a meaningful relationship—however brief—that helps people adopt a bicycling lifestyle, and that means a brochure alone won't cut it. Changing transportation behavior is ultimately an investment in people and invest in people we have, with help from the Ohio EPA.
JOIN US!
See all this in action at an upcoming event—ride, volunteer, stop by to chat! And if you're interested in volunteering specifically to engage people in bike conversations, we are looking for you! Contact Meredith to learn more.
May 2016 activity report
Our Executive Director with representatives of the Reynoldsburg, Upper Arlington and Grove City police forces at the 2016 Central Ohio Ride of Silence.
Welcome to the monthly feature in which we round up all our events, earned media, program delivery, meetings and speaking engagements for the month. Representation and outreach like this is what you fund with your membership dollars and major gifts, folks! Behold, May:
May 2
Yay Valet! meeting with Troy Euton, Director of Parks & Recreation, City of Gahanna
Regular meeting of MORPC's Community Advisory Council, on which our Executive Director serves
May 3
Accidental Wanderlust: Saddle Up for 30 Incredible Days of Biking
May 4
Ohio Active Transportation Plan meeting
May 5
Columbus Underground: Planning Underway for Downtown Bike Hub at Front and Long
Columbus Underground: Moving Away but Leaving a Legacy – Denis de Verteuil
May 6
MOPRC Annual State of the Region luncheon
May 7
Pinchflat Bike Poster Show + bike raffle opening day @ Paradise Garage
May 10
Year of Yay! route vetting ride
May 11
Meeting with City of Columbus officials to discuss bike hub
Introductory meeting with AAA Ohio to discuss bicycling services and marketing
Meeting with Mark Klein, Principal, MKSK, who designed Dayton's bike hub, to discuss Columbus' proposed bike hub
Regular board meeting of the Downtown Residents Association of Columbus, on which our Executive Director serves
May 12
Regular meeting of the Columbus Green Team, at which Catherine Girves, our Executive Director was appointed Chair (!!)
May 13
Scoping meeting with the Ohio Department of Transportation and Ohio Department of Health for statewide mode shift campaign
Meeting to discuss plans for Tour de Brew
May 14
Year of Yay! ride with MURALS theme
May 15
Meeting to discuss bike hub security solutions with Glenn Mueller, City of Columbus Security Manager, Department of Finance & Management
May 16
Smart City Challenge Roundtable with USDOT Secretary Anthony Foxx & City of Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther, among others
Meeting to discuss bike hub security solutions with Homeport's Director of Security
Yay Bikes! board meeting
May 17
May 18
Annual membership meeting of Community Shares of Mid Ohio
WOSU Public Media: Columbus Cyclists Ride Silently for Road Safety
May 19
Bike the Cbus planning meeting
May 20
Bike to Work Day Dayton pancake breakfast celebration, plus meeting with Five Rivers MetroParks bike hub operators
Columbus' Bike to Work Day celebration
Yay Valet! at Columbus' Bike to Work Day celebration
May 24
Submitted application to Create Columbus Commission for a new Winter Night Rides series
May 25
Ohio Active Transportation Plan meeting
Regular meeting of the City of Columbus Bicycle Working Group, on which our Executive Director serves
May 26
Regular meeting of the Columbus Green Team Built Environment & Transportation Infrastructure working group
May 28
Heritage Cycles Grand Opening
May 31
Pinchflat bike raffle drawing @ Lineage Brewing
Our Executive Director speaking as a panelist on the "Get up to Speed on Ohio Transportation" panel hosted by Franklin County Young Dems and Upper Arlington Progressive Action alongside Elissa Snider of Transit Columbus and JM Rayburn of the City of Dublin
A new sign in town
Columbus, there's a new sign in town!
Catherine Girves, Yay Bikes! Executive Director
There is a phenomenon (if it has a name I don't know what it is) where the instant something changes, it's been that way forever. The long slog to achieve the change is forgotten: onward! But let's pause for a sec, and do this thing proper. We are in a moment that's very special, and I want to honor all the dedication, responsiveness, hard work and care that's brought us to this point. Specifically, to the point at which I witnessed these glorious signs on a recent Near East Side commute:
That's right! Columbus recently posted their first Bicycles May Use Full Lane signs on Long Street and Mt Vernon Avenue! Going forward, these will be installed where protocols would have called for Share the Road signs—like where new sharrows are laid; the ever-lovely Department of Public Service is updating its protocols to guide distribution (THANKS, FOLKS!). Share the Road signs are still up, but the practice of placing new ones is officially dead. Time to rejoice!
This is a M-A-S-S-I-V-E victory for local cyclists. The "Share the Road" message is loathed, for great reason. But Columbus had invested heavily in it, and it's to their credit that they listened to people who ride bikes and changed course. It's to our credit as well. The advocacy of Yay Bikes! members, delivered with kindness and respect, can be heard. Our influence can make things happen where others', employing anger and condescension, can not.
You are among the advocates who get things done. Fund the long slog and Yay Bikes! will put your resources to good use. Staffing endless meetings. Writing original content and curating the best social media has to offer. Speaking truth to power with respect and kindness and effecting change, like we do. Until one day, when this moment, the work and Yay Bikes! itself is forgotten—because this work, and the work of our many fabulous partners, has made our streets complete. May that day come sooner than later.
Let's ride!
-Catherine
'Murals' ride recap
Everyone poses in front of the mural, but a few goofballs steal the show! Photo credit: Kathleen O'Dowd
By guest writer Shyra Allen, May's Year of Yay! ride co-leader
For more than 5 years, Yay Bikes! has designed rides to help cyclists enjoy our city from the seat of their bicycle—one of the best ways to see Columbus. I was given the opportunity to lead Year of Yay! May 2016. Setting out on my 17th YOY ride, I was 50% kid, with the wind in my face and my heart pumping Kool Aid. At my side was co-lead Shirley Droney, followed by a long trail of old friends, first-time riders and even moms and dads with double trailers. Check out the route we took!
The crew awaits their turn.
Our first stop was in Easton Town Center where we attempted to interpret the “Getting From Here to There” mural. Despite our best efforts to collectively interpret its meaning, our pondering was drowned out by the unexpected arrival of what I’ve now termed “the green tractor” puffing smoke and noise and refusing to go away. However, it gave us the opportunity to hydrate and prepare for ride to the Golf Depot mural.
Stylin'!
Against the backdrop of Saturday’s hustle and bustle traffic on stretches, long winding roads and climbs of Stelzer, Columbus Metropolitan Airport, Hamilton Rd and Tech Center Dr, we peddled our way up to Golf Depot—the highest point in Franklin County, 8 miles from downtown Columbus—and its breathtaking view of Columbus’ skyline. There we were met by Steve Renaker, Director of Golf & Hospitality Assets. He said that he “couldn’t believe that people really go look at murals on bikes,” which translates roughly into “Yay Bikes! is boss!” Steve talked about how amazed he was to watch the artist paint the mural by himself in three days. He was awed that throughout the Golf Depot Mural there were groupings of color that ensured a mixture of levels and shapes that increased the visual impact of the mural. Most importantly it captured the beauty of golf that Steve loves, plus his co-founders’ passion for trains.
The Golf Depot mural
Our shortcut to Gahanna’s Rocky Fork Vista on the Big Walnut Creek Trail was a welcome change as we descended to the heart of Gahanna’s downtown. Warmly greeting us at the Gahanna History Mural was another community partner, Zac Guthrie of Gahanna Parks & Recreation. The overcast day could not dim Zac’s pride in the mural or our delight at the ivory tones accented by chocolate browns and black lines that reflected the natural light of the mural’s Southern exposure—exuding a feeling of warmth through color, texture and dimension. We were also grateful for his shout out to YayBikes! for the bike valet that we provide for Gahanna’s annual Creekside Blues and Jazz Festival.
Our crew with this incredible mural.
And a close-up! How beautiful
Wrapping it up, we grabbed a snack and water from our saddlebags, preparing for our last stretch with only one destination in mind: Whole Foods. We splashed in shallow water puddles, jumped over twigs in the road and sped down a hill with the wind in our hair. Suddenly I was 100% kid. But never, not once, was I at all bored.
Headed home!
Thanks to everyone who braved the threat of rain to join our ride. See you next month! Until then, check out this audio profile of the ride from the fabulous Darrell McGrath:
April 2016 activity report
Catherine joins Steve Magas, the Ohio Bike Lawyer, and James Young of the Columbus Public Service Department to talk bikes on WOSU's Ann Fisher Show.
Welcome to the monthly feature in which we round up all our events, earned media, program delivery, meetings and speaking engagements for the month. Representation and outreach like this is what you fund with your membership dollars and major gifts, folks! Behold, April:
April 1
Ride of Silence wine tasting fundraiser with John the Wine Guy
April 4
Regular meeting of MORPC’s Community Advisory Council, on which Catherine serves
Ride of Silence planning meeting
April 5–7
Safe Routes to School National Conference
Delivered the presentation: "Are we at a tipping point? Learn how data can keep us there.", with Seth LaJeunesse, National Center for SRTS
Led a professional development ride workshop with 20 attendees from around the country that combined urban bike tourism with instruction on how to deliver on-road education
Participated in "Ride with a cop" workshop with Hilliard police officer Ron Burkitt
April 7
This Week Community News: "City to begin downtown street resurfacing project"
All Sides with Ann Fisher: "Cycling in Ohio"
April 8
Meeting with the new City of Columbus Director of Public Service, Jennifer Gallagher
April 9
Year of Yay! ride with "Earth Day" theme
Yay Bikes! fundraiser at Lineage Brewing—ride cancelled :(
April 11
Ride of Silence happy hour fundraiser at Hills Market Downtown
April 12
How We Roll ride with OSU City & Regional Planning graduate students
April 13
Meeting with Dero Bike Racks representative to discuss becoming a local distributor
Regular board meeting of the Downtown Residents Association of Columbus, on which Catherine serves
April 14
Bike the Cbus planning meeting
Smart City meeting with US Department of Transportation
April 16
Pedal Instead at OSU Spring Game
April 18
Yay Bikes! board meeting
April 19
Meeting with Pam O'Grady, Director, Government Affairs, and Kimber Perfect, Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications, for the City of Columbus Office of Mayor Andrew Ginther
April 20
Meeting with Chillicothe Mayor Luke Feeny and Nick Tepe, Director, Chillicothe and Ross County Public Library
Regular public meeting of the Downtown Residents Association of Columbus, on which Catherine serves
April 21
Connect Columbus community advisory meeting
Bike the Cbus planning meeting
Presentation to OPAL (Olentangy, Powell and Liberty Trails)
April 23
Pedal Instead at Columbus Earth Day
Week of April 25
Placing of Ride of Silence "ghost bikes" throughout Columbus
April 27
Columbus Metropolitan Club presentation: "Bicycle Power: On the Path to Bikes"
Regular meeting of the Central Ohio Greenways board, on which Catherine serves
Regular meeting of the City of Columbus' Bicycle Working Group, on which Catherine serves
April 28
Regular meeting of the City of Columbus Green Team Built Environment & Infrastructure Committee, on which Catherine serves
Ride of Silence planning meeting
'Earth Day' ride recap
Twenty-four brave people on bikes showed up for a very chilly and windy April Year of Yay! ‘Earth Day’ ride. We rode 18.6 miles, and along the way we learned about our interconnectedness with water, ways we can get involved with local environmental improvement efforts and what each of us can do at home to live more ‘green’ and sustainably. Check the route we took and read on for what it brought us!
Gearing up!
Our group of fearless riders rolled out of Whole Foods Easton and headed west towards the Alum Creek Trail towards our first stop along that path—Edward Franklin Honton Memorial Bridge.
Snowy bridges made for some challenging riding on the Alum Creek Trail.
Our view of Alum Creek from the Edward Franklin Honton Memorial Bridge
From here, our group had a good view of Alum Creek where we listened to David Hohmann of FACT (Friends of Alum Creek and Tributaries) tell us about watersheds, why they are important, pollutants that threaten them and what we can do to protect and restore them.
Everyone is bundled up for our first chilly stop!
After that we continued south on the trail towards our next destination—a private residence in Clintonville—to learn about what each of us can do at home to live more sustainably. But along the way we decided to make a stop at the bridge overlooking Glen Echo Ravine so that our other guest rider and presenter, Tad Dritz of Green Columbus, could tell us about his organization and volunteer opportunities with ‘Branch Out,’ the weeklong Earth Day Columbus volunteer effort to clean up neighborhoods, remove invasive species like honeysuckle, tend to community gardens and, of course, plant trees (Columbus has a goal to plant 300,000 trees by 2020).
Mike Sapp standing in a bed of Kentucky bluebells as he tells us about rain barrels, composting and other at home earth friendly ways to live.
Just up Indianola from the Glen Echo Ravine was our third and final stop, the home of FLOW (Friends of Lower Olentangy Watershed) super volunteer, Mike Sapp. Mike talked about things we can do at home to protect the watershed in which we live. He showed us around his yard where he has rain barrels installed to keep water from leaving his property, an impressive compost arrangement, lots of good native plant species and his newly acquired hobby–honey bees!
From there we headed back to the warmth of Whole Foods where we enjoyed great company, food and drink. Sure, it was 30 degrees out and winds were around 20 miles per hour, but the company along the ride made it seem effortless. Thanks for all who came out to make it a super great day!
And finally, as always, this month's button, courtesy local artist Thom Glick:
A national treasure in your midst
Catherine with the Ohio contingent at the National Bike Summit.
Soon after my presentation at the League of American Bicyclists' National Bike Summit & Women's Forum this month, my life was in peril! I was being swarmed by bike advocates from all over the country, a la the Walking Dead! Wwwwhhhhhyyyy meeeee????? Well, surely it was not my tasty flesh but rather this: people were nutso over the engineer rides I'd presented about—in which we ride with the engineers designing our bicycle infrastructure and help them understand their work from a cyclist's perspective. Apparently, Yay Bikes! has stumbled on something unique—assuming our engineers want to do a good job and loving on them in a way that helps them do just that. Love just isn't a big part of transportation conversations these days, go figure (and more on that in a future blog post). So we became a Very Hot Topic among our national community of advocates, and life-risk aside I was grateful for that...but I had to wonder whether we are quite as Very Hot back home. Because what we do is a Very Big Deal, and Very Big Changes are coming to our Central Ohio landscape—but if you don't know about it then that's on us and I apologize.
Yay Bikes! joined Columbus' Public Service Department on a ride exploring the area near Georgesville Road and Sullivant Avenue
There are fixes coming to Summit Street's protected bike lanes. Bike lanes will soon extend through Downtown Columbus on Third and Fourth. "Share the Road" signs will be swapped for "Bikes May Use Full Lane" signs beginning in a few months and continuing over the next few years. Broad Street through Bexley will receive sharrows and other traffic calming measures. And, as Yay Bikes! continues to meet with and ride with those who influence the conditions that impact our experience as cyclists, there will be much, much more to come.
By and large this work—which you can always keep track of through our monthly activity reports—is supported through your membership dollars and donations. So I humbly request a local swarm! Support our ability to continue offering the national-caliber advocacy that delivers the infrastructure upgrades you've been waiting for. We are, after all, a Very Big Deal in some circles...not to mention pretty damn tasty. Of course.
March 2016 activity report
Yay Bikes! rides with the Columbus Department of Public Service to provide feedback on proposed bicycle infrastructure in the Sullivant Ave / Georgesville Road area.
Welcome to the monthly feature in which we round up all our events, earned media, program delivery, meetings and speaking engagements for the month. Representation and outreach like this is what you fund with your membership dollars and major gifts, folks! Behold, March:
March 1
Meeting with Ashley Davis, Caitlin Harley and Bridgette Kidd at Ohio Department of Health to discuss active commutes for state employees
March 2
City of Bexley's Broad Street Streetscaping Design Meeting
March 3
Bike the Cbus planning meeting
March 6
Columbus Underground: "Yay Bikes Hoping to Continue Successful Ride Buddy Program"
March 7–10
Presentation and attendance at the League of American Bicyclist's National Bike Summit; tours of the NPR and World Bank bike rooms; and meetings with Senator Portman and the offices of Senator Brown and Representatives Beatty, Jordan, Fudge and Tiberi
March 8
This Week News: "Road work to begin soon, may include medians"
March 10
Tabling at Battelle Bike Expo
March 11
Ride with City of Columbus Department of Public Service to discuss proposed designs of bikeways near Sullivant Ave and Georgesville Road
March 12
Year of Yay! ride with "Chickens" theme
March 13
Tabling at Ohio Bicycle Swap Meet
March 14
Ride of Silence planning meeting
March 15
Advisory Committee Meeting for the Worthington Hills extension of the Olentangy Trail
March 16
City of Bexley's Broad Street Streetscaping Design Meeting
March 17
Bike the Cbus planning meeting
March 18
Press conference celebrating 1 million COTA Cbus trips
March 21
Yay Bikes! board meeting
March 24
Pinchflat planning meeting
March 27
Vetting a route for the Safe Routes to School National Conference ride
Columbus Dispatch: "Warm weather brings out bike-path safety warning"
March 28
Franklin County Consortium for Good Government meeting
Columbus Dispatch: "CoGo bike-share program getting new sites, higher prices"
March 29
Training on how to use the OSU Bike Share System
Bexley City Council meeting with discussion on sharrows
March 31
Bike the Cbus planning meeting
How We Roll OSU ride
'Chickens' ride recap
The March Year of Yay! ride was a step into Spring—we were blessed with bright skies, warming temps and not a drop of rain to be seen—with the theme of 'Chickens'. The ride's almost 80 riders, including 10 first-timers, were greeted at Whole Foods Market by five 5-week-old chicks from John Bannon's urban farm. Besides those cute baby birds, we had two stops to make to visit folks raising poultry in the city. Check the route we took and then follow along to relive the experience!
Riders—even a dad with his kids—rock Morse Road. Photo credit: Ray George
Off we rode onto Morse Road towards Jerah Pettibone's quail operation. We drifted off the heavy traffic into a lovely old Columbus neighborhood where we were greeted at Jerah's house with a tour. Upon donning shoe covers (blue booties), we met her 100 baby quail and 100 adult quail—she is licensed to sell their eggs and meat. Also living there were two breeding partridges, and they were lovely.
Riders arrive at a house on a quiet street in North Columbus. Photo credit: Ray George
Quails! Photo credit: Ray George
Sending the group off again, we all slowly meandered through some quiet streets northward to the home of Milo Petruziello, who lives in North Columbus with his wife, two boys and eight laying hens. Milo and his family gave us a detailed look into how to raise chickens in the City of Columbus. He proudly showed us his recently awarded Animal Possessor Permit and talked about how he made his coop and the types of chickens he has been raising for the past year.
Riders explore chicken coops at a home in North Columbus. Photo credit: Ray George
Baby chicks! Photo credit: Ray George
Thus our chicken tour was complete, and we headed back to Easton for some well deserved snacks and beverages. By now the temps were over 60, we'd been out for several hours and the jackets were starting to peel off. That cold one was just the perfect end to another great ride.
"Bwok bwok!" (rough translation: "Bye bye!"). Photo credit: Ray George
Thanks to Ride Leader John Bannon and to all who rode this month—see you next time! In the meantime, we'll leave you with another awesome audio file of the ride from Darrel McGrath:
And finally, of course, this month's button, courtesy local artist Thom Glick:
It's a team effort
Catherine Girves, Yay Bikes! Executive Director
'From the Saddle' is a monthly note from our Executive Director.
I'm in too many pictures. Yay Bikes! is a world-class team of staff and volunteers and members and sponsors and partners and more, but it's my mug that too often ends up published. I do attend many, many meetings, rides and events—it's my job, after all, as well as my super power (I'm really really good at meetings, in particular)—and I'm pretty shameless with the selfie (NO I do not own a stick!). But do not let that confuse you: Yay Bikes! is a glorious peacock, of which I am but one feather.
This month, as we've reviewed the outcomes of our Ride Buddy pilot program and read about what makes a good team a la Google (spoiler alert: it's being kind to one another), I've been reflecting on the role of team at Yay Bikes!. Of course kindness and meaningful relationships are fundamental to who we are as an organization, but specifically who are the people I lean on in this work? And what about them helps makes Yay Bikes! among the very most innovative bicycle advocacy organizations in the country? Luckily, bike rides create ample head space for such considerations.
As with all who win the lottery of life, I've got far too many people to love on than there is space to do it. But here are a few top-of-mind shout outs:
- To Meredith Joy, our wicked smart writer and program designer and founder
- To Kathleen Watkins, who makes all the [bikes] run on time
- To Steve Puhl, our dancing queen in the bike corral
- To Tiffany Dixon, who has helped us (finally!) relay our untold stories
- To Shyra Allen, who will usher Year of Yay! to even greater heights
- To Emily Monnig, who gets what a non-profit is and how to lead it like a boss
- To Brian Laliberte, our in-house attorney and schmooze meister
- To Joe Powell, who builds spread sheets that make me swoon
- To Rahel Babb, who can herd a group of cats or volunteers like nobody's business
- To Ray George, a marketing genius and work horse we could not live without
- To Ken Cohen, who has been there from the beginning through all our ups & downs
- To Duane McCoy, who has a mind that identifies and cleans up bottle necks
- To Bill Ferriot, who protects our brand like a pro
- To Abby Rhodebeck, who steps up where needed and get shit done
- To the entire team of people who submitted to the rigorous 2-day How We Roll ride leader training and elegantly lead those rides (Art Kadlec, Rahel Babb, Steve Puhl, Mitzy Noisette, Ashley Kay Rifkouky, Rob Hendricks, Caleb Caldwell, Cherie Snyder, Ken Cohen, Denis de Vertuil, Marie Jarden, Alex Smith, Julie Walcoff, Matt Locke, Meredith Joy, Bambo Sanusi, Jonathon Youngman, Shibnum Blewett, Catherine Girves, Will Hughen, Kathleen Koechlin, Jason Poindexter, Shyra Allen, and Randy Dull)
- To Kathleen Koechlin and the entire Ride of Silence planning team (David Curran, John Bannon, Shyra Allen, Jeff Gove, Abby Rhodebeck, Cory Hopwood, Pat Landusky, Rahel Meyers Babb, Joel Spokas, June Krayer, and Liza Rose Farrell)
- To this year's team of Year of Yay ride leaders/sweeps/cruise directors/wrenches/photographers and all our ride organizers (Cassie Patterson, Darrel McGrath, Aliceanne Inskeep, Grant Sumner, Shiley Droney, Ken Cohen, John Bannon, Kathleen O'Dowd, Craig Clark, Jeff Gove, Bambo Sanusi, Rahel Meyers Babb, John Cresencia, Yolande Berger, Brian Meyers, Kathleen Koechlin, Bryan Barr, Jennier Evans Cowley, David Curran, Shyra Allen, Joel Spokas, Steve Puhl, Theo White, Tiffany Dixon, and Nik Olah)
- To the bike corral champions Sarah Mellino, Steve Puhl, Mike Coakely, Duane McCoy, Andrew Hulvey, Deanne Kirillow, Jim Good, Alex Anderson, Katie Ervin, Mark Ervin, Nancy Neimuth, Craig Clark, Jason Poindexter, Kirsten Knodt, Mairead Reddy, Steve Shaffer, Maya Girves, Michael Webb, Phil Weckesser, Ra'Sheeda Donaldson, Adam Porr, Jeremy Slagel, Wiley Jackson, and the 200+ others who volunteer in the bike corral every year.
- To Grand Poo Bah Ray George and the Bike the Cbus planning team (Bill Ferriot, Kathleen Watkins, Brian Jackson, Cherie Snyder, Brian Meyers, Jay Cheplowitz, Rob Hendricks, Gloria Hendricks, Craig Clark, Abby Rhodebeck, Nik Olah, Brian Laliberte, John Bannon, Cole Miller, Roger Beck, Kai Landis, John Waddy and Annie Ross Womack) and the 60 other people who make this happen every year.
- To all our donors including the 900+ members and donors who keep the lights on, and this wonderful operation running.
- To all our friends in high (and low) places who make sure we are invited into conversations about creating safe streets
I love you all. Thanks for being on our Yay Bikes! team. We are making magic happen and I am grateful.
February 2016 activity report
Bexley considers bikeways, with a presentation by Mayor Ben Kessler. Photo credit: Catherine Girves
Welcome to the monthly feature in which we round up all our events, earned media, program delivery, meetings and speaking engagements for the month. Representation and outreach like this is what you fund with your membership dollars and major gifts, folks! Behold, February:
February 2
"Inspired to Ride" film screening at Drexel East
February 3
Attended the City of Bexley's Broad Street Streetscaping Design Meeting
Meeting with Emily Monnig of Paradise Garage regarding the Pinchflat Poster Show
Meeting with Caitlin Harley of the Ohio Department of Health to discuss mode shift strategies for the statewide active transportation plan
February 5
Meeting with Ryan Edwards of United Way of Central Ohio to discuss ways to improve transportation options for low-income residents
February 7
Year of Yay! route vetting ride
February 8
Meeting with Bill Gordon of Columbus Outdoor Pursuits regarding Bike Hub and Ride of Silence
Regular meeting of the CoGo Bike Share Stakeholder Group
Ride of Silence planning meeting
February 11
Bike the Cbus planning meeting
Meeting of the City of Columbus' Green Team
Phone call regarding year-round riding with Winter Bike Congress speaker and Yay Bikes! member Juana Sandoval
February 13
Year of Yay! ride with "Some like it HOT" theme, featuring stops at L.L.Bean and REI
February 14
Columbus Dispatch: "Repaving to clog 2 Downtown Columbus arteries this spring"
February 15
Yay Bikes! board meeting
February 16
Meeting of the Ohio Active Transportation Plan Group, with Ride Buddy presentation by Catherine Girves
February 17
Bike corral demo with redesign team
Attended City of Bexley's Broad Street Streetscaping Design Meeting
General (public) meeting of the Downtown Residents Association of Columbus, on which Catherine serves
February 18
Meeting with Tour de Brew regarding possible partnership
February 25
Meeting with Andrew Campbell of the Columbus Metropolitan Club regarding a panel on biking for transportation
Attended the Broad Street Public Improvements Workshop
February 29
Yay Bikes! board strategic planning meeting
'Some like it HOT!' ride recap
February's theme of "SOME LIKE IT HOT!" was, ironically (but not really, because of course the whole point was that Feb is NOT HOT), altered at the last minute due to particularly FRIGID conditions. Though the stops changed and the 11-mile route was cut to 2, a hardy group of 22 enjoyed a sunny ride, cash bombed several stores and celebrated the day in style. Yay Bikes! thanks Ride Leader Jen Cowley for her work to create a great experience for everyone. Thanks, as well, to the 10 people who came an hour early to re-vet the route after it changed!
Stealth style a la Deanne (a committed fair-weather cyclist who joined us in spite of herself!), Kathleen & Sarah. Photo credit: Kathleen O'Dowd
Everyone was bundled up tight for the first leg of our journey on the outskirts of Easton Town Center! The plan was to visit some places where we could learn about staying HOT(ish, aka 'warm') during our winter rides.
Ride Leader Jen Cowley (in the saucy teal helmet) with a pack of intrepid cyclists. Photo credit: Kathleen O'Dowd
First stop: L.L.Bean, where we were greeted with fresh HOT (temperature!) coffee and all the scoop on HOT (sexy!) wool skivvies, and all sorts of other base layer options. After the wonderful presentation we wandered the store, finishing our coffee and SHOPPING! Bonus—the marketing guy saw all our bikes leaned on the front of the store and realized that the store had no bike racks. "We should have bike racks!". Changing minds and hearts one cash bomb at a time.
Our group takes in a presentation on base layers at L.L.Bean. Photo credit: Catherine Girves
Second stop: REI, where Jamie Young (our REI SAG friend from Bike the Cbus+) taught us all about keeping our extremities toasty warm, while REI Outreach Market Coordinator passed out coupons and chapstick.
Our group cash bombs the crap out of REI. Photo credit: Catherine Girves
Final stop: back to Whole Foods Market, where the crew had complimentary HOT chocolate awaiting us. We kinda took over the place, didn't we?! It was the perfect way to cap off the morning and continue our conversations about riding in winter weather.
Toasting another fabulous adventure. Photo credit: Catherine Girves
We're so proud of everyone who braved the anti-HOT (aka, COLD) to come out for this ride. It wasn't what we expected but we made a damn fine time of it! See you next month! Until then, check out this short audio profile of the ride from Darrell McGrath:
Sharrows have their place
3D concepts of shared lane markings. Source: NACTO's Urban Bikeways Design Guide
These days, sharrows can’t get no respect. And cyclists who have been grumbling about them for years have some new ammo in a recently published research study, which concludes that sharrows are relatively ineffective at encouraging bicycling and keeping cyclists safe. But are they really “the dregs of bike infrastructure—the scraps cities hand out when they can’t muster the will to implement exclusive space for bicycling”? Because wow! That’s… something…! So let’s take a closer look at what sharrows are, interrogate the hate and come to some sort of reasoned understanding of their place (or not) in a traffic engineer’s bag of tricks. First:
What (the heck!?) are sharrows?
To fanfare from bicycle advocates nationwide, the FHWA added Shared Lane Markings (aka “Sharrows”, or “share the road + arrows”) to its 2009 edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devises (MUTCD). By providing specific guidance regarding these markings, sharrows became a legit option for traffic engineers seeking to design roadways more accommodating of cyclists—particularly where there was no space for separated infrastructure. The use of sharrows soon exploded in cities throughout the United States; Columbus received its first sharrow on High Street near OSU in May 2010. There are now approximately 81 miles of sharrows in the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission's Metropolitan Planning Organization area.
The unveiling of Columbus' first sharrow, in 2010. Source: ColumbusUnderground.com
According to the MUTCD, sharrows are intended to:
“A Assist bicyclists with lateral positioning in a shared lane with on-street parallel parking in order to reduce the chance of a bicyclist’s impacting the open door of a parked vehicle,
B Assist bicyclists with lateral positioning in lanes that are too narrow for a motor vehicle and a bicycle to travel side by side within the same traffic lane,
C Alert road users of the lateral location bicyclists are likely to occupy within the traveled way,
D Encourage safe passing of bicyclists by motorists, and
E Reduce the incidence of wrong-way bicycling.”
NACTO's Urban Bikeway Design Guide provides a more in-depth take on sharrows and how they are to be used.
Sharrow hate: what’s up with that?
Point taken: a cyclist who clearly does not understand what that sharrow is for (i.e., to help him position himself correctly in the lane). Source: dispatch.com.
Six years on, some very vocal cyclists nationwide are disgusted by the sharrow (like, seriously). Complaints include that no one seems to know what they mean, that they've often been poorly placed, that they offer no real protection from cars, that they may suggest to drivers that roads without them aren't meant for cyclists, that they seduce inexperienced cyclists onto roads too challenging for them... in a nutshell: sharrows suck because they're not protected bike lanes. And further: government officials suck because they wuss out and install sharrows instead of protected bike lanes.
A place for sharrows?
The sharrow, or “Shared Lane Marking”, as defined in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
We at Yay Bikes! tend to go all side-eyed on anything that smacks of a we-should-have-protected-bike-lanes-from-my-doorstep-to-infinity argument. Because seriously guys—we're bright-eyed dreamers as much as anyone, but it's NOT HAPPENING and probably shouldn't. Still, is it responsible for a bicycle advocacy organization to bless sharrows? Or, given the critiques above, should we always hold out for more?
The research on sharrows is not so bleak as the new study would suggest. Sharrows have been found to reduce the incidence of sidewalk riding, encourage cyclists to ride in the proper lane position, increase the distance between cyclists and parked cars, encourage safe passing and reduce the incidence of wrong-way riding (click the link and scroll to Shared Lane Marking Benefits for research supporting these findings). The impact isn't as significant as it is with bike lanes, but it's not nothing either. Certainly sharrows aren't more dangerous than nothing at all!
In the study referenced above, called "Relative (In)Effectiveness of Bicycle Sharrows on Ridership and Safety Outcomes", researchers Nick Ferenchak and Wesley Marshall of the University of Colorado Denver compared rates of bike commuting and cycling injuries within census blocks in Chicago before and after bike lanes and sharrows were added, as well as blocks where nothing was done to the streets. What they found was that: 1) rates of bike commuting increased more than 109% on streets with bike lanes, 43% on streets with no change and just 27% on streets with sharrows, and that 2) rates of cycling injury decreased 42% on streets with bike lanes, 37% on streets with no change and 20% on streets with sharrows. They conclude: "It is imperative that the appropriate infrastructure and treatments are in place to ensure the safety of all users on our roadways, and it may be that sharrows do not have a role to play in this pursuit." Yikes!
But again—are sharrows really worse than nothing?!?! Doubtful. The study authors reveal assumptions that should give us serious pause. In particular, because their analysis takes place on the census block group level, they admit that they can’t account for how much infrastructure was installed, or where (i.e., was it on one corridor or throughout?). In fact, we have no information about the types of streets under consideration or the extent of the accommodations. It stands to reason that if lots of very busy streets with high rates of crashes get bike lanes, there will be a more dramatic decrease in injuries than there would be on slower streets that receive sharrows. Further, the authors admit that the presence of bicycle commuters living in a census group does not translate to bicycle exposure (i.e., how often these bicycle commuters actually ride the roads, or where). We don't know the actual number of cyclists who were riding on these streets during the timeframe for analysis. At all. Which would seem to be a critical detail if you're seeking the overall rate of cycling, yeah?! So, not to knock the study altogether, but unless we see something rather more convincing...
Our bottom line re: sharrows
You can count on Yay Bikes! to advocate context sensitive solutions that make the best of the roads we've got today, always with an eye towards making them better tomorrow. And we strongly believe that, while sharrows aren't perfect (what bike infrastructure is?), they have an important role to play in (literally and figuratively) moving us from here to there. So where it makes sense, we will bless them, yes, and absolve traffic engineers who decide they're the best possible option given the constraints at hand. Because sometimes they really are the best possible solution for a particular roadway—like when they're placed in the center of lanes too narrow to share or accommodate bike lanes. Of course, regardless of whether it’s sharrows or protected lanes or something else, we advocates must help engineers ensure it is carefully installed. And we must help both cyclists and motorists understand a cyclist's proper lane position relative to the new road design. This is what Yay Bikes! promises to do, with your help.
With a little help from a friend: Ride Buddy program outcomes
Ride Buddies was a pilot program to help residents and employees in Downtown Columbus replace their work-related car trips with bike trips—and become hardcore badasses in the process.
“I’m so glad I had the option to have this experience … I know it’s something a lot of people desire but don’t have the option to do. Surely, they are missing out ...”
In summer 2015, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) contracted with Yay Bikes! to implement a Downtown Modal Shift Pilot Program aimed at helping downtown-area residents and employees replace work-related car trips with bicycle trips. The program, which became known as "Ride Buddies", offered our targeted employers information sessions, custom promotional content and topical online content to help them promote bicycling. It offered custom rides—either a to/from work commute, CoGo tour or professional development experience—to any individual or small group exploring the possibility of bike commuting. These featured the following:
- An expert Ride Buddy to lead the ride, impart road rules and answer questions
- At least one route planned specifically by the Ride Buddy, based on a participant's origination/destination and vice versa, as well as their concerns, goals and preferences
- Information about how to link bike riding with other modes to make an active commute more manageable (e.g., Park & Pedal locations and COTA buses)
- Advice regarding equipment and gear, and other bike commuting basics
- Follow up communications with resources relevant to participants' stated interests
In total, 76 people took advantage of the Ride Buddies program. During the 2-month pilot, we conducted 44 rides—30 with individuals and 14 with small groups. Of those:
- 17 people rode ‘real’ and 7 rode practice commutes to and/or from work
- 19 people rode from work to a lunch or meeting site
- 23 people had professional development experiences organized by a supervisor
- 10 people rode non-work trips (e.g., to explore a neighborhood or shop for a bike)
A crew from Columbus State Community College explore their Near East Side neighborhood!
“It was altogether 1000 times better than I thought it would be.
I conquered a fear and feel more comfortable.”
The Ride Buddies pilot was rigorously evaluated using the following tools:
- Employer baseline survey—We sent an extensive pre-intervention survey about bike commuting attitudes and habits to employees of 10 Downtown-area employers, and received a statistically valid responses from each. Our post-intervention survey was abandoned when it became clear our impact would be less tied to specific employers than expected.
- Employer inventories—We conducted four interviews with Downtown-area employers regarding their support for bicycle commuting, and completed reports for each. Two employers were inspired by this process to apply for League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly Business program. One employer received that recognition and the other's application is pending.
- Pre-ride surveys: 88.2% of riders completed a survey about their experience riding a bicycle for transportation as part of their online ride registration process.
- Immediate post-ride surveys: 80.3% of riders completed a survey about their experience upon following a link in an email sent shortly following their ride.
- 6-week post-ride follow up surveys: 57.9% of riders completed a survey about their post-ride behavior upon following a link in an email sent several weeks following their ride.
Riding with a Buddy can be what makes all the difference.
“I’ve been wanting to start riding, but have been nervous about not knowing what the hell I’m doing. I’m very grateful for this opportunity!”
Here's what we learned about the motivations of those who participated in our Ride Buddies program:
- People want to ride but feel scared and confused.
When asked about the barriers preventing registrants from riding a bicycle for work-related trips, 50.8% of registrants cited safety concerns and 28.8% cited not knowing how to ride in traffic. - A free Ride Buddy can be the catalyst that helps people make a change.
When asked why they chose this moment to learn more about riding a bicycle for work-related trips, 59.3% of registrants said because they were offered a free Ride Buddy to help them take it on (followed distantly by 27.1% who said they’d recently committed themselves to a lifestyle overhaul). - Relationships, not mass media, generated participation; workplace champions are critical allies in this work.
Fully 63.2% of participants were invited by a co-worker, while 25.0% were invited by someone they knew from Yay Bikes!
A workplace champion at Ohio Board of Regents scheduled several rides for coworkers, and caused a significant shift in office culture as a result.
“Commuting is a habit that I do easily by bike. Errands, however, I do not habitually do by bike and I realize there are some I can conveniently accomplish by pedaling.”
Here's what we learned about Ride Buddies' impact on mode shift:
- A Ride Buddies experience helps people replace car trips with bike trips.
Immediately post-ride, a majority of participants (68.9%) said they were "Very likely" to repeat their ride or a similar journey on their own. More than half of those who responded to the six-week followup survey (52.3%) actually had replaced at least one car trip with a bike trip—and, of those, 96% replaced more than one. Nearly everyone who replaced a car trip with a bike trip (91.3%) felt "Completely!" or almost completely prepared for what they encountered.
Riding to several bike shops helped one participant overcome her two major hurdles to riding: not knowing the road rules and not having a bike!
“Being confident about taking space in the lane has made me feel safer than I did when I rode way over on the right.”
Here's what we learned about Ride Buddies' impact on participants' bicycling knowledge and practice:
- The Ride Buddies experience significantly changes how participants ride.
Six weeks post-ride, 82.0% of participants said Ride Buddies had "Completely!" or almost completely influenced how they rode a bike, with the key changes being that they don't ride as far to the right (68.2%) and they are more likely to take the lane than before (61.4%). - The Ride Buddies experience significantly improves a key indicator of participants' bike knowledge.
When asked to say whether the statement "Bicyclists can always choose to ride in the center of a lane, regardless of traffic conditions.” is true or false, 79.5% of Ride Buddy participants correctly said true, as opposed to 36.1% of the non-participants from our employer baseline survey.
Bricker and Eckler employees rode in from the new Park & Pedal location at Dodge Park.
“The following weeks people approached me to say that they saw me riding and were impressed by my confidence on the road, and that they would like to experience the same thing. Their comments opened the door to me talking to them about bike riding and its advantages.”
Here's what we learned about Ride Buddies' viral impact:
- The impact of a Ride Buddies experience extends far beyond participants.
Almost all Ride Buddy participants (95.5%) shared what they learned with others—on average each shared with 3–5 others! Specifically, they shared about proper lane positioning (69.0%), how the experience was different than expected (66.7%), how it made them feel (61.9%) and bicycle traffic law (59.5%).
COTA and Ride Buddies: a Dream Team if we ever saw one!
So what's the bottom line here? We think it's that significant mode shift can occur via meaningful interactions lasting just two hours or less. With the key here being "meaningful interactions"! It's not enough to throw up a billboard or hand out brochures. If we want to create real change in how people get from here to there, it will require a sufficient investment in people that they feel supported in adopting a new, more active way of life. Because it's hard to undertake all that much change all by yourself, and sometimes you just need a little help from a friend (or, uh, make that a Buddy! ;)!
The Ride Buddy program is not currently being offered; we are seeking funding to offer it in the future, and will promote that opportunity when it becomes available.
Contact Meredith to request additional data from this pilot.
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