Bike to Work Day 2015

bike to work trophy

Between Mayor Coleman and Stinger riding alongside our group of 50ish cyclists, this year's Bike to Work Day was kind of a hoot. We again hosted two routes, one starting at Whole Foods Market in Upper Arlington to meet up with the other, which launched from Goodale Park. Combined we rode into Downtown, where we converged on Columbus Commons with other groups of cyclists riding in from all over town. A big party, some free food and beverage, several speakers and a rain shower later, and we were all ready to ride on in to work. Tada! Until next year, friends!

Big thanks to REI for providing all our riders with some chapstick, a water bottle and an REI coupon! Maybe, just maybe (ahem...) that had something to do with our smash success...

Check it out in the Dispatchor on our Facebook pagephotos!

'Up & coming neighborhoods' ride recap

Crossing the bridge into Franklinton. Photo credit: Keith Lugs

It's 10:00am on April 11, 2015. There are 80+ bicyclists outside of Whole Foods ready for 3 stops and 1 mission: to tour the up and coming neighborhoods of Columbus.

April’s Year of Yay Ride was a collaboration between Yay Bikes! and CRPSA, the City and Regional Planning Association at Ohio State University. Devin and Will, both board members of CRPSA, created, tested, and coordinated the stops and 18 mile route. After a brief safety message and notes about upcoming Yay Bikes! events from executive director Catherine Girves we were off!

The route to stop number one took the group through Upper Arlington and Grandview. On the way, the group spotted signs of construction at the new Grandview Yard development and took a test ride on the Goodale Street Olentangy Multi-use Trail Access Ramp. The route progressed as planned until the group exited the Olentangy Trail and headed into Franklinton. A road closure near the intersection of Souder Avenue and McKinley Avenue forced the 80+ Year of Yay-ers to a detour on a nearby trail.

At the eastern side of COSI, the group took a quick stop for a group weigh-in on the outdoor giant scale. Our 14,000+ lb total weight confirmed what we already knew – it’s time for everyone to invest in a lighter weight bicycle…or maybe time to ride! We headed west to the Columbus Idea Foundry, the ride’s first stop. Alex Bandar, Founder & CEO, greeted us and provided a brief tour that included a stop in the Foundry’s new upstairs presentation space. Members of the Idea Foundry have 24/7 access to the facilities, which include metal working equipment, 3D printers, and other tools to create almost anything.

On the way to Stop #2, the group pedaled through East Franklinton, one of the major up-and-coming neighborhoods in Columbus. In 2012, the Columbus City Council adopted a new plan for the area that forecasts and plans for 4,000 new residential units and over 500,000 square feet of arts, retail, office, and incubator space over the next 20 years. After crossing the Main Street Bridge, the group continued east through downtown into Olde Town East, the second up and coming neighborhood in Columbus.

Central Community House was our second stop. The organization’s mission is to provide a source of support and a community center for families in the Olde Town East neighborhood. The group was able to tour the facilities with Jackie Calderone, a member of the Central Community House leadership team and director of the Transit Arts program. Chloe Green, the president of CRPSA, spoke about her personal work with the Transit Arts program and its impact on teenage students in the area. Area students can also join other after-school programs and take classes about topics that range from public speaking to spoken word performance.

The route took the group west down Bryden Road and past the new Columbus Museum of Art expansion, which will nearly double the museum’s exhibit space. Passing under the Columbus College of Art and Design’s ART sculpture, the group continued down Gay and Front Street, passing by numerous construction sites on the way.

The third stop of Year of Yay! April 2015 was Ohio State University’s north campus residential project. In conjunction with the OSU Second-year Transformational Experience Program (STEP), the OSU north campus will see the net addition of 3,200 bed spaces, 11 new buildings, and 2 new dining facilities. Jennifer Evans-Cowley, OSU professor and Vice Provost for Capital Planning and Regional Campuses, provided a presentation on the details of the project – scheduled for completion in Autumn 2016.

Back at Whole Foods, the group rejoiced in a great ride full of optimistic thoughts for the summer season of bicycling. Will Yay Bikes! collectively reach our end-of-year weight loss goals? Surely a beautiful summer of Year of Yay! rides will begin to have an impact on our upcoming end of the season weigh in! See you in May for another great ride. Yay Bikes! (article written by Will Hughen)

Yay Bikes! augments annual "Put a Lid on It" program with safety training

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y9wUh8By9c[/embed] In this video featuring ODOT Director Jerry Wray's helmet program endorsement, Catherine Girves and Yay Bikes! member Talon Hendricks model how to fit a helmet. Regarding helmets, Talon says: "It's safe. It helps you because if you're not wearing a helmet, this part of your head is not covered with a shell so you hit your head".

On April 9, 2015, Yay Bikes! joined the Ohio Department of Transportation and the American Academy of Pediatrics, Ohio Chapter to train the ~40 youth program coordinators from across the state who had received grants of free helmets to distribute within their communities. The training covered basic parking lot drills the coordinators could use to help kids practice their bike handling skills, and a presentation identifying three primary causes of kids' bicycle crashes.

• Read more about the event and the helmet giveaway!
• Download the document (pdf) summarizing our presentation!
• Link to free online resources for youth bicycle safety!
• Check out the original safety video we developed for the training!

We appreciate ODOT for funding our participation in this exciting project.

"The Risks of Riding Right"

ODOT funded and Yay Bikes! developed this original safety video for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Ohio Chapter's annual "Put a Lid on It" campaign, in association with their Bicycle Helmet Safety Awareness Week (May 2–10, 2015). It  was used to train youth programming coordinators statewide who had received a grant of free helmets from the Ohio AAP Foundation about insidious cycling safety risks.

To our knowledge, this is the only bicycle safety video that captures near-crashes from both the motorist's and the cyclist's point of view. Pay particular attention to how limited the motorist's field of vision is!

(Bonus points to anyone who can tell us where the video's catch phrase comes from!)

Out & About with Yay Bikes! — April 2015

Welcome to the monthly feature in which we round up all our events, earned media, program delivery, meetings and speaking engagements for the month. Behold, April:

Apr 1 = Open Houses for Connect Columbus

Apr 2 = Open House for Connect Columbus

Apr 2 =Infrastructure review ride of Long & Spring with 4 Yay Bikes! members

Apr 5 = Infrastructure review rideof Long & Spring with 15 Yay Bikes! members

Apr 8 = Annual Bike Expo @ Battelle

Apr 8 = Sharing "How We Roll" @ Pelotonia's Captains' night

Apr 9 = "Put a Lid on It" program training practitioners statewide about youth bike safety with the Ohio Department of Transportation and the American Academy of Pediatricians, Ohio Chapter

Apr 9 = ODOT News Release: "Ohio children to receive more than 9,000 helmets"

Apr 9 = ODOT video: "Put a Lid on It"

Apr 9 = Planning meeting for Central Ohio's 2015 Ride of Silence

Apr 10 = How We Roll ride for OSU students, faculty & staff

Apr 10 = Infrastructure review rideof Long & Spring with City of Columbus engineers

Apr 11 = Year of Yay! ride with 80 people

Apr 12 = How We Roll ride for OSU students, faculty & staff

Apr 13 = Meeting with Alex Smith of Columbus Public Health

Apr 13 = Big Give announcement

Apr 13–24 = Earn a Bike program delivery @ Great Western Academy

Apr 14 = Tabling at Cardinal Health's Pelotonia kick-off

Apr 14 = Regular meeting of United Way of Central Ohio's Home Impact Council, on which Catherine serves

Apr 15 = Inaugural meeting about curbing bike theft with Bike Snoop

Apr 15 = Board meeting of the Downtown Residents Association of Columbus, on which Catherine serves

Apr 16 = Meeting with Grange Insurance about promoting safe cycling

Apr 16 = Planning meeting for Central Ohio's 2015 Ride of Silence

Apr 16 = Speaking to Prof. Gulsah Akar’s OSU City & Regional Planning class on Nonmotorized Transportation

Apr 17–19 = GiveBackHack

Apr 18 = Pedal Instead @ OSU Spring Game

Apr 20 = Monthly Yay Bikes! board meeting

Apr 21 = Information sessions @ State Auto and Huntington National Bank about bike commuting

Apr 22 = Meeting with Liz Brown, Downtown Development Manager, City of Columbus Economic Development Division

Apr 23 = Meeting with Devin Carothers and Justine Boggs of Team Buckeye

Apr 23 = Public meeting for the COTA NexGen project

Apr 23 = Meeting with Whole Foods regarding Year of Yay! partnership

Apr 23 = Planning meeting for Central Ohio's 2015 Ride of Silence

Apr 25–26 = Training of 4 new How We Roll ride leaders

Apr 25 = Pedal Instead @ Columbus’s Earth Day celebration

Apr 25 = Keynote speech at Roots Camp Ohio on the topic of moving an advocacy agenda forward

Apr 27 = Information sessions @ Bricker & Eckler and Porter Wright about bike commuting

Apr 27 = Charrette for Connect Columbus

Apr 28 = Information sessions @ Huntington National Bank, State Auto and Bricker & Eckler about bike commuting

Apr 28 = Inaugural How We Roll Pelotonia RSI ride

Apr 28 =Yay Bikes! Member Champions night

Apr 29 = Planning meeting for Bike the Cbus

Apr 29 = Charrette for Connect Columbus

Apr 29 = Meeting with Larry Lewellen regarding How We Roll @ OSU

Apr 29 = Regular meeting of Columbus’s Bicycle Working Group, on which Catherine serves

Apr 30 = Planning meeting for Central Ohio's 2015 Ride of Silence

Apr 30 = Charrette for Connect Columbus

"Statewide Effort to Donate 9,300 Bike Helmets to Kids"

Statewide Effort to Donate 9,300 Bike Helmets to Kids

'Underground Railroad' ride recap

By guest writer Shyra Allen, this month's ride co-leader

From gardens, parks and riverbeds, to burial places, beer mills and shops, we’ve got hundreds of places yet to explore, treasures yet to unearth and fascinating facts yet to discover. And whatever the weather, Yay Bikes! will find fabulous ways to make a day with us one to remember. After weeks of preparation we’d begun laying odds on Facebook the night before the ride on how many members would brave the weather. Bright and early—well…10 A.M. on March 14, 2015 with the storm building and the rain beginning to pour down in earnest from the skies over Columbus, while most people leaned back on their pillows and headboards of their beds and watched the fury, we gathered. Forty strong—for us Yay Bikes! members there’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing, so we grabbed our willies, waterproofs and bicycles headed out for some wet weather fun. We were going underground…The Underground Railroad that is. Come rain, shine or snowstorms, setting off from Whole Foods with Yay Bikes! members, weaving our route—leaving the roads of Upper Arlington there is always a sense of warmth, comradeship and an awe-aspiring sense of adventure regarding our pending destinations. Today was no different—even better, we knew that rainy weather meant quieter roads and less chance of cars clogging our way and Maya and I were leading. With every turn of our pedals our smiles widened.

Saddle worn, wet, but in high spirits we arrived at our first stop in retracing The Underground Railroad. It was the Southwick-Good & Fortkamp Funeral Chapel at 3100 North High Street. Our speaker, his voice soft and shrouded in mystery, informed that it was erected in 1838 and called the Clinton Chapel. During the forty-four years it was used as a church, Clinton Chapel had an eventful history. The church served as a regular station of the Underground Railroad. The owner shared that The Underground Railroad was a secret (and sometimes not-so-secret) network of Good Samaritans, community activists, and family members who helped people escape from slavery before the Civil War. They sheltered, shepherded, and protected total strangers who came to them for help. He couldn’t or wouldn’t confirm or deny the role that his family played. He pointed out a darkened hallway. We peered in awe. He spoke of some suppositions…and then we all began to imagine this scenario today. Total strangers come to our house, seek food, shelter, and help moving to another sanctuary—and helping them is illegal. If caught, we could be fined thousands of dollars and be sent to prison. How many of us would help someone in such a situation today, no matter how worthy the cause or how destitute they were?

As we headed out for our next destination the rain had stopped, the sun was peeking from behind the clouds, we were warmed up and doing what we do best. Talking, laughing—the environment relaxed, people forming new acquaintances. I think I over heard a recipe exchange! It would have been so easy to bask in it all, but we needed to stay on schedule and there was more fun to be had.

Inhaling that after-the-rain-smell we peddled on. This was perhaps the best way to truly experience the landscape of northeast Columbus—the potholes, the smell of flowers and ripening trees, the sounds of dogs barking, the people and hidden treasures of an awakening street. I was reminded of the words of Ernest Hemingway: “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.”

We made it to our next stop. Maya spoke. Everyone listened as if nothing else were more important in the world. As we mounted and rode toward our next stop that promised an opportunity to eat snacks Yay Bikes! members were very enthused and inspired and it goes to show that bicycling doesn’t always have to be speed and cool outfits. It can also and does connect folks socially and spiritually too.

Up a steep hill and along long stretches of road we traveled toward the Ohio History Center at 800 East 17th Avenue, where Deanne added to her selfie collection and we sat for a short lecture on John Rankin. He was an American Presbyterian minister, educator and abolitionist. Upon moving to Ripley, Ohio (road trip!) in 1822 he became known as one of Ohio's first and most active "conductors" on the Underground Railroad. While I’d looked forward to the lecture it turned out to be an absolute gem!

The impact this leadership role had on this day and on my life will be everlasting. Even in the little moments I felt like I was doing something—from making it to the top of the hill without stopping to our successfully navigating the five-mile stretch of road in twos. As we headed back toward Whole Foods happiness snuck in through doors I didn’t know I’d left open. A good message about not just bicycling to be a bicyclist but to have an impact on people and to be impacted myself.

Out & About with Yay Bikes! — March 2015

catherine tiberi

Welcome to the monthly feature in which we round up all our events, earned media, meetings and speaking engagements for the month. Behold, March:

Mar 2 = Regular meeting of MORPC's Community Advisory Council, on which Catherine serves

Mar 2 = Getting to know you meeting with Columbus Outdoor Pursuits, Westerville Bicycle Club, Columbus Rides Bikesand COMBO

Mar 3 = Planning meeting for Central Ohio's 2015 Ride of Silence

Mar 4 = Meeting with Scott Ulrich, City of Columbus's new Bicycle Coordinator, Scott Ulrich

Mar 4 = Public meeting for the City of Columbus's proposed Summit/3rd and 4th upgrades

Mar 5 = Regular meeting of the Transportation Committee of Mayor Coleman's Green Team, on which Catherine serves

Mar 6 = Meeting with Alex Smith, Safe Routes to School Coordinator at Columbus Public Health

Mar 8 = Board retreat for Downtown Residents Association of Columbus, on which Catherine serves

Mar 10 = National Women's Bicycling Forum in Washington D.C.

Mar 11 = League of American Bicyclists' National Bike Summit in Washington D.C.

Mar 12 = Meetings with staff for Representatives Pat Tiberi, Steve Stivers and Joyce Beatty in their D.C. offices to advocate for bicycling infrastructure funding and for Vision Zero

Mar 15 = Participation in the Westerville Bicycle Club's Ohio Bike Swap Meet, courtesy members Jeff Gove and Steve Puhl, Jr

Mar 16 = Monthly board meeting for Yay Bikes!

Mar 16 = Presentation to the Westerville Bicycle Club, courtesy member Jeff Bannon

Mar 19 = Regularmeeting of Community Shares of Mid Ohio's Program Services Committee meeting, which Catherine chairs

Mar 20 = Conference call with How We Roll OSU planning team

Mar 23 = Monthly gathering of the Yay Bikes! Member Champions

Mar 25 = Regular meeting of the CoGo Strategy Group

Mar 25 = Regular meeting of Columbus' Bicycle Working Group (formerly the Bicycle Subcommittee of the Transportation & Pedestrian Commission), on which Catherine serves

Mar 25 = Inaugural planning meeting for Bike the Cbus 2015

Mar 26 = Planning meeting for City of Columbus's 2015 Bike to Work Day

Mar 29 =  Planning meeting for Central Ohio's 2015 Ride of Silence

Mar 30 = Regular meeting of MORPC's Community Advisory Council, on which Catherine serves

Mar 31 = Public meeting for Connect Columbus

Yay Bikes! get national shout out

People for Bikes' article "BOSTON, COLUMBUS, DETROIT, INDY, MINNEAPOLIS, HOUSTON, DENVER & SEATTLE ALL UNVEIL PROTECTED LANES" "...Columbus, Ohio said Feb. 2 that a 1.4-mile bidirectional protected lane on Summit near the Ohio State University is "just the beginning" of plans for biking improvements, thanks to advocacy group Yay Bikes and a receptive city staff..."  See what they had to say here.

'Valentine's Day' ride recap

Wheel you be my valentine? The forecast did not answer that question with certainty,  predicting frigid temperatures, snow and 40 mile-per-hour winds. Despite this, the question was answered by an astounding 43 riders who showed up at Whole Foods on February 14, 2015. What they did not know was that the ride leaders, Jennifer Cowley and Kathleen Koechlin, along with other Yay Bikes! members spent the previous week, evening and early morning working to determine the best course for a safe, successful and fun ride, given the weather. At 10 am, the weather was mild and promising and after announcements by our fearless Yay Bikes! Executive Director, Catherine Girves, and an explanation of the ride by Jennifer Cowley, we headed out towards The Ohio State University (OSU). We wove through the streets of Upper Arlington to pick up a trail off of Guilford and North Star that led us to campus and the OSU Ornamental Pant Germplasm Center.

Dr. Pablo Jourdan met us there to share his passion for the genetic diversity of floriculture. The best explanation of what is done here is on the Center’s website which states, “Our mission is to conserve genetically-diverse herbaceous plant germplasm and associated information, conduct germplasm-related research, and encourage the use of germplasm and associated information for research, crop improvement and product development. Our goals are to acquire, document, maintain, characterize and distribute herbaceous ornamental genetic resources and associated information for conservation, and to enhance scientific research as well as the floriculture and nursery industry.” Dr. Jourdan also gave us a tour the greenhouses. It was interesting, educational, warm experience and offered our first gift of Valentine’s Day…..flowers!

While the weather was holding we decided to continue towards our second stop. We rode through campus, via Hunter Ave and through Victorian Village where Third Ave took us east to the Short North, and The Garden. After all, why not lingerie on Valentine’s Day? The Garden is an adult emporium with two levels. The first floor features shoes, boots, stockings, lingerie and costumes. For those seeking a more adult Valentine adventure, the basement level had everything you could need. It was all presented in a respectful way. The staff was friendly and informative, and the atmosphere was comfortable and inviting. 

Leaving The Garden was where the true adventure began. Snow began to fall with enthusiasm, and visibility diminished. We found ourselves in a serious white out! We decided to skip our 3rd stop, the chocolate shop (not to worry...there was chocolate later...stay tuned), so onward to our 4th stop, which was on the way back to Whole Foods. This part of the ride was amazing in so many ways. The snow was coming down in big, beautiful flakes and the gusting, 40 mph westerly blew the snow sideways fogging our glasses and goggles. A number of riders had never ridden in these conditions before, so there was a feeling of uncertainty along with exhilaration and pride. It served to remind us of the hardships those who have no other form of transportation endure. Caution was exercised and we looked out for one another. As John PC later wrote, “What's interesting to me is that during the worst of the storm, everyone was going about the same speed due to visibility and the condition of the road. For those few minutes, I felt safer and less worried about being rear-ended than I did during other parts of the ride.”

We soon arrived in intact at Weidinger Jewelers and the French Loaf on Grandview's  Fifth Ave. Weidinger Jewelers is the shop of William A. Weidinger, who has designed and created original jewelry for over 40 years. His shop has 24 showcases highlighting his designs with platinum, gold, and gemstones. There were beautiful gifts for a well healed Valentine! While some riders perused the many elegant jewelry pieces on display, others went into the neighboring French Loaf to warm up with hot coffee. Some refueled with delicious baked goods, some of which were Valentine themed! We returned outside to find our bikes covered in new snow, and the visibility and the road conditions were getting even more bleak. The wind had picked up, and at times was a challenge to stay upright! Again the route was altered as we moved off 5th Ave as soon as possible. We chose to head north on the lesser traveled North Star and wound back through Upper Arlington. No riders were left behind. In fact, even more camaraderie was displayed during this last leg. The cross wind was relentless and a couple of first-time Year of Yay! riders chose to walk their bicycles. Several seasoned Year of Yay! riders dismounted and walked alongside them to be assure they felt comfortable and made it back safely.

Back at Whole Foods, we became prideful. Many of us had successfully negotiated our first snowstorm, but the day still promised surprise. Because the forecast was so uncertain and stops might have to be abandoned, the leaders provided a drawing for items representing each stop. There was chocolate for all (Dove dark chocolate hearts wrapped in red wrappers) and names were drawn for items representing The Garden and Weidinger Jewelers. These token items made for a lot of laughter and fun. Many stayed to enjoy a cold beverage or two and a meal. The bond had been set as we all felt stronger for having weathered the weather through a significant storm together. In fact, there are aspects of this ride that will forever connect us—suffice it to say that sometimes what happens on Year of Yay! stays on Year of Yay!. Jeff Gove summed the ride up perfectly in his post. “For me, Saturday's ride was a tribute to everyone's common sense, concern for their own safety and those around them, awareness of weather conditions and all vehicles, etc. The fact that it sprang up on everyone and we banded together so well and so naturally proves that motorists and cyclists can co-exist, should co-exist and need to for the health of our community.” It was a total winter blast.

Earn a Bike 3.0 @ Great Western Academy

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With generous funding from the Coca Cola Foundation through the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's Ohio regional office, this spring we're partnering with Imagine Schools Great Western Academy to deliver our third round of our Earn a Bike programming to 20 youth. During the program, kids will participate in 8 hours of mechanical education and 8 hours of safe cycling education, plus complete a bicycle-related community service project. If they complete the program, they'll take home a new bike, plus a helmet, lock and other accessories.

Final report from 2014:

Yay Bikes! and Franklinton Cycle Works partnered with Gladden Community House on the city’s West Side to offer their youth a 2-week Earn a Bike program. During the program’s first week, participants learned basic bicycle mechanics and maintenance over 8 hours at Franklinton Cycle Works; in the second week they rode for 8 hours with Yay Bikes! to learn trail and road safety. On the final day of the program they shared what they’d learned with their peers by staffing a bike rodeo at Avondale Middle School. Ten children aged 8–14 began the program and 9 (3 girls and 6 boys) completed it to earn their bicycles and accessories. 

Week 1: Bicycle Mechanics

The mechanical portion of the program was designed to empower students to maintain their own bicycles and handle basic fixes, and to help them effectively communicate more complicated issues to bike mechanics as necessary. On the program’s first day, students learned how wheels and tires work, and the appropriate vocabulary for each component. They also had hands-on experience changing both a front and rear tire and patching an inner tube. The second day featured a discussion and demonstration of a bicycle’s braking system, with hands-on experience adjusting brakes. On the third day, the group learned about a bicycle’s drivetrain and components, then evaluated and cleaned chains and adjusted derailleurs. On the final day, students did a thorough safety check of their own new bicycle.

Week 2: Cycling Safety

The safety education portion of the program was designed to empower students to access key local destinations using trails and roads by riding their bicycles responsibly, in visible and predictable fashion. The first two days were spent fitting the kids for helmets (and letting them decorate them with stickers — a huge success), riding low-traffic neighborhood roads to let the kids show off where they lived and reinforcing appropriate bicycling and group riding behavior. A spill by one of the kids even allowed for a teachable moment about the importance of wearing a helmet! As their confidence levels increased and behavior stabilized, instructors led the kids to nearby destinations of interest — including COSI, the Audubon Center and Whittier Peninsula, Dodge Park, Bicentennial Park, Franklinton Community Gardens and Franklinton Library — where they experienced guided tours, summer fun and service opportunities. Each kid had the opportunity to lead the group, with an instructor’s support. By the end of the week, kids were consistently maintaining a straight line, signaling to turn and checking behind them to merge.

Grand Finale: Bike Olympics

The service component of the program was designed to provide students an outlet for sharing what they learned with peers and giving back to the community in a bicycle-specific way. For their service day, students hosted a “Bike Olympics” for fellow neighborhood kids at Avondale Middle School. They recruited kids to come; set up activities, including several races and relays; and manned a bike repair stand. Everyone had a great time!

Buckeye News Now covers new bike lanes in CBus

This Lantern TV news story gives air time to  the planned cycling improvements on Summit and 4th streets.  The segment starts at the 5:32 minute mark and runs through 7:27.  Check it out here.

Out & About with Yay Bikes! : February 2015

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Welcome to the monthly feature in which we round up all our events, earned media, meetings and speaking engagements for the month. Behold, February:

Feb 2 = Columbus Underground article: "Protected Bike Lane on Summit Just the Beginning, Says City & Cycling Advocacy"

Feb 2 = Columbus Dispatch article: "Transportation Insider: New markings to guide 4th Street cyclists"

Feb 3 & 25 = Yay Bikes!Member Champions Night (link to March's event)

Feb 5 = Annual Meeting of WTS Columbus (Women's Transportation Seminar)

Feb 12 = Regular meeting of Mayor Coleman's Green Team, on which Catherine serves

Feb 12 = Meeting of the CoGo Planning Team, on which Catherine serves, to strategize with the new Motivate CEO, Jay Walder

Feb 12 = Buckeye News Now video: "Bike lanes to be added off campus" (story @ 5:31–7:29)

Feb 13 = Meeting with Julie Walcoff of ODOT to plan for the National Safe Routes to School Conference in 2016 and other potential partnerships

Feb 16 = Meeting with Stuart Hunter, founder of roll:, to discuss Business Membership

Feb 18 = Regular board meeting of Downtown Residents Association of Columbus, at which Catherine was elected to the Board of Directors

Feb 20 = Meeting of City of Columbus engineers and project consultants to discuss proposed changes to 3rd/Summit & 4th Street designs

Feb 22 = Inaugural planning meeting for 2015's Ride of Silence

Feb 25 = Inaugural meeting of the Bike to Work Day Planning Group, on which Catherine & Meredith serve

Feb 25 = Regular meeting of the Bicycle Subcommittee of the Transportation & Pedestrian Commission, on which Catherine serves

Feb 26 = Meeting with Abby Rhodebeck, Outdoor Programs and Outreach Market Coordinator for REI to discuss Bike the Cbus sponsorship

Feb 27 = People for Bikes blog post: "Boston, Columbus, Detroit, Indy, Minneapolis, Houston, Denver & Seattle all Unveil Protected Lanes"

Riding north on 4th Street, and approaching I 670? We have good news for you!

"Drivers and bicyclists who use 4th Street leaving Downtown likely are familiar with what some have called a head-scratching conflict point for commuters. "Just before the entrance ramp for westbound I-670 on the left of the street, the dedicated bike lane crosses a lane of vehicle traffic that is merging left to enter the ramp.

"Both lanes are set up for continuous flow, and there is no clear instruction on which lane should yield. Yay Bikes Executive Director Catherine Girves calls it the “teleport zone. The city, though, is planning a fix"...Get it here!

Everything you should know about the changes being proposed on Summit and 4th Streets.

bike-lanes-is

Columbus Underground reports: "A protected bike lane is planned for a 1.4-mile portion of Summit Street in the University District. The new lane will be ten feet wide and will run from Hudson Street to 11th Avenue, providing both north- and south-bound travel lanes that are separated from car traffic by a two-foot buffer and an eight-foot parking lane. "South of 11th, a single, unprotected bike lane will continue through Weinland Park, Italian Village, and Downtown (on Third Street). A similar, unprotected, bike lane would be added to Fourth Street, from Hudson to the southern edge of Downtown."

"Other new bike infrastructure – “bus bulbs” that provide bus boarding areas that don’t conflict with bike-lane traffic, “queue boxes” that make it easier for cyclists to turn left on busy streets, and a new strategy for getting cyclists safely past cars merging onto freeway ramps – will also be part of the project..."    - Read more here.

Winning at bicycle infrastructure: The true story of how a dream team, a touch of magic and Yay Bikes!’ special sauce made Columbus’s first protected bike lane happen

By now the news has been shared far and wide: Columbus’s first protected bike lane will soon be installed from Hudson to 11^th in the University District! Read the details here and here to boost your day with some YAY and more YAY! Both articles give a nod to the role Yay Bikes! played in helping nudge this project forward with our infrastructure review process:

 “Original plans called for a conventional bike lane, but the city reconsidered its position after engineers rode with representatives from Yay Bikes, a local advocacy and education group.”—Dispatch article

“The important thing about this, though…was the interactions between the department and Yay Bikes!—this is not engineers in a hermetically sealed room designing a project. Catherine and the folks at Yay Bikes were instrumental in making this what it is.”—Rick Tilton, Assistant Director, City of Columbus Department of Public Service

“I will say this, I like to ride my bike but I’ve always ridden on the trail system—I had never ridden on the street—and Yay Bikes! invited us to go out on a couple of different occasions and actually ride on the street with them. And, before the ride, I thought it was going to be really scary, but it turned out that drivers were very courteous, and it wasn’t frightening at all. You want to pay attention to what you’re doing, but it was just like you were in any other vehicle. At the time of Yay Bikes ride on Summit and Fourth, the protected lane was not a done deal… we were thinking about it, but it was still in the planning stages.”—Richard Ortman, Engineer, City of Columbus

But as much as we’d like to, obviously we can’t take all the credit for the new protected lane. So how do advocacy wins like this actually happen? To the extent that we can take credit for it, we at Yay Bikes! believe our advocacy philosophy played a role that I will detail below. Beyond that, let’s not underestimate the roles that leadership, timing and, frankly, magic play in creating the big advocacy wins that many groups fully claim. For example, at this precise moment in history, as the stars align within the U.S., Ohio and Central Ohio—the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Secretary Fox has issued a Mayor’s Challenge to improve bicycle safety; the Federal Highway Administration is committed like never before to promoting bicycle safety; the Ohio Department of Transportation is making bicycle safety projects, including exciting demonstration projects like this, a priority for the safety funding it distributes; Columbus’s Mayor Michael Coleman often states his intention to make Columbus one of the best bicycling cities in the country; Columbus’ Director of Public Service is investing heavily in a new relationship with us, the local bicycle advocacy organization; and Yay Bikes! is sufficiently successful to provide the level of expertise now in such high demand. Each of these players comprise the “dream team” that made this protected bike lane happen, and they all deserve a big fat standing O for their work.

But returning to how Yay Bikes! conducts the business of bicycle advocacy. As with all things Yay Bikes!, our cooperative advocacy philosophy flows from our core values of Kindness, Excellence & Integrity. Taking the case of this protected lane as an example, the following are our underlying assumptions and how they translate into our advocacy practices.

Assumptions + Practices

Everyone is more accommodating when they are treated with kindness.

We all want safe, functional streets. Even engineers who don’t yet see the value of accommodating bicyclists want streets that work. Our practice is to treat everyone with kindness and to be selective about who we permit to interface directly with project staff. Professionals should be shielded from those who would shame them or make their lives more difficult.

Everyone brings different, valuable expertise to the table.

It is critical that both advocates and professionals work in partnership to design roadways. Advocates (i.e., both paid staff and organization members) bring essential knowledge of road riding, while the project design team brings a wealth of professional expertise and experience. To capture the best of the expertise from both groups, our practices are to 1) lead the design team on a ride of the route to evaluate their proposed changes, 2) open participation in the commentary process to our membership, so that as many voice as possible are heard from and 3) trust the professionals to revise their plans as necessary to address both our concerns and the conditions they experienced on the ride.

Every roadway requires a different treatment.

There is no best type of infrastructure. We do not advocate for protected bike lanes or other such one-size-fits-all solutions. Our roads are all very different, and none were designed for bicycles. Our practice is to actually ride each roadway and work from the designs proposed by knowledgeable engineers to help determine its best possible retrofit.

There is no substitute for actually riding the roads.

We can’t say it enough — it is not sufficient to simply review maps. Because riding a bicycle is not an intellectual exercise, we must ride the roads with those who are charged with designing them so that they can experience it directly. And because these people are often not road riding cyclists, our job as advocates is to help them feel comfortable riding alongside traffic, and alleviate any fears they may have.

Now admittedly, the case of this protected lane featured a healthy dose of magic, in that all the players were on the same page and committed to going above and beyond to serve local cyclists. Advocacy can surely get a lot messier than that. But for the professionals who work with Yay Bikes!, at least a few things can be counted on regardless: you will be treated with kindness and respect, you will have a reasoned partner in determining the best treatment for each unique roadway condition, and you will be expected to get on your bikes. Now let's ride!

Out & About with Yay Bikes! : January 2015

Welcome to our new monthly feature, in which we round up all our events, earned media, meetings and speaking engagements for the month. Behold, January:

Jan 5 = Meeting with Transit Columbus's Elissa Schneider, re: Open Streets and other potential partnerships

Jan 5 = Meeting of MORPC's Community Advisory Committee, on which Catherine serves

Jan 6 = Meeting with Columbus City Council's new Public Service Chair Shannon Hardin, re: introducing him to our work

Jan 7 = Columbus Food League's Yay Bikes! fundraiser @ Grass Skirt Tiki Room

Jan 7 = Meeting with Greater Columbus Art Council's Ruby Harper, re: integrating art and bicycling

Jan 13 = Meeting with ODOT's Julie Walcoff and the Ohio AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) Foundation's Hayley Southworth, re: providing trainings for the 2015 "Put a Lid On It" campaign

Jan 14 = Presentation at Grandview Civic Welfare Club, re: Yay Bikes! programming

Jan 15 = Meeting with Bexley's Mayor Ben Kessler, Council Member Deneese Owen and Service Department Director Bill Dorman, re: serving Bexley's cyclists

Jan 27 = Meeting with City of Columbus Deparment of Public Service Director Tracie Davies & Deputy Director Jennifer Gallagher, re: Multimodal Thoroughfare Plan update and other city bike business

Jan 28 = Meeting of the Bicycle Subcommittee of the Transportation & Pedestrian Commission, on which Catherine serves

Jan 30 = Columbus Dispatch article: "University District to get first protected bike lane in Columbus"

Protected bike lanes in CBus? Who would've thunk it

Today, the Columbus Dispatch reported: "Columbus is getting its first protected bike lane as part of a plan to resurface Summit/3rd and 4th streets and add bike lanes along the heavily traveled corridors.

"Bike lanes will be installed along those routes between Fulton and Hudson streets, with a 1.4-mile section of Summit developed into a two-way, protected bike lane. That section will be between 11th Avenue and Hudson Street in the University District, and shielded by on-street parking.

"Original plans called for a conventional bike lane, but the city reconsidered its position after engineers rode with representatives from Yay Bikes, a local advocacy and education group.

“They’re coming up with really good solutions just because they’re understanding from a different perspective — from the seat of a bicycle,” said Catherine Girves, the organization’s executive director.

"She said the new bike lanes will be useful for both new and experienced bicyclists, who sometimes eschew lanes because it’s more convenient to ride with traffic.

"Adding protected bike lanes near Ohio State University, an area heavily populated with bicyclists, also can act as a model for the rest of the city, Girves said. “As a test site, this is the ideal place,” she said."

Read the entire article here.

'Crafty cyclists' ride recap

10:00 a.m. on a chilly Saturday morning, 54 eager riders were called to attention to hear Rahel Babb talk about the morning's tour, highlighting the craft locations we would be experiencing. Executive director Catherine Girves (in her new, cycling-specific jacket) updated the crowd on the latest Yay Bikes! news. Shortly thereafter, we were enroute to the Ohio Craft Museum. Meandering through central Upper Arlington toward Grandview, we arrived at our destination. There was ample parking, and as always several cyclists remained near our steeds to ensure they'd be there when we returned from this stop. The museum was filled with affordable goodies at a perfect time for last minute Christmas acquisitions. It wasn't long before riders were stashing their booty. Riders without carrying capacity were invited to stow their purchases with those who rode with bags and panniers for the duration of the tour.  

The morning's chill was going to be stayed by a promising warming up at Luck Bros coffee. Steaming specialty coffees and hot cocoa for all. It's amazing how pleasurable enjoying such water solubles can be in company of cycling friends. Onward through the neighborhoods of lower Grandview Heights, through Harrison West, around the circles adjacent to Battelle, and past the OSU Campus area to our friends at Wild Goose Creative, where another group of local craft people were showing/selling their wares via their Crafts Gone Wild Craft Fair. Parking our bikes on the roof of the building was a uniquely elevating experience.

Our final stop was back at Whole Foods. We cruised across High Street through the Buckeye Village family housing neighborhood, past the Jesse Owens Memorial stadium, Bill Davis stadium, and both sections of Chadwick Arboretum. Whole Foods had invited riders to leave coats and hats in the main café, grab a cup of hot cocoa and get a personally escorted store tour (free samples galore). We were shown a number of hand-crafted items available at the store, including locally made soap, baskets, cheese, bakery items, and sausage.

A large numbers of riders stayed on for food, drink and camaraderie. We talked of our ride, our plans and the enjoyment cycling has brought to our lives. Another successful tour of place was offered and had by all.

Big love to 2014's Pedal Instead volunteers!

And, for an old-skool list of names:

Deanne Krillow, Wiley Jackson, Duane McCoy, Maggie Fehling, Will Hughen, Jeff Gove, Bryan Wolfe, Meghan Wolfe, Rahel Babb, Rod Hutton, Elena Mary Costello, Nik Olah, Aimee Knight, Cory Knight, Doug Fisher, Aliceanne Innskeep, Bambo Sanusi, Jill Davis, Rob Hendricks, Gloria Hendricks, Trace Hendricks, Talon Hendricks, Ashley Riekofski, Matt Locke, Brian Meyers, Cartik Kothari, April, Andrew Hulvey, Craig Clark, David Docktor, David Curran, Katie Ervin, Shillelagh O'Knuckles, Craig Kullik, Pamela Gutter, Maria Cantelmo, Matthew Wolf, Mike Kositzke, Ken Cohen, Bharati Jayanthi, Joe George, Mary Rathke, Tim Brown, Jane Boyer,Kyle McCalla, Michel Coconis, Jeremy Collins, Gianna Collins, John McDermott, Anne Bishop, Nate Bishop, Melissa Sjostrom, Michael Coakley, Daniel Desantis, Lee Marxen, John Bannon, Letitia Cetina, William Adams, Janelle Henderson, Mark Carol, John Cresencia, Greg Fisher, Alyssa Shaw, Jillian Manning, Evalyn Cresencia, Will Smelser, Kevin Ralston, Robin Ralston, Danny Peterson, William Whitehead, Cherie Snyder, Brian Jackson, Dave Beckman, Sarah Obergefell, Bill Withers, John Obergefell, Brian Rinehart, Barb Berger, Sarah Butler, Meghan Davis, Joshua Fouasnon, Eric Rush, Sylvia Collard, Stephen Nordlund, Laurie Ashline, Julie Walcoff, Larry Stuckey, Alex Anderson, Matt Raufer, Bill Adams, Adam Porr, William Finley, Julie Mickley, Marie Jarden, Jared Finchum, Yalande Jeffries, Rachel Miller, Sarah Montague, Jodi Whytenberger, Michele Reinhart, Jenelle Henderson, Melissa Tewart-Darwin, Mark Carol, Danny Lemon, Ray George, Phillip Skotich, Phil Weckesser, Eric T, Michelle Rucker, Curt Phoel, Nancy Neimuth, Tola Sanusi, Alex Smith, Kris Anderson, Heidi Anderson, Ra'Sheeda Donaldson, Collin Allen, Kaitlyn Hill, Becky Curran, Rich Salloum, Ben Ko, Joel S, Sarah Mellino, Joe J, Keith Lugs Mayton, Jim Williams, Maya Girves, Peter W, Mairead Reddy, Ric Noland

If we haven't said it enough, well here ya go: THANK YOU!!!