'Food incubators' ride recap

Cyclists sample some delicious OH! Chips during a stop on the ride. Photo credit: Bryan Barr

Already warm, the day started as a typical August morning. Despite the heat, about 70 cyclists were gearing up for the monthly themed ride Year of Yay! has become. Amongst us were children and some Year of Yay Bikes! first-timers. 9 miles later, we arrived at Food Fort. Several food trucks were heading out to start their day as we arrived. Jen Gable, Food Fort Administrator, opened up one of the garage doors allowing us the cool of inside and an opportunity to replenish our water bottles. Jen described how Food Fort and ECDI rent out storage and prep areas for the businesses, as well as providing business loans to get them off the ground. During the kitchen tour, Jesse and Katie of Nellie's Natural Ice Pops were in there readying a batch of popsicles. We would be seeing them and sampling their wares at the last stop!

Onward to our next stop which took us through central city to Franklinton. In a small unassuming building next to Franklinton Gardens, some of the town's tastiest potato chips are born. Brian Thornton, founder/creator of OH! Chips, welcomed us with his traditional pirate flag and bowls of chips for sampling. He walked us through the chip-making process—100 pounds of potatoes comes out to a surprisingly small amount of chips after all is said and done. Also on display was his first fryer—a donut fryer he bought off Craigslist. He had started off at Food Fort with that fryer until demand outstripped his capacity there, necessitating the need for the factory.

The final stretch of the ride was almost entirely on the Scioto Greenway Trail. The shaded portions and forested quiet was a welcome change of pace from the streets. In front of The Commissary, Asian Persuasion Food Truck, one of Columbus' newest trucks, was ready with some delicious Filipino food. Jesse and Katie were back with a cooler full of popsicles in refreshing flavors. Inside, JC's Just Chili had dropped off a tureen of amazing gazpacho for anyone to try.  It was delicious. Karen (filling in for Commissary founder Kate Djupe, who was on a much needed vacation) invited the group to explore the space and explained some of the upcoming events and cooking classes.

Finally the group returned to Whole Foods, where more eating, drinking and good camaraderie took place. It's going to take a couple of rides to work off all that was eaten that day...yet another successful Year of Yay!  Thank you, John.

How advocacy gets done, Yay Bikes!-style

During the past 6 weeks we have led more than 40 transportation planning and design professionals -- via the Connect Columbus project and MORPC-funded professional development rides with Columbus Public Service, MORPC and ODOT employees -- on educational rides throughout the city, in groups of 1 to 5 people You read that right. MORE THAN 40 TRANSPORTATION PROFESSIONALS.

And over and over, we've heard how the experience of riding with us has helped participants reconsider their approach to infrastructure design, as well as how they've been inspired to make these rides standard operating procedure for all transportation professionals, both locally and throughout the state. Here's just a taste of the feedback we received:

"[My favorite part of the ride was]...being able to see the integration between the designs on paper, the cyclist themselves, and the driver interaction and how it all comes together. There are definitely eye opening things when riding out on the streets first hand and I would recommend all designers/operations people experience it to have that background knowledge."

Wow.  See THIS is how infrastructure advocacy is done, folks. One intimate ride at a time, with the teams who determine what is designed and what is funded. Getting professionals out on bikes, making connections between designs on paper and the lived experience of bicycling -- well, it just makes all the difference. So this is what we do at Yay Bikes!. It's why we're unique.

It's also why we ask for your support. Because teaching people well takes something more than a brochure or a video or a list of tips. It takes a thoughtful, meaningful interaction that fosters learning and growth. Which is, admittedly, quite the investment of organizational resource -- but one that we can already see will prove long on returns for Ohio's bicycling community.

Follow the links to read more about our Connect Columbus and ODOT rides.

YB! leads professional development ride with ODOT safety team

ODOT ride

On July 21, 2015, Yay Bikes! ride leaders Catherine Girves and Meredith Joy, along with trusty sweeps Steve Puhl Jr and Julie Walcoff, led a group of 8 Ohio Department of Transportation professionals on a tour of bicycle facilities on Columbus' South and East sides. This group represented the Safety Team, aka the folks determining which safety projects -- including bicycle infrastructure projects -- throughout the state will receive funding. Most of them had ridden trails but not roads, and a couple hadn't ridden a bike since childhood, so this ride proved the first urban riding experience for our group.

Split into 2 groups of 4, the cyclists rode a challenging 10-mile (or 12-mile, if they were in the accidental wrong-way group!) route beginning at the Grange Audubon Center and hitting the following streets: Front, Main, Grant, Town, Parsons, Livingston, Ohio and Champion, Oak, Washington, Gay, Broad, 3rd, Fulton, High and Whittier. Along the way, they got to experience sharrows, bike lanes to nowhere, bike lanes in door zones, unmarked narrow lanes, freeway on- and off-ramps, multi-lane one-ways and more. As well as the overwhelming heat of the day and, of course, the typical sights, smells & sounds that make bicycling so damn lovely. Everyone was heroic! Everyone was also very very hungry when we sat down to share our delicious post-ride meal at El Arepazo.

Here's some of our early feedback from the ride:

What was your favorite part of the ride?

Trying the different bicycle treatments like the sharrows, the bike lanes and bike boulevard to see how each performed.

...being able to see the integration between the designs on paper, the cyclist themselves, and the driver interaction and how it all comes together. There are definitely eye opening things when riding out on the streets first hand and would recommend all designers/operations people to experience it first hand to have that background knowledge.

Stopping periodically to discuss various aspects of the ride. It helped solidify or reinforce important design and riding concepts in my mind.

What did you learn?

I learned there is a huge difference between a good designed bike lane or facility and one that is just thrown in last minute to a project to make it a complete street ... The narrow bike lanes, especially next to parked cars, was a huge eye opener. Also, understanding why the rider must own the lane for their safety was an eye opener on the City streets. Most of my bike riding experience has come on the bike trails or residential streets.

Was there anything different than what you expected?

 I felt way more comfortable riding through downtown and the various other streets than I thought that I would.

It was a lot less scary than I thought it would be.

I didn't expect to feel so comfortable riding downtown streets. I think it helped that we rode as a group with a calm, experienced ride leader.

We at Yay Bikes! are honored to have hosted such a thoughtful group of professionals on this ride, and look forward to more such rides with professionals throughout the state. Thanks to ODOT (and let's not forget MORPC!) for investing in these training opportunities.

'Keeping it cool' ride recap

[Ed note: Special thanks to July's ride leader and special guest blog contributor Kathleen O'Dowd!]

It can be"hot in the city", but we knew how to keep our cool and find ways to stay cool! With around 70 cyclists in tow, we headed out from Whole Foods with confidence that relief from the heat was in sight.

Our first stop was the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center, where we learned that Ohio State is a major player in this field of research. Thanks to Geoff Dipre, PhD student at the center, who helped coordinate our tour. We learned about the ecological stories that ice cores tell, and were very tempted to sneak into the room-sized freezers to cool off! Many of us plan to make a return visit for a more extended tour of the facility, and to see the ice cores first hand. After sharing their research efforts, Geoff and a fellow climate researcher joined in the rest of the Year of Yay ride!

7 miles later, it was time to refresh with a dose of Graeter's Ice Cream. Cyclists were invited to take a self-guided mini-tour, to learn about the Graeter's process for creating their Strawberry Chocolate Chip ice cream, or whatever flavor they care about. . . but who cares about anything but Strawberry Chocolate Chip. . . shrug! Mostof the group chose to simply indulge in some creamy goodness. Thanks to the crew there who stepped up to serve us.

Next stop was Zauber Brewing Co., and a tour with brewer and fellow cyclist Geoff Towne. (Is this the cycling tour of the Geoffs?) Initially opened as a small alley-side growler fill station in 2012, it expanded into a beautiful bar. Bike friendly, there was plenty of room for the almost 70 bikes that invaded the Grandview patio space. We even "lost" a few cyclists at the brewery, after they decided to relax there for a few.

The rest of the Year of Yay crew returned to Whole Foods. We gathered over pizza and Zauber beer on tap, brought to you by Year of Yay! A fun time. . . well, a fun time was had by all. Oh, and we stayed cool!

Out & About with Yay Bikes! — July 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. Representation and outreach like this is what you fund with your membership dollars and major gifts, folks! Behold, July:

July 1

How We Roll Pelotonia ride with reporter Steve Wartenberg

Pedal Instead redesign planning meeting

July 2

Regular meeting of Mayor Coleman’s Green Team, on which Catherine serves

Meeting re: National Night Out with 5th x Northwest Commission Chair Becky Obester

July 4

Doo Dah Parade with "Mellow Max" theme

July 8

Presentation on bicycle commuting for the Rotary Club of Dublin Worthington

Guest at Transit Columbus' Board Meeting

Regular board meeting of the Downtown Residents Association of Columbus, on which Catherine serves

July 10

Pelotonia blog post: "Two Ways to Become a Road Scholar"

Pedal Instead at the Mayor's Twilight Ride

July 11

Year of Yay!with "Cooling It" theme featuring stops at Byrd Polar Research Center, Graeter's Ice Cream and Zauber Brewing Company

July 12

Pedal Instead @ "Bike to the Ballpark", sponsored by Kenda Tires

July 14

How We Roll Pelotonia ride

July 15

WTS Columbus Ice Cream Social networking event

General (public) meeting of the Downtown Residents Association of Columbus, on which Catherine serves

Pedal Instead redesign planning meeting

July 16

Ride Buddy ride with Whitehall City Schools employee

July 17

Connect Columbus ride of NE Columbus with transportation professionals and members of the general public

July 20

Regular monthly board meeting of Yay Bikes!

Meeting with the City of Columbus' Bicycle & Safe Routes to School Coordinators

July 21

Professional development ride with members of the Ohio Department of Transportation's safety funding team

July 22

Regular meeting of the Blueprint Columbus Community Advisory Panel

July 23

Regular meeting of the COTANextGen Project Advisory Group, on which Catherine serves

July 28

Attendance at MORPC’s Regional Education Forum

How We Roll Pelotonia ride

July 29

Inaugural meeting of the Central Ohio Greenways Board, on which Catherine serves

Introductory meeting with Bike Miami Valley

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

Bike the Cbus planning meeting

Pedal Instead redesign planning meeting

July 30

Professional development ride with MORPC employees

Team Buckeye Biker Bash tabling event

Connect Columbus process includes bicycle tour of NE Columbus

One of four groups prior to the ride.

Twenty-six people gathered to explore and learn to ride the roads of the Northland neighborhoods by bike on Friday, July 17, 2015, as part of the third Connect Columbus public input process. Some were transportation planners and engineers. Some were members of the general public. Some were experienced bicyclists learning to navigate roads they have not felt safe navigating on their own. Some were well trained Yay Bikes! leaders and sweeps, there to facilitate a moment of experiential learning. It was a blast!

We started at the Franklin County Board of Elections at 1700 Morse Road where our eight ride leaders and sweeps divided everyone into small groups. Each team of Yay Bikes! How We Roll ride leaders started by sharing rules of the road for bicyclists and teaching participants the importance of being visible and predictable when riding roads. Team leaders explained that in How We Roll rides participants travel single file in small groups riding the roads silently. Our goal is to help create an experience where small group instruction happens, and participants encounter something similar to riding roads alone.

Each How We Roll ride teaches participants to ride roads safely, but also includes an additional component that is of interest to the group. Our secondary focus on this ride was bicycle infrastructure, what works, what doesn't work, and why. We traveled over well placed bicycle infrastructure, confusing bicycle infrastructure, and well intended but dangerous infrastructure. We traveled roads that had no bike infrastructure that were perfectly pleasant ones that were a bit more scary. We traveled well paved roads with clear markings and roads that desperately needed resurfacing – experiencing first hand that a good road surface is an absolutely key component of a bike friendly community.

While traveling we heard bird song and children playing. While stopped at a red light, we saw and talked to giggling young adults in a car with a baby kitten in a basket. We smelled pizza cooking and the body lotion of a pedestrian passing us. We felt air temperature fall on Maize Road as the trees breathed and the creek flowed, and felt it raise on Morse Road where nine lanes of asphalt baked in the afternoon sun.

At each of our six stops (one at the beginning, four on the road, and one at the end), well trained Yay Bikes! leaders and sweeps encouraged participants to describe what they noticed and how they felt. Our leaders shared resources and helped folks figure out how to have the best experience possible on any type of road. Our sweeps corrected people engaging in dangerous behaviors and watched as riders competence increased.

In 8.5 miles, we traveled through neighborhood streets, neighborhood arterials, and major arterials. We passed three Interstate 71 exit ramps and one entrance ramp. We needed to merge with car traffic several times on Karl, on Maize, and on Morse to get to our destination. We traveled a section of road that was nine travel lanes wide and included cars, trucks, motorcycles, COTA buses and people on bikes. On Morse Road, we left the bike lane and crossed four travel lanes to make a left to reach our final destination. We were bad asses!

Bad asses, just like every other person who lives in that neighborhood that doesn't own a car and has to figure out how to get to employment, school, the library, the grocer, the laundry mat, the recreation center, all the places people go in their daily lives.

We want thank the City of Columbus and the consults at Nelson Nygaurd who prioritized and resourced this experience, and CoGo for providing bikes to participants who did not have one. Yay Everyone!

Announcing the official 2015 Bike the Cbus tee

glick_yaybikes_shirt_front_sig_02_web

In addition to being a bicycle enthusiast, Thom Glick is an award-winning illustrator. For over a decade he has worked with clients from all over the world, producing illustrations for magazines and newspapers, galleries, greeting cards and apparel. In 2015, Thom completed an MFA at Columbus College of Art & Design, with a focus on visual narrative and animation. Currently, Thom lives with his partner, Zuzana, and their dog, Pilot, in the German Village area. You can follow Thom's work online

here

,

here

and

here

.

Catherine Girves appointed to the new Central Ohio Greenways board

Cyclists ride a greenways trail. Photo source: planning-next.com 

As of June 11, 2015, Catherine Girves has officially been appointed as a member of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC)'s Central Ohio Greenways (COG) Board. Her term will run through December 2016.

The COG Board will be a standing board on the Sustainability Advisory Committee that guides the economic and environmental sustainability activities of MORPC and its working groups. The board will provide input and direction on matters of regional importance as they pertain to trails in Central Ohio, addressing such topics as trail development, marketing, funding, education and programming. Its vision is to increase trails and trail usage for recreation and transportation.

Yay Catherine!

Out & About with Yay Bikes! — June 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. Representation and outreach like this is what you fund with your membership dollars and major gifts, folks! Behold, June:

June 1

Urban Cincy article: "Ohio Maintains Position as Nation's 16th Best State for Bicyclists" 

Leading 3 How We Roll educational rides with OSU First Year Peer Leaders

Information session @ MORPC

Regular meeting of MORPC’s Community Advisory Council, on which Catherine serves

June 2

Ride Buddy a.m. commute with an Ohio Consumer Council employee

Ride Buddy p.m. commute with a MORPC employee

June 3

Ride Buddy a.m. commute with a Nationwide Children's Hospital employee

Ride Buddy p.m. commute with an NBBJ employee

June 4

Ride Buddy lunchtime ride with 3 Grange Insurance employees

Meeting with MORPC's Ride Solutions team

June 5

Leading 3 How We Roll educational rides with OSU First Year Peer Leaders

Yay Bikes! employee Steve Puhl Jr and super volunteer Shyra Allen earned League Cycling Instructor certification

June 6

Ride Buddy practice commute with a Nationwide Insurance employee

Ride Buddy practice commute with 2 Grange Insurance employees

June 8

Information Session @ Bricker & Eckler

June 9

Regular meeting of the CoGo Advisory Group

June 9

Ride Buddy p.m. ride with a  Columbus Public Health employee

June 10

Ride Buddy lunchtime ride with 4 Ohio Board of Regents employees

Ride Buddy professional development ride with 4 City of Columbus Public Service employees

June 11

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

Ride Buddy professional development ride with a City of Columbus Public Service employee

Ride Buddy p.m. commute with a CoGo Bike Share employee

June 12

Ride Buddy a.m. commute with private attorney

Ride Buddy downtown tour with an ODOT and a MurphyEpson employee

Leading 2 How We Roll educational rides with OSU First Year Peer Leaders

June 13

Year of Yay! "Oddities" theme with stops at the Early Television Museum and Bill Moose Memorial

June 14

Ride Buddy practice commute with 2 Grange Insurance employees

June 15

Ride Buddy a.m./p.m. commutes with an Ohio History Connection employee

June 16

Ride Buddy a.m. commute with a City of Columbus Public Service employee

Pelotonia How We Roll ride with a Safelite Autoglass employee

June 17

Information session @ NBBJ

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

June 18

Information session @ Stantec

Ride Buddy lunchtime ride with 4 Ohio Board of Regents employees

June 19

Information session @ Ohio History Connection

Pedal Instead @ Columbus PRIDE

June 20

Pedal Instead @ Columbus PRIDE

Pedal Instead @ Buckeye Country Superfest

June 21

Pedal Instead @ Buckeye Country Superfest

Pedal Instead @ Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival

Ride Buddy practice commute with a Grange Insurance employee

June 22

Business First article: "MORPC, Yay Bikes! launch Ride Buddy program to get more people to bike to work"

Ride Buddy a.m./p.m. commute with a COTA employee

Ride Buddy lunchtime ride with 2 Ohio Board of Regents employees

Yay Bikes! Board meeting

June 23

Attending MORPC's Regional Education Forum

Information session @ The Columbus Foundation

Ride Buddy downtown ride with an Ohio History Connection and an OSU Wexner Medical Center employee

Ride Buddy professional development ride with 3 City of Columbus Public Service employees

June 24

Information session @ Grange Insurance

Information session @ Capital Crossroads SID

Ride Buddy a.m. commute with a Bricker & Eckler employee

Bike the Cbus planning meeting

June 25

Ride Buddy east side ride with 3 Columbus State Community College employees

June 26

Pedal Instead @ ComFest

Ride Buddy a.m. commute with an Ulmer & Berne employee

Ride Buddy a.m. commute with 3 Bricker & Eckler employees

Ride Buddy lunchtime ride with 3 Ohio Board of Regents employees

June 27

Pedal Instead @ ComFest

Pedal Instead @ OhioHealth's Neuroscience Center Open House

June 28

Pedal Instead @ ComFest

June 29

Ride Buddy a.m. commute with a Mount Carmel College of Nursing employee

Ride Buddy p.m. commute and bike shopping with a MORPC employee

June 30

Presenting about Ride Buddies at the Central Ohio Greenways Forum

Information session @ Nationwide Insurance

Ride Buddy lunchtime ride with a Franklin County employee

Ride Buddy p.m. commute with a Franklin County employee

Pedal Instead receives Ohio EPA grant to upgrade corral

The Ohio Environmental Education Fund (OEEF) awards grants targeting environmental issues in Ohio around which there is a significant need for more education and awareness. In 2015, the Ohio EPA determined, due to significant environmental impacts in our state, an immediate need for education to reduce air emissions. So the OEEF sought to fund innovative projects that would provide citizens the skills to make informed decisions and take responsible actions in this area, foremost by promoting alternative modes of transportation.

Enter our bicycle corrals, aka "Pedal Instead". As you likely know, Pedal Instead provides free, secure bicycle parking for cyclists at festivals and other events. And while the program obviously serves cyclists, it is unique within the bicycle community in that it also interfaces with thousands of diverse non-bicycling members of the general public, who might not enter a bike shop or go on a ride but will request information from volunteers as they pass a corral. Yay Bikes! therefore requested that OEEF help us maximize Pedal Instead's educational potential by making our corrals more visible, attractive and engaging to cyclists, "bike curious" members of the general public and others attending community events and festivals in Central Ohio. We are thrilled to announce that Yay Bikes! has received an OEEF grant to:

1. Expand awareness of the Pedal Instead service, encouraging more people to ride to events
2. Increase the extent to which Pedal Instead provides actionable information to event attendees regarding transportation bicycling
3. Link event attendees to the on-road educational experiences available through Yay Bikes!, to increase their cycling knowledge and confidence

With OEEF's support, we can now turn our bicycle corrals into mobile community education spaces actively helping people integrate transportation bicycling into their everyday lives. What an incredible opportunity! We are grateful.

'Oddities' ride recap

With all due respect to Tom Robbins, as there were no flea circuses or orangutans on today’s trip, more than 70 riders set out to see another roadside attraction during the Yay Bikes June ride. This month’s Year of Yay ride is the 42nd since the program began. The theme of the June Year of Yay ride was Oddities and Craig Clark led the way.

The ride set out under sunny skies from Whole Foods in Upper Arlington. We meandered through Upper Arlington, diverting from out original planned route alongside Griggs Reservoir. The first stop was a true roadside attraction, The Bill Moose Memorial. Bill Moose was the last of the Wyandot Indians that lived in Ohio. His Memorial and gravesite is in a small park at the corner of Lane Road and Riverside Drive.

We left the Bill Moose memorial and headed east on Lane Road, making a right turn after a small portion of the hill that seems to never end. Riding through the old Shelbourne Height and River Lawn neighborhoods of Upper Arlington we passed by another oddity, but did not stop, a chainsaw carved Golden Bear on oxford Drive. We regrouped at the corner of Fairlington and Fishinger, where an officer from the UAPD stopped traffic for us on Fishinger. Thanks!!!

We crossed the Scioto River on Fishinger, headed up the hill to one of our greatest challenges, getting 70 people across I-270 at Fishinger and Cemetery Road. We, riding as a group took the lane and made it over the bridge with no incidents. After a quick stop at Speedway to refill with water, we rode the last two miles to second stop.

The Early Television Museum in Hilliard was the next top of the day. A special thanks to Steve McVoy for opening his collection to the public. There are a couple of hundred sets on display and several more that are still in storage. Some of the favorites of the Yay Bike crowd were the Kuba Komet and the news truck.

We left the museum to make the return trip back to Whole Foods, other than a roundabout and a railroad bridge we were obstacle free on the way back. The skies finally opened up on us once we got to Cambridge Boulevard. We only had to ride the last 2 miles wet and by the time we returned the sun was shining again.

Out & About with Yay Bikes! — May 2015

bexley ride

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

May 1 — Leading a How We Roll educational ride with Bexley's Mayor Kessler, Councilwoman Owen, Chief Rinehart & Service Director Dorman

May 2 — Presenting @ Bexley's Safety Education & Expo

May 2 — Pinchflat Bike Poster Show

May 4 — Fundraiser @ Lineage Brewing

May 6 — Delivering the safety speech @ North of Broad & Near East Side Neighborhood Pride community bike ride

May 6 — Meeting with Greg Lestini @ Bricker & Eckler LLP

May 7 — Regular meeting of Mayor Coleman's Green Team, Transportation Committee, on which Catherine serves

May 7 — Planning meeting for Central Ohio's 2015 Ride of Silence 

May 9 — Year of Yay!ride

May 12 — Columbus Dispatch article: "Annual Ride of Silence"

May 12 — Addressing the regular meeting of the Franklin County Board of Commissioners

May 12 —Sharing “How We Roll” @ Pelotonia’s Captains’ night

May 12 — 5th annual Ride the Elevator 

May 12 — Chamber of Commerce guest blog post: "The 'Big 3' Benefits of Riding a Bike to Work"

May 13 — Yay Bikes! button photo 'cameo'! Member Keith Lugs' photo, with YB! surreptitiously featured, was recognized among 23 others in the international bicycle photography competition: "24 Snapshots of Bikes"

May 13 —Board meeting of the Downtown Residents Association of Columbus, on which Catherine serves

May 13 — Board meeting of Community Shares of Mid Ohio

May 14 — Promoting Bike to Work Day on the CD102.5 Morning Show

May 14 — Planning meeting for Central Ohio's 2015 Ride of Silence

May 15 — Leading 2 routes to Columbus Commons on Bike to Work Day, winning the annual participation award and riding with Mayor Coleman and Stinger from the Columbus Bluejackets

May 15 — Information Sessions (2) @ Nationwide Insurance

May 15 — Panelist for the Ohio Young Professionals Weekend & Leadership Summit presentation "2015: The Future of Transportation" w/Wiliam Murdoch MORPC, Curtis Stitt COTA, Julie Walcoff ODOT, Chuck Dyer ODOT, Patty Austin City of Columbus, Chet Ridenour Car2Go, John Justice Café Brioso

May 16 — Columbus Dispatch article: "Coleman, Stinger join hundreds who bike to work today"

May 17 — Pedal Instead @ Columbus Underground's Urban Living Tour

May 20 — Attending MORPC's Bike Safety Lunch & Learn

May 20 — Regular meeting of MORPC's Active Transportation Plan Work Group, on which Catherine serves

May 20 — Participating in COTA NextGen's Project Advisory Group

May 20 — 9th annual Ride of Silence

May 20 — nbc4i report: "'Ride of Silence' Draws Awareness to Cycling Safety"

May 21 — Information Session @ Ulmer & Berne LLP

May 21 — Information Session for OSU's First Year Peer Leaders

May 21 — Columbus Dispatch article: "'Ride of Silence' fills streets with bicyclists"

May 26 — Ride Buddy morning commute with an OSU employee

May 27 —Regular meeting of Columbus’s Bicycle Working Group, on which Catherine serves

May 27 — Presenting at the Columbus Young Professionals Club's Musical Chairs for Charity event

May 28 — Ride Buddy morning commute with a Franklin County Juvenile Detention Center employee

May 28 — Information Session @ NBBJ

May 29 — Ride Buddy lunchtime ride with an Ohio Department of Education employee

May 29 — Ride Buddy evening commute and downtown tour with an NBBJ employee

May 30 — Planning meeting for Bike the Cbus

May 31 — Ride to begin vetting Bike the Cbus routes

Yay Bikes! announces new downtown-area Ride Buddy program

bike buddies

Ride Buddies Cassie & Catherine arrive to their final destination — OSU's Center for Folklore Studies! Make this the year your commute becomes active! Now through June 30, all downtown-area workers and residents have a FREE opportunity to practice riding to and from work by bicycle, with extensive support from the certified cycling experts at Yay Bikes!.

Last week, MORPC selected Yay Bikes! as the contractor for their Downtown Modal Shift Pilot Program, decisively investing in our work to encourage more trips by bicycle. And the mode shift program we've developed is—go figure—the perfect expression of ourtheory of change! We're excited for the opportunity to offer extremely targeted programming that engenders meaningful change in the lives of downtown-area workers and residents.

For the entire month of June 2015, Yay Bikes! will offer ANYONE living or working in Downtown Columbus a personal Ride Buddy that escorts them and/or a small group of colleagues by bicycle on work-related trips, whether that be to/from work, to/from lunch or to/from other frequent destinations. Fully customized rides might be:

Work commutes: Over custom rides before or after work, we will ride with employees of downtown area businesses on their first bicycle commutes, whether directly from/to their homes or from/to a designated Park & Pedal location.

CoGo rides: Over lunch hour rides, we will familiarize employees with the CoGo Bike Share system and escort them to destinations downtown, e.g. their favorite lunch spots or frequent meeting sites.

Professional development rides: Over workday rides, we will showcase sites specific to employees’ profession (e.g., bicycle infrastructure for public service employees or neighborhood rides for charitable foundation staff) that engage them in a deeper understanding of their work.

Social / team-building rides: Over rides following work, we will offer unique educational experiences to groups of employees who want to explore downtown destinations and/or a particular theme by bike (e.g., touring the facilities offered by several bike friendly businesses).

Additionally, the program is open to downtown-area employers who want a more robust experience extended to all their employees—with information sessions, corporate communications and ride experiences intentionally designed as an expression of their mission and culture. Organizations that have already signed on are: Ulmer & Berne, Bricker & Eckler, Grange Insurance, Capital Crossroads SID, City of Columbus Department of Public Service, City of Bexley, Nationwide Insurance, State Auto, Huntington, MORPC and COTA. Space is available for 3 additional organizations of any size ready to roll with a fast-paced onslaught of rides, communications and data collection during the month of June.

Contact usto schedule a ride that works for you, or to become a participating organization! It is really, truly, for seriouslyjust that simple.

2015 Ride of Silence Recap

high street ride of silence

We have so many people to thank for making this year's Ride of Silence experience such a meaningful one:

Event Planning Chair—Kathleen Koechlin

Planning Team members—John Bannon, Eliza Farrel, Rob Hendricks, Pat Landusky, David Curran, Jeff Gove, Rahel Babb, Abby Rhodebeck

Sponsors—Ohio Department of Transportation, Westerville Bicycle Club,

Speakers—Mark Gibson (reading the Ride of Silence poem), Columbus Chief of Police Kim Jacobs (her comments are here), State Representative Mike Stinziano (his comments are here), Yay Bikes! Executive Director Catherine Girves (her comments are here).

Escorts—The Columbus Police Department

Media—The Dispatch and nbc4i

Food truck—Tatoheads

Photographer—Bryan Barr

Bagpiper—Scott Caputo

And—Leslie Strader, Office of the Mayor; Julie Walcoff and Michelle May, Ohio Department of Tranpostation

And+—All the riders who braved the chill, followed the rules and made a silent statement of solidarity with those whose lives have been impacted by unsafe driving.

Below is the official report we will be submitting for the international Ride of Silence website, written by our Event Planning Chair Kathleen Koechlin.

It was a chilly, gray day in Columbus, Ohio, but that did not stop the 333 or so cyclists from gathering at City Hall to make the eight mile ride in honor of those killed and injured while riding on our streets. This was the first year that Yay Bikes!, a local bicycle organization whose mission is to increase trips by bicycle and reduce bicycle crashes in the Central Ohio area and beyond, organized this event. The core planning committee was deliberately comprised of persons directly impacted; four have been seriously injured and one has a brother who was killed while cycling on a public road. It was very important to the planning committee that onlookers understand the purpose of the ride; in past years, this was not always the case, leading to some hostility when cyclists did not respond when spoken to. To this end, ghost bikes were placed around town several weeks before the event with signs linking people to the Yay Bikes! Ride of Silence webpage for information about the ride. Posters were printed and hung in windows along the route as well as in bike shops and local businesses around town to raise awareness and encourage participation.

People began gathering at 5:30 pm and the program started at 6:30 pm. Volunteers greeted cyclists, had them sign waivers, provided them instruction, and tied on armbands – red if they had been injured and black for everyone else.

The friend of two cyclists struck by a minivan on April 23, 2015 near Zanesville, Ohio (who was also hit by a car in the past) opened the program by reading the Ride of Silence poem and giving a brief biography of Brenda Hoffman who died in the collision and an update on Brad Hollingsworth who survived but was seriously injured. Brad’s wife, mother, and mother-in-law were there and rode with us. The Chief of Police, Kim Jacobs, spoke briefly, followed by State Representative Michael Stinziano. The final speaker was Catherine Girves, Executive Director of Yay Bikes!, who made a call to action for peaceful streets. Cards with information on specific local and statewide initiatives around safer streets for pedestrians and cyclists were distributed, and people were encouraged to get involved. After reviewing how to ride public roads safely, Catherine ended her time at the podium by reading the names and dates of death of all bicyclists killed on public roadways in Ohio in 2014.

Cyclists rode off in silence, riding two abreast, to a bagpiper playing in the background. We were led by Columbus police officers on motorcycles, followed by a cargo bike with banners announcing the ride. While some police were paid to lead and protect us, several police on bicycles joined the ride on their own accord and helped at intersections, including the Chief of Police, herself. As we rode, some people on bicycles who were not part of the ride joined in as well. The cargo bike set the pace at approximately eight miles per hour to simulate a funeral procession, and the police treated the ride as such, blocking intersections as we rode an eight mile loop on two busy urban roads. Signs were mounted to the bicycle racks of 15 cyclists who were dispersed throughout the large group of riders, again to alert onlookers as to what they were witnessing since we all rode in silence. The final cyclist pulled a ghost bike which was so impactful that one onlooker was brought to tears.

A food truck was provided at the end of the ride to encourage people to stay and reflect on their experience. The event was well covered by media, both through a blog post from a fellow bicyclist at the local newspaper, the Columbus Dispatch, and at the event by all three local television stations. A press release was also issued.

This ride could never have been so successful without the support of the Westerville Bicycle Club, the Ohio Department of Transportation, and individual donations. We thank them all from the bottom of our hearts!

"The 'Big 3' Benefits of Riding a Bike to Work"

The 'Big 3' Benefits of Riding a Bike to Work

So you've been "bike curious" for a while now, eh? Well now's the time! But making the switch from car to bike—well, from "how on earth do I carry all that stuff?" to "sweat!" to "ummmm...cars, ack?!?!", it's understandably a confounding transition. Here's why you should do it anyway.

Columbus Police Chief Kimberly Jacobs — 2015 Ride of Silence

chief jacobs ride of silence

The following is the full text from Chief Jacob's comments at the Ride of Silence. We thank Chief Jacobs for her presence at the event and for her work to ensure the safety of everyone in our community.

My name is Kim Jacobs and I'm the Chief of Police for the City of Columbus. I'm here to speak and ride with you tonight on behalf of Mayor Coleman.

Recently many of us took to the streets to celebrate National Bike to Work Day. That was a fun and exciting day, seeing so many cyclists together making a statement. Today, the statement we make is a somber one as we remember and honor those who have tragically been killed or injured while riding a bike.

Many of you probably read about a great city employee, Bill Lewis. Bill and his intern Stephanie Fibelkorn were walking to a meeting, and had nearly made it to the bus stop just a block from where we stand now, when they were hit and killed as a result of a reckless driver. No, Bill wasn’t on his bike at the time, but he was using a public street, like we all do when we ride, with full rights to be there. Bill spent many years of his professional life advocating, planning and designing roadways to accommodate all users. We will continue this important work always in his memory. We miss him and fondly remember him and the others who have been killed while cycling.

Yay Bikes! Executive Director Catherine Girves — 2015 Ride of Silence

catherine ride of silence

The following is the full text from Catherine Girves's comments at the Ride of Silence.

2/21/2014 Frederick Carey

3/18/2014 Zachary Kerns

3/22/2014 Joe Giampapa

5/8/2014 Cleo Turpin

5/30/2014 Glenn Barna

5/30/2014 Lafayette Orr

7/18/2014 Dorothy Miller

8/8/2014 Harvey Bell

Mike Schengelsberger

Steve Barbour

Brenda Hoffman

The list goes on . . . and on . . . and tragically on.

My name is Catherine Girves, and I am the Executive Director of Yay Bikes! Tonight we join thousands of others worldwide in a silent slow-paced ride to honor and remember people who have been injured or killed while riding their bikes on public roadways.

But we are not just here to remember, we are here to act so that another name is never added to the list of those we've already lost.

You were given a card when you arrived that will help you take action to create peaceful streets in our communities.

If you live or work here in Central Ohio, I ask you, I beg you, to participate in the planning process currently taking place to decide what our streets will look like for the next 30 years. The next set of public meetings for the Connect Columbus plan are from June 1st through the 4th. If you can't make a meeting make comments on the web site, attend a future meeting, make sure your voice is heard. Make sure we are planning for safe streets for people who ride bikes.

At the Statewide level, I ask you to remind your legislators that roads need to be safe for those who ride bikes. Call or write your State legislator and ask them to co-sponsor HB 154 a law that would require people driving cars to give people riding bikes at least 3 feet when passing.

And at the Federal level – our wonderful Secretary of the US Department of Transportation, Secretary Foxx, has issued a challenge to every Mayor in the United States. The Mayors Challenge for Safer People and Safer Streets raises the bar for creating safe conditions for bicyclists and pedestrians. Mayor Coleman has accepted this challenge and the Department of Public Service is working in every area of the challenge. If you are not from Columbus, return to your home community and ask your Mayor to follow in kind.

Further, I make a personal ask of each of you. Ride roads in ways that are visible and predictable. Take the space you need to ensure your visibility to people driving cars. Signal your intentions to change lanes. Stop at lights and stop signs. Ride no more than two abreast. And ask every other person you ride with to do the same. In your everyday behaviors create safer streets for all.

I will not have another one of us lost. Join Yay Bikes! in demanding action in good street design, legislation to protect vulnerable road users, and enforcement of laws that protect people who ride bikes. Support us in educating people how to ride roads lawfully.

In a few moments we will head out to ride, two abreast on public roads. Maintain your position once we start. Silently honor those we have lost.

State Representative Michael Stinziano - 2015 Ride of Silence

RepresentativeStinzianoSpeaking

The following is the full text from Representative Michael Stinziano's comments at the Ride of Silence. We thank Rep Stinziano for his presence at the event and for his work to protect Ohio's vulnerable road users.

I appreciate the invitation from Yay Bikes! to talk about the Ride of Silence and safety in our community. I am Representative Michael Stinziano and I am working within the Ohio House to improve safety for all road users.

In Ohio, an average of 1 person died or was seriously injured each day in bicycle-related crashes last year.

In just the Columbus region, there were 24 bicyclists involved in crashes, resulting in 21 serious injuries and three fatalities.

It is vital that drivers and bicyclists share the road. One death or injury is too many.

Research shows that one issue contributing to these crashes is speed. I recently introduced legislation to help combat the issue. If HB 107 is enacted into law, it will allow residents to petition a speed limit change for their own community. We feel that people lining in our diverse neighborhoods understand the traffic patterns they live with on a daily basis.

I am also co-sponsor of HB 154 which would require motorists to give bicyclists at least 3 feet when passing.

Safety is everyone's responsibility. Many of you know the faces representing these tragic deaths. This event honors our loved ones who have been harmed on Ohio roads and improves awareness for all road users.

Everyone has the right to be on and use Ohio's roads.

2015 Ride of Silence Video

We would like to thank Joshua Lin for his coverage in today's Columbus Dispatch of last night's ride:  "Ride of Silence" fills streets with bicyclists. Lovely video. Thank you.

Yay Bikes! returns to OSU!

OSU First Year Peer Leaders get a taste of How We Roll on their orientation ride in June

We are excited to announce that this fall, in conjunction with the launch of bike share on campus, Yay Bikes! will once again provide bicycle safety education to members of the OSU community. We will be delivering information sessions on bicycle commuting, an educational poster and our traditional How We Roll rides to both the academic and the medical center's students, faculty and staff. The academic audience will be introduced to riding the streets from campus to downtown, taking in the sites of the city, while those affiliated with the medical center will be taught to use bike share for rides between the various medical buildings.

This summer, we began delivering our part of the program with an info session and 8 How We Roll rides for 34 OSU First Year Peer students. When we asked them to evaluate their experience, this is what we heard:

What was your favorite part of the ride? Responses to this question overwhelmingly referenced the beauty of Columbus and how much students enjoyed getting to go downtown. In their own words:

Seeing how close the city is

Seeing all of Columbus in a different way

Stopping in downtown, so beautiful!

Exploring the city of Columbus w/friends

Getting to go downtown

I liked going downtown and seeing all the cool stuff to do

Was there anything different than what you expected? Responses to this question mostly referenced the fact that participants found riding on the street from campus to downtown easier and more pleasant than expected. In their own words:

It was easier than I thought

Traffic/drivers friendly, didn’t expect that

I thought I would be more tired

It was a lot easier than expected

Cars aren’t as mean as I expected

Less scary than I thought

It wasn’t as hard/nerve racking as I thought it’d be

Biking on the road is way easier than I expected.

What did you learn? Responses to this question overwhelmingly had to do with learning how to ride safely on the roads, with some participants sharing an expanded sense of how bikeable Columbus is. In their own words:

Bikes are just like cars

I learned that bicycling can be a safe, fun alternative to driving

How to properly have my place on the road

I learned turn signals, bike laws and not to ride on sidewalks

To be okay with riding in the middle and bike safety

How many places downtown are bike accessible

A lot about safety and which lane to ride in

To not stay in the door zone

Bikes follow the same laws as cars

Meanwhile, fully 26.5% of participants said they'd be "Very Likely" to repeat this journey on their own, and/or attempt others that are similar (with another 56% saying they were "Somewhat Likely" to do so!).

So kudos to OSU for including this essential educational component in their bike share roll out plans! Clearly we should all be watching out for more and better bicycling from the OSU area come this fall, from these First Year Peer ambassadors and everyone they touch, plus all the others we reach with our message and our unique How We Roll experience.

To participate! Rides and information sessions will be offered at least through fall semester, according to demand. If you are a member of the OSU community and would like to schedule a learning experience for your group, contact Meredith.