It has been a busy few months for Bike Utah. We have been working on a number of initiatives that we hope will make bicycling safer and more fun regardless of where you ride in Utah. Here are a few of the initiatives:
Mobile Active Transportation Tours
Bike Utah, UTA, Wasatch Front Regional Council, and Mountainland Association of Governments have created a series of bicycle tours for riders, advocates, planners, transportation engineers, and elected officials. These tours are modeled after a program by the organization People for Bikes and give attendees an opportunity to experience new bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure developments firsthand. The first tour took more than 60 attendees around Salt Lake City so they could ride on a protected bike lane, use a bicycle traffic signal, try a HAWK pedestrian signal, and see what goes into planning for a bicycle boulevard. This tour also provided information on how attendees can implement similar projects in their own communities. All of the feedback from the first event was overwhelmingly positive. The June ride took place on the Murdock Canal Trail, which runs from Orem to Lehi. We are in the process of planning tours in Park City, Farmington City, Ogden, and southern Utah. All are welcome to attend and we will send out information about upcoming rides in our monthly e-mail updates.
Road Respect Tour
The fourth annual Road Respect Tour kicked off at the end of May spreading the message of mutual respect and safety between motorists and bicycle users with the support of Bike Utah, UDOT, and the Utah Department of Public Safety. The southern leg started on May 29th with when 100 riders departed Ivins for the 40-mile Veyo Loop. The tour then moved east to ride 111 miles along State Route 12 from Bryce Canyon to Torrey. On the third and final day of the southern tour, groups rode from Moab to Deadhorse Point or along Potash Road. The northern leg of the tour took take place June 19-21 and covered Park City, Coalville, Morgan, and Logan.
Bicycle Friendly Businesses
Over the past 6 months, Bike Utah has been making a push for businesses across Utah to apply to become Bicycle Friendly Businesses, a program facilitated by The League of American Bicyclists. This program is not simply a rubber stamp, but a tool for businesses to make their work environments more bike friendly for employees, customers, and the community. Studies have found that employees who bike to work are more productive, have lower healthcare costs, and take fewer sick days. For businesses interested in becoming more bicycle friendly, the application also serves as a list of areas in which businesses can begin to improve. Bike Utah has helped seven businesses to date complete the application process and we hope to involve more businesses so there is a wider segment of the population engaged in promoting bicycle use, bicycle safety, and healthy lifestyles. If you are interested in having a business apply, please contact Phil Sarnoff at Bike Utah ([email protected]). We are happy to assist with the process.
Ongoing Initiatives
Legislative Agenda – Our staff and board are developing our priorities for the 2015 legislative session.
Statewide Active Transportation Coordinating Committee – Bike Utah has been working with our partners to form a committee that will provide opportunities for advocates and entities from across the state to collaborate and advance active transportation projects more quickly and effectively.
To stay up to date on all of our efforts, join the Bike Utah e-mail list by sending an e-mail with your first and last name to [email protected].
