Have outrageous gas prices convinced you to try an alternative to driving to work? Would you like to do something positive for the environment and have fun at the same time?
During May 10-18, 2008, Northeast Ohio will celebrate Cleveland Bicycle Week, part of National Bike-To-Work Week. Cleveland Bicycle Week, sponsored by numerous organizations, will feature daily events and activities that encourage bicycle ridership, including:
- Daily Bike to Work events – join experienced cyclists from ClevelandBikes at one of eight locations and bike to downtown Cleveland. Meet at the downtown YMCA (another sponsor), at 2200 Prospect Avenue for coffee, pastry and raffle prizes at the end of your commute.
- A Bicycle Conference sponsored by NOACA, the City of Cleveland, and the Cleveland Public Library – participate in a bicycle conference at the downtown library on Thursday, May 15
- Bicycle Movies Night, a project of Walk+Roll Cleveland at the Museum of Natural History - see films made by cyclists about bikes
- Bike Imitates Art - A bicycle-themed art show organized by Fast Track Cycling at Lake Erie Artists Gallery
- Four fun evening rides led by Cleveland Metroparks, Slavic Village Community Development Corporation, Century Cycles and the Cleveland Area Mountain Bike Association
- Bicycle Scavenger Hunt with the Ohio City Bicycle Coop
For complete details about events visit Cleveland Bicycle Week.
“Cleveland Bicycle Week is going to be the fun event of the spring,” notes Sally Hanley, NOACA transportation planner and avid bicycle commuter. “I highly recommend the bicycle conference at the Cleveland Public Library. There will be two tracks, one for professionals and another for the public. The professional track, for public officials, will feature speakers who have made bicycle improvements in their communities and how they did it, and the public track will highlight the local bicycle scene, Northeast Ohio bike facilities and laws pertaining to bicyclists.”
For anyone that wants to bike to work, but would prefer to ride with a companion, NOACA has a new service, OhioBikeBuddies. Bicyclists can register with the service, a component of the Ohio Rideshare Program, and find others to commute to work with by bike.
Cleveland Bicycle Week also coincides with the start of the Ozone Action Day season. During the summer months, NOACA announces when ozone is expected to be high, and encourages volunteer activities – like riding a bike to work – to help reduce air pollution.
“As part of the program, NOACA will e-mail air quality advisories to individuals upon request,” says Amy Wainright, NOACA Environmental Planner. It is currently a great time to register to receive air quality advisories. Everyone who signs up between now and May 16 will have the chance to win a 2008 Raleigh Mojave mountain bike from Century Cycles in Rocky River.
Many other organizations are also sponsoring Cleveland Bicycle Week, including University Circle Inc., Earth Day Coalition, Slavic Village CDC, GreenCityBlueLake Institute and OPC Cleveland. “The more participants there are for Cleveland Bicycle Week, the more successful it will be,” says Hanley. “Invite your friends and family to participate in one or more events.”
| 
