What are your thoughts on the bike lanes? Where do you hope to see them in the future?

Based on the article, it seems that Wichita is quite a bit further down the planning path but there seems to be s0me momentum in Topeka and a focus on changing transportation habits from driving to cycling.

I think WAMPO has done a great job developing plans and asking for public input. It is up to the politicians to fund the plans, however, which means YOU need to tell the elected officials and City Manager that bicycle pathways need to be a priority.

Dear  “I Bike Douglas” Supporters,

“I Bike Douglas” May 22, 2010, was a great success with over 300 in attendance. Out of the registered participants, 98% said they prefer to shop local and would attend monthly “I Bike Douglas” bike-in events.

To keep the momentum going, Douglas Design District is sponsoring monthly “Biker’s Specials”. On June 26, ride in to your favorite place to eat or drink in the DDD and get a special just for YOU. Watch  the  event page at www.dddwichita.com for updates on participating businesses.

Douglas merchants providing “Biker’s Specials” :

Cero’s Candies – 1108 E. Douglas
Chocolate Covered Banana’s

College Hill Deli & Catering - 3407 E. Douglas
10% OFF any menu item!

Fresh Roast Coffee Company – 3700 E. Douglas #2
Glycogen Pit Stop (Two Shots of Espresso for $2 Bucks) $2

Harry’s Uptown – 3023 E. Douglas
Two Wheeler Special – Chicken Fajita Wrap: $6.50
Includes swiss cheese, guacamole, lettuce, tomatoes, chips
Beer Specials – Corona & Don Equis: $3.00 each

Jeanne’s Cafe – 4733 E. Douglas in Lincoln Heights
Mini Chicken Fried Steak Dinner: $6.95
Includes mash potatoes, vegetable, salad and roll

Monica’s Bundt Cake – 1328 E. Douglas
Ride in for a FREE bottle of water or a banana with purchase.
Available only during “I Bike Douglas”

Don’t forget to put out your “I Bike Douglas” yard signs if you have one! Looking forward to seeing “I Bike Douglas” bikers on Saturday, June 26th!

Sincerely,

“I Bike Douglas” Committee

Here are the Five Route Maps:

Route 1 Northwest: Keeper of the Plains, Riverside Park, Cowtown, Museums on the River, Twin Lakes area, Sedgwick County Zoo and Park, Warren Theatre West, New Market Square, YMCA West Branch – Led by commuter cyclist Scott Dyer, Jeff Usher and Bob Blinn

Route 2 K-96: Via Christi-St. Francis, Coleman, York, USD259, Grove Park, Chisholm Trail Park, (WSU), Koch, Pioneer Balloon, LSI, YMCA (K-96 & Woodlawn), Bel Aire – Led by commuter cyclist John Thompson

Route 3 East Central: Wesley Hospital, Wichita Clinic, Towne East, CCH, YMCA, Hawker-Beechcraft, Andover’s Central Park, Andover YMCA – Led by commuter cyclist Greg Standifer

Route 4 Southeast: Linwood Park, Cox Communication, Via Christi-St. Joseph, Cessna Park, Cessna-Pawnee, McConnell AFB, Boeing, Spirit, (return route past Towne East) – Led by commuter cyclists Dean Smythe and Rick Moss

Route 5 Southwest: Delano, Friends University, Newman University, Cessna-Wallace, Case-New Holland, (return route past YMCA) – Led by commuter cyclist Larry Bennett

Meet at the Downtown YMCA at 402 N. Market at 5:30pm and join a guide and a group on one of the following routes:

Northwest Wichita: Riverside, Zoo Blvd., West 21st St.
Northeast Wichita: College Hill, WSU, 29th & Oliver, Chisholm Creek Trail, 29th & Webb
East Wichita: 1st St. / 2nd St., Douglas & Webb, 13th & Webb
Southeast Wichita: Canal Route,  Spirit Aerospace, Derby
Southwest Wichita: Delano, Friends University, K-42 corridor, Pawnee & West, Cessna

Route guides will return to the Downtown YMCA. Riders have the option to return with them, leave the route along the way to head off in their own direction or be picked up by friends or family at any point along the route.

Join us for a nice evening ride.

One thing we want to do IN ADVANCE of Bike to Work Day is conduct some rides from the Oldtown/Downtown core to different parts of the city (and even into Derby). If you are willing to lead a group or want to ride along, please contact John Thompson (558-5158, John.Thompson@Start-Thinking.com, Twitter: @thompsonline).

Here is some tentative information on the rides. Stay in tune with this website, the Facebook Group and Twitter (@BikeWichita and hashtag: #BikeWichta) to get more details on the group rides and other events as information becomes available.

TENTATIVE: On May 18th (date tentative) plan on a Commuter Bike Route Discovery Tour (name tentative) with your choice of rides on one of 5 primary routes (number tentative) led by experienced Commuter Bike Guides (title tentative). The Bike Guide(s) on your chosen route will point out route options, obstacles and solutions as we take a 30 to 45-minute ride from a common starting point at the Downtown YMCA (location tentative) to a turnaround point on the edge of town. Riders can then proceed to their homes or return to the Downtown YMCA – possibly on an alternative route that differs slightly from the outboundleg of the ride.

A lot of people have joined Facebook in the last year. It should be easy to share when and where people are riding – on all days, not just Bike to Work Day. Please tell your friends about the group and encourage them to join us.

Ride safe!

On Twitter:
-Connect with others.
-See updates on upcoming events.
-Tweet your location.
-Use the hashtag #BikeWichita.

On Facebook:
-Meet up with other riders on the Discussion Board. Find a group to commute with or plan a lunch time or after work ride.
-Post pictures of your sweet bike under Photos.
-Send Event Invites to your friends.
-Tell us exactly what your thinking by posting something on The Wall.
-Get involved and help make Bike to Work day a success in Wichita.

Be sure to also check out The League of American Bicyclist page.

Likely never, if you slide behind the wheel of a metal box and fight the freeway each morning. But what if one day you left the car in the driveway and rode a bike instead? 

You’d actually look forward to going to work, says Larry Bennett, an underwriter for KMUW public radio. “ I arrive at work with a great attitude because I get to hear the birds sing in the morning and I get a close look at flowers in people’s yards along my bicycling route.  I arrive home in the evening with a great attitude because I get to work off the stress of the day by pedaling as hard and fast as I want.,” he says. Though he’s been making the 14 mile round trip through Wichita’s College Hill district. “ I ride a bike to work during three of the four seasons and sometimes even on a warm day in winter.  My commute is rarely boring since the same route looks and feels different with each season.  But every commute in a car is pretty much the same regardless of the time of year.” 

A WORLD OF BENEFITS 

Just as your first bike was a vehicle for freedom from parental hand-holding, your first bike commute will be a giant leap toward freedom from the rat race. As you kiss your dependence on cars, gasoline, and traffic reports goodbye, you will improve your health, your household, and maybe even the world at large. 

According to the latest census figures, we Americans spend almost an hour a day on our daily commute. Tack onto that the 30 hours a year we spend stuck in snarled traffic (a figure highway experts warn could quadruple in coming decades); then figure in our daily errand-driving miles— that have more than doubled since 1969—and we practically live in our bucket seats. 

If you spent even some of that daily drive time pedaling instead, the rewards would be: 

• A BETTER BODY Most weeks, seven out of 10 of us fail to get the minimum recommended 30 minutes of activity per day—partly because many of us have to fight traffic to get to the gym. The result: More than 60% of Americans are overweight or obese, and rates of obesity-related diseases such as diabetes are soaring. Ride your bike to work, and you no longer need to make time to exercise. 

Rack up just 3 hours of riding time a week, and you can slash your risk of heart disease and stroke in half. Plus, you’ll lose the gut and lovehandles—no diet required. Consult your doctor whenever starting any new physical activity. 

• MORE MONEY The average annual price of keeping an automobile running: at least $3,000. The cost of running a bike for a year: less than $300. The joy of saving more than two grand this year: priceless. 

• CLEAN AIR The number of communities that will fall out of compliance with the Clean Air Act is expected to triple within a decade. Motorized vehicles are responsible for 70% of the carbon monoxide, 45% of the nitrogen dioxide, and 34% of the hydrocarbons people produce. Riding a bike is a simple way to improve the environment. 

JOIN THE MOVEMENT 

If the benefits of bike commuting appeal to you, now is the perfect time to start. As the government frets over an increasingly sedentary population and more Americans awaken to the rewards of riding their bike to work and for daily errands, communities and industries are responding. 

Through the efforts of groups like The League of American Bicyclists, their Bicycle Friendly Communities Campaign and their work on the Safe Routes to School initiative, towns and cities across the U.S. are striving to be more bike and pedestrian friendly by instituting bike lanes, wider shoulders, and Share the Road signage. 

Bike companies are responding by manufacturing bikes designed especially for commuters. These new rides are comfortable, easy to pedal, require minimum maintenance, and can be purchased for less than the average car payment. 

The League of American Bicyclist has designated Friday May 15 national Bike to Work day. Start-Thinking is encouraging individuals in the Wichita community to Bike to Work. Bike to Work is annual event that is part of Bike Month.

– Material reprint with permission from The League of American Bicyclist