Bikes, Bikes, Bikes! So much to do!

It raining bicycles with a chance of infrastructure improvements.   Get out and ride.  Get others out riding.  Take a class.  Teach some youth.  Just do something!

1) 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month there is a “Slow Roll” ride in Hartford. Leisurely pace, urban ride, 8-15 miles. Meets at 3pm at 1429 Park Street, near La Casita restaurant.  There is actually a ride today, September 16th.  These rides are being organized by Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner.  Like their FB page to stay in the loop.

2) There is a very active Facebook group (Transport Hartford) for those interested in discussing bicycle, pedestrian, and bus transit issues. This group has made progress on pushing for bike lanes and Complete Streets improvements in Hartford.

3) BiCi Co. - I’m working with the Center for Latino Progress at 95 Park Street to open a teaching, membership bike shop with youth programs. This summer we started up with 30 teens, and plan to hold a Fall Build-a-Bike / Earn-a-Bike Program. RIght now I’m collecting information for teens that are interested. We’ll also send out a crowd funding membership campaign shortly. If you know of teens age 13-18 that would be interested in a Fall program, here’s the LINK TO THE SURVEY.

BiCi Co. will also be looking for adults interested in membership and DIY (teaching) bicycle repair.  Stay tuned for the crowd funding membership campaign.  Any questions, you can hit me up.  Follow the CLP FB Page for the latest announcements.

4) On September 13th Bike Walk Connecticut is hosting a comprehensive Traffic Skills 101 course in New Britain. This will probably be the last course of the year in the region.  These courses do sell out, so register early.

5) On September 19th and 20th, the Connecticut Cycling Advancement Program (CCAP) is holding the CT Cycling Festival in Hartford. There will be a Gran Fondo and family ride on Saturday the 19th and a full day of racing on the 20th.  This is the same weekend as Envisionfest in Hartford.  If you have family in the region, this would be a great weekend to get into the city and wander / roll around.

6) On Sunday, September 27th Bike Walk CT is organizing the Discover New Britain ride, part of the Discover Connecticut Series. New Britain was recently recognized as a Bicycle Friendly City, and it’s time to celebrate.

7)  The City of Hartford kicked off the Complete Streets Challenge Team a couple of months ago.  We’re making progress with corporate transportation surveys, engagement from the Hartford Police Department, and actions to create a bicycle and pedestrian plan.  In recent years Hartford has made enough progress to start the Bicycle Friendly Community application from the League of American Bicyclists.  If you have questions about the Complete Streets Team, or you would like to join a subcommittee, contact Caitlin Palmer.

Please spread the word!  Share this article.  Invite folks out to fill the streets with bikes.

Note  - I’ll be touring (by bike) the next six weeks, but I plan to put stuff up here periodically along the way.