City sponsors events for bike month

The Bloomington Bike Month Commuter Challenge began on May 1 to kickstart Bloomington Bike Month and National Bike Month. Current participants are tallying up miles biked to and from work through
May 15.

Within the last two years, the City of Bloomington has increased mileage of bikeways, trails and paths by 37 percent.

There is now a total network of more than 46 miles. The Bloomington Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Commission is actively working with the City of Bloomington to explore alternative transportation goals.

“Myself and Vince Caristo, Bike and Pedestrian Coordinator, are working towards getting more participants on the trails that we have already enhanced. We are not adding or expanding the trails,” said Mallory Rickbeil, Bike to Work Outreach Coordinator for the City of Bloomington.

One way they are collaborating is through the Bloomington Bike Month Commuter Challenge.
This city-sponsored event occurs every May with the hopes of a healthy-spirited competition that may foster cycling advocacy as well as promote the creation of bike-friendly workplace programs.

Currently, Bloomington is ranked second in the nation for the percentage of people who walk or bike to work among cities with more than 65,000 people, according to the 2010 U.S. Census.

The city had registered at least 10 total workplace-based teams. Registration ended May 8. These teams consist of employees from City Hall, all four Bloomingfoods co-op locations, and University Information Technology Services (UITS) as well as several other University departments.

When the competition concludes, all teams must submit their tallies in order to be eligible to win the challenge.

Prizes include gift certificates for local bike shops, a couple of commuter bikes, various other donated prizes from various vendors around the Bloomington area and “bragging rights” at the National Bike to Work Day Block Party May 17.

Awards will be given to those teams who have the most bike-friendly business practices, most new commuters, most accumulated miles, as well as the biggest team and more.

“UITS and our very own City Hall Commuters have a very strong showing this year,” Rickbeil said. “It’ll be interesting to see how the competition evolves.”

Various other events are taking place throughout the month of May in Bloomington for Bikes Month including the Women’s Ride May 9 as well as Midnight Mosey on May 11.

“We are educating, encouraging, engineering, enforcing and evaluating then planning to better promote the use of bicycles in Bloomington,” Rickbeil said.