Eventbrite - Third Annual Day of Dialogue and Demonstrations Women Bike Chicago: October 2013

Barbara McCann at Women & Children First book store 11/1

While this isn't a Women Bike Chicago-organized event, it may be of interest to many of you.

Barbara McCann will be at Women & Children First this Friday 11/1 at 7:30 p.m. speaking about the Complete Streets movement.

Completing Our Streets: The Transition to Safe and Inclusive Transportation Networks  begins with the story of how the complete streets movement united bicycle riders, transportation practitioners and agencies, public health leaders, older Americans, and smart growth advocates to dramatically reframe the discussion of transportation safety.

The complete streets movement is based around a simple idea: streets should be safe for pedestrians and commuters of all ages and abilities. Completing Our Streets provides the strategies, tools, and inspiration needed to translate this idea into real and lasting change in their communities.

McCann served as the founding executive director of the National Complete Streets Coalition. Previously, she was director of information and research at Smart Growth America (SGA). She worked at CNN as a writer and producer for 13 years during her first career as a journalist. She lives in Washington, DC.

Women & Children First is located at 5233 N. Clark St.

Going South bike tour - Sunday 10/13


Are you curious about bike lanes on the far south side?  Or have you ridden them in the past but been turned off by difficult conditions?  Some of our major routes now sport fresh pavement and improved bike lanes, and conditions are much better than they’ve been in years.  Here’s your chance to check it out, with an optional stop for a special yearly treat: the Pullman House Tour. Info about the house tour is available online. 
Our tour starts  at 10:00 a.m. at Avalon Park, 1200 E. 83rd St. (between Cottage Grove and Stony Island).  Please arrive early so we can start on time.  We will meet by the northeast corner of the fieldhouse.  There is parking available on the east side of the fieldhouse. 
Here’s a map link for the start location.
Note that Sunday is Chicago Marathon day.  Please allow extra travel time if you're starting from a location north of Hyde Park.  Here's a map of the marathon route.

The route is about 20 miles and includes South Shore, Jackson Park, Vincennes, Major Taylor Trail and more – easier and more pleasant to ride, thanks to smooth pavement and bike lanes.   If you are doing the ride but not the house tour, allow at least 2 hours, as we would like to get photos in a few locations.  

If you intend to do the house tour, allow 2-3 additional hours, depending on how long you spend visiting each house and walking.  Please bring a lock if you are doing the house tour, since it is easiest to lock up your bike near the visitors’ center or the Hotel Florence.  Food and drink will be available for purchase at the house tour, whether you are doing the tour or not.
For more information, contact Anne Alt at s4c.south@gmail.com or 312.520.1641.

material from 10/2 presentation

If you weren't able to attend the 10/2 presentation on bike commuting and bikes on transit, the material presented is available here in PDF format.  I've also included additional links: bikes on Metra, the location of CTA's bus demo rack, and the Chicago online bike map.

Bike commuting tips

Gear for weather

Bikes on CTA-Pace

10 rules for urban commuting

Dooring

Bikes on Metra

Location for CTA bus demo rack - accessible 24/7 - If you want to practice putting your bike on a CTA bus rack, this is the place to go.

Chicago online bike map - click on a section of the map to explore.  Also note buttons on left side of page linked to additional informational pages.  It hasn't yet been updated to include all of this year's bike lane improvements, so there are new bike lanes in some locations not yet indicated on the map.


presentation tonight on bike commuting and bikes on transit

Are you looking to use your bicycle for more than just recreation? Then come to a presentation Wednesday 10/2 - TONIGHT - at Women & Children First book store, 5233 N. Clark St. at 7:30 p.m.

Learn how to commute on your bike: We'll show you what to wear, how to carry things, and what to do about the weather. We'll even go over getting your bike on a bus or train to shorten the ride. Anne Alt, a lifelong cyclist and longtime bike commuter, grew up riding in several neighborhoods and nearby suburbs of Chicago. A member of Chicago Cycling Club and volunteer with Active Transportation Alliance, she has ridden thousands of miles on Chicago streets and learned the ins and outs of taking her bike on all our local transit systems. Women Bike Chicago is a grass-roots organization founded in 2012 made up of women who love to bicycle and to encourage other women to bicycle. Refreshments will be served.