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Grab Your Briefcase and Your Bicycle
5/16/2011
If you haven’t pulled your bike out of storage yet, you will want to give it a tune-up this week. The City of Hagerstown and the League of American Cyclists are reminding the public that May 16th through the 20th is National “Bike to Work” week.
“Breath easy and keep more ka-ching in your pocket! Ride your bike to work!” said the Chairman of Hagerstown’s Bicycle Advisory Committee Michael Mittel. “May is National Bike Month and by celebrating “Bike to Work” Week, you can save time, money and improve your health by riding to work!”
Hagerstown’s Bicycle Advisory Committee was created last June as a way for the City of Hagerstown to continue reaching out to the cycling community.
“In the beginning of this year, we released an extensive bicycle route map of the City and the outlying areas,” said Mittel. “It really allows people to find a safe route, and it’s one of the many things our committee has been able to do in such a short time to show how bicycle friendly the City of Hagerstown really is.”
Since 2009, the City’s Department of Parks and Engineering has created four miles of bike lanes around Hagerstown. They will add an additional half a mile in the summer months of this year.
“The creation of all of the bike lanes tells cyclists who may have been scared to bike through town before, that there is a viable way to do that now,” said Mittel.
The City of Hagerstown is in the process of applying for a “Bicycle Friendly Community” designation through the League of American Cyclists.
“People who are avid cyclists are aware of communities that have a bicycle designation,” said Rodney Tissue, the City’s Engineer. “Not only would the designation help us in tourism and marketing, but it would be a third party affirmation of the efforts the Bicycle Committee and the City have been taking to make the City more bicycle friendly, while also exposing some areas where we may be able to do more work.”
In the meantime, there are still several events planned which will run through the end of May, and they are sponsored by the Cumberland Valley Cycling Club, Hub City Cycles, and the City of Hagerstown.
* May 16th- May 20th Visit www.biketoworkinfo.org for resources National “Bike to Work” Week
* Tuesday, May 17th 4 North Potomac Street Unveiling of “Bike Mural”
3:00 p.m. North Potomac Street Parking Deck Painted by BISFA students
* Wednesday, May 18th Fairgrounds Park “Ride of Silence”*
7:00 p.m. Meet at Lot B, sponsored by CVCC “Hub City Bike Loop” Ride
* Friday, May 20th Visit www.biketoworkinfo.org for resources National “Bike to Work” Day
* Saturday, May 21st Hub City Cycles Bicycle Shop “Hub City Bike Loop” Ride*
9:00 a.m. sponsored by CVCC Corner of Franklin Street/Prospect Street
* Saturday, May 28th Hub City Cycles Bicycle Shop “Hub City Bike Loop” Ride* 9:00 a.m. sponsored by CVCC Corner of Franklin Street/Prospect Street
“The Ride of Silence is near and dear to our hearts,” said Hagerstown Bicycle Advisory Committee Chairman Mittel. “There was a member of the Cumberland Valley Cycling Club that was killed back in 2007 in a bicycle accident in Nevada. His death really affected us and the whole cycling community. The ride is a way to pay your respects to those who have been killed or hurt in bicycle accidents, and it’s a reminder that cyclists and motorists truly need to share the road.”
The following are some tips for cyclists from the Hagerstown Bicycle Advisory Committee:
• Have your bike checked over by your local bike shop
• Always wear a helmet to protect your head in the event of a crash
• Ride in the right-most lane that goes in the direction that you are traveling
• Obey all stop signs, traffic lights and lane markings
• Look before you change lanes or signal a turn; indicate your intention, then act
• Be visible and predictable at all times; wear bright clothing and signal turns.
For more information on “Bike to Work” Week visit www.biketoworkinfo.org. For an electronic version of the bike route map “Take a Bike Ride in Hagerstown” visit the City’s homepage at http://www.hagerstownmd.org and click on “Master Bike Plan.”
