Volume 4, Issue 3 – April 8, 2005

“A Newsletter Published by Bike Pittsburgh to establish Pittsburgh as a city that is increasingly safe, accessible, and friendly to bicycle transportation.”

In This Issue:

* BikeFest! 2005 Gears Up
* Free Ride! Update
* Bike Pittsburgh Turns Three!
* An Interview With George Schmidt
* Upcoming Events

BIKEFEST! 2005 GEARS UP

What is BikeFest!? BikeFest! is not an organized event, but a framework for organizing bicycle-themed events. It is a celebration of two wheeled madness, showcasing Pittsburgh in all of its uniqueness and beauty. Whether you ride everyday, the weekends, or always wanted to try, BikeFest! has an event for you. This ten-day first ever Pittsburgh festival (June 17th-26th) includes several events each day, comprising of everything from themed rides, to movies, to races and lectures. The calendar of events is open to anyone who has the desire to organize an event, and relate it to the bicycle in some fashion. Bike Pittsburgh is acting as the “hub” to promote the events, as well as providing the framework and some resources to the organizers.

Go to the Bike-PGH web site: http://www.Bike-Pgh.org to see activities planned so far and please contact us if you would like get involved or if you have any ideas that you would like to see as part of the festival. BikeFest! is being made possible in part by generous support from the Sprout Fund (http://www.sproutfund.org).

FREE RIDE! UPDATE

If you haven’t been down to Free Ride!(our community recycled bicycle program) yet this year, you’ll be amazed at the amount of growth we’ve had this past winter. Read on, and come on down!

* Our new website is up, and it looks great! (Many Thanks to Chris Frelin.) Check it out at: http://www.FreeRidePgh.org
* Women’s Cycle (Open shop for ladies and trannies only) is back! It will resume in April 13th, continuing through every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month from 6:00-10:00pm.
* Our first Youth Earn-a-Bike of the season will begin on April 23rd. Spaces are filling up fast. For more information, email: (freeride@bike-pgh.org).
* We are holding Adult Basic Bike Mechanics classes, starting on April 18th and continuing every Monday at 7:00pm for six weeks, giving a total of 12 hours shop time. The course is $30 or $6 per class. Please pre-register by emailing us, as class size in limited. Email: (freeride@bike-pgh.org) for more details if you are interested.

Things Free Ride! needs:

* Spring Cleaning! This winter, we recycled more bikes than we received in donations, so our “better” bikes have been picked through pretty extensively. We need “nicer” bikes – both adult and kids, but especially men’s road bikes and kid’s BMX bikes. You know you’re not gonna ride that 80’s Raleigh road bike sitting in your basement. Donation receipts are available from our shop if you want the tax write off. We will also hold collection days at both CMU and Pitt during their respective move out weeks, so keep your eyes peeled for announcements or flyers in that regard.
* Volunteers! There will be a general “clean up the shop/get ready for summer cleanup” on Sunday, April 10th, at noon. This is a great chance to get acquainted with our shop and meet some folks if you haven’t done so already. Snacks will be provided.
* Also, don’t forget us if you feel like volunteering somewhere. We have plenty of things to do for people whether you know bike mechanics or not. Just show up to any open shop and talk to a coordinator. For those wishing to get a little more involved, we are holding a volunteer training during our open shop on Tuesday April 12th, at 8:00pm.

BIKE PITTSBURGH TURNS THREE!

This past February Bike-PGH completed its third year. In that time we have become the unified voice for bicyclists in Pittsburgh. Our goal has been to not only address safety and advocacy issues, but to lend support to organizations whose vision we share and form alliances with organizations that can help us realize a better Pittsburgh. At Bike-PGH we are convinced a better Pittsburgh is a city that builds and strengthens community among its citizens. The bicycle is not an end in itself but one way to reinforce this sense of community. If streets are more bicycle friendly and motorists and bicyclists have a mutual understanding, the tone of traffic changes. If the streets are safer for riding a bicycle more people will be encouraged to bicycle, which will contribute to their physical health and mental well-being. This does far more than enhance the city’s image it actually intrinsically makes Pittsburgh a better place to live.

What has Bike-PGH accomplished so far?

1. PennDOT now contacts Bike-PGH to attend meetings when road projects are being carried out and our presence has impacted bicycle improvements to road designs.
2. The city contacts Bike-PGH to help plot and mark a bike routes and bike lanes that will connect the city’s parks and neighborhoods.
3. In collaboration with Sustainable Pittsburgh, Bike-PGH convenes the Urban Cycling Committee to bring together community stakeholders to plan bicycle related improvements to the city’s infrastructure.
4. Our Free Ride! project in North Point Breeze engages the community on many fronts:
* Earn-a-Bike programs
* Mechanic classes
* Overhauls used bicycles and makes them available at affordable prices, and
* Recycles bicycles whose components and/or frames are no longer road worthy.
5. We continue to lead urban advocacy rides in collaboration with local organizations like the Venture Outdoors and the Young Preservationists.
6. Thanks to our collaborations with Wall-to-Wall Studios, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, and in part funding from the Sprout Fund, over 100 of our Public Art Bike Racks adorn city sidewalks and parking lots.
7. Each May we carry out Bike to Work Week activities.
8. Our e-mail newsletter The Bike Pittsburgh Leader and our website helps to keep you informed.
9. Our first print quarterly newsletter was distributed this past March.

What you can expect from Bike-PGH in the next year:

1. This June will be the first ever Pittsburgh BikeFest!, a celebration of Pittsburgh and the bicycle. See above for more details about this exciting bonanza of activities lasting 10 ten days.
2. Expect to see point of purchase (POP) displays at your favorite bicycle shops promoting the activities and advocacy of Bike-PGH and Free Ride! Funding has already been secured to create four prototypes.
3. A commuter bicycle map. The information has been gathered. We are now looking for funding to design and print the map.
4. Expand our bicycle rack program.
5. Develop our volunteer network to address pressing needs.

Bike-PGH is run exclusively by volunteers. Even our Executive Director, David Hoffman has been working for ten months with no wages … and no, he is not independently wealthy. He quit his full time job to see that Bike-PGH could operate at the level required. Although we wait in earnest to hear about possible funding, Bike-PGH remains committed and determined to see our goals for Pittsburgh realized.

If you have seen our work and or feel it is worthwhile please join as a member or renew your membership and feel free to donate generously … its our birthday!

AN INTERVIEW WITH GEORGE SCHMIDT

George Schmidt recently stepped down as a Board member of Bike PGH to take some time off from the volunteer activities that he has been involved with for more than 20 years. His storied daily bicycle commutes from Squirrel Hill to Neville Island are worthy of legend. George would bicycle 12 miles to work to begin a day that consisted of unloading 15, 1 ton pallets of fumaric acid, and when he was done he’d bicycle home. According to him, he never felt better.

Bike PGH benefited a great deal from his experience, including the respect he has earned throughout the city with civic leaders and bicycle advocates. As the debate and struggle for this city’s future identity continues its people like George Schmidt whose voice is important.

Schmidt claims that volunteering as he has over the last two decades has helped to provide him a sense of satisfaction that has made his life more fulfilling. “It gave me an opportunity to work with many different people and gain experience as an organizer.”

In the following excerpt from the interview, George shares with us some reflection and lessons learned:

Bike PGH: What do you think are some keys strategies for successful bicycle advocacy?

George Schmidt: Most important is to develop a constituency of voters who ride bicycles. You need someone or an organization to represent that constituency and push the right buttons in PennDOT and local governments to promote the bicyclists agenda.

BP: How do you see your current role in local bicycle advocacy?

GS: My role is to support the young bloods, particularly at Bike PGH, who are carrying the fire. I have realized over the years that too much experience in an organization can stifle growth and creative thinking.

… to see the interview in its entirety, visit the Bike PGH website “Community & Classifieds” section.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Here is a short listing of upcoming cycling events in the Pittsburgh Region. For complete details, visit the Bike Pittsburgh website: www.Bike-Pgh.org and click on the “Events & Activities” section.

April 14 – Mountain Bike Rambles: North Park, Pie Traynor Field
April 21 – Mountain Bike Rambles: Riverview Park, Riverview Avenue Entrance
April 28 – Mountain Bike Rambles: Frick Park Tennis Courts, Regent Square
April 29 – Critical Mass
April 30th – Rainbow Kitchen Walk & Ride
May 1st -The State Police Metric Century Celebration Ride
May 1st – P.T.A.G. Trail Maintenance, North Park
May 15th – Pedal Pittsburgh
May 21st – 5th Annual Venture Outdoor Festival
May 21st – Bike Around The Bay (Erie, PA)

Post the miles that you ride on the Bike Pittsburgh website in the Community & Classifieds area! Just send us your monthly mileage, and if you want your name to be available as an email link to: miles@Bike-Pgh.org

Become A Member! Bike Pittsburgh is Western Pennsylvania’s only cycling advocacy, awareness, and safety organization. We rely on your support for many of our activities and initiatives. You can help us to continually transform the Pittsburgh Region into a better place to cycle by becoming a Member starting at $25 per year ($15 for Students). With your tax-deductible Membership Donation you will receive a Membership Card good for discounts with participating organizations that share Bike Pittsburgh’s vision, priority invitations and/or discounts to special Bike Pittsburgh-sponsored events, and the satisfaction that you really are helping to make a difference for all of us. For complete details, go to the Bike Pittsburgh website: http://www.Bike-Pgh.org and click on the Become A Member! section.

“The Bike Pittsburgh Leader” is an electronic newsletter published about every three weeks. Previous issues of “The Bike Pittsburgh Leader” can be found on the Bike Pittsburgh website in the section called “The Leader”. Bike Pittsburgh, Inc. does not rent, sell, or make available any personal information, including email addresses, that you may send to Bike Pittsburgh. If you would like to be removed from the distribution list, simply email: remove@Bike-Pgh.org and request to be removed. payday loan 9 payday90 loans commercialloan a a for appliancespay checking loan day account noloan account savingsmortgage rate 20 loan adjustablemoney payday advance loanloans bankruptcy after illinois home Mapsecure personal a loana signature loanabout loan equity bad creditloan payday aboutunsecured acceptance personal loan guaranteedcamping accessory car financing car loanaccount savings only pay loan dayrate estate loan real adjustable Map