December 2023 Newsletter
“Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of riding a bike.” ~
John F. Kennedy
Join our quest to make Phoenix a friendlier,
more welcoming place to ride a bike 💫
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Join Our Ugly Sweater Ride at Phoestivus!
'Tis the season for signature celebrations and Phoestivus is one of our favorites!
This free three-day seasonal festival is two nights and one day of local vendors and artisans, great food, music, and Phoestivus-specific traditions like Pheats of Strength and the Airing of Grievances.
Of course, a highlight of the event is the PSP Ugly Sweater Social Ride on Friday, December 15 at 7 p.m. We’ll meet at the Phoenix Bioscience Core parking lot, at 850 N. 5th Street. The family-friendly ride will be about 5 to 7 miles and start at end at Phoestivus.
Can’t make the ride? You can still enjoy Phoestivus on Thursday, December 14, and Friday, December 15 from 5 – 10 p.m.
Recover on Saturday, December 16 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the The Farmers Market + The Phoestivus Hangover.
Whenever you go, you can ride to the event thanks to PSP’s Bike Valet. It's just like car valet parking, only cooler: a volunteer will park your bike and give you a claim ticket. You go get your Merry on! Your bike will be safe and sound until you turn in your ticket to happily ride home.
Want to level up your Phoestivus fun and support PSP? Become a Bike Valet volunteer! Just head over to our SignUp page and pick a slot!
Though Phoestivus is free, the purchases or donations you make will support Community Food Connections, the nonprofit that facilitates the Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market.
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The Perfect Gift Does Exist
PSP Gear Alert!
That’s right, PSP is taking orders for our logo t-shirts! Members and students receive special pricing (Yes, you can become a member before ordering shirts. There's even a student membership rate!).
The shirts are wicking and perfect for riding while showing your support of friendlier streets in Phoenix.
You can order until Wednesday, December 20 and pick up your new PSP swag at our January 2024 Second Saturday Ride or at the Rusty Spoke.
Links and pricing are below!
$25 for non-members
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Join our December
Second Saturday Ride!
That's right -- in addition to our special holiday rides, we're still hosting everyone's favorite weekend social event, our PSP Second Saturday Ride.
This four-hour, family-friendly ride starts at Short Leash Hot Dogs, located at 4221 N 7th Ave., on Saturday, December 9, at 8 a.m. For the next hour, we sip coffee, introduce ourselves to new friends, and carb load on Rollover Doughnuts before the ride.
The route hasn’t been set yet, but we do know there will be a break about halfway through and no one gets left behind.
Then we all end up back at Short Leash which, now that it’s open, will have plenty of post-ride snacks and adult beverages to enjoy.
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Luminaria Ride Promises Festive Cheer
Everyone’s favorite seasonal ride returns to the beloved historic Willo neighborhood. We'll meet at Walton Park, located at 301 W. Holly St., on Saturday, December 23 at 6 p.m.
Cover your bikes and yourselves with anything festive! Lights, jingle bells, ugly sweaters, and festive hats are all welcome. At 6:30 p.m., we’ll weave our way throughout the lighted Willo neighborhood.
This is a signature Phoenix Spokes People ride for good reason. It’s casual, family-friendly, and just long enough to warrant some cocoa afterward. We can’t wait to see you there!
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Tell Phoenix What YOUR
City Priorities Are!
It’s time for Phoenix to update its General Plan 2025. This allows Phoenix residents to share their priorities with city leaders and staff directly through two surveys.
The surveys ask two questions: “What are your priorities?” and “Where do we focus next?”
We strongly encourage you to take at least the first survey. It is a valuable opportunity to show that you prioritize a safe city for all road users by literally ranking items as illustrated below.
In addition to the online surveys, the city is also hosting a road show of in-person meetings throughout the city called PlanPHX Summits.
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Save the Date!
The next PSP Meeting will be on Saturday, January 27 at 10 a.m.
The meetings are virtual and everyone is welcome to see how we work to make Phoenix a more friendlier place to ride a bike!
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Become a PSP Member
Are you:
- A fan of friendly, casual bike events?
- Wanting better bicycle infrastructure and safer streets?
- Looking for fun, impactful volunteer activities?
Then an annual Phoenix Spokes People membership is for you! We are a group of urban bicyclists dedicated to making Phoenix a friendlier, more welcoming place to ride bikes. We believe cycling should be an easily accessible form of transportation for people of all ages, incomes and abilities, and we're working hard to make that come true.
For $20 a year ($15 for students) you can support our advocacy and community building and help cover costs like this newsletter and ride insurance. Thanks for your support!
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Bike Valet Returns!
Phoenix winter means plenty of events to ride to, including the Phoenix Downtown Farmers Market and Phoestivus.
Phoenix Spokes People has consistently provided a much-needed Bike Valet service at these events.
It works just like valet for cars. Attendees drop their bikes with us, and:
- A PSP volunteer takes the bike, stores it on a portable rack, and tags it with a claim check.
- Each claim check has a unique number, and a portion for the bike owner to keep.
- When the bike owner leaves the event they exchange their claim ticket stub for their bike. Easy!
But we need volunteers to keep Bike Valet going strong. Even if you have only an hour to give, we can promise you a fun time giving back to the local bike community. You'll meet fellow bicyclists and sometimes we even get event tickets, food, or swag (though we can't guarantee these perks).
Whether you're an event venue who is interested in having bike valet at your event or an amazing person who wants to volunteer to man the valet table, contact us at valet@phoenixspokespeople.org.
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The Bulletin Board
Where we keep the handy bits of info.
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- City of Phoenix’s new Bike Lane Projects website. Tracks all projects, even those that don't require a vote.
- Advocate often and easily with our handy-dandy advocacy cheat sheet.
- For $25 you can get a Share the Road license plate from the Arizona Department of Transportation. Proceeds from the plate benefit the Rob Dollar Foundation and Uphill Into the Wind, both nonprofit organizations that promote cycling for the greater good.
- City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department:
200 W. Washington St., 5th Floor, Phoenix, AZ 85003
Phone: 602-262-6284 Fax: 602-495-2016 TTY: 711
Email: streetsp@phoenix.gov, www.phoenix.gov/bicycling
- Research Capital improvement projects. Includes links to meetings and email update sign-ups.
- Report a street maintenance issue or concern.
- View Planned street closures and restrictions.
- Use the PHX City Calendar to learn about upcoming city meetings, events, activities, and more.
- Report a collision, near-miss or bike hazard: Bikemaps.org.
- Report cars parked in bike lanes: call the Phoenix Police non-emergency line, 602.262.6151.
- Find a bike shop near you - anywhere in Maricopa County!
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