February News from Bike Newport

HOLD THE DATE! WED MARCH 7, 6-9PM IT'S BIKE NEWPORT NIGHT AT SPEAK EASY, 250 Thames Street, WITH MUSIC BY CASTLE! CELEBRATE BIKE NEWPORT AND HELP US RAISE THE FUNDS FOR OUR CYCLING INSTRUCTOR TRAINING PROGRAM. PASS IT ON!!

NEWS FROM BIKE NEWPORT:
EARLY 2012 HIGHLIGHTS:

Light Up the Night: Have you noticed more lights on early morning and nighttime riders? Bike Newport has been busy distributing front and rear lights to bicycle commuters. We installed 40 sets of lights in December and January and we're about to order more for Phase 2 thanks to funding by Narragansett Bay Wheelmen and help from Newport Bicycle. We are asking employers to help us to identify workers who depend on their bicycles for transportation. Please call (401) 324-9690 and leave a message with the number of employees and we will come to your workplace to install the lights.

Second Edition Bike Map: Bigger and better - this year's map update will extend from Jamestown in the west to Sachuest Point in the east, allowing us to map at least four recommended recreational routes, in addition to mapping the City of Newport with RIDOT-designated suitable and most suitable roads. See the current map HERE and send your comments to info@bikenewportri.org.

Community Survey: In preparation for the Newport Bike Map update, residents shared their preferred streets and bike routes as well as road concerns. The results of the survey can be reviewed HERE.
Cycling Instructor Training: We are gearing up to train a cadre of cycling instructors, to be certified by the League of American Bicyclists. Bike Newport will sponsor 15 participants who will become local experts in bicycle education and program planning. We will use the expertise to build and run school and community bicycle clubs, extend the knowledge base regarding smart cycling, and to create more opportunities for community, youth and family cycling. Having representatives schooled and invested in bike education and sharing of the road will contribute to the safe and smart integration of bicycling into the fabric of our city.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS:

Tuesday, February 14: Bike Newport Committee Meeting, all welcome - 8am to 9am, Empire Tea and Coffee, 22 Broadway, Newport. Discussion Topic: Bicycling as a part of summer event traffic management. We will review the list of efforts that Bike Newport is undertaking to encourage residents and visitors to use bicyles in place of cars to visit the city and events. The list includes maps, recommended routes, bicycle parking, city/police support and centralized bicycling information (online and offline). It also includes facilitating/supporting/promoting local bicycle shop rentals to meet the need - especially during high-volume events such as the America's Cup World Series.

Wednesday, March 7: Spread the word - it's BIKE NEWPORT NIGHT! at Speak Easy Bar and Grille, 250 Thames Street, with music by Castle! Come out in support of Bike Newport - and help us raise the funds for our Cycling Instructor Training. Food, fun, music, cash bar and plenty of fabulous raffles. Suggested donation: $10 6pm to 9pm Please call (401) 324-9690 if you'd like a promotional poster to display.
Monday, April 9: Bike Newport hosts the Rhode Island Bicycle Coalition (RIBike) monthly meeting - 6pm at Empire Tea and Coffee, 22 Broadway. Join us for a discussion about statewide bicycling initiatives.
Friday, May 18: Get ready for our second annual BIKE TO WORK DAY - from our school bike train and commuter breakfast in the morning to our Community Bike Fair in the evening, it will be a day of celebrating cycling for transportation. Biking and walking to work directly correlates with improved health and increased productivity. Bike to Work Day is a fabulous chance to give bicycle transportation a try! Employers and organizations interested in partnering with Bike Newport to inspire more employees to ride to work - please call (401) 324-9690 or email info@bikenewportri.org.