Rhode Island Bicycle Coalition

For the fifth year, we’ve used the occasion of National Bike to Work Day to present the annual Bike Friendly Business of the Year award. The announcement at City Hall on May 19th, was attended by many local bicyclists, advocates, and supporters. Bike Newport shared: “This year, the award goes to Panera Bread – for demonstrating a commitment to improved biking in Newport at every opportunity – for installing a branded bike high capacity bike rack; for honoring Art Weekley, a cycling enthusiast customer who lost his life while biking; for providing refreshment at innumerable bike events, including the annual Bike Commuter Breakfast; and for answering ‘Yes!’ to virtually every bike friendly idea proposed to them. For these reasons and more, Newport’s 2017 Bike Friendly Business of the Year is Panera Bread!” The award is a transformed and “gilded” bike wheel, created by renowned sculptors and local residents Howard and Mary Newman. The Newmans are bicycle riders and cycling advocates who have contributed their talents each year to this special recognition of bike friendliness among Newport’s business community. Past recipients include Jane Pickens Theater (2013), Preservation Society of Newport County (2014), Newport County YMCA (2015), and Butch Murray and the Fastnet Pub (2016). The award is a highlight of the annual celebration of biking for transportation. It was presented after a morning commuter breakfast and before an afternoon City Loop ride, which was escorted by Newport Police Department Officers Merrie Scott and Jared Johansen. Event sponsors included A Market, Empire Tea and Coffee, Crystal Springs Water, Panera Bread, FatFace , RIPTA, and Stop & Shop. Bike to Work Day also saw the unveiling of two new Self-Service Bike Repair Stations – for 24/7 air and adjustments. Cyclists can find the tools they’re looking for to fill tires and tighten nuts at Bike Newport (62 Broadway) and Ash Mart (2 Carroll Ave). Additional stations will be coming soon to Thompson Middle School, the Gateway Visitors Center, and Florence Gray Community Center. The stations are generously sponsored by BnV Funds and RIPTA. The post And the 2017 Bike Friendly Business of the Year Is … appeared first on Bike Newport.

A Ride for EVERYONE! ELLIOT’S RIDE for Safety and Wellness  June 11th, 2017, 2:00pm – Brenton Point State Park Announcing Elliot’s Ride! 2017 is the beginning of a new tradition for the Newport community as the former “Elliot Kaminitz Father’s Day Ride” becomes “Elliot’s Ride for Safety and Wellness” – an opportunity for every person of every age and ability to ride together in one of the most beautiful locations in the state – along Newport’s ocean coastline. Billed as “A Ride For Everyone!”, Elliot’s Ride seeks to bring lots of people together to ride along the ocean. “People who ride there every day and people who’ve never ridden there before,” according to the web site that launched today – www.elliotsride.org. “We’re going to remove every obstacle to getting there,” shared event coordinator Niko Merritt. “Busses  and group rides will help get people to the park; we’ll have skills training for new riders; and you can even earn a bike at Bike Newport if you don’t have one! Our goal is to get lots of folks to Brenton Point to ride along the ocean together – including people like me who had not ridden seaside until recently!” Elliot’s Ride – a true community experience – is sponsored by BankNewport and the RIDOT Department of Highway Safety, co-produced by Bike Newport and the Newport County YMCA, and hosted by the RI Department of Environmental Management. All came together today at Bike Newport to celebrate the launch of this exciting new community event! Registration is FREE. There is no fee to participate. “Elliot’s Ride” will raise funds for bike safety education programs through donations and will support joint programs by Bike Newport and the Newport County YMCA. These two organizations work together to help more people choose biking for both transportation and recreation – for health, equity, connectivity, economy, quality of life and quality of place. BankNewport is the event sponsor and a longtime supporter of activities that enhance personal and family health. “We are very happy to sponsor Elliot’s Ride in the inaugural year. We want to be part of ensuring that every person can enjoy Newport’s natural and historic beauty in a fun, healthy, accessible, and life-enhancing way,” shared Kathy Charbonneau, BankNewport’s Director of Community Relations. Elliot’s Ride honors Elliot Kaminitz, who lost his life while biking near Easton’s Beach in 2012. His wife, Renee Kaminitz became a board member at Bike Newport and an advocate for safer cycling, “Elliot would so greatly support this event, this movement. He wanted to see more people on bikes while shining a spotlight on the importance of road safety. We hope that everyone will come out for Elliot’s Ride and together we’ll show what’s possible for community health and happiness.” Participants will ride the short two-mile loop once or many times around, hopping on and off the loop at beautiful Brenton Point State Park for refreshment, music and bicycle activities. Elliot’s Kid Zone, sponsored by the RIDOT Highway Safety Department, will be on-site at the park. The Kid Zone will feature safe cycling activities for youngsters, including helmet fittings, bike safety checks, and a place to practice their biking skills. Music, yoga, kite flying and other activities will further complement the bike ride and the majestic sea views. GETTING THERE: People can ride, walk, bus, or drive to the event in Brenton Point. There will be a group ride leaving from Miantonomi Park for more experienced riders to ride the 7 miles to the park together. A dedicated bus will be available to bring people and their bikes to the park. Cyclists completing the 2-day BikeMS Ride the Rhode can catch transport at the URI finish line to join their family and friends at Elliot’s Ride. And ample parking will be available at Brenton Point and For Adams State Parks. For more information and to register, volunteer, donate, and sponsor, please visit www.elliotsride.org or call Bike Newport at 619-4900. The post Elliot’s Ride for Safety and Wellness – A Ride for Everyone! appeared first on Bike Newport.

Do you love biking? Would you like to see more people of all ages riding bikes? Bike Newport is a nonprofit organization with a mission of improving, encouraging, and facilitating bicycling in and around Newport for the health and well-being of our youth and families and as a viable and enjoyable method of transportation for residents and visitors. Bike Newport has a fast paced work environment and we seek talented interns who crave learning new skills and aren’t afraid to tackle big projects. As an intern you will get to work with our staff on a variety of programs, events, projects, and initiatives. No two days of the summer will be the same. And you’ll get to ride your bike – a lot! Our ideal candidate is someone who walks into a room of people and can’t leave without making a few friends. Someone who knows the promise of bikes and is creative and thoughtful when interacting in the community and building relationships. Your Duties Will Include: Managing our community bike parking program – reaching out to partners and arranging rental and use. Working with local youth and adults to repair and ride bikes at our Bike Library and Open Garage (note: bike mechanic skills preferred but not required – we will provide training). Assisting our staff with event planning and day-of logistics for Bike Month and summer events, including Bike to Work Day, 4th of July Bike Parade, the Elliot’s Ride, the Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals, and Bike to the Beach (see dates below). Creating content for our website and social media channels by writing stories, conducting interviews, taking photographs, filming video, etc. You can choose the media you prefer to document and share the experience of bicycling in Newport Assisting with group rides and likely two off-island rides on Cape Cod and Block Island. Helping with on-road research of cyclist and motorist behaviors. We Value: Team members who are positive, outgoing, prompt, and dependable. Passion for issues related to active transportation, urban planning, environmental and social justice, nonprofit management and community development. Spanish language proficiency. Strong verbal and digital communication skills. Experience working with children. Knowledge of basic bicycle mechanics Familiarity with riding for pleasure and for transportation as well as experience with group rides Proficiency in Microsoft Suite Office and WordPress. Attention to detail. Organization, with an ability to prioritize time-sensitive assignments. Creativity, flexibility, and LOTS of energy. Familiarity with social networking sites. You Will Learn: We value all of our interns and go the extra mile to make sure you receive a learning experience that fits your career goals. We can work together to tailor your duties to your academic and professional interests. You will also learn how to work in a professional environment at an award-winning organization and have ample opportunity to network with community leaders and other professionals in the non-profit and active transportation field. Compensation: $2,500 stipend Details: This internship requires 250 hours and can run between May 16th and September 6th. You will have access to our fleet of bikes and parts for your use. You are expected to work 20-25 hours/week, depending on your availability and our event schedule. Hours are flexible – mostly afternoons, evenings, and weekends. You MUST be available on the following dates: Friday, May 19 – (Bike to Work Day) Saturday, June 3 – (BikeFestRI) Thursday, June 8 – Sunday, June 11 (Elliot’s Ride) Tuesday, July 4 – (morning only) Friday, July 28 – Sunday, July 30 (Folk Festival) Friday, August 4 – Sunday, August 6 (Jazz Festival) Apply: To apply please submit a cover letter and resume to brian@bikenewportri.org. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. The post We’re Looking for our 2017 Summer Intern appeared first on Bike Newport.

Last night we gathered with other bike advocates from around the state to show a visiting consultant team all the great work happening in Rhode Island around bikes. The Rhode Island Bicycle Coalition exists to move the state’s bike culture READ MORE

It’s that time of year! The best winter party in Newport – once again at the amazing Midtown Oyster Bar! There will be live music, great food, a silent auction, Velosprint racing, and of course, piles of oysters. Come dance to Slackwater String Band and Los Duderinos brought to us by Common Fence Music. Get your tickets here. This year, all funds raised will support our Community Bike Projects – where we reclaim abandoned and discarded bikes, which are then repaired or harvested for useable parts with the help of our volunteers. Anyone can come in and tap into shared knowledge, tools, and used parts to repair or build their bikes. Everyone can gain from biking – it’s an affordable, healthy and fun way to get around town. Lots of participants keep coming back for more, and to share their new knowledge with others. Bike Newport’s Community Bike Projects help every kind of rider and every kind of ride, so we can help put more people on bikes in Newport. We are working to make Newport a more bicycle friendly city – through infrastructure, road safety education and more people on bikes! Join us on March 16th at Midtown Oyster Bar! If you are interested in donating to the silent auction, email Brian.  The post Bike Newport Night 2017 – Support Community Bike Projects! appeared first on Bike Newport.

If you don’t feel like reading this whole explanation, come to 444 Westminster St in Providence for the public meeting about the future of Kennedy Plaza at 5pm on February 16th. If we can get a big group of RIBike READ MORE

On Wednesday morning, RIBike staff and volunteers joined with state and city officials to walk around Allens Ave and recommend improvements that would make the corridor safer for all road users. The map below details some of our recommendations, which READ MORE

PeopleForBikes, one of the driving forces behind making places better for bicycling in the United States, has a new program called the Big Jump Project. Yesterday, they announced the ten cities nationwide that would be participating, and Providence made the READ MORE

We’ve heard from public works departments and RIDOT that one of the main things holding them back from putting in more protected/separated bike lanes is uncertainty about how those bike lanes will be plowed in the winter. So this post READ MORE

View the original here:  YOU all did it!