Philly Bike Share Forum Presented by Mayor's Office of Transportation & Utilities on April 30, 2013

Mayor Michael A. Nutter has announced that Philadelphia develop a Bike-Share System that will enable Philadelphians, commuters and visitors to check out iconic, sturdy bikes from a self-service docking stations and drop it off at another station. With this announcement, Philadelphia joins 42 other cities in North America which either have, or are planning to develop, bike-share systems.

Please join The Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities (MOTU) on Tuesday April 30th at 6:30 (doors open at 6:00) in the evening to hear presentations from the architects of some of the nation’s best bike sharing systems, hosted by the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. Come hear representatives from Boston, Denver and Washington DC discuss their experiences developing, launching and operating bike sharing systems in their cities. The forum will conclude with a brief presentation on the City of Philadelphia’s plans to launch a first-class bike sharing system by the end of 2014.

Guest Speakers:

• Rina Cutler, Deputy Mayor for Transportation and Utilities, City of Philadelphia
• Nicole Freedman, Executive Director of Boston Bikes
• Parry Burnap, Executive Director of Denver Bike Sharing
• Chris Holben, Bike Sharing Project Manager, District of Columbia Department of Transportation
• Andrew Stober, Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities, City of Philadelphia

The forum is made possible with the support of the William Penn Foundation, Pennsylvania Environmental Council and JMT Engineering. Tickets are limited and are available here.

Mayor Nutter Thanks Everyone, Drops Some Great Quotes At Bike To Work Day

"It is absolutely the best way to get to work. I always look forward to Bike to Work Day...This is the best thing I'm going to do today."

That was Mayor Nutter in Love Park this morning, speaking in front of press and a crowd of more than 100 cyclists for Bike To Work Day.

The event was well-attended by a wide spectrum of Philadelphia officials. Mayor Nutter, Deputy Mike DiBerardinis from Parks & Recreation, and Councilman Mark Squilla all participated in the ride. Deputy Mayor Rina Culter from MOTU joined us for the press conference.

One inspiring part of the event was the number of Philadelphia-based bicycling-related companies and organizations involved. In attendance was ZipCar (car-sharing), Fuji (major bicycling manufacturer), Gearing Up (bicycling-focused social service), Wash Cycle (bicycle-powered laundry service), Cosmic Cafe (food vendor for bike/ped trail), Pedal Co-Op (recycling and delivery) and Wheel Fun (bicycle rentals). Taken together, they represent a city with an established and growing bicycle culture.

Mayor Nutter used his remarks to thank a wide variety of event participants (including our own Alex Doty and Sarah Clark Stuart by name). He also hit on some important subjects for Philadelphia bicyclists:

Bike To Work With Mayor Nutter This Friday

Nutter was undaunted by rain in 2008. Friday's forecast
is sunny and warm.

Whatcha doing this Friday morning? Want to grab coffee and ride alongside Mayor Nutter down the Parkway?

Yeah you do.

This Friday is Bike to Work Day! And for the 5th consecutive year, Mayor Michael Nutter is joining us for a bike ride to work.

If you read our blog, there's a good chance you already bike to work. So take this opportunity to convince a co-worker to give it a try! It's a short ride, the forecast is looking perfect, and your co-worker will be able to say that the first time they biked to work, they had a police escort! Makes for a good story.

National Bike to Work Day
Date: Friday, May 18th
Gathering time: 7:30 - 8:30 AM (ride leaves at 8:30 AM)
Gathering point: Lloyd Hall
Coffee: free and available

We'll be leaving Lloyd Hall at 8:30 sharp and biking down the Parkway to Love Park. There will be a short press conference at the Park, with Mayor Nutter and our own Alex Doty offering remarks.

And don't forget to log your ride in the I Bike PHL Challenge. It's a 1.7 mile ride, so that's 22 points (20 for riding on Friday)!

May Is Bike Month! So Many Ways To Use, Talk About, and Celebrate Bicycles!

May is National Bike Month, and the opportunities, excuses, and incentives to ride your bike this month are abundant. Check out our calendar for the full list of events, but here are some of the highlights coming up:

I Bike PHL Challenge
The Challenge is underway! Running from May 1st to August 31st, this is a great way to reward yourself for biking this summer or encourage your friend or family member to ride with you! Create a team, win raffle prizes, and help Philadelphia and Pennsylvania climb the national leaderboards. Learn more here or sign up at Endomondo.

8th annual Philadelphia Ride of Silence
Wednesday, May 16th
6:45 pm; meet at steps of Philadelphia Art Musem
rain or shine

The Ride of Silence, happening worldwide, honors cyclists killed or injured in motor vehicle-related crashes and raises awareness of cyclists' right to share the road. The Ride is a slow, silent 8 mile loop through Philadelphia with police escort. Helmets required, lights encouraged. No registration required; for more info, contact info@bicyclecoalition.org.

Bike to Work Day with Mayor Nutter
Friday, May 18th
7:30 AM, Lloyd Hall
rain or shine

Philadelphia has the highest rate of bicycle commuting (per capita) of the nation's 10 biggest cities. Celebrate that and join Mayor Nutter and other dignitaries for a short but sweet ride down the Parkway to Love Park.

Kinetic Sculpture Derby
Saturday, May 19th
Trenton Ave & Norris St in Kensington
All day - derby begins at noon

A unique celebration of human-powered transit and art. The design competition and parade kick off at noon, but there will be vendors, booths, food, and music all day. Family-friendly and quirky.

Pop-Up Bike Service Stations
May 10th, 3-6 pm, 22nd & Spruce
May 24th, 3-6 pm, South Street Bridge

We'll be setting up pop-up service stations along commute routes this month and all summer. Stop by for free air, information on us and upcoming bike events, and get your questions answered. Stay tuned to our Twitter account for locations of upcoming stations and specials like free coffee or swag giveaways!