Philly Bike Rack Contest Deadline Extended (and rack specs updated)

Attention ladies, gentlemen, distinguished guests, members of the jury, opposing pitchers, Trader Joe's crew members, Mister Speaker, passengers, our fellow Americans, and the owner of a white Dodge Stratus blocking the freight elevator:

Two important updates about the contest to create Philadelphia's next public art bike rack!

First, the deadline for submissions has been extended to September 30th.

Second, the specs for the large bike racks have been changed. The initial RFP incorrectly stated that dimensions for the rack had to include the locked bikes themselves. The updated document reflects the fact that those dimensions only pertain to the rack itself, not the bikes locked to it.

You can find the updated document with the specs, details of the contest, and everything else you need to know here.

If you are an artist, a designer, or just have a great idea for a bike rack, send it in! These racks will be featured in prominent places around the City, places like City Hall, Boat House Row, and Sister Cities Plaza. In a city increasingly known for its public art, your art will be in that collection!

Submit Your Photos of Summertime Bicycling and Walking, Maybe Win A Bike

The Alliance for Biking & Walking is holding a contest for photography celebrating the joy that is walking and biking in the summertime. The secondary goal is to build up a collection of excellent photographic assets which advocates (like us) can use in their work (non-commercial).

The winning photograph, chosen "based on creative and artistic merit, as well as how successfully the photograph captures the summer spirit of biking and walking," will win for its photographer a $650 Tern Link Uno folding bike.

See below for the contest poster and link to more information:

Like Naming Things? Name Our Regional Trail Network!

Are you good at naming things? Do you have a lot of pets, or kids, all with terrific names they've really grown into as dogs, or people?

Well, there's a contest happening to confer a name upon the network of bike/ped trails that snakes through the 9-county region.

The William Penn Foundation is working with DVRPC on a naming contest. Visit the contest website here for additional details. The contest ends on December 16th. The creator of the winning entry will receive $250 and the fame of having his or her name attached to our regional trail network.

Below is information from the William Penn Foundation about the contest:

Name Our Trail Network Contest

Our region's network of trails needs a name. We need your help!

Submit your best ideas to NameOurTrailNetwork@gmail.com. The entry selected by our jury will receive a $250 cash prize!

Greater Philadelphia's developing system of trails has energized communities across the region, with each new segment connecting more neighborhoods and residents. This network - which includes the Schuylkill River Trail, Cooper River Trail, East Coast Greenway and several others - represents a potential world-class amenity, reaching from the heart of downtown Philly and Camden into the surrounding counties and communities.

The trail system needs a unifying name to increase its visibility and reinforce the connections that exist between neighborhoods, businesses, jobs and recreation opportunities across the region without relying on a car. The William Penn Foundation and a group of local partners have organized a contest to create this important identity. Help us name Greater Philadelphia's trail network and you could win $250 - and the pride of knowing you created the name for one of our region's coolest amenities!

Submit your best ideas for a name that captures the potential of our connected network to NameOurTrailNetwork@gmail.com. The winning name, selected by the jury, will be announced in early January and the winner will receive a $250 cash prize. Name ideas should:

• Reflect the entire trails region of southeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey.
• Respect existing trail names. An ideal name will complement and be used in tandem with existing trail names, such as as the Schuylkill River Trail and Cooper River Trail.
• Promote the many benefits and experiences the trails provide, including transportation, recreation, accessibility and exploration.
• Focus on the future and avoid over-used colonial imagery and historical clichés.

Please send your name ideas to NameOurTrailNetwork@gmail.com no later than midnight EST on December 16, 2011. In your entry, please include:

• Suggested name for the Regional Trail Network
• A reason for the suggested name (no more than 150 words)
• Your Name
• Phone Number
• Email

Please visit http://www.dvrpc.org/NameOurTrailNetwork/ for additional information, trail system name examples and complete contest rules.

Take good bicycling photos? Here's a contest for you!

The Alliance for Biking & Walking has announced their 2011 People Powered Movement Photo Contest.  From the press release:

The contest aims to both celebrate the beauty and energy of active transportation and continue to build an online library of high-quality images that can be used by bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations across North America. 

Photo categories include:

• biking
• walking
• advocates in action
• women
• equity/building an inclusive movement
• open streets (Ciclovias)

(photo by Kristina McComas [Billings, MT], from Alliance for
Biking & Walking's photo library)

The submission period is August 1-September 30.  Public voting determines the finalists, and judges determine the winners.  There is some nice gear to be won, including a bike from PUBLIC Bikes and Ortlieb bags.  The press release is here; the Alliance for Biking & Walking is here.