2008 Woodie Awards
Bike to Work Day begins full weekend of cycling festivities
Event urges hesitant residents to try alternative transportation
SARA GOODMAN
Issue date: 4/25/08 Section: Variety
Grab your helmet, jump on a bike and pedal your way into Athens today for the first annual Bike to Work Day to kick off the cycling weekend.
BikeAthens and the Northeast Georgia Regional Development Center are teaming up to get both the community and students on their bikes and turn the occasion into a habit, which can save both the environment and money.
"We want to show people that there is a good size of people who already do rely on their bikes for transportation," said John Devine, NEGRDC 's senior planner for the event.
Riders can join one of many routes, each specified by neighborhood, to ride into Athens together.
"Hopefully the experienced cyclists will help show the novices a safe route from their particular location to campus or their places of employment," Devine said. All participating cyclists will converge at Herty Field at 8 a.m. for coffee, food and prizes. Local businesses including Jittery Joe's, Zims, Big City Bread, Sunshine Cycles and The Hub have all donated to the community event.
The event has planned rides leaving from Normaltown, Prince Avenue, the Athens-Clarke County Library on Baxter Street, the Eastside and Watkinsville at various times throughout the morning.
Clint Moore, a research scientist who works on campus, rides his bike the nine miles from Watkinsville to Athens about three days a week.
"It started six years ago, as a desire to use my car less, be a little more active and fit," Moore said. "It's a pretty consistent ride, nothing too out of the ordinary."
He plans on participating in Bike to Work Day, as well as lead the Watkinsville cycling group to Herty Field for the event.
"The idea is that we'll leave at [10 minutes before] seven in the morning, if anyone wants to join that would be great, it could just be myself," Moore said.
While at Herty Field, various speakers will address the crowd on different options to travel to and from campus. The speakers tentatively include Athens Mayor Heidi Davison, Devine, and a University bike planning representative.
Mike Dodson, the senior planner for Bike Athens for the event, bikes to and from the Beechwood area to campus daily. Before moving to Athens, he worked with bike advocacy groups and is now bringing the bike challenge to the Athens community.
"It's a good chance to get out and try it, because it's not that difficult when you ride with a group," Dodson said.
BikeAthens is an organization that encourages "transportation and land-use policies that improve alternative modes of transportation including pedestrian, cycling and public transit options."
The organization's goal is to make alternative transportation safe and practical for all Athens residents.
Bike to Work Day also encourages students to participate by cycling to campus today, as well as joining the other cyclists at Herty Field. Interested cyclists, beginners or those experienced, can sign up for Bike to Work Day at BikeAthens.com.
BikeAthens and the Northeast Georgia Regional Development Center are teaming up to get both the community and students on their bikes and turn the occasion into a habit, which can save both the environment and money.
"We want to show people that there is a good size of people who already do rely on their bikes for transportation," said John Devine, NEGRDC 's senior planner for the event.
Riders can join one of many routes, each specified by neighborhood, to ride into Athens together.
"Hopefully the experienced cyclists will help show the novices a safe route from their particular location to campus or their places of employment," Devine said. All participating cyclists will converge at Herty Field at 8 a.m. for coffee, food and prizes. Local businesses including Jittery Joe's, Zims, Big City Bread, Sunshine Cycles and The Hub have all donated to the community event.
The event has planned rides leaving from Normaltown, Prince Avenue, the Athens-Clarke County Library on Baxter Street, the Eastside and Watkinsville at various times throughout the morning.
Clint Moore, a research scientist who works on campus, rides his bike the nine miles from Watkinsville to Athens about three days a week.
"It started six years ago, as a desire to use my car less, be a little more active and fit," Moore said. "It's a pretty consistent ride, nothing too out of the ordinary."
He plans on participating in Bike to Work Day, as well as lead the Watkinsville cycling group to Herty Field for the event.
"The idea is that we'll leave at [10 minutes before] seven in the morning, if anyone wants to join that would be great, it could just be myself," Moore said.
While at Herty Field, various speakers will address the crowd on different options to travel to and from campus. The speakers tentatively include Athens Mayor Heidi Davison, Devine, and a University bike planning representative.
Mike Dodson, the senior planner for Bike Athens for the event, bikes to and from the Beechwood area to campus daily. Before moving to Athens, he worked with bike advocacy groups and is now bringing the bike challenge to the Athens community.
"It's a good chance to get out and try it, because it's not that difficult when you ride with a group," Dodson said.
BikeAthens is an organization that encourages "transportation and land-use policies that improve alternative modes of transportation including pedestrian, cycling and public transit options."
The organization's goal is to make alternative transportation safe and practical for all Athens residents.
Bike to Work Day also encourages students to participate by cycling to campus today, as well as joining the other cyclists at Herty Field. Interested cyclists, beginners or those experienced, can sign up for Bike to Work Day at BikeAthens.com.
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