Tag: bicycles

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Hundreds of cyclists to take part in 4th Annual Ride Cincinnati event

Nearly 1,000 bicyclists will take to the streets on Sunday, June 13 to raise money for local breast cancer research conducted at the University of Cincinnati’s Barrett Cancer Institute as part of the 4th Annual Ride Cincinnati event. The bicycle ride ranges from 8.2 miles to 62.8 miles depending on the ability and desire of the participants.

Yeatman’s Cove at Sawyer Point, on Cincinnati’s central riverfront, serves as the starting point for all of the courses. From there bicyclists will cross the Ohio River on the Purple People Bridge, ride throughout Northern Kentucky and return to Sawyer Point for the finish and celebration. The first group will depart at 6:30am on the 62.8-mile ride, while the last group is scheduled to leave at 9am on the 8.2-mile ride.

Ride Cincinnati has successfully raised more than $500,000 for breast cancer research in its first three years. This year, event organizers hope to increase the size of the event and the total money raised. So far, more than $204,000 has been raised, with 981 participants. Online registration is currently closed, but late registration is still open at several locations throughout the city and even on the day of the event.  A full list of the late registration locations is available online, and donations are being accepted through Wednesday, June 30.

The post-ride celebration will take place at Sawyer Point (map) from 9:30am to 1pm for registered riders and their families.

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Development News Transportation

Cincinnati installs new bicycle racks inside Fountain Square Garage

Photo by Thadd Fiala
Photo by Thadd Fiala

As part of Cincinnati’s commitment to improving the city’s bicycling community, the City has installed a new mounted bicycle rack inside of the Fountain Square Parking Garage in downtown Cincinnati. The bicycle rack is the first of what will be a wave of new bicycle parking facilities inside existing City-owned garages.

In February, Cincinnati’s Planning Commission approved a bicycle parking ordinance that will require all new or expanded parking garages to provide bicycle parking. The ordinance would specifically require that one bicycle parking space be provided for every 20 motor vehicle spaces. The ratio is comparable to those found in other cities like Portland, New York City, Charlotte, San Francisco, Kansas City and Denver which have all recently implemented similar ordinances.

The Fountain Square Parking Garage currently holds 635 parking spaces for automobiles which would mean should it be constructed today, the garage would be required to provide 24 bicycle parking spaces due to the 24-space cap included in the new ordinance for large parking garages. The new bicycle parking ordinance is the first of its kind in the region and is intended to tackle the problem of a lack of secured, covered bicycle parking spaces in Cincinnati’s center city.

The new rack inside the Fountain Square Parking Garage holds 12 bicycles, cost approximately $1,400 and was paid for through the City’s existing Bicycle Transportation Program. Officials from the City’s Department of Transportation & Engineering say that preliminary discussions are underway to incorporate more of these racks in other City-owned garages, but that public feedback would be helpful as officials determine where to locate them next.

Please share your thoughts on where the City should install these bicycle racks next in the comment section below, by filling out a form on the City’s website, or by calling (513) 591-6000.


View City-Owned Parking Garages in a larger map

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News Politics Transportation

Cincinnati City Council celebrates Bike to Work Week

Last week several Cincinnati City Council members took to the streets, on their bicycles, for a ceremonial ride from City Hall to Fountain Square for National Bike to Work Week.  The Bike Month celebration encouraged individuals to commute to work by bike instead of by car.  In Cincinnati, Queen City Bike established bicycle commuter stations all over the city to help motivate even more to ditch their automobiles.

Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls, Laure Quinlivan, Laketa Cole and Jeff Berding were those participating last week from Cincinnati’s City Council.  After arriving at Fountain Square, the four council members addressed the crowd on-hand, and took part in the festivities taking place.

The following photographs were taken by Thadd Fiala.

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News Transportation

Gearing Up for Bike to Work Week

Monday marks the beginning of the League of American Bicyclists‘ Bike to Work Week 2010. From Monday, May 17 through Friday, May 21, Cincinnatians are encouraged to get behind their trusty two-wheelers instead of the wheel of their car. Local bike group Queen City Bike is helping to make the transition easier by setting up “commuter stations” throughout the city to reach out to bicyclists and encourage those who might otherwise be having second thoughts to get out and ride.

Riding a bike instead of driving to work next week is a great way to experience commuting via bicycle for those who may not have tried it before. Biking helps reduce carbon emissions – every mile biked is one pound of carbon saved – and is great exercise as well. Not only that, but biking is free (after the cost of the bike) and saves money on buying gas.

There is a small but strong biking community in the Cincinnati area, and veteran bikers are excited to help spread the bike love to others. Queen City Bike’s commuter stations are designed to educate and inform cyclists in the region who want to learn more.

“If you are not sure you are ready to try commuting just yet, but want to learn more about where you can bike in the region, please stop by and see us at one of our Commuter Stations,” said Gary Wright, President of Queen City Bike. “We will have maps that you can take with you that will help you find the best streets for riding in your neighborhood.”

The stations will be set up in various parts of town and have free coffee, swag, as well as a free tune up for your bicycle if you stop by. Monday’s station is located at the Hyde Park Coffee Emporium (3316 Eerie Avenue) and Elements Cycles will be around to look at bikes. Queen City Bike has posted a full list of the rest of the commuter stations to be set up around town the rest of the week.

Another perk of Bike to Work Week can be found at local green general store Park+Vine. During the month of May, shoppers who visit the store via bike can get 10% off on their food purchases, and 15% off other merchandise.

It is important that new and experience riders remember to be safe out on the roads (do not ride on the sidewalk). If you are interested in refreshing your knowledge about bicycling rules of the road, the If you are not familiar with the bike rules of the road, the Ohio Bicycle Federation has an quick and easy-to-use guide on Ohio bike law. Remember: please ride on the street. With traffic. Wearing a helmet.

Happy riding, Cincinnati!

Categories
News Transportation

Cincinnati Aims to Double Number of Cyclists by 2015

Cincinnati has been making bold efforts recently to establish itself a more bicycle friendly city. New bike lanes, sharrows, on-street bicycle parking, bicycle parking development requirements, a bike share program, a bicycle commuter station and a bold new Bicycle Transportation Plan are all helping to change Cincinnati’s bicycling community for the better.

So far, the City’s Department of Transportation & Engineering has made bicycle infrastructure improvements in several city neighborhoods including Clifton, University Heights, O’Bryonville, Walnut Hills and Northside. City officials hope that the new bicycle infrastructure and public policy will double the number of people bicycling regularly for transportation in five years. Many local bicycling advocated believe that some of those future improvements need to start happening now.

“We’re urging the City to immediately begin putting bike lanes and other improvements in place on Riverside Drive, Madison Road and Spring Grove Avenue,” stated Gary Wright, President, Queen City Bike. “Those three streets must be a critical part of any serious bike network in the City, and doing this now will show that this is not a plan that will sit on the shelf.”

Of those three streets Wright mentioned, Madison Road is scheduled to be repaved this year making for a perfect opportunity to install bike lanes at the least possible cost to a major transportation route between eastern neighborhoods like Hyde Park to the center city.

Wright adds that Spring Grove Avenue runs right through the epicenter of Cincinnati’s bike culture in Northside and that additional investment along Riverside Drive could bolster that corridor from the popular recreation route it is now to something much more.

“Adding bike lanes now and making other changes to slow traffic through the East End community will encourage more people to give street riding a try while also doing a lot to enhance the neighborhood,” Wright explained. “Bike lanes along Riverside will not serve as a substitute for completing the Ohio River Trail, but they will also make the Little Miami Trail connection planned for Lunken more accessible to a few more riders right away.”

Following eight months of surveys, open houses and on-the-street focus groups, the City is ready to release a draft of the plan and receive final comments from the public. The release of this plan will take place on Wednesday, May 5 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm at the Clifton Cultural Arts Center (map).

The Bicycle Transportation Plan calls for additional infrastructure improvements, educational and encouragement efforts, and enforcement programs. Those interested in providing feedback may do so by contacting the City with comments online or by calling (513) 591-6000 prior to Friday, May 14.