I’m just so excited about the official opening of the Overton Park Bike Gate. The sculpture is just beautiful. And I love that it can be seen from lots of different places and angles.

Here is an article on Tylur French, the artist/creator, by High Ground News. He has a great attitude about art in Memphis. The only thing weird about the article is that is notes the Bike Gate as a pedestrian entrance, completely forgetting to mention how great this place will be for bikes, too. But we’ll make that obvious on Saturday, right. Are you joining us for the Wee Ride at 10:30 or at least the Bike Gate Opening Ceremony at 1:00 p.m.? Hope to see you there…on two wheels!!!

The kids of Westhaven Elementary School have been studying bicycle safety. Back in the Fall, Revolutions Memphis helped their PE Coach, Kyle Kuusisto, get a fleet of bicycles for the kids to practice on. This week, the kids came to Revolutions to learn some about taking care of the bicycles. And they were joined by Memphis Grizzlies player Beno Udrih, who was visiting as part of the NBA Green Week. Green Week celebrates community organizations doing something green. And this year, the Grizzlies wanted to highlight the work of Westhaven Elementary and Revolutions Memphis. Riding bicycles definitely fits that bill because it decreases carbon emissions and car congestion on our roads, makes the riders healthier and can get you a chance to meet a really tall basketball player!

You can’t ride if you have a flat. So the kids learned about checking that the wheels are at the correct pressure:

Grizzlies player, Beno Udrih, with kids from Westhaven Elementary. (Photo by Joe Murphy)

and checking for punctures when there is a flat.

(Photo by Joe Murphy)

After the kids showed Beno all they’d learned, everyone headed outside for a ride.

Gosh, those Grizzlies are huge. Just look at Beno on that adult bike!

(Photo by Joe Murphy)

But seriously, everyone worked hard and had a great time!

(Photo by Joe Murphy)

Thanks to Mark Allen, Keith Norman and Jackie Nerren for making sure the kids had plenty of work to do and snacks to eat. And thanks to the Grizzlies players and staff for celebrating Revolutions Memphis and the Westhaven Elementary bike safety class as part of your Green Week celebration!

Come out on Saturday, April 5, for the Cooper Young Farmers’ Market Spring Kick-off. Revolutions Memphis will be there with a table. So, stop by and say hi! There will also be crawfish, a bouncy house for the kids and beer and sno-cones! What more could you want on a Saturday morning. Check out the Cooper Young Farmers’ Market facebook page for more details. Hope to see you there!

A New Conversation About Transportation

The City of Memphis has just launched a new messaging and branding campaign – GET THERE TOGETHER.

As many of us are changing the way we choose to get around Memphis – the way we approach safety and education is changing too. Instead of focusing on how to keep one group of travelers safe from another, it is time to focus on how we all can “Get There Together.”

In the coming weeks, you will be able to find a catalog of instructive information and tools to help you make each trip safer and more enjoyable, regardless of how you do it. There will be new educational materials to better reflect this new way of thinking about transportation safety, and the City willl be promoting new opportunities for you to leave your car at home and try one of the other numerous ways to get around Memphis.

Read more about it here: – www.togethermemphis.com–

Looking for a community bicycle ride?
On Saturday, March 29, at noon, Wee Ride Memphis is riding down to Ballet Memphis’ flying rehearsal for Peter Pan. Check out details here.

On Friday, March 7, 2014, the Memphis Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization launched a new survey to kick off the update to its Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan. A lot has changed since the Memphis MPO adopted its current Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan in late 2011. A region-wide survey of cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers about how they travel, their knowledge of traffic laws, and their priorities for funding alternative transportation projects is the first step in updating the plan.

The 2014 Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Survey will ask residents about what kinds of trips they make by cycling or walking, perceptions of safety and comfort as a pedestrian or bicyclist, and knowledge of local traffic laws and ordinances. The survey also asks how to better inform the public about active transportation projects, and how regional planners should prioritize funding for bicycle & pedestrian projects. The survey takes about ten minutes to complete. Respondents who complete the survey are eligible to enter a drawing for a grand prize of $500.00.

The Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Survey is being conducted as a part of the Mid-South Regional Travel Survey project, which includes polling transit riders, freight providers, and randomly selected households in the greater Memphis metropolitan area. By determining where, when, and how people travel today, the Memphis MPO and their local and state partners hope to set better transportation policy and more accurately predict long-term transportation needs, looking twenty or more years into the future.

Anyone interested in taking the survey can go to  www.midsouthbikeped.org or can contact the MPO offices at (901) 576-7190 to request paper copies.

Around 10:00am on Saturday, March 8, about a dozen riders gathered in the parking lot at First Congo Church for the first ever “Wee Ride Memphis” bicycle ride. This ride was started and organized by Revolutions volunteer Sylvia Crum as way to give those who may be new to cycling, or riding with kids; and those who just love to ride with other people, opportunities to get to know routes around the city.

Future Wee Ride Memphis rides are already being planned. The rides will be medium paced rides (10-12 mph), so don’t worry if you haven’t been out on your bike much. Destinations include places that are kid-friendly and fun and that have public bathrooms! Generally, participants should plan to ride a bit, make a stop for some playtime and snacks/lunch and then ride a bit more.

To stay in touch about future Wee Ride Memphis events, be sure to check out their Facebook page and Website.