Bike Cleveland

BIKE CLEVELAND IS CREATING A REGION THAT IS SUSTAINABLE, CONNECTED, HEALTHY, AND VIBRANT BY PROMOTING BICYCLING AND ADVOCATING FOR SAFE AND EQUITABLE TRANSPORTATION FOR ALL.

EDUCATION: BIKE CLEVELAND PROVIDES EDUCATION AND TRAINING TO INCREASE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS NECESSARY TO WALK AND BICYCLE SAFELY, AND EDUCATES DRIVERS AND DECISION MAKERS ON THE RIGHTS OF BICYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIANS. ADDITIONALLY, WE PROVIDE GROUP RIDING TRAFFIC SKILLS AND EDUCATION THROUGH SOCIAL BIKE RIDES AND PRESENTATIONS TO IMPROVE THE SKILLS AND BEHAVIOR OF OUR LOCAL RIDERSHIP. WE EDUCATE BUSINESSES ON HOW TO BECOME MORE BICYCLE FRIENDLY FOR EMPLOYEES AND CUSTOMERS, AND THE BENEFITS IN DOING SO. FINALLY, WE TEACH MUNICIPALITIES ABOUT BEST PRACTICES FOR BIKE FRIENDLY POLICY AND PLANNING, AND THE REASONS IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES. ACCOMPLISHMENTS: RAISED THE AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF PROPER BIKE FACILITY DESIGN LIKE BIKE LANES AND PROTECTED BIKE LANES AMONG THE PUBLIC AND DECISION MAKERS. WE EDUCATED CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR AND COUNCIL, AS WELL AS THE VOTING PUBLIC, ON BIKING AND WALKING ISSUES THROUGH OUR CANDIDATE SURVEY AND A MAYORAL FORUM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CITYWIDE ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS. WE DELIVERED OUR BIKE SMARTS AND OTHER BICYCLE EDUCATION PROGRAMS VIRTUALLY REACHING OVER 500 PEOPLE; HELPED MORE PEOPLE USE BIKES SAFELY THROUGH THE DISTRIBUTION OF OVER 100 BIKE LIGHTS AND 100 HELMETS. WE WORKED WITH NEHEMIAH MISSION TO HELP 35 REFUGEE YOUTH EARN-A-BIKE AND TAUGHT THEM HOW TO BIKE SAFELY. WE PARTNERED WITH THE CITY OF CLEVELAND, CLEVELAND METROPARKS, AND COMMUNITY GROUPS TO DEVELOP A SAFE ROUTES TO PARKS PLAN FOR THE EASTSIDE LAKEFRONT RESERVATION, WHICH INCLUDED HOSTING COMMUNITY RIDES AND BIKE AUDITS, BICYCLE SAFETY RODEOS, AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH. WE HOSTED A LEAGUE CYCLING SEMINAR, CERTIFYING 16 INSTRUCTORS. AS PART OF OUR BICYCLE FRIENDLY BUSINESS PROGRAM, WE WORKED WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS TO INSTALL BIKE RACKS, IN TOTAL THERE WERE 178 NEW BIKE PARKING SPACES AND 2 FIX-IT STANDS ADDED IN 2021.

EVENTS AND PROGRAMS: BIKE CLEVELAND GROWS DIVERSE, ENGAGED COMMUNITIES BY FOCUSING ONOUTREACH, FUN EVENTS, AND MEMBERSHIP AND BY BUILDING THE NEXT GENERATION OF ADVOCATES. BY HAVING A ROBUST ENCOURAGEMENT COMPONENT TO OUR WORK WE ARE GROWING RIDERSHIP AND IMPROVING PEOPLES COMFORT LEVEL ON THE ROAD THROUGH GROUP PARTICIPATION. BIKES ARE A FUN, HEALTHY, AND A SUSTAINABLE ACTIVITY FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES, AND OUR EVENTS AND PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED TO GET PEOPLE OUTSIDE AND ENGAGED IN THEIR COMMUNITY. ACCOMPLISHMENTS: IN A TOUGH YEAR WITH COVID RESTRICTIONS STILL IN PLACE WE WERE ABLE TO ENGAGE OVER 3,000 PEOPLE THROUGH OUR EVENTS AND RIDES. THESE EVENTS INCLUDED A MONTHLY BIKE TO WORK DAY SERIES; CRANKSGIVING, OUR ANNUAL FOODRAISING RIDE DONE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HUNGER NETWORK, WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE 7,500 MEALS; DOAN BROOK WATERSHED RIDE; MILL CREEK WATERSHED RIDE; THE BIKE CLEVELAND FUNDO; AND VARIOUS NEIGHBORHOOD TABLING ACTIVITIES. WE ALSO HOSTED RANDOM ACTS OF BRIGHTNESS, WHERE 24 VOLUNTEERS DISTRIBUTED OVER 110 LIGHT SETS AND TALKED TO CYCLISTS ABOUT RIDING SAFELY AT NIGHT. WE ALSO HOSTED THE ANNUAL RIDE OF SILENCE, RIDE FOR SYLVIA, AND WORLD DAY OF REMEMBRANCE TO HONOR THOSE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO HAVE BEEN INJURED OR KILLED WHILE BIKING OR WALKING AND TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THE NEED FOR SAFE STREETS.

ADVOCACY: BIKE CLEVELAND WORKS FOR SAFE STREETS AND PUBLIC SPACES THROUGH POLICY CHANGE AND ADVOCATING FOR BEST PRACTICES IN BIKEWAY/WALKWAY DESIGN AND MAINTENANCE, RESULTING IN AN EQUITABLE TRANSPORTATION NETWORK. WE MOBILIZE THE COMMUNITY TO ENSURE BIKE FACILITIES ARE INCORPORATED INTO ROADWAY PROJECTS AND HELP PUBLICIZE PUBLIC MEETINGS TO ENSURE THE COMMUNITIES DESIRES FOR SAFE STREETS IS HEARD. WE ARE CONTINUING TO EXPAND BICYCLE ADVOCACY IN GREATER CLEVELAND BY CREATING CHAPTER ORGANIZATIONS AND SUPPLYING THEM WITH THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES THEY NEED TO ADVOCATE FOR IMPROVED CONDITIONS IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES. ACCOMPLISHMENTS: PROVIDED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO DEVELOP BIKE FRIENDLY POLICIES FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS; ADVOCATED FOR THE ADDITION OF 10 MILES OF BIKEWAYS ON CLEVELAND STREETS AND TRAILS; PROMOTED COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AT PUBLIC MEETINGS; ENGAGED DECISION MAKERS ON BIKES TO EDUCATE THEM ON THE IMPORTANCE OF A STRESS-FREE CONNECTED BIKE NETWORK; HELPED ADVANCE SAFETY DISCUSSIONS THROUGH THE CITY OF CLEVELANDS VISION ZERO TASKFORCE INCLUDING PARTICIPATING IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A VISION ZERO ACTION PLAN THAT WILL OUTLINE A STRATEGY TO ELIMINATE SERIOUS INJURY/FATAL CRASHES IN THE CITY OF CLEVELAND; WORKED WITH POLICY MAKERS TO ELEVATE THE SAFETY CONCERNS OF DISTRACTED DRIVING.