[DB!-Announce] Upcoming Davis Bike Events and Volunteer Opportunities

[Davis Bicycles Announcements]

Summer is coming to a close and though it is hard to believe, schools will
be starting again very soon - a great time to get kids in the bicycling
habit. The fraction of students who ride or walk to school has fallen
dramatically with only 16% of students nationally now riding or walking to
school. Although on average Davis school children ride or walk more often,
over half still come by car at many schools. Walking or bicycling to school
gives children time for physical activity and a sense of responsibility and
independence. The entire community benefits when there is less traffic
congestion and improved air quality as a result of fewer vehicles on the
road. Below are a number of interesting and fun bike events coming up in the
next few months and a couple of exiting new Davis Bicycles! projects that
are starting up.

Regards,

   Leo Rainer
   Davis Bicycles!

*Events*:

*Bicycle Advisory Committee Meeting*. This Monday, August 18th in the
Veterans Memorial Center Game Room at 7:00 pm. Agenda items include:

   - Davis Bicycle Research Presentation
   - Bicycle Parking Ordinance
   - Suggested Routes to Schools Maps


*School Bike Rodeos*. The City is working with the school district and the
local PTAs to put on four "Bicycle Rodeos" at schools this fall. If you've
never attended or participated, bicycle rodeos are a lot of fun for the kids
and for the volunteers. There will be a bicycle skills course (complete with
cars pulling out of driveways, yard waste in the bike lane, left turns at
stop signs, etc), bicycle safety trivia games, a "bike check" station and a
helmet fitting station, and more.The dates are as follows:

   1. Montgomery Elementary - Wednesday, September 10, 1:45 pm
   2. Korematsu Elementary - Wednesday, September 17, 1:45 pm
   3. North Davis Elementary - Wednesday, September 24, 1:45 pm
   4. Willett Elementary - Wednesday, October 1, 1:45 pm

Contact Tara Goddard <tgoddard at cityofdavis.org> if you would like more
information, or to volunteer.

*Save the Date*. Davis Bicycles! is organizing a bike festival at the
Veterans Memorial Theater on the evening of October 3rd. Events will include
the premier showing of "Zen and the Art of Bicycle Commuting" a video on
bike commuting to Sacramento. To help with organizing contact Leo
Rainer<lirainero at gmail.com>
.

*Walk to School Day*. October 8th is International Walk to School
Day<http://www.walktoschool.org/>.
This is a great opportunity to demonstrate how many students can walk or
ride safely to school in Davis.

To stay up-to-date with bicycling events in the Davis area, be sure to check
out the new Davis Bicycles! Community
Calendar<http://www.davisbicycles.org/events/>.
If you would like to add an event send it to info at davisbicycles.org.

*Projects*:

*Safe Routes to Schools*. The City has recently applied for a Safe Routes to
Schools (SRTS) grant. This is a national program that was started in Marin
County which seeks to encourage and enable more children to safely walk and
bike to school. Even if the we get the grant, funds will not be available
until Fall 2009, but there are lots of opportunities to help encourage
riding and walking to school now. Contact Christal
Waters<chrystal2waters at yahoo.com>to join our SRTS committee.

*Enterprise Bike Column*. DB! is coordinating with the Enterprise to
inaugurate a bi-weekly (or maybe more often) column. Submissions will be
from all, and can focus on all things relating to biking in Davis – history,
humor, encouragement, personal observations, tips on riding/storage/safety,
health and environmental benefits, infrastructure ideas you name it. DB!'s
role will be to balance the topics over time. We need volunteers willing to
write, proof and encourage columns. This will be a great way to increase
bike awareness to all kinds of bikers in town. Get in on the ground floor of
this project by contacting Joe Krovoza <joe.krovoza at comcast.net>. The
columns will begin in September.
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