2022 Accomplishments
As 2022 comes to a close, we at Bend Bikes feel rewarded to have been involved in so many opportunities to improve the safety for people using all types of transportation in our community. Here are some of our accomplishments from 2022!
- Engaged with the community at over thirteen events to share the importance of safe bike infrastructure and gather feedback on biking, walking, and rolling in Bend. Some of these events included presentations at various neighborhood associations in June and July, the Crux Bike Night in September, and partnering with the Environmental Center for a School Garden Bike Tour in October.
- Launched a bike event calendar on the Bend Bikes website
- Created a mobile version of the Bend Bikes Map
- Partnered with the Mountain View Neighborhood Association to improve the Purcell Extension project by including parking protected bike lanes along part of Purcell. The City also agreed to add bike lanes and crosswalks on the affected part of Purcell north of the project area.
- Utilized lead roles in the Go Bond Oversight Committee (TBOC) and the Core Area Advisory Board (CAAB)—and the project open house—to shape the Midtown Crossings project, resulting in a quick build project plan along Greenwood to test better bike infrastructure designs.
- Influenced the Wilson Corridor project to include a protected intersection at 3rd, protected roundabouts at 9th and at 15th, and protected bike lanes along Wilson by showing up at open houses, dialoguing with city staff, and activating our supporters to submit comments to the City.
- Began cataloging the City Key Bike Routes and produced reports on 5 of the routes and how they could be improved.
We are looking forward to 2023 where we will set new goals and work more closely and collaboratively with the city and other local community groups to see real change on the ground. We are hopeful that Bend is moving towards being a safe place for all people to get around.
Bikey Book Club Announcement
A Little Book Learning Never Hurt – By Jim Elliott
As I have gotten more involved in the work of Bend Bikes, I have been learning about active transportation and better ways to improve our public spaces for use by people aged 8 to 88. Reading books that offer historical, economic, and social context to our understanding of transportation infrastructure emphasizes the need – and possibilities – to change. The following five books offer a broad range of ideas about livability and the benefits of active transportation. They are helpful to understanding how we got to where we are in transportation and what we can do to improve choices for everyone so we offer them as suggested reading to our supporters.
- Curbing Traffic: The Human Case for Fewer Cars in Our Lives — Melissa Bruntlett & Chris Bruntlett
- Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time — Jeff Speck
- Right of Way: Race, Class, and the Silent Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in America — Angie Schmitt
- Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town — Charles L. Mahron
- Bikenomics: How Bicycling Can Save The Economy — Elly Blue
Looking for a quick(er) lesson? YouTube channels such as Not Just Bikes, Active Towns, and Transportation Research at Portland State University, and podcasts including The War on Cars, Strong Towns, and The Brake describe how our transportation systems can be improved for everyone – and they are often entertaining!
To broaden our knowledge and offer up ideas from these books, Bend Bikes board members Jim Elliott and David Green will be holding a monthly book club at the Downtown Bend Library. The first meeting will be held on Monday, March 27 from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Details will be forthcoming in the Bend Bikes February newsletter so save the date now!
Call for Board Members
As 2023 starts, we are looking for more folks to join the Bend Bikes Board of Directors!
- Do you love to ride your bicycle to work or for errands?
- Do you wish there were more opportunities to safely get around Bend by walking, biking, or rolling?
- Do you want to roll your sleeves up and help advocate for the safety of people who bike, walk, and roll in Bend?
- Does an overnight bike tour board retreat sound like your kind of fun?
We are a grassroots, all volunteer, nonprofit organization that advocates for the safety of people who ride bikes and for a comprehensive network of bike-friendly routes in Bend. The full Board meets every other month and board members typically work on other projects as their schedules allow.
We are searching for people of all ages and backgrounds who are passionate about getting more people on bicycles in Bend. Interested? Please complete our application by February 28th and we’ll be in touch shortly after! We plan on doing interviews in March with new board members starting in April.
Volunteer Appreciation Night at Bevel Craft Brewing
Join us Wednesday, February 1st from 5:30-7pm at Bevel Craft Brewing for our volunteer appreciation night. This will be a great time to meet other supporters, hear more about what we accomplished this last year with the help of our awesome volunteers, and learn about what we are looking forward to in 2023 and how you can get involved!
We’ll provide light refreshments and will be playing a fun spin on Bingo for a chance to win some great bike-y swag! RSVP on our Facebook page.