Page 38 of 57

National Bike Month Starts May 1st!

April 26, 2012 /

Sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists, National Bike Month is an opportunity to celebrate the unique power of the bicycle and the many reasons we ride. Whether you bike to work or school; to save money or time; to preserve your health or the environment; to explore your community or get to your destination, get involved in Bike Month in your city or state! Visit the Bike Month webpage for a wealth of resources, including: an event Organizers Kit; printer-ready posters and fliers; buttons and banners ; information about the first-ever National Bike to School Day; a listing of Bike Month events nationwide and so much more.

Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists, said, “Biking to work is an efficient and fun way to get the exercise you need, without having to find extra time to work out. And this year, with gasoline prices as high as they are, biking to work makes more sense than ever.”

Following are some tips that will help you enjoy biking to work more.
• Have your bike checked over by your local bike shop
• Always wear a helmet to protect your head in the event of a crash
• Ride in the right-most lane that goes in the direction that you are traveling
• Obey all stop signs, traffic lights and lane markings
• Look before you change lanes or signal a turn; indicate your intention, then act
• Be visible and predictable at all times; wear bright clothing and signal turns

Ever think about designing a bike rack? Extended & Updated

April 23, 2012 /

Lawrence Central Rotary Bike Rack Project

Lawrence Central Rotary invites local and regional artists to submit new creative designs for its community bike rack initiative. Lawrence Central Rotary’s community bike rack initiative has resulted in the construction and placement of four bike racks in the Lawrence area. The fifth bike rack will be placed in front of Van Go Inc., 715 New Jersey, Lawrence, KS. LiveWell Lawrence, a Douglas County Community Foundation initiative that is focused on improving everyday environments to make it easier for people to get more physically active, has joined Lawrence Central Rotary in funding this bike rack. The selected bike rack will become the property of Van Go Inc. We encourage anyone to submit a proposal. BE CREATIVE!

Deadline: May 15, 2012

Eligibility: Open

Budget: $2,000 (All-inclusive bike rack budget including design and fabrication.)

Installation to be completed by Van Go Inc.

Specifications for Design:

The bike rack must be able to withstand severe outdoor weather in cold and hot temperatures and should be low maintenance with excellent sustainability. It should also be made of nonabrasive materials that can be easily maintained and does not scratch or damage bicycle frames with a durable finish that does not sustain damage from bicycles or locks.
The bicycle rack must accommodate at least 8 bicycles.
Artists/designers should approach the project as a permanent installation to be installed into a concrete surface, with a minimum 10 year life expectancy.
The selected entry will be exclusive to the Lawrence Central Rotary’s Bike Rack Project.
All work must be safe for pedestrians and bicyclists of all ages with no pinch points, sharp edges, or corners.
The work should be of an appropriate height and design so that it will not create a hazard for visually impaired or physically challenged pedestrians. A bicycle should not have to be lifted off the ground to access and be secured to the rack. The artwork must allow for part of the bicycle frame as well as at least one wheel to be secured to the rack.
Refer to the attached photo for bike rack location.
The design must be compatible with commonly used U-locks.
Artists/designers are encouraged to review the bicycle parking guidelines created by the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals. More information can be found at http://www.apbp.org/resource/resmgr/publications/bicycle_parking_guidelines.pdf

Review Criteria:

Creativity of design – visually noticeable, artistically designed, and unique.
Durability of design
Environmentally friendly design
Easy maintenance

How to Apply:

Only electronic submissions accepted.
A one-page statement with your name, contact information, and a brief written description of your project which includes:
a description of your concept
the materials to be used and assembly
the capacity of the bike rack
a brief statement of your experience in creating a work of art or fabricating materials
Sketch of proposed bicycle rack, in color, and with explanatory notes and dimensions
Budget
Resume with current contact information
3 to 5 clearly labeled digital images of previous work relevant to this project with corresponding, numbered list of same works with title, media, dimensions, project.
budget, and brief description of the work.
Three professional references with contact information, including email and telephone number(s).

Project timeline:

Proposal submission deadline: May 15, 2012
Notification of selection: May 23, 2012
Bike rack delivery to site: August 27, 2012
Proposed installation timeframe: August 28-31, 2012
Bike rack unveiling: early September, 2012

Project contact:

Jane Huesemann

Lawrence Central Rotary

www.lawrencecentralrotary.org

[email protected]

785-691-5547

Lawrence Annual Helmet Fair Scheduled as part of Spring Game Weekend Activities

April 19, 2012 /

The Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical Department will again host their annual Helmet Fair from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 28 in conjunction with the Kansas Athletics men’s football

Spring Game. The Helmet Fair will be located on the KU Campus in Lot 91, southeast of Memorial Stadium between the Spencer Art Museum and the practice fields.

Admission to the Helmet Fair is free and open to the general public. At the Helmet Fair, LDCFM staff will be on hand to provide free bike helmets (custom-fitted for any child 15 and younger with an adult, while supplies last), bike inspections and a safe ride course. Free hot dogs and soft drinks will also be provided to participants.

Staff will also be available to educate parents and caregivers about safety tips including rules of riding on the road, bike trail etiquette, booster seat safety, bike safety and pool safety.

Kansas Athletics provides other family-friendly activities for the day which include:

– 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. – Football Clinic for 1^st through 6^th grade students. See www.kuathletics.comfor more information.

– 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. – Hy-Vee Hawk Zone open for kids, located in the football practice fields north of Memorial Stadium

– 1:00 p.m. – Kansas Football Spring game at Memorial Stadium (gates open at Noon)

The LDCFM Helmet Fair is sponsored by Kansas Athletics, Laird Noller, Safe Kids Douglas County, McDonalds, State Farm Insurance, Sunflower Outdoor & Bike, Douglas County Medical Society, Ranjbar Orthodontics, Lawrence Mountain Bike Club, Dillons and the Lawrence Pilots Club, Inc.

KC Rotary Clubs Ride to End Polio

April 2, 2012 /

Polio Eradication – “You can do it” from Rotary International on Vimeo.

After 25 years of hard work, Rotary and its partners are on the brink of eradicating this tenacious disease, but a strong push is needed now

to root it out once and for all. It is a window of opportunity of historic proportions.

Reaching the ultimate goal of a polio-free world presents ongoing challenges, not the least of which is a US$535 million funding gap through 2012. Of course, Rotary alone can’t fill this gap, but continued Rotarian advocacy for government support can help enormously.

As long as polio threatens even one child anywhere in the world, children everywhere remain at risk. The stakes are that high.

In an effort to raise funds for Polio Plus and the non-profit foundations of The Rotary Club of Lee’s Summit, the Blue Springs Rotary Club and the Raytown Rotary Club, the three clubs have combined to create Rotary Ride: Pedaling Against Polio. We look forward to your involvement and support in helping raise money and raise awareness.

For more information check out the KC Rotary Ride site at http://kcrotaryride.com/

Lawrence Approves Policy in Effort to Make Streets More Pedestrian-friendly

March 28, 2012 /

Repost from Chad Lawhorn's article in the LJW.

More sidewalks, more bike paths, more ways for people to get across town without cars should be a top-of-mind issue for future city planners, Lawrence city commissioners agreed Tuesday. Commissioners at their weekly meeting unanimously approved a Complete Streets policy that aims to make future city streets more pedestrian-friendly.

The policy calls for future street plans to include several features such as sidewalks, shared-use paths, bicycle lanes, paved shoulders, street trees, additional landscaping, accessible curbs, pedestrian refuge islands and other features.

But the policy is not concrete. The document gives future city officials the ability to exempt projects from the complete streets policy if “feasibility and funding” concerns arise.

Commissioners, though, said they thought the new policy would be particularly helpful when the city begins to rehabilitate older streets.

“I think the reason we haven’t added more of these elements when we retrofit streets is because we didn’t really have a plan or a mantra that spells out what the benefits can be,” said City Commissioner Mike Dever.

Ride Lawrence