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Last updated on Sunday, April 14, 2013
(BLOOMINGTON) - The City of Bloomington has begun planning events and distributing free Bloomington Bikes Month promotional materials to interested local businesses, organizations and individuals.
Bloomington Bikes Month, which the City plans yearly to coincide with the League of American Bicyclists' National Bike Month, begins May 1.
"This year we're taking our outreach further into the community, to the places where people spend most of their time - their jobs," said Vince Caristo, who heads the City's bicycle and pedestrian outreach programs. "By focusing on employers, we can help targeted businesses make specific improvements to encourage their employees to bike to work."
Resources that businesses may request from the City include a bike map, the City's Guide to Biking in Bloomington, a Bikes Month event calendar, bike-related coupons, "I Biked' stickers, and an invitation to participate in the Bloomington Bikes Month Commuter Challenge.
Interested parties can specify which materials are most relevant to their needs and request those at http://bloomington.in.gov/bike. City volunteers will start delivering requested materials on April 22.
Registration for the National Bike to Work Day / Bloomington Bikes Month Commuter Challenge is open at http://bloomingtonbike2work13.eventbrite.com. City officials and bike advocates will also host an Advocate's Meeting at 6 p.m. on April 25 in the Council Chambers.
Bloomington is one of the many communities nationwide that has adopted individualized marketing strategies to increase participation in active commuting behavior.
"The basic message we have - make a bike your transportation, not just your recreation - is in a lot of ways too broad," Caristo said. "But if we're able to target more people who are interested in bike commuting, yet have concerns about how to do that safely and easily, the resources and programs we put forth will be more effective."
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