BLOOMINGTON – April is IU Bikes Month, and IU Transportation Demand Management is offering activities and prize drawings to celebrate and encourage people to experience the joy of bicycling and the personal and community connections it can forge.
Bike to Campus Day is Thursday, April 13, and features a breakfast event from 7:30 a.m. until 9 a.m. in the Whittenberger Auditorium lobby. Coffee and light food will be served, and free bike lights and U-locks will be offered while supplies last. Participants who post a photo of their bike on campus and tag IU Transportation will be entered in a drawing to win one of five coupons for a free bike tune-up from Revolution Bike & Bean.
“Bike to Campus Day is a great chance to give bike commuting a try,” said Anna Dragovich, Transportation Demand Management coordinator and bicycle manager. “It’s a great way to reduce traffic congestion, reduce our carbon emissions and save a bit of money on gas even just a few days a month. I encourage all faculty, staff, and students to give it a try and to reach out to me if they encounter any barriers.”
The Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures and the East Asian Studies Center in the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies are hosting the Cycling Taiwan 2023 series, which spotlights Taiwan through the lens of cycling. As an annual event, the Taiwan series is organized under different themes each year; this year the series includes three events:
- Film screening of “Island Etude,” 7 to 9 p.m. April 10 at IU Cinema. The film tells stories about the people and landscapes of Taiwan through the eyes of a hearing-impaired college student who takes a seven-day bike trip around the island. Advanced registration is required.
- Tour de Formosa, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. April 16. To mimic a tour of Taiwan, participants will ride a route around the campus and Bloomington and stop at four stations that represent cities and regions around the island. Advanced registration is required.
- Asia Rainbow Ride speaker Olivia Wu, 8 to 9 p.m. April 18 via Zoom. Wu, the co-founder and director of the Asia Rainbow Ride, will discuss the annual charity ride and how it builds advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community in Taiwan. Advanced registration is required.
“With a democratic and progressive culture, Taiwan is an island of many treasures that awaits for the world to discover,” said Professor Yea-Fen Chen of the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures. “As Taiwan and Bloomington both share a vibrant culture of cycling, we are thrilled for the IU and Bloomington communities to explore and learn about Taiwan through the Cycling Taiwan 2023 series.”
IU Transportation Demand Management also wants riders to be aware of opportunities to aid their personal safety, maintain and secure their bicycle, and help others enjoy bicycling, such as:
- Multiple fix-it-stations that provide tools for bicycle maintenance.
- Safe-riding videos with tips about navigating traffic and environmental conditions.
- Tips on the best ways to park and secure bicycles to prevent theft.
- Rental lockers for storing a bicycle.
- Donations of unwanted bikes to the Bloomington Community Bike Project.
Information: https://today.iu.edu.
