Volunteering for Cycling

​​When some people experience the joys of cycling, they want to spread the word far and wide to others-- or at least to people in their own neighborhood.   At the January Evanston Bicycle Club meeting we heard from enthusiastic volunteers from local advocacy groups who are dedicated to getting more people on bikes and making it safer to ride

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Friends of Elk Grove
Dave Simmons got started in bicycle advocacy after earning League Cycling Instructor (LCI) certification from the League of American Bicyclists.  He formed the Friends of Cycling in Elk Grove (www.egvbikes.org) in 2011 to promote, support, and improve cycling in the northwest suburbs.  The organization currently has 75 members and acts as a mini version of the Active Transportation Alliance, a larger advocacy supporting the Chicagoland area.  By forming partnerships with the village, the park district, and businesses the group’s activities have included:

• Elk Grove Village Bike Plan – although there is no guarantee the recommendations will be implemented, it is used in city planning and is scheduled to be updated again in 2025; The group recommend priorities
• Busse Woods Bike Pit Stops – partnered with the forest preserve to model a service after the Active Transportation Alliance bike to work day events.  They out helmets, perform bike checks, promote safety on the trail, and distribute give-a-ways such as pencils and stickers
• Bike Valet –offered bike parking at village events which gives residents incentive not to drive.  There was a 40% increase in usage between 2017 and 2018.  They even provide camp chairs for comfortable seating at an event that you arrive at on a bike
• Bike with the Mayor – has occurred 8 years and consists of a 3-5 mile bike ride around town ending with food provided by a local caterer and a musician.  The last ride had 85 people attend
• Free bike rack program – offered bike racks to businesses and churches  
• Air pump - Permanent pump was installed in Busse Woods
• Parades - Walked and biked in Elk Grove Village and Schaumburg parades
• Ride of Silence - started in 2015 and last year had 60 participants
• Group rides –offered 20 rides last year

The group’s funds come from memberships and sponsorships, but its largest fundraiser is the Busse Woods Night Ride in which riders bike through the woods at night when the park is usually closed.  The bikers leave in waves with the first group allowed to go at 6:30pm.

Go Evanston
The Go Evanston (www.goevanston.org) group was formed in 2016 in response to the backlash over the Dodge Avenue bike lanes according to Vicki Jacobson, planner, and Evanston resident.  The bike lanes were funded by the State with the support of the Active Transportation Alliance but some residents were vocal in objecting to the change.  A group got together that included several EBC members to bring people together, be inclusive, informational, and educational to come up with a multi-faceted and multi-modal solutions. 
Since then the group has established a mission of making Evanston streets work for all users, regardless of mode, age, ability, or income through education, engagement and encouragement.  Some of their initiatives are:

• Education – sponsored a bike rodeo in partnership with the YMCA and an education program where they trained kids on safety skills and safe routes to schools,
• Engagement – Ridge Ave there were 16 accidents, where there are children and crossing guards; Go Evanston was a resource for the community, met with the Evanston city planner and the resulting reduced speed limit, and split cycle turn, resulted in improvements
• Alerts – when there were proposed bus service cuts sent notice to the 500+ members on the action alerts list
• Recognition - celebrated new infrastructure and expansion of Divvy
• Connections – worked with other groups such as Citizens’ Greener Evanston, Active Transportation Alliance, Ride Illinois, Bike Wilmette, and District 65
• Encouragement – created a bicycle generator to attract attention at events, participated in Evanston Streets Alive, and organized a Mayoral bike ride

Going forward the group has goals to expand membership and education programs, raise money, and promote implementation or the Climate Action Plan

Ride of Silence
The Ride of Silence (www.rideofsilence.org) started in 2003 in Dallas when the friends of a cyclist that was killed after being clipped by the mirror of a bus organized a bike ride where participants rode at a slow pace in complete silence in remembrance of him and all individuals who have been injured or killed while riding on public roadways.  Elizabeth Adamczyk is the organizer of the Chicago ride which was held for the first time in 2005.  The free rides are now held in all seven continents over the world the evening of the third Wednesday in May.   
The ride has evolved into a grass roots, collaborative effort with involvement from bike shops, bike clubs, aldermanic wards, and city officials.  In Chicago the ride has a police escort.  Advocacy has stemmed from the ride:

• Creation of the Vision Zero plan - released in June, 2017 that sets a blueprint that will move Chicago toward the ultimate goal of eliminating deaths and serious injuries from traffic crashes by 2026.
• Passage of the Dutch Reach law in Illinois - Originating some 50 years ago in the Netherlands, it is a method of opening a car door with the hand furthest from the handle to avoid dooring cyclists, or drivers or passengers from stepping into on-coming traffic.
• Installation of ghost bikes - a bicycle painted white and left as a memorial at a site where a cyclist was fatally injured by a collision with a motor vehicle.  A ghost bike is a reminder of the vulnerability of cyclists.
• Partnered with 2018 Chicago World Day of Remembrance - takes place on the third Sunday in November every year as to acknowledge of victims of road traffic crashes and their families.

This year’s Ride of Silence will be Wed. May 15 and there will be rides in Evanston and Chicago.