AMES, Iowa – Jan. 10, 2014 – The 10th annual Iowa Bicycle Summit will be heldFriday and Saturday, Jan. 24 and 25, at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. The gathering will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day and is sponsored by the Iowa Department of Transportation and Iowa Bicycle Coalition. There is a fee to attend with continuing education credits offered. This year the Iowa Bicycle Summit will focus on bicycle facility designs on a small-scale that can inspire large-scale changes.
On Friday, Jan. 24, the summit will feature guest speakers, an all day workshop and breakout sessions. The workshop will be provided by Mike Lydon from The Street Plans Collaborative in New York City. Lydon collaborated with Andres Duany and Jeff Speck in writing “The Smart Growth Manual,” published by McGraw-Hill in 2009 and honored by Planetizen as one of the top ten planning books of 2010. Lydon is also the creator and primary author of “The Open Streets Project and Tactical Urbanism: Short-Term Action, Long-Term Change Vol.1 and Vol.2.”
- Trees Forever playing a new role at the Iowa Bicycle Summit by providing a session on their trail and community visioning programs. The programs help Iowa’s small communities access professional planning services and allows them to compete for project funding.
- The Safe Routes to School session will feature ideas to improve walking and bicycling facilities in school zones.
- The trail marketing session will feature Carolyn Szczepanski from the League of American Bicyclists. Szczepanski leads a national effort on marketing bicycling to women. In addition to the session on Friday, an Iowa Women Bicycling meetup will take place on Saturday at the Iowa Event Center.
- The Trail and Bike Facility Funding Speed Dating session functions much like social speed dating. The room is set with 10 tables. At each table is a representative from a funding program like the Iowa DOT grant programs, Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ Resource Enhancement and Protection program, or private funders. Participants in the session have a 10 minutes at each tablet to meet with one of the representatives. This session has been one of the most productive sessions of past conferences and is a great opportunity to exchange information, learn about prospective programs, and plan for a variety of grant opportunities.
On Saturday Jan. 25, the summit will feature educational seminars that will allow present and future cyclists to get in touch with bike advocacy, find the latest consumer trends and learn about new places to ride.
Also on Jan. 25, make plans to attend the free Iowa Bike Expo event featuring more than 100 exhibitors. This is the perfect opportunity to learn about the best bicycle equipment, optimal riding destinations and future cycling events. “If you want to plan your summer bicycling vacation, you need to visit all the trails showcased at the event,” states Mark Wyatt, executive director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition.
Registration for Friday is $160 and it includes summit materials, lunch, and all breaks. There is no cost for attending the Saturday sessions. Lunch on Saturday will be on your own.
For questions regarding registration or the summit agenda, go towww.iowabicyclecoalition.org or www.iowadot.gov/iowabikes/
Following the summit on Saturday, the Iowa Bicycle Coalition and The Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) will hold a reception fundraiser at 8 p.m. in Des Moines at the Iowa Events Center. The 2014 RAGBRAI route will be announced at this event. The reception will feature a live and silent auction offering great cycling items, as well as door prizes and more. Tickets for theSaturday night event are $30 each and can be purchased online atwww.iowabicyclecoalition.org. All proceeds from the event benefit the Iowa Bicycle Coalition.
