Press Release: National Bike Month — Cyclovia encourages everyday bicycling
IT’S NATIONAL BIKE MONTH: CYCLOVIA TUCSON IS PROOF THAT EVERYDAY BICYCLING IS EASIER THAN YOU THINK!
Tucson, AZ (May 01, 2023) – May 1st marks the start of National Bike Month. Cities across the U.S. line up events and activities to support biking for fun and for transportation in an effort to help more people make the switch to biking more often.
With warm summer temperatures rolling in earlier in the desert, Tucson bike events throughout spring and winter months give residents plenty of time to experiment with bicycling leading up to May. Last month Living Streets Alliance held its nineteenth Cyclovia Tucson event, opening several miles of car-free streets and providing tens of thousands of people the space to practice bicycling, as well as walking, rolling and other ways of getting around without a car. Cyclovia provides the perfect conditions for trying out a car-lite lifestyle—one that’s less dependent on personal vehicles and better for our communities and the environment.
More than half of all trips taken in the United States are less than three miles. With so many fun activities along the Cyclovia route, most people didn’t notice the 3.5 mile distance that might feel daunting to cover by bike or on foot any other day. Participants who rode the length of the route and back covered seven miles—not to mention the extra miles many people logged riding to and from the event!. Cyclovia shows us that when streets are designed to accommodate people young and old, riding, walking, and rolling become much less intimidating.
This Bike Month, Living Streets Alliance encourages you to consider what trips are within three miles of your home and see if you can replace just one car trip a week with biking. “If everyone in Tucson committed to one car-free day annually, it would save more than 19 million tons of greenhouse gases and air pollutants from spilling into our atmosphere,” says Emily Yetman, Executive Director with Living Streets Alliance. “It’s easier to transition to riding a bike for transportation if we get rid of the “all or nothing” mindset; instead think of just one trip under three miles that you can make by bike each week, because even that adds up to big cost savings, good exercise, and reduced carbon emissions over time.”
The City of Tucson has increased “low stress” riding options through its Bicycle Boulevard network—a series of routes with traffic calming and enhanced crossings at major intersections. The Lost Barrio to Himmel Park Cyclovia route showcased several of them, including Treat Avenue, 3rd Street, and 9th Street. These routes are great to use year-round in combination with The Loop and other shared-use paths in the area. For those who don’t want to own or maintain a bike, Tugo Bike Share provides the option of renting one for short trips.
Cyclovia occurs biannually—in the Spring and Fall—on different routes across Tucson. The next event is scheduled for October 29, 2023. Those interested in volunteering with Living Streets Alliance, or hosting their own Cyclovia-style events in their neighborhood can contact cyclovia@livingstreetsalliance.org and learn more at www.cycloviatucson.org. For additional bicycling tips, resources, and route planning contact Living Streets Alliance at info@livingstreetsalliance.org
Cyclovia Tucson is a program of Living Streets Alliance, a nonprofit organization that advocates for a thriving Tucson by creating great streets for all of us.The Spring 2023 Cyclovia Tucson event was made possible with generous support from Banner—University Medicine and dozens of other sponsors and partners.
