Indiana Lieutenant Governor Becky Skillman is honorary chair of the Bicycle Indiana Summit.

Press Release

October 7, 2009

Indianapolis, Ind.---Bicycle Indiana, the collective voice of Indiana cyclists, is convening its first Bicycle Indiana Summit on Saturday, October 17, 2009, to address ways to make the state more bicycle-friendly. The event will kick off with morning bike rides (free and open to the public), followed by lunch, a nationally known keynote speaker and breakout sessions for planning professionals, bicycling advocates and biking enthusiasts.

"Indiana has become more bicycle-friendly in the past few years, but we still have a long way to go to make bicycling a full-fledged transportation option," said Nancy Tibbett, executive director of Bicycle Indiana. "This summit is a first step toward joining together the voices of everyone who rides--whether they ride for fun, for exercise, to get to work or to run errands. Together, we can start to make the changes that will benefit all of us."

The keynote address will be delivered by Krista Rettig, Advocacy and Governmental Affairs Director for Trek Bicycle Corporation. Drawing on examples from around the country as well as her home state of Wisconsin, Rettig will speak on how a better place to bike is a better place to live. She has been with Trek for 12 years, and was one of the key organizers of Wisconsin's first statewide Bike Summit earlier this year. Wisconsin was rated the number two bike-friendly state by the League of American Bicyclists, after Washington. (Indiana was ranked 29th.)

Indiana's Lieutenant Governor, Becky Skillman, is honorary chair of the event. Marian University is the Summit's presenting sponsor.

Afternoon breakout sessions will cover how to plan bicycle lanes, the League of American Bicyclists' action plan for making a locale more bicycle-friendly, the successes and challenges of greenways and trails, rights of bikers on city streets, maximizing fitness while riding, bike fitting, and promoting bicycle safety at the community level.

The morning bike rides are free and open to the public and start at 9 a.m. The luncheon and breakout sessions are $30 per person, or $25 for Bicycle Indiana members. (Become a member by calling 317-466-9701 or 800-BIKE-110; by e-mailing info@bicycleindiana.org; or visiting www.bicycleindiana.org.) The Summit is being held at the Indiana Government Center in downtown Indianapolis. For the complete schedule, or to register for the Summit, visit www.bicycleindiana.org/summit.

Founded in 1993, Bicycle Indiana is the collective voice of Indiana bicyclists, who want stronger laws and education programs to protect cyclists, improved public awareness about the benefits of bicycling, more places to ride bicycles, and safer travels for all cyclists. A statewide nonprofit organization, Bicycle Indiana (formerly Indiana Bicycle Coalition) represents the interests and concerns of all bicycle users. Visit www.bicycleindiana.org for more information.

Source: Bicycle Indiana