Have you heard about the great bike-bus collaboration next week? May is National Bike Month and Cedar Rapids bicyclists and city staff have been busy preparing lots of activities to spread the word about biking. I love biking to work, but I’m definitely a fair weather rider, so with all of the recent rain we’re getting I was giddy to see that CR Transit is getting involved in Bike to Work Week!
You can read the full announcement here, but the summary is that they are providing FREE bus rides for anyone who uses the bike rack on the front of the bus. This perk is available during Bike to Work Week which is next week, May 17th – May 21st.
Ok great, but why am I so giddy? Well, being a fair weather rider means that I prefer to ride when it’s “nice”. In Iowa, it can be nice in the morning and turn ugly by the afternoon, so I understand why many people don’t choose bike transportation if they aren’t equipped for weather. I also work downtown and live on the north side. This is great riding downhill most of the way into work, but a bit more challenging uphill on the way home. A little lift for part of the climb can be welcome after a long day! And lastly, we’ve had to modify my morning bus stop drop-off routine due to the Council construction and I guess I just needed a carrot to finally give the bus bike racks a try.
As a last word of encouragement to take advantage of this opportunity, don’t be concerned about how to work the bike racks! The bus drivers are able to help if you need it and the announcement has good instructions. For those of us who learn better visually, you can watch a video with good, well paced instructions and demonstrations on using bus bike racks here. The rack is not exactly the same as what CR Transit buses have, but the setup is.
May is National Bike Month, but take it a step further and use two alternative modes of transportation with CR Transit!
Interested in more Bike Month information? Check out the Bike Iowa site and announce your participation by registering for Bike to Work Week.
This past Sunday my husband and I went to hear the Glenn Miller Orchestra play downtown for the second year in a row. This event has become my reminder that the Freedom Festival has begun in Cedar Rapids. It’s a great way to ease into the feeling of summer, plus there is good music and good company. Unfortunately, this year the orchestra was only able to play one set before a rain shower interrupted our entertainment and canceled the show.
