Bike To The Future - Ride and Festival Sat 9/24@Noon Franklin Park

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Bike To The Future - Ride and Festival Sat 9/24@Noon Franklin Park

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Started 8 months ago by irishred
Latest reply from bldng4jstc

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irishred
Clintonville
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Great Scott! We need an energy revolution!

Saturday September 24, Noon, Franklin Park

Get excited for an awesome day to celebrate clean energy, clear skies, and climate change solutions all while having fun. We will call on our local leaders both public and private to join us in making the future clean and green.
1. 8 mile 'Rules of the Road' bike ride starting from Franklin Park. It will be a relaxed ride and open to all kinds of riders. Feel free to pull the kids in a trailer!
2. Food Carts and Vendors!
3. Live Music!
4. Activities for Kids, including bike riding in the park
5. Ample free parking in the park and at East High School
6. More details soon!
The event is free and open to everyone!
Facebook Event Page
http://bike2theFuture.org
Posted 8 months ago #
irishred
Clintonville
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Excited to say Coal Fired Bicycle will play at the event!
http://www.coalfiredbicycle.com/

Posted 8 months ago #
Red Sun Rising

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Looking forward to it! Thanks for raising awareness!

Posted 8 months ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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Am I the only one that thinks it's a giant PR fail to a) promote free parking to a climate change/green/alternative energy event and b) locate this in an area not exactly central and easy to access by alternatives?

Sounds like a great event but is there a reason a site like Columbus Commons, served by the entire COTA system, wasn't chosen?

Posted 8 months ago #
cbus11

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I think the Conservatory is a wonderful venue for a 'green' event such as this. I know a lot of car dependent people who want to do more. There are a lot of reasons why free parking would be an advantage - hauling several bikes, bringing kids etc. The Commons is great, but getting my friends, our bikes, their trailers and their children there via COTA (with multiple transfers) would reveal a lot of COTA's inadequacies. Personally, I would rather bike the distance then fool with COTA.

Posted 8 months ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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cbus11 said:
I think the Conservatory is a wonderful venue for a 'green' event such as this. I know a lot of car dependent people who want to do more. There are a lot of reasons why free parking would be an advantage - hauling several bikes, bringing kids etc. The Commons is great, but getting my friends, our bikes, their trailers and their children there via COTA (with multiple transfers) would reveal a lot of COTA's inadequacies. Personally, I would rather bike the distance then fool with COTA.

I get this to an extent but the event, and others like it, really just come off as a token gesture meant to make people feel good while really doing nothing to solve or address the issue in the first place.

I guess I just never really got the "throw the bike on the car to go for a bike ride" thing. We live in a fairly bikeable city with decent trails and more than enough good, safe routes in the central city. Take advantage and promote the cause rather than paying lip service.

Posted 8 months ago #
cbus11

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You are an evangelist speaking to the choir. I think this is aimed at bringing those in from outside the 'church'. I guess I see it as less a PR failure than allowing for the current state of transit while attempting to educate people on a future path. I will hazard a guess that a lot of the people who come to this may not know how 'bikeable' Columbus really is.

Posted 8 months ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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cbus11 said:
You are an evangelist speaking to the choir. I think this is aimed at bringing those in from outside the 'church'. I guess I see it as less a PR failure than allowing for the current state of transit while attempting to educate people on a future path.

Fair enough. I'm a huge believer in education by experience, which is why I mentioned the Commons. Much better served by COTA for those who don't bike, allowing them to experience our transit system and better understand it's challenges and it's needs. More central for those who do bike. Creates opportunity for much richer conversation surrounding the issue.

Posted 8 months ago #
irishred
Clintonville
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Regarding "PR fail": We hope people who can will bike or take the COTA bus to the event. Not everyone can bike or COTA will take a really long time. It would be ideal if all of our transportation options in Columbus ran on clean energy and worked well for everyone. That is one of the things we are fighting for.

We looked into the Commons- it isn't actually run by the parks department but a corporation. We wanted to be far enough away from campus area, because when needed to choose a location we didn't know when the football game was going to be. I'm sorry if it is a little hard to get to. We hope its worth a little extra hassle.

Posted 8 months ago #
irishred
Clintonville
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Schedule Of Events

12:00 Register for the FREE ride, buy a shirt, check out partner tables

12:30 Speakers and the Ride
Jason E. Box, PhD, Climate Researcher at Byrd Polar Research Center, OSU
Lee Geisse, United Steel Workers and the Blue Green Alliance
Sierra Club
350.org
**Ride logistics and Rules of the Road

1:00 Group Photo! Please listen for instructions on the group photo

1:15 And... they're off! The bike ride begins
*** Follow the rules of the Road!
For non riders: During the bike ride please feel free to visit all tables, get yummy food, and participate in kids activities! But be sure to stick around for the live music!

2:15 Live Music - Jesse Henry and Chris Stevens

3:15 Live Music - Coal Fired Bicycle

Thank you all for joining the Sierra Club and 350.org for this monumental day

Posted 8 months ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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irishred said:
Regarding "PR fail": We hope people who can will bike or take the COTA bus to the event. Not everyone can bike or COTA will take a really long time. It would be ideal if all of our transportation options in Columbus ran on clean energy and worked well for everyone. That is one of the things we are fighting for.

We looked into the Commons- it isn't actually run by the parks department but a corporation. We wanted to be far enough away from campus area, because when needed to choose a location we didn't know when the football game was going to be. I'm sorry if it is a little hard to get to. We hope its worth a little extra hassle.

I get where you are coming from, I am all about choice and making the best one for the circumstance. Just questioning putting it so front and center, rather than a foot note or on a separate page. Best of luck, hope this goes well.

Posted 8 months ago #
KingLincolnUrbanEnthusiast

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Nice to see all the bikers in Olde Towne East and riding along East Broad Street on a great fall day - great way to show off "happening" and fun Olde Towne East and the historic Near East Side Comnmunities - got to love Franklin Park Conservatory they do everything with lots of style and class - kudos to the organizers and participants

Posted 8 months ago #
bldng4jstc
Downtown
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irishred said:
We looked into the Commons- it isn't actually run by the parks department but a corporation.

For the most part I've been an advocate of properly run public spaces. I do keep hearing people skip over the commons, however. Is it the price? Restrictions? Comfortable enough to share?

Posted 8 months ago #