Bike to Work Week - Events and Information
Bike Parking near the Stadium at LSU
It's May in Louisiana, and the perfect time to be outside before it gets hot! National Bike to Work Week runs May 16 through May 20, and is a perfect excuse to spend a little extra time enjoying the outdoors in what we (of course) would argue is the best manner possible - riding a bicycle.
To help get you commuting by bike, we have a bunch of resources at your disposal. First and foremost is the Baton Rouge Bike to Work Week Facebook Page where you and other Bike to Work Week participants can ask questions, learn about routes, and stay on top of Bike to Work Week events.
What kind of events, you ask?
On Wednesday, join the Capital Heights Social Ride hosting a special Hump Day Social Ride that will take you and a group of bicyclists around some of Baton Rouge's lesser known paths, trails and streets before ending down near LSU at the State Bar for some drinks and dinner.
Friday is Bike to Work Day, and you'll have the opportunity to join in a Bike Train from Capital Heights to LSU via City Park. The Bike Train will roll at 7:15, be at City Park at 7:35 and get you to your final stop at LSU at 7:55 - and will be captained by an experienced bike commuter who'll be answering your questions on routes, gear and more!
Finally on Saturday, check out the Healthy BR Family Fit Day at City Park in the morning, and then head on over to the Capital Heights Kids Bike Safety Day where your little ones can learn how to operate a bike safely and how to obey some basic road rules. The Safety Day will end with a short ride around the block in the quiet and bike friendly Capital Heights area.
We expect that a lot of you will be having a great time on bikes throughout Bike to Work Week, so we'll be rolling out the #mybikestory hashtag for you to tell the world about your bike commutes. Too often we only ever here about bike commutes when something bad happens. We'd like YOU to help change the perception that bike commuting is scary by using the #mybikestory hashtag to post about how fun, exciting, or even how mundane your daily bike commute might be!
With all these extra miles you'll be riding, be sure to sign up for the National Bike Challenge and log your rides. We'll be giving away Bike Baton Rouge T-Shirts to selected participants in the National Bike Challenge.
Speaking of T-Shirts, if you haven't yet picked up your annual Bike Baton Rouge membership then we urge you to go check that out! The annual memberships come with a Bike BR T-Shirt, a set of Blinky Lights and a Bicycling Safety Guide from the League of American Bicyclists.
We hope you enjoy Bike to Work Week! If you're looking for any advice, help or support, then please shoot us an email at bikebatonrouge@gmail.com or ask us at the Baton Rouge Bike to Work Week facebook page.
Press Release - Bike Baton Rouge recognizes bicycling advocates at Mike Bitton Awards ceremony
Left to Right - Gilles Morin, Beaux Jones, Juan Cruz and Dave Cano
(Photograph by Irene Kato)
Bike Baton Rouge recognizes bicycling advocates at Mike Bitton Awards ceremony
4/29/16, Baton Rouge, LA
Bike Baton Rouge and around thirty local bicycling advocates celebrated the recipients of the Mike Bitton Awards on Wednesday evening at the Firehouse Gallery at the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge. The annual awards recognize community members who have gone above and beyond in their efforts to make Baton Rouge a better place to bike, and are named after former LSU student Mike Bitton, who became a spokesperson and advocate for bicycle safety and awareness following a hit and run crash on River Road that left Mike with life threatening injuries.
Beaux Jones, former president of Bike Baton Rouge and winner of the Mike Bitton Award, said “It is a great honor to be recognized by an organization that I love and respect so much. There is still so much to be done, but I hope that I helped to move our community closer to a safer, happier and healthier Baton Rouge‘’. Jones was awarded the Mike Bitton Award for his services to Bike Baton Rouge as well as bicycling and walking in both Baton Rouge and Louisiana.
Other recipients included David Cano of Iron Works Design LLC, who was awarded the Bike Friendly Business Award for his work with manufacturing and installing Bike Racks in Baton Rouge; Gilles Morin, of the City of Baton Rouge Planning Commission who received the Bike Friendly Ambassador Award for his long term support of bicycling projects in Baton Rouge; and Juan Cruz, of Cultural Dynamics, who received the Bike Friendly Professional Award for his work in supporting bicycling and walking projects amongst minorities and underrepresented communities, particularly with the Gardere Project.
Mark Martin, founder and outgoing president of Bike Baton Rouge, was cautious when asked about what he’ll do with his time, saying “I want to take it easy for a while and see how long it takes me to become antsy again.” When asked about his successes, Martin said ”I am happy to see more people riding now than there were 10 years ago. I can't say that anything I did had a direct affect on that but it's good to see.”
Martin’s successor, Mika Torkkola, will immediately take the helm of Bike Baton Rouge.
Bike Baton Rouge’s focus for May will be be Bike to School Day, on May 4th, Bike to Work Week on May 16th through May 20th, and Bike to Work Day on the May 20th. Bike Baton Rouge will have volunteers offering advice and support to anyone who is new to commuting by bicycle. For more information, please email bikebatonrouge@gmail.com
Mika Torkkola
225 571 2906
bikebatonrouge@gmail.com
Bike Baton Rouge is a local non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization and has been dedicated to making bicycling trips in Baton Rouge safer and more enjoyable since 2006.
Bike Baton Rouge members including Leif Remo in foreground
(Photograph by Irene Kato)
Outgoing Bike Baton Rouge Mark Martin (left) and Beaux Jones
(Photograph by Irene Kato)
Announcing the recipients of the 2016 Mike Bitton Awards
The Mike Bitton Awards, established in 2013, honour those individuals and organizations in Baton Rouge whose work results in better bicycling in Baton Rouge. We're very excited to announce this years award recipients below - and to invite you to the awards ceremony which will take place next week Wednesday April 27th, 7pm, at the Firehouse Gallery at the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge (427 Laurel Street).
This years awards go to :
David Cano of Iron Works Design LLC, who will be awarded the Bike Friendly Business Award for his work with manufacturing and installing Bike Racks in Baton Rouge.
Gilles Morin, of the City of Baton Rouge Planning Commission who will receive the Bike Friendly Ambassador Award for his long term support of bicycling projects in Baton Rouge.
Juan Cruz, of Cultural Dynamics, who will receive the Bike Friendly Professional Award for his work in supporting bicycling and walking projects amongst minorities and underrepresented communities, particularly with the Gardere Project.
Beaux Jones, former president of Bike Baton Rouge, who will be awarded the Mike Bitton Award for his services to Bike Baton Rouge as well as bicycling and walking in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and beyond.
Please come join Bike Baton Rouge, our award recipients, and our friends, members and volunteers in celebrating the great things that Baton Rouge is capable of! Snacks and drinks will be provided, and we'll have a membership sign up table if you've not already picked yours up here.
Need a reminder? Sign up at our Facebook Event.
Previous recipients of the Mike Bitton Award include :
2013
Bike Baton Rouge Bicycle Advocate Award Mike Bitton
2014
Mike Bitton Award Mark E. Martin
Bike Friendly Ambassador Award Mayor President Kip Holden
Bike Friendly Professional Award Rachel DiResto (CPEX)
Bike Friendly Business Award Chelsea's Cafe
2015
Mike Bitton Award Front Yard Bikes Dustin LaFont
Bike Friendly Ambassador Award Metro Councilwoman Ronnie Edwards
Bike Friendly Professional Award John Price
Bike Friendly Business Award Bet-R Grocery
Dustin LaFont and the kids of Front Yard Bikes
Press release - Bike Baton Rouge announce winners of annual Mike Bitton Awards
4/19/16
Baton Rouge, LA
Bike Baton Rouge today announced the recipients of their annual Mike Bitton Awards that recognize community members who have gone above and beyond in their efforts to make Baton Rouge a better place to bike. The Mike Bitton Awards are named after former LSU student Mike Bitton, who became a spokesperson and advocate for bicycle safety and awareness following a hit and run crash on River Road that left Mike with life threatening injuries.
Award recipients will include David Cano of Iron Works Design LLC, who will be awarded the Bike Friendly Business Award for his work with manufacturing and installing Bike Racks in Baton Rouge; Gilles Morin, of the City of Baton Rouge Planning Commission who will receive the Bike Friendly Ambassador Award for his long term support of bicycling projects in Baton Rouge; Juan Cruz, of Cultural Dynamics, who will receive the Bike Friendly Professional Award for his work in supporting bicycling and walking projects amongst minorities and underrepresented communities, particularly with the Gardere Project; and finally Beaux Jones, former president of Bike Baton Rouge, who will be awarded the Mike Bitton Award for his services to Bike Baton Rouge as well as bicycling and walking in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and beyond.
Kellen Gilbert, Bike Baton Rouge board member and organizer of the Awards ceremony said “We think it is important to recognize and celebrate the individuals and businesses who are dedicated to making Baton Rouge a better and safer community for all who people who ride bicycles, who walk and who run. The ceremony will honor those who go above and beyond for all of us.”
The award ceremony will take place at 7pm on Wednesday April 27th at the the Firehouse Gallery at the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge (427 Laurel Street). Bike Baton Rouge members, non-members and the general public are invited to join Bike Baton Rouge and our award recipients for some fun, food and festivities.
For more information, visit bikebr.org, look up Bike Baton Rouge on facebook, or email Bike Baton Rouge at bikebatonrouge@gmail.com
Mika Torkkola
225 571 2906
bikebatonrouge@gmail.com
Bike Baton Rouge is a local non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization and has been dedicated to making bicycling trips in Baton Rouge safer and more enjoyable since 2006.
Press Release - Festival Season
Press release
Bike Baton Rouge to provide free bike parking at April festivals 3/23/16 Baton Rouge, LA Bike Baton Rouge will provide free valet bicycle parking services in downtown Baton Rouge throughout April at Fest for All, the Baton Rouge Blues Fest and the Earth Day Festival. Bike Baton Rouge volunteers will park and monitor the bicycles in a secured area that is provided by festival organizers. “When it comes to getting to a festival in downtown Baton Rouge, there’s no better way than by bicycle,” said Mika Torkkola of Bike Baton Rouge. “You don’t have to deal with traffic, you don’t have to worry about where you’re going to park your car, and best of all, you just hop off your bike and you’re already at your destination.” Each festival will take place at or near North Boulevard in the Town Square area of downtown Baton Rouge. Biking to a festival on a weekend is a simple first step for anyone interested in riding a bike around Baton Rouge. “We recognize that not everyone is going to be comfortable with riding a bike to work or to school,” said Torkkola, “but there are times, like at these festivals, when getting around on bike might make more sense than driving, even for folks who don’t consider themselves to be bicyclists.” Bike Baton Rouge has provided free bike parking services in downtown Baton Rouge since 2006. Bike valet services will be available at each festival from opening time to half an hour after closing. Earth Day will also feature a children’s bicycle safety course, with bicycles and helmets provided.
For more information, visit bikebr.org, look up Bike Baton Rouge on facebook, or email Bike Baton Rouge at bikebatonrouge@gmail.com
Mika Torkkola 225 571 2906 bikebatonrouge@gmail.com
Bike Baton Rouge is a local non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization and has been dedicated to making bicycling trips in Baton Rouge safer and more enjoyable since 2006.