(Portland, OR) The biking equal of Woodstock is coming… however as a substitute of becoming a member of rock followers on a muddy farm, a million cyclists and supporters of fresh, oil unbiased transportation will collect for celebrations and goal stuffed motion in 50 states for upwards of 300 rallies. Extra outstanding, all of those unified, localized occasions will roll out on the identical day.
Dubbed One Million Bicycles, it’s the brainchild of Joe “Steel Cowboy” Kurmaskie, a nationally acknowledged journal columnist (Males’s Journal, Exterior, Bicycling), creator of a number of best-selling bike books, biking advocate and performer at a whole lot of motorcycle golf equipment, pageant and company occasions throughout the nation.
Impressed by U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer’s name for a “nationwide bike motion” throughout a speech at Bike Gallery in January, Kurmaskie determined to suppose huge whereas protecting a small carbon footprint.
“Concepts come to me on a regular basis,” Kurmaskie famous. “However impressed, audacious ones that really have the potential to influence laws and healthcare, oil dependency and world warming, all whereas creating a million new and returning riders, to not point out giving anybody on a motorbike safer passage and a voice concerning upcoming transportation funding. These concepts come alongside as soon as, perhaps twice in a lifetime.”
It couldn’t be extra well timed. With a protracted warfare within the center East, fuel costs hovering and diabetes at document ranges, Kurmaskie sees the bicycle as a part of the answer. 2009 will characteristic a heated congressional battle over how federal transportation funding is spent through the subsequent decade. One Million Bicycles will ask for a doubling of the transportation funding by every state and on the nationwide degree. By placing a million cyclists at rallies in each main metropolis, Kurmaskie doesn’t merely need to make energetic media however wake individuals to the concept that bikes scale back congestion, waistlines, carbon output and healthcare prices.
“And since whenever you journey a motorbike you simply really feel good. It’s a high quality of life concern. As a rustic we all know in our heads and hearts that we are able to do higher than this,” Kurmaskie famous. “We will make neighborhood a precedence. By asking the nation’s cyclists to come back collectively on sooner or later, in their very own cities, and produce a motorbike to create a million new riders; that’s proactive, it resonates past the second. It means one thing.”
Since February, Kurmaskie has been laying the framework for a “nationwide day of motion”: August 9, 2009 (which occurs to be Bridge Pedal in Portland).
Taping business movers and a listing of over 10,000 bike-related contacts culled over years of touring by bicycle, performing and talking, Kurmaskie is in a singular place to drag one thing like this off.
“We nonetheless want a number of assist from the bike neighborhood, each group that cares about problems with well being and the setting and those that want to begin biking or cycle extra on safer streets,” famous Kurmaskie.
He already has confirmations from a whole lot of motorcycle retailers and different organizations desperate to take part. Even earlier than the official nationwide launch Might 1, advocacy teams in scores of cities are stepping as much as assist manage rallies.
Individuals will register for $5 at onemillionbicycles.org or at their collaborating native bike store, bike membership, college, church and so on. They’ll obtain a web based registration packet with a quantity, journey and rally location/particulars, a motorbike giveaway card and a pledge sheet.
Why a $5 payment? Right here’s the breakdown For each greenback raised, 75 cents goes to the restore and tune-up of used bikes and the acquisition of latest bikes for the giveaway; 15 cents goes to promotional and journey/rally assist; 10 cents goes to administration.
On August 9, 2009, every collaborating metropolis will maintain these rallies (there are additionally coast-to-coast and lengthy distance group rides being deliberate to converge on the rally in Washington D.C.). Every rally will embody meals, cubicles, a press convention, audio system, music, actions, presentation of assist for the Nationwide Bike Invoice, and the bike giveaway.
“Anybody who doesn’t have already got a motorbike is eligible. We solely ask them to decide to utilizing that bike for some degree of commuting, errands and driving over the course of 1 yr, and share their experiences and pictures on our weblog,” Kurmaskie stated.
Extra info may be discovered at: www.onemillionbicycles.org
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