Department of Transportation

Falling Back In The Saddle - Fall Bike Celebration

Posted: 10/08/2009

Fall back in the “bike” saddle and celebrate Fall bike riding in Tucson. Local bicycle non-profits El Grupo and BICAS, and Time Market Deli & Pizza and the City of Tucson Department of Transportation (TDOT) have organized a day of bike events to promote bicycling in Tucson. All the events will be held on Saturday, October 10, 2009.

The El Grupo Youth Cycling Club will be hosting the 6th Annual Alley Cat Scavenger Hunt. Teams and individuals on bikes will be given clues to locate specific items within a 5-mile radius of Sixth Street and Sixth Avenue. This event begins at 2 p.m. at the corner of Sixth Street and Sixth Avenue. Participants can register in advance for $5 at www.elgrupocycling.org, or pay $7 at the event. All participants will receive prizes.

“The money raised at this event supports young people who want to ride bikes, whether in El Tour, Mountain bike tour, or just having fun,” said Daniela Diamente Director of El Grupo

Scavenger Hunt participants and bicycle enthusiasts are invited to come celebrate the new on-street bike parking corral in front of Time Market Deli & Pizza, 444 E. University Blvd. TDOT and Time Market Deli & Pizza will be hosting the Bike Corral Grand Parking Party from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The bike corral is located in front of the market. The bike corral can occupy 20 bicycles. This marks the second bike corral that TDOT has installed. Last month, an on-street bike corral was installed on Congress Street in front of the Rialto Theatre.

“A significant population travels to Time Market on bicycles and we want to provide convenient
parking to serve these valued customers" said Kade Mislinski manager of Time Market.

Bike corrals provide high concentrations of bike parking at busy destinations, while preserving sidewalk space for pedestrians. The TDOT Bike Corral program is a continuing effort by the City to make Tucson more bike
friendly. The on-street bike corral cost about $2,000. The adjacent neighborhood and Time Market are very excited about the new bike parking.

“I think the corrals are a great idea. Not only do they clear the sidewalk, but they make bikes more visible as a means of transportation that has a right to the road” Lori Boston, President of the West University Neighborhood Association.

Following the Time Market Parking Party, BICAS will be celebrating their 20th Anniversary at The Hut, 305 N. 4th Ave. The anniversary party begins at 7 p.m. A minimum $5 donation is requested at the door. The event includes live music, dancing, juggling, circus performances, and a cargo bike raffle. Visit http://www.bicas.org for more information about this event.