Category: Education

UO Bike Program "Fix-It Network" Celebration

Posted on by RideCoordinator
I am happy to announce that the UO Bike Program’s network of self-service bike repair stations is nearing completion! You are cordially invited to join us in celebrating the installation of the final Fix-It Station at 13th and University on Wednesday, November 7th at 12:30pm.

Thanks to the Student Sustainability Fund, the ASUO Over-realized Fund, and Greater Eugene Area Riders, we will have six locations across campus. Students, faculty, and staff can put their bike in a stand and perform minor repairs. Since they are conveniently located at prominent destinations on campus, bicycle commuters will find it easy to pump up their tires in between class or adjust their brakes before riding home. See attached image for a poster displaying the station locations.

A big THANK YOU to Campus Planning and Campus Operations for putting in many hours to help us site and performing the installation of the Fixit Stations! Also with help from EMU Marketing and the Emerald Media Group, we created maintenance videos that can be accessed via QR codes at the Fix-It Stations.
The Fix-It network is just one more way that we are supporting and promoting bicycling at the University of Oregon. We already received national recognition for our recent efforts. The League of American Bicyclists, a national advocate and lobbying organization for bicycling, published an article the Bike Program contributed to in this issue of their quarterly magazine, American Bicyclist. You can read the full magazine online (we are on pg 26-27).
We have received lots of positive feedback about the stations, and we will continue to look for opportunities to promote these great resources, install more stations around campus, and continue to look for other ways to maintain our leadership as a Bike Friendly University.
Best regards,
Briana

—

Coordinator 

Get Confident, Stay Savvy! Take a Class

Posted on by RideCoordinator

Every month GEARs teaches a 3 hour Confident Cycling class that is filled with people going through the Municipal Court diversion program for cyclists who get traffic tickets for violations and want an alternative to paying the fines. The class is also a great one for those just starting to ride (again) and even for well seasoned cyclists who want to sharpen their game and learn how to teach others to ride through their words and actions.
Every few months the additional 6 hour Traffic Skills on-road portion of the class is also taught. This 9 hour Confident Cycling 101 class is a League of American Bicyclists certified course taught by certified instructors. It’s also the first step to becoming a certified instructor yourself. It’s the basis for our middle school bike safety education course. It’s an awesome course and every cyclist should take it.

This weekend (Sept. 22-23) we still need at least two more attendees to hold the second portion of the class (we have a 6 person minimum).

Register for the class here!

Scofflaw Cyclists?

Posted on by RideCoordinator

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition did a nice piece in their monthly “Tube Times” titled “What About Scofflaw? Perception, Reality and What We’re Doing About It.”

Though it’s SF based it highlights some of the issues all bike advocacy organizations face, especially in communities where cycling is increasing and more attention is being drawn to “cyclists behavior”. I think it touches on some good points.

GEARs is working on some of the same issues locally and is doing positive work for change, including working with the police and courts on the bike education diversion program as well as our normal Bike Education course.
If you haven’t taken a Traffic Skills 101 course yet sign up now: http://edu.eugenegears.org/classes
Also, don’t forget to renew your membership:  http://eugenegears.org/membership 

Finally: “On a daily basis, be a bicycle ambassador by being a great representative of Eugene’s amazing, diverse and growing community of people who bicycle. Stop behind the crosswalk, give pedestrians the right-of-way and others will follow.”

 

 

LAB League Certified Instructor training in Portland, July 6-8

Posted on by RideCoordinator

Via LeeAnne from the BTA (I also should have spread the word sooner but there you have it).  I’ll be an assistant LCI Coach for this course and hopefully certified to lead Seminars in the future so that we might be able to have one locally.

Road One/Traffic Skills 101 is a prerequisite for this program. There just happens to be one being held in Eugene June 23/24- Register here! There is also one being offered in Bend next week (June 21-23)- Register here.

The Bicycle Transportation Alliance is hosting an League of American Bicyclists (LAB) League Certified Instructor (LCI) Training on July 6-8 and I have done a terrible job telling people about it.  There are 5 spots still available in the seminar and I need at least 3 more people to sign up for it to actually happen.  Please consider signing someone from your organization up if you would like to have a staffer who can teach the League’s adult education program (Traffic Skills 101).

More info and to register click HERE! The deadline for signing up is Friday 6/15 with a possibility to extend to Wednesday, 6/20, and the cost is $300 plus a LAB membership year long membership.  Sorry again for the short notice (see?… a terrible job).

My goal for hosting this seminar is to further entice Physical educators and Health teachers at elementary schools and middle schools in Oregon to be trained to teach bike safety education to students.  I will incorporate the Traffic Skills 101 class into the curriculum training to give the teachers as many certifications as possible while being trained. This will help principals, teachers, administrators and parents get behind this needed education program.  Please help me promote bike safety education and prepare teachers by helping me fill this LAB LCI training!  If you were ever planning to take this course, let it be now!
Thanks so much and let me know if you have any questions.
LeeAnne Fergason:  Education Programs Manager
leeanne@btaoregon.org, 503-226-0676 x26
Bicycle Transportation Alliance
618 NW Glisan, Suite 401, Portland, OR 97209 

Basic Confident Cycling Class

Posted on by RideCoordinator

Come join us for a FREE Confident Cycling Class!

Date: Saturday, June 16
Time: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Location: Eugene, Cascades & Coast Adventure Center, 3312 Gateway Street (near Best Buy)

This 3-hour class guides cyclists in the laws and rules of the road as well as informs the most common crash scenarios. The course covers state laws as they pertain to bike riders, crash avoidance techniques, and includes a student manual.   Adults and children above 12 years of age are perfect for this packed, 3-hour course. This curriculum is provided by the League of American Bicyclists.

IMPORTANT- To register, please contact SmartTrips Program Coordinator, Claire Otwell, at (541) 682-6213 by June 14th. Registration is required for this event.

GEARs holds Confident Cycling classes every month ranging from 3-9 hours. See the full schedule here.

 

Volunteer Next Week!

Posted on by RideCoordinator

Want a better biking city? Get involved. Volunteer!

Ride along with the Bike Safety Education neighborhood ride. This is the culmination of the middle schooler’s Bicycle Drivers Ed and we need volunteers to help the kids have fun (while having some order as well). Sign up for several spots open May 21-24 and June 8& 11:

http://www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/692345634888400094

 

Also, this in from Lee Shoemaker, City of Eugene Pedestrian and Bicycle Coordinator:

“We are in need of more people to do weekday am/pm or Saturday pedestrian and bicycle counts.  Count days are next Tuesday 22nd through Thursday 24th and May 29-31.  You pick the day(s) that fits your schedule.  If you can do a count, contact me and I’ll find a location that works well for you.”

These counts are actually pretty fun and interesting, plus they help us keep track of how we are doing in getting more people to ride more often!

Contact Lee- 541-682-5471 or Lee.Shoemaker@ci.eugene.or.us