This article was originally published in the City of Eugene InMotion Newsletter; a great resource for local active transportation information. Subscribe here!

LiveMove and the City of Eugene would like to invite you to join us for a visit by April Economides, a nationally recognized expert on how bicycling can contribute to a thriving local economy as well as a safer and healthier community. April will be in town sharing her knowledge with our community next Thursday, February 7th. 

April Economides is principal of Green Octopus Consulting and General Manager of Bike Nation’s Long Beach bike share program, which will launch this year. She created the nation’s first Bike-Friendly Business District program for the City of Long Beach and helped launch similar efforts in San Diego and other cities around North America. She speaks throughout the U.S. and Canada on “The Business Case for Bicycling” and “Bike-Friendly Business Districts.”

A Bicycle-Friendly Business District integrates bicycling into its operations, events and promotions to encourage people to bike to an area to shop and dine. Merchants and employees also ride bicycles to run errands and make deliveries.

Below is April’s schedule for her visit. Feel free to join us for one or both of the activities listed below. Please feel free to share this information with others who might be interested.

Bicycle Ride of Eugene’s Bikeable and Walkable Business Districts
Date: Thursday, February 7th, 2013
Time: 3:30 – 4:30 PM
Location: Meet outside the Wells Fargo Building (99 E. Broadway).
Description: The bike ride will take guests through several retail districts in Eugene and highlight some of the current infrastructure already in place to our guest speaker.

Public Presentation on how Bikes Mean Business
Date: Thursday, February 7th, 2013
Time: 4:30pm Social Hour, 5:30pm Presentation
Location: Downtown Athletic Club, 3rd Floor, Ballroom A
Description: April Economides will give a presentation on how increasing cycling in a community can stimulate the local economy and improve health and safety.

The City of Eugene is excited for April’s visit and thankful for the University of Oregon’s LiveMove student group for sponsoring her trip to Eugene.