Event aims to improve how City plans, builds for bikes
Brian Coddington, Communications Director, 509.625.6740
Monday, May 18, 2015 at 12:30 p.m.
The 2nd annual Commute of the Century kicks off during Bike to Work Week (May 18-22), as the City encourages residents to get involved and offer feedback about Spokane’s bicycle infrastructure and connectivity.
Commute of the Century is a series of self-guided rides with a survey component that asks for citizen input. The rides are designed to include everyone from serious cyclists to the weekend family riders. The event also brings the cycling community together to celebrate the advancements of cycling in Spokane.
Last year, 160 people submitted surveys. The 2014 Commute of the Century was focused on riding Spokane's bicycle infrastructure and gathering public feedback on the level of comfort experienced on various street types.
The focus of 2015’s Commute of the Century will be on neighborhood connections. The 2015 event will entail lunch hour group rides during Bike to Work Week to explore Spokane’s bicycle infrastructure over five routes across the city. The group rides will range from five to seven miles and will showcase potential “greenways” – neighborhood streets that prioritize walking and biking for all ages and abilities. Riders can also explore the full 100-mile “century” route which connects all five routes.
See route details and times and register at SpokaneCity.org
Each ride of the event will be accompanied by a survey questionnaire the City will use to help direct transportation planning. Cycling, as a transportation mode, holds many inherent challenges. It is the City’s goal to develop bicycle routes that are understandable and useful for bike riders.
Knowing that not all participants will be able to take every lunch-hour ride during Bike to Work Week, the completion of any route can be accomplished at people’s own pace and timing. The deadline for accomplishing this task will be July 31 at midnight. All five surveys must be completed by the registered participant to fulfill the requirements of becoming a “Commute Spokesman” or a “Commute Centurion.”
