We will breathe easier when the air over every American city is clean and Pure. We will breathe easier when the air in our public spaces, workplaces and children’s homes is free of secondhand smoke. We will breathe easier when Americans are free from the addictive grip of cigarettes and the debilitating effects of lung disease. We will breathe easier when our nation’s children no longer battle airborne poisons that bring the fear of an asthma attack.

Until then, we are fighting for air.

Currently, more than 6,000 Austinites wake up Monday-Friday, and instead of grabbing the keys, check their tires, brakes, chain, of their people-powered machines before hitting the road.  The staff at the City of Austin’s Neighborhood Connectivity Division knows that encouraging more Austinites to ride a bicycle to work means appealing to as many different types of riders as possible. Our goal is to more than double the number of cyclists by the year 2015. To get people excited about sustainable, healthy, active transportation, we have put together a program of events for Bike Month that we hope will encourage and promote cycling for people of all ages and abilities.

To gear up for Bike Month, the Bicycle Program has partnered with the Austin Cycling Association’s Beyond Bike Lane Initiative to introduce new or beginning cyclists to the idea of riding, with the ultimate goal of pairing them with more experienced riders. (Find out more about the next event at www.austincycling.org). The Austin Cycling Association also offers courses in safe bicycling for any new or experienced rider who would like to sharpen their skills or learn more about the how to comfortably and legally ride a bicycle in traffic.

The newly developed Bicycle Ambassador Team (BAT) will also be available for outreach and educational activities prior to and during Bike Month. Contact sara.krause@austintexas.gov if you’d like a BAT to visit with your office, school, or other organization/group.

The Bicycle Program is also working closely with myCommuteSolutions. This tool helps riders across the city pair up with others from their area to try commuting by bicycle together. You can also meet a carpool, vanpool, or even transit buddy through mycommutesolutions.com.

Officially, Bike Month began with a Proclamation at the April 26th meeting of City Council. The Mayor proclaimed May Bike Month, May 18th as Bike to Work Day, and May 9th as Bike to School Day. 

On May 5th, Bike Month will kick-off with our 3rd Annual Bike-in-Book-Swap at the Twin Oaks Library Branch (1800 S 5th St Austin, TX 78704) from noon to 4pm. This event will feature a free book swap (bring an old book and get a new one), as well as fun bicycle-related crafts for all ages (make your own saddle cover or get a cool reflective sticker for your helmet), a BMX demo, the Women of Yellow Bike Project’s “Lady Bike,” and other fun surprises. Yellow Bike Project’s Lady Bike is led by women, and focuses on women learning basic bicycle mechanic skills. To learn more, check out austinyellowbike.org.

On May 18th, Bike to Work Day, the Austin Cycling Association, along with multitudes of enthusiastic volunteers will be giving free breakfasts to cyclists as they ride their bikes to work from 7-9am. Look for more information on this event on their website and click here.

Last but not least, join the energetic fun at VIVA STREETS! — a free festival that invites you to bicycle, play, get fit, people watch, and celebrate good health. On Sunday, May 20, over two miles of Sixth Street will become a car-free playground for thousands of Austinites. This is a born-in-Austin take on the Ciclovía, which is becoming an international phenomenon.

Everyone is welcome – bring friends, bring the family or your whole team or neighborhood. Connect with the community and celebrate Austin. Enjoy the spectacle and be part of the show. Come equipped for your favorite activity – walking, biking, running, skateboarding, or inline skating – and then discover new ways to get your move on.  This family-friendly event will take place on 6th Street from Brazos to Robert T. Martinez from 10am-3pm and will include activities, games, and healthy food options in an open-street atmosphere. Car traffic will be re-routed to allow for pedestrians, joggers, rollerblades, cyclists, skateboarders, and more to take over the street. For more information check out www.vivastreetsaustin.org

Tuesday, April 24, 5-8 p.m.

Windermere Events Center, 15803 Windermere Drive, Pflugerville, TX

Thursday, April 26, 5-8 p.m.

Cedar Park Recreation Center, Town Center, 1435 Main Street, Cedar Park, TX

Monday, April 30, 5-8 p.m.

Oak Hill United Methodist Church, Childrens’ Building  7815 Hwy. 290 West, Austin, TX

Thursday, May 3, 5-8 p.m.

Conley-GuerreroSeniorActivityCenter,  808 Nile St.,Austin,TX (Buses # 17 and 300)

Tuesday, May 8, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Austin Energy Assembly Room 130, 721 Barton Springs Rd, AustinTX

Free parking at Palmer Auditorium Garage, 900 Barton Springs Rd.(Say that you’re attending the Project Connect Open House) (Buses # 30 and 5)

To contact Project Connect, please email TxProjectConnect@gmail.com for more information.

]]> http://www.commutesolutions.com/2012/04/project-connect-community-open-houses-round-2/feed/ 0 http://www.commutesolutions.com/2012/04/safeguard-your-health-save-money-spare-the-air-and-theres-an-app-for-that/ http://www.commutesolutions.com/2012/04/safeguard-your-health-save-money-spare-the-air-and-theres-an-app-for-that/#comments Sun, 01 Apr 2012 08:00:37 +0000 Julie http://www.commutesolutions.com/?p=1196 Continue reading →]]> It’s springtime. Here in Central Texas that means bluebonnets, baseball, picnics, and ozone season.  From April Fools’ Day through Halloween, our weather is just right for the formation of ground-level ozone.

Why is it a big deal? It’s a big deal because even at low levels, ozone can cause health effects.

Exposure to ozone can irritate your respiratory system, make lungs more susceptible to infection, and aggravate asthma and chronic lung disease.  Children and older adults are particularly at risk, as are active people of all ages who work or exercise outdoors during high ozone episodes.

What Can You Do?

• Drive Less      NOx and VOC emissions from our cars and trucks are a big part of the ozone problem in Central Texas.  Let Commute Solutions help you find a greener way to commute.  Any time you avoid a drive-alone trip, you help spare the air.

  Know Before You Go      Before you head outside to work or exercise, get in the habit of checking ozone levels.  If they are high, or if you are especially sensitive to ozone, consider staying in or modifying your outdoor activities.  Get current local ozone readings at airnow.gov, or add the AIRNOW app to your phone.

  Thanks to Shana, our Air Quality expert, for providing this story!

Despite the rise and fall of gas prices, Commute Solutions has been there to serve as a resource.  Now, we want to provide you the tool to find a carpool buddy or plan a transit trip.  The myCommuteSolutions site is a regional ridematching and trip-planning system to help you get started.  In addition to ridematching, the site shows transit routes with specific time and bus number information; bike routes; current traffic conditions; and a “single-trip finder,” which is ideal for the occasional ride or a carpool to a conference or event.  The myCommuteSolutions site has an easy tracking system through the commute calendar, which also enables you to follow your cost savings, calories burned, fuel saved and pollution reduction.

The myCommuteSolutions site offers something for both individuals and employers.  A key feature is the ability to offer employers a custom subsite at no cost.  With this, you can offer your employees an in-house ridematching and trip-planning site that is branded with the look and feel of your company and is available exclusively to your employees.  Employers can manage incentives, collect data and promote the program to suit their needs. That means fun contests to celebrate Earth Day or Bike Month!  You decide what works best for your employees.

There are lots of options for you!  Get started today and click the pink “myCommuteSolutions” icon on the top of this page!

Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority

The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority is an independent government agency created in 2002 to improve the transportation system in Williamson and Travis counties. Our mission is to implement innovative, multi-modal transportation solutions that reduce congestion and create transportation choices that enhance quality of life and economic vitality.

Capital Metro has increased a variety of services to help you reach your destination.  There are a number of options for visitors and commuters to get around town using Capital Metro’s bus and rail service.  For a full playlist of MetroRail, Night Owl and MetroAirport services, check out their “Ride Capital Metro to SXSW” page.  Don’t forget with all of the ongoing activities there are a number of street closures and bus detours, so plan ahead and you’ll be at the top of the charts!

Welcome to Austin and enjoy the show!

Carpooling offers one of the simplest solutions and it may be easier than you think to find a buddy.  To get the “car” rolling, visit myCommuteSolutions to start your personalized ridematching experience.  We can even help your business create a site that is specifically geared towards your employees.  For other ways to start connecting, check with your friends or coworkers, as well as many businesses may already have their own green team or dedicated site to help employees with transportation alternatives.

As with any commute solution, there are a number of benefits to carpooling.  Not only will you save money, but you’ll enjoy less wear and tear on your vehicle and hey, it’s good for the environment too!

Check out our Carpooling page for more tips and enjoy the ride!