Bike Summit 2010

Kelli attended the 2010 Bike Summit in Washington, DC last week and came back brimming with ideas from around the country. A random sampling of thoughts and ideas...

(Kelli on a pedicab on Capitol Hill!)

• Revolution Cycles in DC has added a fourth location that functions as bike share, rentals, service and retail accessories. It was interesting to hear a larger retailer talk about rentals turning more people into cyclists, ultimately helping his business. We would concur!
• Learned a bit about the cycling commuter tax benefit, although more research is in order. Certainly, our employees would qualify...
• Adventure Cycling, an organization we first encountered last year when they came to town to discuss the Underground Railroad Cycling Route they are working on, talked about cycling tourism as a growing industry. This is a concept we are really trying to nudge our Convention & Visitors Bureau to "get." So far, not a whole lotta luck, but we'll keep plugging away.
• Quebec's La Route Verte bicycle route looks amazing. Road trip 2011?
• The Michigan delegation at the summit, which included -- among others -- Todd Scott of Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance, John and Wes from PEAC, John Lindenmeyer from League of Michigan Bicyclists, Rory Neuner from Safe Routes to School and two guys from Copper Harbor that are building an amazing trail system up there in the UP, spent a day meeting with staffers from the offfices of Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow as well as members of Congress. We discussed Complete Streets and other issues near and dear to our hearts, and heard many comments about how much more sophisticated and persuasive the bike lobby has become over the last decade.
• All in all, it was a great experience. Special thanks to the National Bicycle Dealers Association for the new bike shop scholarship that afforded Kelli the trip!