Ithaca Bikeshare Launches, Bike Walk Tompkins Cheers!

We are thrilled that the Center for Community Transportation launched Ithaca Bikeshare on Wed. 11/9. Below is the CCT press release announcing the launch, including a quote from us. While we don’t run the bikeshare, we enthusiastically support the important ways it helps make biking accessible to anyone in the City of Ithaca. Bikeshare’s accessibility will grow as it raises funds and expands the size of its fleet. For more information, go to ithacabikeshare.org or download the Ithaca Bikeshare app.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

November 8, 2022

Contact:
Jeff Goodmark, Director of Micromobility, Center for Community Transportation, jeff@the-cct.org
Jennifer Dotson, Executive Director, Center for Community Transportation, jennifer@the-cct.org

Center for Community Transportation Launches New Ithaca Bikeshare

The Center for Community Transportation (CCT) today announced it will launch Ithaca’s first non-profit, community-owned and operated bikeshare on Wednesday 11/9, releasing the first set of dockless e-bikes at locations throughout the City. The launch marks the much-anticipated return of bikeshare following the departure of the popular Lime bikeshare in early 2020, which left Ithaca due to industry trends and the pandemic. Plans to launch the new Ithaca Bikeshare were finalized with last Wednesday night’s unanimous Common Council vote to approve the City’s memorandum of understanding with CCT.

The bikes, purchased from Drop Mobility, are class 1 pedal-assist electric bikes with a maximum assist speed of 16 mph, and can be unlocked using the Ithaca Bikeshare app downloaded from the Apple Store, the Play Store or the ithacabikeshare.org website. Pricing is designed to be affordable with several different plan options, including monthly and annual memberships, and a reduced rate is available through the GO ITHACA Easy Access program. The dockless e-bikes may be parked in the public right of way in the treelawn/furniture zone – between sidewalk and curb – and at the ends of (but not in) bike racks. The program will also offer a $1 credit to encourage people to return the bikes to selected hub locations, which will be visible on the app at the end of their ride.

“A lot of time and energy has gone into making Ithaca Bikeshare possible,” said Jeff Goodmark, CCT’s Director of Micromobility. “I want to thank everyone for their part in making it happen. I am personally excited for the return of bikeshare as this program brings  much needed  affordable, alternative, and sustainable transportation for everyone to use. Ithaca is focusing on the Green New Deal and carbon reductions across the board and Ithaca Bikeshare ties into this idea perfectly.”

Acting City of Ithaca Mayor Laura Lewis said: “It’s our hope and intention that bikeshare will add another safe and affordable multi-modal transportation option for residents, reduce traffic congestion, and maximize carbon-free mobility. I’m very pleased the City has been able to work with CCT to bring back this important transportation option.”

“This program supports downtown and the city as a whole in being an economically vibrant place where everyone can better access employment, recreation, and business opportunities without always having to rely on a car”, said Tom Knipe, Director of Economic Development for the City of Ithaca. “Thank you to CCT for bringing bike share back to Ithaca”.

”The Long-Range Plan of the Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council (ITCTC) recognizes the need to offer multiple transportation options to the community in order to reduce car dependency and its associated environmental, financial and safety costs”, said Fernando de Aragon, Executive Director ITCTC.  “Well over 50% of all trips in the Ithaca area are less than two miles in length. Bicycling has great potential to benefit residents and visitors, and Ithaca Bikeshare will bring those benefits home.”

"GO ITHACA is excited for the long-awaited return of bikeshare to our community. Our members have been asking us for a bikeshare program since the departure of Lime Bike, and we are so glad that we can now offer them a benefit from a program that will be community-led and community-focused. We will now be able to offer more options to help our members get around Ithaca in a sustainable and affordable way. We are thrilled to build our partnership with Ithaca Bikeshare and bring its benefits to our members", said Jane Bowman-Brady, Director of GOIthaca.

“We wholeheartedly support Ithaca Bikeshare as an important piece of the puzzle of making biking for transportation accessible to people of all ages, abilities and income levels. We look forward to partnering with this program and with the City on other puzzle pieces, such as protected roadway infrastructure for bicycling,” said Margaret Johnson, Director of Bike Walk Tompkins.

The City of Ithaca has allocated $50,000 from its 2022 American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) funding for the purchase of bikeshare bikes. Additionally, $140,000 has already been raised from private sources to make this launch possible. CCT is seeking to fundraise a total of $750,000 through a mix of public, private, and philanthropic contributions to buy a total of 350 bikes and initial equipment, to serve most of the City of Ithaca. Donations supplement user-based revenues and support operations and outreach. CCT plans to increase the size of the bikeshare fleet towards a fuller launch in spring of 2023. Meanwhile, a small number of bikeshare bikes will remain available throughout the winter. Smaller individual donations from community members are welcome. To donate to Ithaca Bikeshare, click here: https://donorbox.org/community-bike-share.

The Center for Community Transportation (CCT) is a nonprofit whose vision is to achieve “a community where travel by shared and active transportation is healthy, safe, affordable, and convenient for all”. CCT works with local transportation providers, educators, planners, decision-makers, advocates, and users to fulfill its mission of enhancing transportation access in the community while reducing transportation’s negative environmental and economic impacts. CCT's mission-focused services and activities include Ithaca Carshare, Bike Walk Tompkins(and its signature program StreetsAlive! Ithaca), Backup Ride Home, and now  Ithaca Bikeshare.

More information about Ithaca Bikeshare can be found by downloading the Ithaca Bikeshare app or visiting the website at  https://ithacabikeshare.org.

For a MORE Walkable, Bike-able City of Ithaca - Letter to Council Members & Mayor Calls for Change

September 13, 2022

Dear Common Council Members and Mayor Lewis:

To make Ithaca a fully pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly City -- for better transportation access, better public health and for reducing carbon emissions & pollution from transportation -- Bike Walk Tompkins and the Center for Community Transportation urge you to take action on the following.

1) Fund traffic calming and roadway infrastructure for bicycling. While other cities made great strides in improving bicycling infrastructure in pandemic, Ithaca has made painfully slow progress. These infrastructure improvements should not wait until more residents are biking -- if you build it, they will come. 

Please include full scoping of our entire Better Bike Network for Ithaca proposal, for incorporation into the City's much-anticipated new Transportation plan.

And in the 2023 budget, please appropriate at least $500,000 for the following:a - Funding for Vision Zero/Traffic Calming projects throughout the City;
b - Study/design of our proposed Better Bike Network "6 Mile Creek Trail" bike/ped corridor connecting downtown to the Wegmans area;
c - Study/design of the N. Cayuga St. corridor for bicycling infrastructure improvements, including vertical delineators protecting the bike lanes in key spots, and a fully-paved shoulder all the way to E. Shore Dr., more safely connecting Fall Creek and IHS to Stewart Park.

2) Approve an MOU for Bikeshare in Ithaca this fall. Bikeshare was wildly popular in 2018-19, but Lime left in 2020. The Center for Community Transportation (CCT) has hired Jeff Goodmark as Director of Micromobility to launch Ithaca’s new, community-run bikeshare using pedal assist e-bikes. Upon learning of a time limited offer from our anticipated vendor, the CCT has assembled funding to bring an initial fleet of 100 e-bikeshare bikes here and make them available within a few weeks! We understand that staff will be bringing a proposed MOU to Council very soon to support this. Looking toward 2023 bikesharing, CCT will continue fundraising for the rest of the Ithaca bikeshare fleet, electric rebalancing vans and other needs (about $650,000) to extend service at least to the rest of the Flats. An affordable, locally-run bikeshare is important for transportation equity and essential for the City's sustainability goals. Bikeshare should not wait for bicycling infrastructure to be improved – in fact, starting bikeshare now will help show the demand for such improvements.

Please work speedily with Transportation Engineer Erin Cuddihy to get a bikeshare MOU in place, avoiding any delay in making bikes available in the City this fall.

3) Enact a local 25 mph speed limit.
Sadly, pedestrian and bicyclist traffic injuries and deaths have skyrocketed over the past few years. We know that reduced motor vehicle speed increases chances of a pedestrian or bicyclist surviving a crash. A growing body of evidence suggests lowering the posted speed limit has a measurable effect on average driver speeds, even without additional infrastructure changes which would further improve the situation. Since August 12, when the Governor finally signed A1007a/S2021a, it has been legal for Upstate municipalities to lower their area-wide speed limit to 25 mph without any special permission from the state. Ithaca Common Council had passed a resolution in support of this change in 2019 and again this spring, calling on our state legislators to push for its passage. Enactment of a City of Ithaca law and changing of local speed limit signs is now needed.

Please approve and implement a 25 mph area-wide speed limit for the City.

 4) End snowy, icy, impassable sidewalks and crosswalk edges. In winter, the City's streets after a snowfall regularly feature piles of heavy snow at the edges of crosswalks and snow and ice on many sections of sidewalks. Other Upstate cities, such as Syracuse and Rochester, have figured out how to solve this. BWT is part of a Coalition for Snow-free Sidewalks & Crosswalks which includes the Finger Lakes Independence Center, the County Office for the Aging and Eric Lerner's Pedestrian Snow Project which is advancing this issue. Many residents are responding with their own letters to Council. 

Please  include in the City's 2023 budget funding for a 6-month study fully scoping the problem of snowy sidewalks and crosswalk edges in the City, as well as a pilot program of clearing selected sidewalks and crosswalk edges in the winter of '22-23.

5) Decriminalize jaywalking.

Why do people jaywalk? Often, because it is a safer place to cross the road than the crosswalk. Jaywalking laws are doing nothing to improve safety in Ithaca, and we know, from experience in other cities, that these laws tend to be applied in a racist way. 

Please remove anti-jaywalking laws from the City code.

Thank you for your attention to these important requests. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.

All best,

Margaret Johnson, Director, Bike Walk Tompkins 

Jennifer Dotson, Executive Director, Center for Community Transportation

Coalition for Snow-free Sidewalks & Crosswalks (CSS): Statement from Margaret Johnson, Director of Bike Walk Tompkins, to City Administration Committee

Good evening. I’m Margaret Johnson, Director of Bike Walk Tompkins. I’m speaking tonight on behalf of our newly formed Coalition for Snow-free Sidewalks & Crosswalks (SSC). Thank you, Chair Cantelmo, for your initiative to look for ways to improve Ithaca’s snow clearing for pedestrians. I’m here to express our support for your efforts, and to ask for your help in getting the information we need to move forward. We’ve all just lived through another Ithaca winter. We’ve all just discovered -- one more time -- that getting around on foot or in a wheelchair or by bike after a snowstorm is very difficult in many parts of the City. Uncleared sidewalks are a big problem. Blockages where the sidewalk meets the crosswalk are the worst.

Our Coalition has formed to support the City clearing snow from pedestrian ways more effectively. In particular, we believe clearing crosswalks end-to-end is key, and that DPW’s job of clearing the streets is not complete until the crosswalks are clear. A bit more about our Coalition: The Finger Lakes Independence Center speaks for people with disabilities who rely on cleared sidewalks and crosswalks for full access to our community. The Tompkins County Office for the Aging speaks for older adults who may have disabilities or mobility issues. Bike Walk Tompkins points out that access to safe walking, biking and rolling are crucial for healthy living, transportation equity and meeting the City’s Green New Deal goals. Eric Lerner’s Ithaca Pedestrian Snow Project notes that clearing Ithaca’s sidewalks and crosswalks in winter is a solvable problem.

Better clearing of snow from walkways would benefit every Ithacan. To get things started, we are seeking potential funding sources for a pilot project showing how this could be solved, and to help develop a proposal for the 2023 City budget. To do that, we need clear information. We hope the CA committee can help get that information in a timely way. Our most immediate question is this – Apparently, when DPW clears streets, the crosswalks are not cleared end-to-end. What action by the Mayor and Council would be needed for DPW to clear the entire crosswalk wherever it clears the street?

We have a number of related questions about sidewalk clearing and enforcement of the current law about snow removal on sidewalks. A fuller set of questions is online at:
http://www342.pair.com/elerner/snow/Questions.pdf

We hope you will put this issue on the agenda for the CA committee’s April 26 meeting, and we thank you in advance. During the coming month, we’ll be encouraging our members, and other Ithacans, to let you know their thoughts. Clearing our walkways in winter is an essential step to make Ithaca a walkable, roll-able, livable community for everyone who crosses streets in winter.

On behalf of them, and of the Coalition for Snow-free Sidewalks & Crosswalks, we THANK YOU.

Crash Victims Rights & Safety Act

Bike Walk Tompkins continues to participate in the Safe Streets coalition led by Families for Safe Streets and Transportation Alternatives. As a member of this coalition, BWT is asking community leaders to sign on to a letter calling for passage of an 8-bill safe streets legislative agenda — known as the “Crash Victims Rights & Safety Act (CVRSA)”, including one to let Upstate municipalities set their default speed limit at 25 mph (instead of 30). The coalition held a press conference with state legislators on January 27, 2022.

Click HERE to sign the petition and contact your state representatives about the Crash Victims Rights & Safety Act.

Below are the 7 bills included in the Crash Victims Rights and Safety Act:

Speed Limit A1007a Paulin/S2021a May 

Authorizes cities, villages and towns (outside NYC) to reduce the speed limit to twenty-five miles per hour.

Sammy’s Law A4655a Gottfried/S524a Hoylman

Allows lower life-saving speed limits in NYC

Complete Streets Funding S3897 Kennedy/A8936a Fahy

Increases state funding where the municipality agrees to fund a complete street design feature. 

Complete Streets Maintenance A7782 Rivera/S5130 Kennedy 

Includes, when possible, complete street design features in resurfacing, maintenance and pavement recycling projects and further enable safe access to public roads for all users.

Complete Streets Inclusion A8624 Barrett /S8394 Ryan

Requires the consideration of complete street design for certain transportation projects which receive federal or state funding or both.

Safe Passage S4529 (Harckham) for Upstate only; A547 (Steck) for all of NYS

Require drivers pass bicyclists at a safe distance of at least 3 feet.

DMV Pre-Licensing Course A5084 Gallagher/S1078A Gounardes; A7032 Rosenthal/S6202 Kennedy

Educates NY drivers about safely interacting with vulnerable road users

Crash Victim Bill of Rights A9152 Glick/S8152 Hoylman

Requires accident reports to be delivered to victims of accidents or their next of kin; requires victim impact statements to be delivered at traffic infraction hearings by injured parties or their next of kin; requires employers to grant leave of absence to employees delivering a victim impact statement at a traffic infraction hearing.

Advocacy Priorities and Action Alerts for Safer Streets

Bike Walk Tompkins has our sights set on three bills to advocate for on the state level. We’ve compiled brief summaries of priority legislation to promote safer streets, and created templates to click, add your name to, and send to state representatives to show your support.

The 25 MPH Speed Limit Bill (A1007 Paulin/S2021May)
Currently, municipalities outside of New York City are not permitted to reduce their default speed limit below 30 mph. This bill would allow other cities, towns and villages in New York State the option to set their speed limit at 25 mph.

The Three Foot Passing Bill (A547 Steck)
This bill would establish that a person driving a car must give a person riding a bicycle at least three (3) feet of space between the car and the bicycle when passing. It creates an opportunity for clear and strong education for motorists about what constitutes a safe passing distance.

The Idaho Stop/Stop-As-Yield Bill (A3104 Fahy/S920 May)
People riding bicycles are more vulnerable at intersections than those driving cars because they accelerate more slowly than people driving cars. This bill would allow a person riding a bicycle who is approaching a stop sign to treat it as a yield sign, scanning for cars and pedestrians in their path, and upon seeing none, continue rolling through the intersection.

Take action in NY state!

• Thank you from Assembly District 125
  Send AM Kelles a thank you for her support of the 25MPH speed limit bill, and encourage her to support other legislation for safer streets. You can open a letter template directly in your email by clicking here, or access the template via Google docs.

• Reach out to Transportation Leaders

  Write to NY state transportation committee chairs, Chairman Magnarelli and Chairman Kennedy, and ask for them to bring the 25MPH Speed Limit Bill to a vote. We have a template here for you to open in your email to adapt and send, and also via Google docs.

Mayor Taylor Fellowship Open to ApplicaTions

The Major Taylor Fellowship was created by Southside Community Center and Black Cat Cycler to honor the legacy of Marshall Walter “Major” Taylor, a Black American professional cyclist who won numerous awards as a cycling champion in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. This Fellowship is also in cooperation with the Harriet Tubman Freedom Ride being organized by the Major Taylor Cycling Club on July 24, 2021 from Ithaca, paying tribute to the Underground Railroad and the great abolitionist and social activist Harriet Tubman.

This Fellowship is open to any person 21 years of age or younger who identifies as a Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color (BIPOC) who is passionately interested in promoting cycling and encouraging underrepresented communities to participate in cycling events.

If selected, the Applicant will receive the following from the Sponsors:

1. New road bicycle, valued to at least $600;

2. Bicycle accessories: New helmet, bicycle lock, and lights;

3. Custom bicycle jersey detailing sponsors;

4. One-year membership in the Major Taylor Cycling Club chapter of your choice;

5. Rider entry fee into the Harriet Tubman Freedom Ride on July 24, 2021; and

6. Limited training assistance, including working with the cyclist on training goal schedules, riding etiquette, and connecting with other area cyclists for long distance riding. Depending on the cyclist’s abilities and interests, individualized training will be offered on basic bicycle maintenance and emergency roadside skills.

This Fellowship expects the following from the Applicant:

1. Ride in the Major Taylor Ride on July 24, 2021, with a 50-mile riding goal;

2. Attend or organize at least three (3) community bicycle rides or events, through local cycling groups or organized with Southside Community Center; and

3. Advocate with Southside Community Center to organize community rides and bicycle events for youth and traditionally marginalized communities.

The Major Taylor Fellowship seeks to intentionally center the diversity of bodies, needs, and experiences of bicycling. It also seeks to further Southside Community Center’s mission to affirm, empower, and foster the development of self-pride in its membership. This Fellowship aims to grow that sense of connection to bicycling and community for a young cyclist.

Bike Walk Tompkins is supportive of the Major Taylor Fellowship and its sponsors: Southside Community Center and Black Cat Cyclery. BWT is not responsible for the fellowship. This information is being shared for informational purposes.

We're Hiring for a New Director!

Update (4/19/21): The Director search has been closed. Thank you for your interest.

Are you interested in leading the charge for better walking and bicycling in our community? This full-time position is your opportunity to join a local mission-focused organization in making Ithaca and Tompkins County a community where walking and biking are safe and convenient for people of all ages and abilities. Bike Walk Tompkins (BWT) is the active transportation advocacy and education program of The Center for Community Transportation (CCT), and is guided by its newly minted Bicycling for Everyone Action Plan.

The BWT Director is the lead advocate for active transportation in Ithaca and Tompkins County. In addition, the Director will lead and supervise a small but growing staff team; do budgeting, financial planning, and grant writing; and work on projects big and small that have an impact on the wellbeing and sustainability of our community. While the Director is expected to fill a variety of roles, the position is also flexible depending on the skills and abilities of the staff team as a whole. The Director of BWT reports to the Executive Director of CCT and is guided by the BWT Steering Committee.

This position is 35-40 hours per week with a starting salary range of $48,000-$55,000 plus benefits. Applications will be accepted via email on a rolling basis with an ideal start date in April 2021. The Center for Community Transportation is a certified Living Wage employer and is committed to increasing the diversity of staff, leadership, and membership from underrepresented communities. Applicants with a background working in or with low-income or minority communities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Learn more about the position and how to apply by downloading the job posting. If you have any questions, reach out to Jennifer Dotson, CCT Executive Director, at jennifer@the-cct.org.

Transportation Partners Join in Solidarity Against Racism and Commitment to Safe Public Spaces

The Center for Community Transportation (Ithaca Carshare & Bike Walk Tompkins) joins county transportation partners in committing to safe public spaces in solidarity against structural racism and police violence.

As leaders in transportation-related work in Tompkins County, we condemn the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and so many Black and Brown people whose suffering and deaths were fueled by racism. We stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and the protests here in Ithaca and across the country calling for systemic change that addresses racism and supports justice and equality.

We are a predominantly white group who are re-committing to serious self reflection and critical thinking to learn more about how Black and Brown people are affected by transportation, in Tompkins County and nationally and how we can do more, here and now, to change this long term issue.

We know transportation policies and infrastructure decisions have reinforced racism in the United States, historically and still today. Transportation infrastructure has segregated and destroyed communities and disproportionately harmed people of color. Interstate highway construction frequently razes Black and Brown neighborhoods, and Robert Moses’ bridges near New York City were designed low enough that public buses could not pass under, keeping those without the wealth to own a car out of the suburbs. We also know transportation and public space create opportunities for protest: Rosa Parks changed history in 1955 when she refused to give up her seat for segregationist bus policies, sparking a boycott that lasted 381 days before a change.

We commit to re-convening an active, accountable and effective Transportation Equity Task Force, as part of work to center the voices and concerns of Black and Brown people in our work.

We also commit to helping lead a stronger culture of actively interrupting violence and micro-aggressions in public space. Our streets, sidewalks, parks, buses and events must be safe for everyone, no matter skin color or mode of travel.

Signed,

TCAT, Gadabout, Ithaca Carshare, Bike Walk Tompkins, Recycle Ithaca's Bicycles, Cornell Cooperative Extension Way2Go, Ithaca Tompkins County Transportation Council, and GO ITHACA

Streets Alive! at Home Contest Encourages Everyone to Inspire Joy in Our Community This June

Warmer weather has arrived in Tompkins County, and we at Bike Walk Tompkins (BWT) have noticed an increase in activity in our parks, trails, and other cherished public spaces. Inspired by public health guidance to stay close to home and the joy of Streets Alive!, BWT is launching a contest to discover the creative ways people are activating the public spaces closest to home—our own streets, sidewalks, and porches—to inspire joy and activity in neighborhoods throughout the county. We also recognize the impact of pandemic and social upheaval many are experiencing as we enter the month of June and encourage positive use of the Streets Alive at Home format for expression and exploration of these feelings as well. 

Through the Streets Alive! at Home contest, not only will you have a chance to share your ideas and win great prizes, you will also help to uplift family, friends, and neighbors during this challenging time. Bike Walk Tompkins wants to see all the creative ways you are bringing delight to your neighbors and passers-by who are walking, bicycling, or rolling in front of your house, all while observing Moving Forward Together guidelines from the Tompkins County Health Department.

“We were very sad to cancel Streets Alive! in April,” said Hector Chang of Bike Walk Tompkins. “But just because we can’t be physically close to each other doesn’t mean that the music has to stop, or that the joy of walking or bicycling has to be postponed. We need that more than ever!” He added, “we hope the contest will inspire people to make joy happen and share it with their neighbors on the largest public space we have—our streets. The fun part is figuring out how to do it while staying at least 6 feet apart and not drawing a crowd all at once!”

Have you started a silly walking only-zone in front of your house? Have you performed music for your neighbors from your front porch or the back of a pedicab? How can you make your experiences as an Ithacan come to life in new ways? If you or someone else has done something to activate our shared public space and bring a little cheer to people, Bike Walk Tompkins wants to hear about it, share it, and reward the most creative socially-distanced activities in our county.

Participate in the contest by submitting your finished project or nominating someone else’s project online at www.bikewalktompkins.org/contest. You could win prizes such as Downtown Ithaca or Ithaca To Go gift cards, as well as other local goodies courtesy of Bike Walk Tompkins. All ages are encouraged to enter. Entries must include photos or videos for proof, and BWT will be sharing these on social media to delight and inspire others in our community. The last day to submit entries is June 30, 2020. Full contest details at www.bikewalktompkins.org/contest.

For more information, contact Hector Chang at hector@bikewalktompkins.org or at (607) 301-3181 ext. 1.

What BWT is up to given COVID-19

Dear Bike Walk Tompkins supporter,

The past three weeks have taken us all by surprise. We have upended our routines, work plans, and life arrangements in the essential effort to protect our most vulnerable family members, friends, and neighbors from the spread of COVID-19. If you or someone you love is currently affected by the virus, we send our deepest wishes for a speedy and successful recovery. The staff at Bike Walk Tompkins and The Center for Community Transportation are currently and thankfully all healthy, and we have taken the following actions to support physical distancing guidelines:

• The BWT and CCT office is closed and staff have been working from home since March 16, but we are still reachable by phone, email, Zoom, etc.

• We have cancelled the April Streets Alive! Ithaca and Bicycling for Everyone Open House and are working on substitute events at a later date and in a different format.

While it’s been tough to cancel anticipated and beloved community events, we are impressed by the clear importance of walking and bicycling for essential trips and well-being. Our work to support your transportation and health, as well as your sense of hope and community continues:

• Follow us on Facebook and Instagram where we’ve been posting the inspirational ways that walking and bicycling are helping during this crisis. We also post updates and news of our developing online activities and events. Stay tuned!

• Check out the Streets Alive! Film Fest archive and watch your favorite videos from the past events from your own home. This year’s lineup is also there, so don’t miss out.

• Keep up with the operating hours of local bike shops and services on our website. Related news: thanks to state-wide advocacy efforts, bicycle repair shops are considered essential businesses in New York State.

• Ithaca Carshare remains available for essential trips with measures taken to safeguard public health while keeping this service available to members and enabling new uses that support our community in the current crisis.

• We are working with transportation providers and TCHD to develop options to reach the drive-thru testing site, opening up testing options to transportation-vulnerable people and car-free families. We will keep you updated as progress continues.

We look forward to engaging with you online very soon, and in person when it is OK to do so. ‘Til then, we encourage you to enjoy walking and biking to recharge your batteries, fill your soul, do your essential trips, and find comfort by being outdoors (all with appropriate physical distancing, of course). Let this new energy embolden you to face our current challenge, and carry all of us through to when we take bold action to make walking, biking, and rolling safer and more convenient for everyone.

Be well,

The Bike Walk Tompkins team