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Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission

Miami Valley Cycling Summit wheels into WSU

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On-line registration for the 2017 Miami Valley Cycling Summit (MVCS) to be held 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Friday, May 5th at Wright State University is now available at www.CyclingSummit.com.

The event is free and open to the public.

 The first 300 people registered receiving a free bike bell provided by Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission Pedal Pals and those registering by April 21 will be guaranteed a free lunch

Using the power of cycling to drive economic development in communities throughout the region will be the focus of the 2017 MVCS.

Local, regional and national experts will detail how cycling can benefit all communities through a day of speakers, vendors and networking with the theme of “Cycling Attracts.”

The event offers a chance to further engage in the region’s bike agenda and learn about the past, present and future of cycling in the Miami Valley.

On-site registration will open beginning at 7:30 am at the Wright State University Student Union.

Four educational tracks will be offered in morning and afternoon session.  The topics will focus on Economic Impact and Community Development; Health and Safety; Partnerships and Collaboration; as well as Policy and Funding.

The event’s keynote speaker will be Aparna Dial, Deputy Director, Department of Public Service for the City of Columbus, as well as leading the City of Columbus Smart City program.

Prior to serving at the City of Columbus, she was the Director of Energy Services and Sustainability at The Ohio State University and as the University Energy and Sustainability Engineer. She was responsible for all strategic and operational aspects of recycling and waste reduction, energy purchasing and energy conservation. Her expertise also includes strategic planning, project management, environmental compliance and enforcement.

She has an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from Osmania University, India, an M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Utah State University and an MBA with a focus in finance from The Fisher College of Business at OSU.

All funds raised from the event will benefit Bike Miami Valley and Wright State University.

For more information, call Greene County Parks & Trails at 937.562.6440, email [email protected] or visit Miami Valley Cycling Summit.

 

Gem City Cycling: How Dayton Became The Best Of Ohio

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Gem City Cycling - OhioActive

Cycling in Downtown Dayton (Photograph by bsom, Flickr)

Dayton might not be the first city that comes to mind as a cycling haven in Ohio. Surely Cleveland, Columbus or Cincinnati has more to offer than a city with less than 150,000 residents, right?

Turns out the Gem City is arguably king of Ohio cycling with the Miami Valley claiming 330 miles of trail to explore and a bronze ranking from the League of American Bicyclists in 2010. Not to mention the area is served by the competitive Team Dayton Cycling and the Dayton Cycling Club on the advocacy front. And nobody involved in Dayton cycling plans to slow down anytime soon as the aerospace hub continues its march toward building a community cycling commuters and athletes can be proud of.

Complete Streets

Matthew Lindsay, Manager of Environmental Planning for the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission (MVRPC), describes himself as a fair weather bike commuter to his downtown office. His first assignment put him in charge of the Comprehensive Local-Regional Bikeways plans. Lindsay says this offered the opportunity to engage with long-time and new cycling advocates across the Dayton region.

“Soon after the plan was done, I brought a group of interested people together and we founded Courteous Mass Dayton,” Lindsay explains, describing the event as a cousin of the national Critical Mass movement where cyclists take the streets in a monthly ride to remind motorists of their presence. Today, Courteous Mass has expanded since its 2009 inception with additional rides, meet ups and even a social media presence. “I’m very proud that it has continued and is growing.”

Growing, indeed. But not just the Courteous Mass rides. New trails continue to be constructed as an integral piece of the Miami Valley Bike Trails system.

“The Regional Bikeways Plan envisions our network of trails as the interstates for bikes, connecting between communities and across county lines,” Lindsay describes. “The vision here is that these trails will lead to vibrant communities with bike-safe streets so that a cyclist can exit the trail and continue through town safely to the final destination.”

It’s all part of the MVRPC’s complete streets policy, a transportation design that requires streets to be compatible for all ages regardless of their choice of transportation. “Each new piece of trail, each new connected complete street makes the whole system more valuable.”

Hooked

Chuck Smith, Chair of the Ohio Bicycle Federation and Vice President of the Dayton Cycling Club, agrees with Lindsay’s sentiment. A “serious cyclist” since riding his bike to school in the 5th grade, Smith calls the Dayton River Corridor Bikeway System the city’s greatest success story. “This system follows the Great Miami, Mad and Stillwater rivers and has grown to become more than just recreational trails,” he explains, noting how he has personally benefited from the system. “I rode the Great Miami Trail every day on my bike ride home from work at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to my home in Vandalia over a 22-year period and 52,000 cycling miles.” That’s not even counting the miles he puts on as a member of Team Dayton.

To read the rest of the story please go to Ohio-Active.

OhioActive’s mission is to increase awareness of Ohio’s recreational opportunities while providing in-depth fitness knowledge to individuals seeking to live an active lifestyle. Our goal is to tell engaging stories of  local everyday athletes in order to demonstrate that we all have the power to get fit, healthy and active. We sometimes just need a little help and encouragement!.