FLCC> [Fwd: For Immediate Release cyclovia saturdays (2)]

[Daniel Kidney]

I would be most impressed if Ithaca ever had anything remotely similar to
the ciclovias in Bogota (to scale, of course, Bogota is a city of about 7
million). I was there one Sunday last August on my way through Colombia.
Ironically my brother and I took the bus and didn't participate in ciclovia.
We were staying with a family we met on our way into the city, still several
miles from the center; they wanted to show us around, but didn't have bikes.
So we took a bus to the center and then walked. So technically we did
participate, because a great number of major streets are closed for the
ciclovia, but in the center they're just made into pedestrian streets, for
walkers or cyclists.
Bogota also has a tremendous system of bike lanes which are physically
separated from both the sidewalks and the street. (By the way, ciclovia
means bike 'lane/path,' not 'day'). Colombia is a country of cyclists, and
great people... they've also had the sense to make their ciclovias something
to avoid conflicts with cars.
I have a few pictures of streets closed to traffic and full of cyclists
here:
http://ppckernel.org/~tobias/photos/index.php?folder=/sasa/7-colombia/&page=12
The ciclovia photos are the last few on that page. The first few are the
only photos I managed to catch of the Vuelta a Colombia (reputedly one of
the hardest races in the world, as far as climbing is concerned) as it went
by just outside the capitol (I only got a few photos of the leaders, and
then my batteries died before the considerably more animated peloton came
through). The ones in between are the city at night, and the family we were
staying with.
Cheers
Daniel

On Wed, May 28, 2008 at 5:29 PM, Ernie Bayles <ebarch1 at verizon.net> wrote:

>  I was asked to forward this to the cycling community.  Seems harmless.
>
> Ernie
>
> For Immediate Release
>
> May 13, 2008
>
> From: Connect Ithaca
>
> Re: Saturday market cyclovia days
>
> Contact: Joan Bokaer joan at ecovillage.ithaca.ny.us
>
>             (607) 277-2483
>
>
>
> Connect Ithaca, a group committed to promoting principles of ecological
> city design in the Ithaca area, is launching Cyclovia Saturdays. We will
> organize bicycle rides from Downtown to the Ithaca Farmer's Market every
> Saturday, providing an enjoyable and safe biking experience for people of
> all ages.
>
>
>
> Cyclovia, or bicycle days, originated in Bogota, Columbia in 1976 and now
> hosts popular more than two million bicyclers every Sunday and holiday
> enjoying festivities along bicycle streets. Ithaca's Cyclovia Saturdays will
> link Downtown Ithaca to the Farmer's Market. The first Cyclovia Saturday
> will take place on May 31 beginning at De Witt Park at 10:00 AM, following
> Cayuga Street to Tompkins, turning left to Third Street, and then continuing
> to the Farmer's Market. There will be a designated bicycle parking area for
> Cyclovia participants.
>
> --
> Ernie Bayles, Architect
> 209 Utica Street
> Ithaca, New York  14850
>
> 607-275-3722 (tel and fax)
>
>
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>
>
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