Hendersonville, N.C. (July 7, 2014) – The Blue Ridge Bicycle Club invites the public to join them in a special ribbon cutting event and bicycle ride to the July 17 Hendersonville Rhythm & Brews Concert. The Bicycle Club is sponsoring free bicycle rides and valet bicycle parking in conjunction with the concert series. To encourage cycling to the concerts, free valet bicycle parking will be available at the concert where bicycles and strollers may be left for safekeeping. The rides will depart at 5:30 P.M. and return at 7:45 P.M.
There are two route options offered. The first departs from Patton Park, riding on Oklawaha Greenway to Jackson Park, and then a short distance on Fourth Avenue to the event. The other ride option is located at Laurel Green, at the corner of Fifth Avenue and White Pine Drive in Laurel Park. This group will make a brief stop at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Blythe Street for a special ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the designation of Fourth Avenue in Hendersonville as a “Bike Boulevard”.
On April 3, 2014, the Hendersonville City Council voted on a request by Bicycle Club president Joe Sanders to make Fourth Avenue a bike boulevard. The boulevard will extend from the western city limit to Jackson Park. A bicycle boulevard is a motor vehicle and bike sharing roadway that best suited for low traffic, low speed roads (less than 1,500 cars per day, moving at less than 25 mph).
The Blue Ridge Bicycle Club received a $10,500 donation that will fund this initiative. This donation will cover the costs for “shared lane markings” on the Fourth Avenue Bike Boulevard. It will also pay for “way finding” signs. These signs will offer directions and distances for cyclists to Main Street and Jackson Park. The road markings are three feet wide by nine feet long- indicating the travel path for cyclists. “The purpose of the road markings is really two-fold,” explained Joe Sanders, “they are designed to make motorists aware of cyclists and also to help the inexperienced bicyclist see where they should be riding.”
Riders do not need to be members of the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club to participate in these rides. Please plan to arrive early for check-in and a brief safety talk. Helmets are mandatory. Should it be necessary to cancel the ride because of rain, the announcement will be posted on www.blueridgebicycleclub.org. For additional information contact Joe Sanders at 828-243-6732 or President@BlueRidgeBicycleClub.org.
About Blue Ridge Bicycle Club: The mission of the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club is to promote healthy and fun lifestyles through cycling in Western North Carolina. For more information about the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club, please visitwww.blueridgebicycleclub.org or call 828-243-6732.
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