Third annual Platteville Bicycle Festival Friday
For the third consecutive year the Platteville Main Street Sustainability Committee will be hosting the annual Platteville Bicycle Festival.
The Festival coincides with the end of Bike to Work week and will be held on Friday, May 15. Participants will meet at 5:45 p.m. at Momentum Bikes for a bike and helmet check. Riders will depart on the family friendly ride led by Momentum Bike staff at 6 p.m. and will finish at City Park at approximately 6:45 p.m.
Following the ride there will be a celebration in City Park, with music provided by John Peterson and children’s activities provided by Family Connections. The Main Street program will have root beer and popcorn, and the Lunch Bus will be on hand for additional food options. Platteville Community Arboretum and Platteville Human Powered Trails will have displays sharing information on Platteville’s growing trail systems.
The Main Street Sustainability Committee is excited about the wide variety of efforts completed and currently underway making Platteville a more bikeable and walkable community. From functional artistic bike racks, Sharrows (directional information painted on Main Street reminding bicyclists and motorists that they share the same lane), safer intersections and the various trail projects that encourage Platteville to Move Outdoors year round.
The Main Street Sustainability Committee meets at Driftless Market the third Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. and is open to everyone interested in advancing sustainability principles in Platteville. For more information about PMSSC, contact Heidi Dyas-McBeth, heidi@driftlessmarket.com, 348-2696.
Platteville Optimist Bicycle Safety Rodeo Saturday
The Platteville Area Optimist Club will hold a Bicycle Safety Rodeo for Platteville area kids from first through fifth grades at Westview Elementary School Saturday, May 16 from 9 to 11 a.m.
While riding bicycles can be a great outdoor activity for the family to enjoy, it is very important that your child understands the safety guidelines before rushing out on the streets. Kids Health reports that approximately half a million kids are seriously injured in bike-related accidents every year in the U.S. Of that number, most of the accidents could have been avoided had the child been wearing a helmet.
“In many ways it takes an entire community to make sure our children grow up in a safe environment,” said club president Amanda Wright. “With this program, we hope to do our part in ensuring that local children grow up safely.”
There will be door prizes, including bike helmets, bike locks, bike lights, and other bike-related items. The door prizes were donated by local businesses, including Walmart, Farm & Fleet, Edward Jones — Amanda Wright Office, and Busch Insurance. Each participant will get a snack and beverage. A variety of bike safety stations and bike skills challenges will be available for participants to prove their ability to control the bike and navigate around obstacles, as well as obey the laws of the road. Each participant who completes all the activities will receive a certificate of achievement.
Momentum Bikes will provide free light bike maintenance, such as fixing flat tires, inflating tires, tightening loose bolts, oiling chains, and checking brakes. The Platteville Police Department will be available to help kids learn the rules of the road, bike safety, and bike registration. In addition, there will be an obstacle course and other bike skills challenges.
For more information on the Platteville Area Optimist Club, check out the club page on Facebook or contact George Krueger, 732-7801.
