Join a national movement that promotes literacy and bicycles!

Ride for Reading, a nonprofit that delivers books to schools via bicycles, is coming to Tempe on Friday May 10th. Gather at 9 a.m. at Pivot Cycles (1807 West Drake Drive) in south Tempe and deliver books by bike to Frank School in Guadalupe (8409 S. Avenida del Yaqu). It’s a mile ride that could mean a world of difference for a local school.

We need your pedaling power and your book-lugging abilities for this labor of love; backpacks, baskets, trailers or cargo bikes will be instrumental as we haul books to kids who need them.

Join your friends from TBAG, MBAA and the Tempe Police Department Bike Squad to support this great cause: Sign Up Here

About Ride For Reading: Ride For Reading’s mission is to promote literacy and healthy living through the distribution of books via bicycle to children from low-income neighborhoods. In low-income neighborhoods, the ratio of books per child is 1 age-appropriate book for every 300 children. *Reading is an integral part of education, and without books it is hard to build a strong academic base. Our children need materials to read at home and it is our goal to provide the means. Fore more, visit rideforreading.com.

Join SanTan Brewing and TBAG on Sunday, May 26, 2013 at 3:00 p.m. for a canal bike ride in Scottsdale and Phoenix!

Cost: $25 gets you a SanTan beer at each stop and food at Kelly’s. Purchase tickets in advance at http://bit.ly/YNdBbh! Get yer tickets soon – these rides are hot! – and RSVP at the Facebook page here.

Route:
Meet at 3 p.m. at Kelly’s at SouthBridge (7117 E. 6th Ave., Scottsdale, AZ 85250) –ride to–; Lon’s at the Hermosa Inn (5532 N. Palo Cristi Rd., Paradise Valley, AZ 85253) –ride to–; O.H.S.O. (4900 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85018) –ride to/ends at–; Dos Gringos in Old Town (4209 N. Craftsman Ct., Scottsdale, AZ 85251)

TBAG is providing ride leadership for this ride, all of the SanTan rides, and other cruiser rides around the Valley. If you are interested in joining the team please email info@biketempe.org Ride leaders always get free tickets to the rides which include free beer and food.

Want to have a say in Tempe’s bike lane, pathway, road and transit planning? Plan on attending the upcoming public meetings on Nov 28th and Dec 1st.

From the city of Tempe:

The city of Tempe will hold a series of open houses for the Tempe Transportation Master Plan (TMP) in order to gather resident feedback related to the needs for mobility/accessibility in Tempe.

The purpose for the Transportation Master Plan is to guide the further development of a citywide multi-modal transportation system integrated with land use plans.

• The TMP provides the policy basis for how transportation funding is spent, and what projects or programs the city focuses on to provide transportation services for its citizens through the year 2040.
• The plan sets these projects and programs within the context of the broader community goals in the General Plan to guide the growth and development of Tempe and enhance quality of life.

Residents are encouraged to attend at least one of the open houses to learn about the plan and provide input.

• Open houses will occur Wednesday, Nov. 28, 6 – 7:30 p.m. at the Tempe Transportation Center in the Don Cassano Community Room, 200 E. Fifth St., 2nd floor and on Saturday, Dec. 1, 9:30 – 11 a.m. at the Tempe History Museum, 809 E. Southern Ave., Tempe.
• The purpose of the open houses is to gather feedback on the character of a balanced street network and options for creating more pedestrian-friendly areas throughout Tempe.
• The public will be introduced to the concept of complete street principles that will be used in the plan. The draft plan will include elements related to streets, pedestrian facilities, bikeways, transit and high-capacity options (freeways and rail).
• Residents can comment online at www.tempe.gov/transportationplan

The 2012 Tempe Tour de Fat was our biggest yet. THANK YOU to everyone who attended! And thanks especially to the 350+ volunteers that made the event possible, YOU ROCK!

This year we raised over $87,000 for local Arizona non-profits like TBAG, Bike Saviours, and the Mountain Bike Association of Arizona. This was the largest amount raised of any Tour de Fat stop, including New Belgium’s home town of Ft Collins!

New Belgium also had a record setting Tour de Fat season in 2012, raising over $500,000 in 15 cities across the country. This is huge for cycling non-profits, thanks New Belgium for all that you do to make cycling more fun, safer, and more popular!

Some stats on the 2012 Tempe event:

Attendance: 10,000+
Bike Parade Attendance: 5000+
Money Raised: $87,216
Waste Diversion Rate: 88%

And check out New Belgium’s press release covering all of the 2012 Tour de Fat stops:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/belgium-brewings-2012-tour-fat-150500544.html

From the City of Tempe:

• We sincerely apologize for the delayed notification of tonight’s meeting.  Door hangers were to be delivered to all business and residents in the area but there was a vendor error with the distribution.  We hope you are able to attend the meeting. 

  The city of Tempe is holding a public meeting to talk with residents, businesses and organizations about a project to improve pedestrian and bicycle facilities, enhance the streetscape and calm traffic on University Drive between the Union Pacific Railroad (east of Farmer Avenue) and Priest Drive. This project is funded with $1.1 million in federal grant money.

  The meeting will be held Oct. 30 at the Dennis J. Cahill Senior Center at the Westside Multi-Gen Center at 715 W. Fifth Street, Tempe at 6 p.m.

  Discussion at the meeting will include:
  · Presentation of the project scope and draft design concept

  · Gathering input from residents, businesses and organizations on the draft design concept

  · Updating the public about the project process and timeline

  The project will include bicycle and pedestrian enhancements, additional crosswalk opportunities, ADA improvements, public art and landscaping. The project is intended to promote neighborhood stability, sustainable business and development efforts while continuing Tempe’s commitment to alternative modes of transportation.

  More Information

  To comment online, visit: www.tempe.gov/universitydrive

  Eric Iwersen, Project Manager

  (480) 350 -8810 or eric_iwersen@tempe.gov

Friday Oct. 5. OHSO New Belgium Night

6:00 p.m. |OHSO Eatery & Nanobrewery | 4900 E Indian School Rd, Phoenix

Because of construction at MADCAP theater in Tempe, the bike movie night had to be canceled this year. Instead, New Belgium is doing a promo at OHSO Eatery & Nanobrewery. OHSO has some great bike racks and is located along the Arizona Canal for easy access from Tempe or Phoenix.

Thursday Oct. 4 New Belgium bike giveaway at Casey Moore’s

7:00 p.m. |Casey Moore’s | 850 S Ash Ave, Tempe

Check out this historic local hangout spot, sip some amazing New Belgium brews and … wait for it… get in line to get the New Belgium bike that will be given away! Just think of sporting those wheels during the Tour de Fat the parade! Want to know more about your potential new bike? A Facebook event will be posted shortly – stay tuned.

6 p.m | meet at Tempe Beach Park (NW corner Mill and Rio Salado) end at Boulders

Get some dirt on your tires for this non-technical ½ mile cruise through Papago Park. For more information, visit http://www.mbaa.net. After the dirt the ride will stop by Tavern on Mill before ending at Boulders on Broadway for another couple sips of delicious mana from heaven, craft brew.

Wednesday Oct. 3 | 7:30 p.m.׀ Meet at Tempe Beach Park, on the corner of Rio Salado Parkway and Mill Avenue

Get ready! This ride isn’t exactly at Tempe Tour de Fat parade speed. Enjoy a ride to the Praying Monk in Old Town Scottsdale with the State Bike crew on their Loops Ride. New Belgium will have beer specials lined up for the riders.