The League of American Bicyclists recently released their bike-friendly state status rankings and … drum roll please… ARIZONA MADE IT! Arizona is No. 10 in the rankings, meaning that we’ve climbed our way up the ranks thanks to statewide infrastructure and funding, education and encouragement, evaluation and planning and policies and programs!

The sunny state of Arizona ranks behind (in order of ranking) Washington, Colorado, Oregon, Minnesota, Delaware, Massachusetts, New jersey, Wisconsin and Illinois.

To see the league’s comments on Arizona’s rank in the top ten reviewed states, go to their website www.bikeleague.org, or click here to be directed to the Arizona fact sheet. For more about the rankings structure and to see how other states fared, click here.

While we’ve broken into the top ten, Arizona still has a long way to go especially with integrating biking into all of the state’s transportation plans. Tempe Bicycle Action Group is a great place to start making those changes. Want to see your state climb the ranks? Get involved with our many education and activism programs and activities.

Read up on our activism board member’s recent work with the Arizona Department of Transportation on our blog biketempe.org or by clicking here.

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.

Passionate about bikes? Let your local and state government know.

Whether you ride for the sake of health, transportation, or to support a deeper belief in a sustainable lifestyle it’s likely that you, as a cyclist, don’t favor the prospect of getting hit by a car, riding over cracked and bumpy pavement, or finding yourself in a bike UN-friendly neighborhood. Let your local leaders know!

As a cyclist your voice will be heard. TBAG Board Member and advocacy leader Scrottie recently went to Tucson to speak in a Arizona Department of Transportation meeting and the amazing thing is – they respected and heard his comments. For a complete account of Scrottie’s travels, view his blog post: http://www.biketempe.org/adot-loves-you/ ‎

Want to stay on top of bike issues and opportunities to become involved? Update your contact information with biketempe.org to receive advocacy alerts in the future:

http://www.biketempe.org/join-us/update-your-tbag-contact-info/ and get registered for advocacy alerts.

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.

Free drinks, free appetizers, live music  - not to mention a bit of good will for your friends at Tempe Bicycle Action Group – what’s not to love?

Get your friends together for a mid-week bash Wednesday May 15 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the new patio bar, Tempe’s Front Porch, just outside of Monti’s La Casa Vieja on Rio Salado Parkway and Mill Avenue. For a donation at the door, you get two free drinks, free appetizers and some good karma. All donation proceeds will be given to TBAG!

While there come say hi to your favorite Tempe bike nonprofit – TBAGgers will be manning a table at the bar all night.

To get in you’ll need to RSVP in one of two ways:

• “Join” the TBAG Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/376871832423658/ 
• Email our PR pal, RSVP@RoseMoserAllynPR.com

For more information on Tempe’s Front Porch including location, hours and menus, visit www.tempesfrontporch.com on twitter @TempePorch or facebook.com/tempesfrontporch or call 480.967.7594.

Join us Saturday May 11 as we refine the art of making merry on our bicycles, winding through the streets of Tempe, spreading bicycle love. You don’t need special clothing or gear, it’s just you, a bicycle, a blanket and a radio.

Your blanket doubles as a cape on the ride and a seat at the movies, after we meander our way to Spokes on Southern, where we can get grub at the pub and catch a film shown by one of our newest collaborators, Cycle-In Cinema.

Meet at 7:30 p.m. May 11 in Tempe Beach Park (the northwest corner of Rio Salado Parkway and Mill Avenue) and we’ll be on our merry way!

Ride: Free
Movie: Free
A night on your bike with friends: Priceless

RSVP at the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/159369884232081/

Your favorite local bike group is partnering up with Arbitrary Arts, a local art community, to hold roving art tours at various establishments throughout the Valley.

Interested in getting involved? Stay tuned for event posts and the call for volunteers on our blog, biketempe.org, and our Facebook Page. Most rides are short, and we’re always looking for ride leaders.

 Upcoming event:

Roll with the art crew and grab some brew while you’re at it today, Friday April 12 at 5:45 p.m. in Tempe Beach Park . From there we will head out to the Phoenix Ale Brewery in downtown Phoenix.

This ride is a part of Arbitrary Arts’ two-day “Artsy & Ales”  series April 12-13.

To RSVP for the ride, led by your favorite TBAGgers, visit the Ales & Artsy TBAG Ride event here.

For more information about the Artsy & Ales two-day event, visit the Arbitrary events page here.

That’s a wrap! Our heads are still spinning from the excitement and fun of Cartel’s Maple Ash Bash on March 30^th.  The beer was flowing, the pedals were turning, and the community was all together in celebration of Cartel’s 5^th anniversary. Any Tempe local knows that it’s neighborhood events like these that make our city such a fun and special place to live.

Whether your favorite part of the day was the bike jousting, the figure-eight races, or the slow rides, one thing we can all agree on is that it was better with beer. A special thank you and round of applause for New Belgium, Odell, SanTan, and Four Peaks brewing companies, who so graciously donated the beer, and helped us to make the day special. We’re lucky to work with sponsors who care about our neighborhoods, and support local bike non-profits—we’ll drink to that!

This was the Maple Ash Bash’s first year, and we were thrilled by the turnout. Collaborating with Cartel is something that TBAG has long wanted to do, and thanks to the staff and management, it was a great experience that we look forward to having again this time next year. This event has the potential to be a huge neighborhood block party, and we’re excited to be along for that (bike) ride. Not only is it a good time with good people, but thanks to the funds raised, we’re able to contribute to projects like bike racks for local businesses, bike lights, advertising campaigns, and working more with the city of Tempe. Stay tuned as we work to transform Tempe, and the rest of the Valley, into a safer and friendlier place for cyclists like you!

That was amazing.  Neighbors, commuters, retirees, students, cycling
enthusiasts from other cities, and one city council member joined
forces to do real work to make Tempe a more safe, friendly place.

A lot is happening in Tempe right now.  Tempe in ten years is going to
look very different.   University Drive from Ash to Priest is being
redone, largely in response to influence from the surrounding
neighborhoods:
http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/jackalope/2012/08/tempe_university_drive_bike_paths.php
(the design has changed since then).  Likewise, Broadway,  http://www.tempe.gov/index.aspx?page=492, and Hardy are
set for renovations.  The city is looking into executing plans to put
in an overpass over I-10 connecting Tempe to south Phoenix.
Currently, bicycles must ride on Southern to make the trip.

We’re interested in seeing how new and improved infrastructure affects
cycling.  We expect to learn a lot next year about the impact it has
on cycling volume and habits.

Every one of the 56 intersections were selected for some reason and helps us tell something — how much people are riding under some condition, the degree that they don’t ride in other conditions, the degree that they don’t or can’t ride safely under different conditions, and much more.  Some give us raw numbers and help us track trends.

In a fit of optimism, we added a new count site this year — University and McClintock.  Something happened this year that almost, but never quite happened last year — volunteers picked up all of the assignments.  Previously, we had to decide which handful we’d have to do without.  More people turned out to help.  I want to continue this trend.  Thank you very much to those of you who took two, three, or even four or more count shifts to make this happen.  One of the best things that could happen is for this to continue to grow so that we don’t over tax our volunteers.