TBAG and the Mitchell Park Neighborhood are moving forward with an exciting bicycle public art project for 2012.  In the fall of 2011 a committee made up of a public artist, Mitchell Park neighbors and TBAG board members conducted a competitive artist and concept selection process.  More than 15 fifteen Arizona public artists were considered.  A Tempe-based artist team by the name of coLAB was selected in December.

The concept for the public art (see attached images) involves bicycle sculptures and large boulders that will be placed in 4 locations along Farmer Avenue (between University Drive and 13^th Street) that will serve as a permanent monument to the importance of bicycling in Tempe, the contributions of TBAG to the community, and help deepen the emphasis of creating bikeable, sustainable corridors for our town and to serve as a model for land use and transportation.  In the words on the artist team, coLAB: “The people-powered vehicle (bicycle) is immensely efficient and useful, and can drastically change the outlook for future balance between man and nature.”

The city of Tempe and TBAG is currently working with the artist team to finalize designs.  Construction of the artwork is expected to happen late Spring/early Summer 2012, with a dedication ceremony anticipated soon thereafter.  This important project will help transform the street and further emphasize TBAG’s role in shaping Tempe and beyond as a bicycle region.

Eric Iwersen

eric@biketempe.org

eric_iwersen@tempe.gov

480-239-9593

Check out the concept pdf: TBAGbicycleART.pdf

For many Americans, the bicycle is a choice. An expensive toy. An eco-conscious mode of transportation. For countless others across the globe, it is much more.
For Fred, a health worker in Zambia, the bicycle is a means of reaching twice as many patients.
For Bharati, a teenager in India, it provides access to education.
For Mirriam, a disabled Ghanaian woman, working on bicycles is an escape from the stigma attached to disabled people in her community.
For Carlos, a farmer in Guatemala, pedal power is a way to help neighbors reduce their impact on the environment.
For Sharkey, a young man in California, the bicycle is an escape from the gangs that consume so many of his peers. With My Own Two Wheels weaves together the experiences of five individuals into a single story about how the bicycle can change the world—one pedal stroke at a time.
44 mins.
Here’s the trailer: http://vimeo.com/19734902
Co-Director Jacob Siegel-Boettner will be present to answer questions after the show.

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Contested Streets is a Transportation Alternatives produced, Cicala Filmworks made documentary that explores the rich diversity of New York City street life before the introduction of automobiles and shows how New York can follow the example of other modern cities that have reclaimed their streets as vibrant public spaces.

Contested Streets features new footage of reclaimed streets in London, Paris and Copenhagen and interviews with New York savvy notables such as Ken Jackson, Mike Wallace, Bob Kiley, Majora Carter, Kathryn Wylde, Enrique Peñalosa, James Howard Kunstler and many more.
57 mins.
Here’s the trailer: http://www.transalt.org/files/campaigns/sensible/contestedstreets/trailer.html

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November 7 @ 8 pm, FilmBar in Phoenix 

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=149225378506884

November 9 @ 6:30 pm ASU Tempe SCOB  

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=129988823771797   

The posters are printed for the SanTan Wheelie Jam, and they’re starting to go up all over the place. The event is at Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix on Saturday April 23rd. TBAG is working with local cycling advocacy groups and sponsors from Phoenix and around the Valley, and all proceeds will benefit the non-profit groups.

RSVP on Facebook here: http://on.fb.me/santanwheeliejam

And sign up here if you’d like to volunteer: http://bit.ly/stwjvolunteer

This Friday, January 21st – join us for the monthly TBAG Third Friday bar hop ride. It’s a short, slow and fun cruise around Tempe. Meet at the Tempe Beach Park entrance at 7:30pm on Friday. More info in the Facebook event here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=138827572844041

While most parts of the country celebrate Bike Month in May, we like to get the wheels rolling early, while the weather is still spectacular. This year, TBAG is involved in a whole host of Bike Month activities. The events are summarized over on our Bike Month 2010 page. Check Tempe in Motion’s page and Valley Metro’s page as well. This week:

Friday, April 2: Ride your bike over to Phoenix First Fridays, then check in at the Bike Valet. I will lead the nine-mile ride from Tempe Beach Park (corner of Mill and Rio Salado) to Phoenix. We’ll roll out by 6 for a leisurely ride there. Be sure to bring lights or plan on taking the light rail back to Tempe. Grab dinner on Mill Ave beforehand, or find something to eat at First Fridays instead.

We’re still looking for volunteers to help run the bike valet, which will run from 5 to 10 pm. Sign up for a valet shift at the end of this post.

Saturday, April 3: Used Bike Drive! Drop off a used bicycle at either Valley REI location, in Tempe or Paradise Valley. See the previous post, below.

Win tickets to Monsters of Folk!

This Saturday, Oct. 10, TBAG is sending one lucky winner to the show! Just stop by the TBAG booth at Tour de Fat on Saturday and sign up to win a Pair of Tickets. The drawing will be held about 3 p.m., you gotta be there to win!

Why are we involved? Monsters of Folk is partnering with Air Traffic Control, a resource for musicians’ philanthropic and social change work. The band will be donating $1 from every ticket sold on the tour to local non-profits. TBAG was chosen as the beneficiary of the AZ date… How cool is that?

For more information on Monsters of Folk and other Stateside Presents concerts, visit www.statesidepresents.com

Thanks to STATESIDE Presents for supplying the tickets and to the band and ATC for their generous support of Tempe Bicycle Action Group!

I haven’t been able to source this text online just yet, but board member Jeremy came across the following in the printed version of PHOENIX Magazine in their Best of the Valley 2009 feature:

Best way to Join a Bike Gang: Tempe Bicycle Action Group
This group is serious about cycling. Created five years ago by Arizona State University graduates, the group now consists of more than one hundred bike fanatics*. The name started as a joke, but TBAG stickers now adorn frames across Tempe. From beginners to up-and-coming Lance Armstrongs, TBAG welcomes riders of all levels. Training wheelers can join them for the Cupcake Ride, a short ride to a local cupcake shop for a treat along the trail. Other events include weekend bar-hopping, bike polo, and tranquil rides around the Valley. TBAG’s six core volunteers also advocate for additional routes and rights for cyclists in Tempe. Wanna hop on? Follow TBAG’s blog for the latest. biketempe.org

*I’m not sure where they got the “more than one hundred” number from, but it’s cool nonetheless! We’ve 138 members on our Facebook Group and more than 350 members on our mailing list. Are you one of them? If not, join now! A big thank you to PHOENIX Magazine!

It’s about that time. I’m waking up earlier, slathering on the sunscreen and bringing two water bottles instead of one on short road rides. Yes folks, summer is quickly approaching.

I’m putting together a cycling in the summer tip sheet for future TBAG events and I’d certainly appreciate your thoughts! Here in Arizona, many of us have found great ways to continue bicycling through the heat of the summer. What are your best tips for cycling in the heat? Leave any ideas or suggestions in the comments.

Once I’ve compiled everyone’s tips, I’ll post the fact sheet. Thanks for your input!

BOB Trailer + PVC Pipe + 6′ tall Tour de Fat Posters (x2) = Excellent (and very sketchy in a cross-wind) TdF rolling advertisement!

This specimen of bicycle-based advertising was present at PHX First Friday this evening. Keep an eye out for it around Tempe this week.