MSU’s Bike Friendly America Conference

Highlight photo from the Tour de MSU
Highlight photo from the Tour de MSU ride around campus that wrapped up the Bike Friendly America Conference @ MSU, 2016

This first-year event on May 19, 2016, saw 56 people attend for a full day of learning about how to encourage their university, business or community to become more bike friendly. It featured many inspirational speeches and presentations and wrapped up with the Tour de MSU, a ride around the MSU campus and neighboring communities, to experience what’s happening on the streets in our area.

Some of those speeches and presentations are captured on this video.  Additional articles regarding the event were published here and here.

Presentations on the video & their start location:

Mark Meadows, Mayor of E. Lansing:  1:27
Dan Bollman, Assoc. VP of IPF:  3:45
Lou Anna Simon, MSU President: 6:27
Steve Clark, Bike Friendly Community Specialist, League of American Bicyclists: 7:45
Gus Gosselin, Mechanical Engr, IPF:  49:11
Tim Potter, Sustainable Transportation Mgr.: 57:27
Steve Clark 1:13:54highlights-video-screenshot
Steve Sanders, Alternative Transportation Manager, U of MN:  1:29:40

 Here’s a shorter highlights video of the event.

A few photos from the event are below.

Steve Clark from the League of American Bicyclists chatting with Mayor Mark Meadows, E. Lansing
Gus Gosselin, chair of the conference, introducing Mayor Meadows.
Mr. Clark addressing the conference.
Steve Sanders, Alternative Transportation Mgr. from U of MN, Minneapolis, presenting the UMN bike story.
Open Q&A session time.
Highlight photo from the Tour de MSU ride around campus
Tim Potter officially receiving the silver BFU award from Mr. Clark in front of the MSU Bikes Svc. Ctr. with Tour de MSU group.
The group riding over the Bogue St. bridge which presents some unique safety challenges.
Checking out the new bike parking shelter behind the MSU Cyclotron.
Detail of the new bike parking shelter behind the MSU Cyclotron.
Descending on the restaurant in E. Lansing and looking for bike parking.

We’re looking forward to possibly doing a similar conference next year. Stay tuned!

 

Archived content:

Final conference flyer graphic
Click here to visit the conference website and register.

Sorry, but registration is now closed.  Call (517) 334-9100 to manually register.  If you’re interested in sponsoring the conference please refer to this page of information.

 

Last November, Michigan State University was recognized as a Silver level Bicycle Friendly University. MSU joins an elite group of 28 other Silver level and 126 other BFUs who have received recognition from the League of American Bicyclists ranging from Bronze to Platinum.

The League's Silver level award seal.
The League’s Silver level award seal.

Who Should Attend?

  • Working for a business that is interested in becoming more Bike Friendly?  A spokesman for Steelcase will be sharing their rationale for pursuing the BFB award.

  • Inside city government and wondering how to move towards becoming more bike friendly?  Learn how Lansing, MI, a typical Midwest city is able to install a surprising amount of bike-friendly facilities every year.  A representative from Grand Rapids will also be presenting their story of how improving their city for bicycling has helped spur regional development.

  • Come learn more about the secrets of reaching Platinum Bike Friendly Univ. status from U-Minnesota-Minneapolis’ bike coordinator.

  • Want to know how being bike friendly means potentially hundreds millions of $$ for your state at many levels?  Listen to Michigan’s Bike Coordinator present the findings of a state-wide report showing how bicycling brings well over $600 mil. annually to the state.

In order to assist other universities, their surrounding communities and businesses to be recognized as bicycle friendly or to achieve the next step in the Bicycle Friendly Program, Michigan State University will host a “Bicycle Friendly America” conference on Thursday, May 19th, 2016 at the Kellogg Center on our beautiful campus. The conference will include general sessions as well as break-out sessions to present information specific to Bicycle Friendly Community, Bicycle Friendly University, as well as Bicycle Friendly Business.

We will have presenters from the League of American Bicyclists, the League of Michigan Bicyclists, the State of Michigan, other universities (including a Platinum level one), as well as Michigan State University, local communities and businesses.

Join us for a day of interaction to help make our campuses, communities, and businesses more bicycle friendly thus safer for all of us alike!

Registration is Open!  Click here to register.

Early bird registration is $100 and has been extended thru April 15; after midnight April 15 the fee will be $120.
Registration closed midnight on May 15. Sorry, no on-site registration

New bike lanes on Chestnut Rd. (fall 2015)
The group posing in front of Sparty, spring 2015 Tour de MSU
New Main Library bike parking area finished (fall 2015).
The finished new porch staircase (8/24/15)
Riding along Farm Ln., spring 2015 Tour de MSU

**Sponsors & Vendors click here for our sponsorship opportunities

 


Brought to you by:  
MSU Infrastructure Planning and Facilities: http://ipf.msu.edu/
MSU Bike Advisory Committee – https://msubikes.wordpress.com/msu-bac/
MSU Bikes Service Center – www.bikes.msu.edu

With technical & logistical support from the League of Michigan Bicyclists.

Questions?  Gggossel@ipf.msu.edu or 517-432-0501

Author: Tim Potter

Sustainable Transportation Manager, MSU Bikes Service Center; member of the All University Traffic & Transportation Committee (http://auttc.msu.edu); founding member of MSU Bike Advisory Committee (https://msubikes.wordpress.com/volunteer-donate/msu-bac/); advocate for local & regional non-motorized transportation issues thru the Tri-Co. Bike Assn. Advocacy Committee (http://groups.google.com/group/tcatc); board member of the Ride of Silence (http://www.rideofsilence.org); year-round bicyclist of all sorts; photographer; soccer player; father of 3; married 35+ yrs. to Hiromi, Japanese national (daughter of former Natl. Keirin Champion, Seiichi Nishiji); Christ follower.

6 thoughts on “MSU’s Bike Friendly America Conference”

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  6. Great idea! Hopefully, you can get most, if not all communities in the are to participate, as well as some large employers. Maybe, just maybe, a representative of a road commission might climb out of their silo and show up. 🙂

    Reply

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