Mayor Kapszukiewicz and Community Partners Lead the Charge for Bike Month Kickoff

The City of Toledo, Lucas County Commissioners and The Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments (TMACOG) geared up to celebrate May as Bike Month with a press conference this morning. Metroparks Toledo, TARTA, Toledo Bikes and We are Traffic came together once again to promote cycling and to encourage more people to ride their bikes for fun, transportation, and exercise.

Participants had a chance to learn how to use a repair station in Toledo’s Metroparks and also how to put a bike on one of TARTA's buses so that residents can make use of the public transportation system to extend the distance they can reach on a bike.

“We are here because May is recognized as National Bike Month and so it is time to celebrate the benefits of biking and to promote it as a healthy and sustainable mode of transportation,” Wade Kapszukiewicz said.

Recognizing Bike Month was a recommendation that came out of the Lucas County Active Transportation plan which was passed on April 18th.

The Active Transportation Plan was created under the leadership of a steering committee led by Creating Healthy Communities at Toledo-Lucas County Health Department and Live Well Greater Toledo. Project stakeholders included the City of Toledo, Lucas County, City of Oregon, City of Sylvania, Ohio Department of Health, TMACOG, TARTA, and other community organizations. Development of the plan began in 2017 and the work was supplemented by community feedback and an outside consultant.

In addition, Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments (TMACOG) coordinates Bike Month each May as a way to highlight the many advantages of riding a bike and its importance in our transportation system. Many events take place throughout the month to allow cyclists of every skill level to participate, including the TMACOG Bike Trail Challenge.
For more information visit: https://tmacog.org/transportat...

“The Toledo region is committed to working together to increase and expand opportunities for all people to use bicycles for fun, transportation, and exercise. Our resources continue to grow because of our dedication to carefully planning and prioritizing new trails, paths, bike lanes, and other facilities,” Lance Dasher, TMACOG transportation planner said.

Toledo Bikes is a nonprofit organization dedicated to recycling used bicycles, empowering and educating those who use them, and promoting bicycling awareness through outreach. Staff and volunteers are on hand to assist customers in finding a suitable refurbished bicycle that’s ready to roll and affordable. Toledo Bikes is also a full-service repair shop and maintains a stock of used and hard-to-find parts for older bikes.
For more information visit: https://www.toledobikes.org/





###