Avid bike riders and cycling enthusiasts will have the opportunity to learn more about ongoing local initiatives to evolve San Antonio into a more bike-friendly city at Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (AAMPO)’s Bike Night.
The event, which is held quarterly, is a chance for attendees to also participate in AAMPO’s Bicycle Mobility Advisory Committee meetings, which are typically held during the day, as well as view “a series of short, fun, and interesting presentations,” said Linda Alvarado-Vela, AAMPO Planning/Public Involvement Program Manager.
Hot topics of discussion will include the continuing Lone Star Brewery Redevelopment Plans and the expansion of the Howard W. Peak Greenway Trail System, Alvarado-Vela added, which features 52.6 miles of hike and bike trails.
The gathering will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 12 at the Lone Star Brewery at 600 Lone Star Blvd. If it rains, the event will be moved to the Roosevelt Park Clubhouse at 331 Roosevelt Ave.
Councilwoman and Bicycle Mobility Advisory Committee Chair Shirley Gonzales (D5), alongside representatives from several local organizations will be present as of 5 p.m. to provide information and answer questions about various bike-related initiatives, as well as several development and infrastructure projects going on in the city.
Attendees can come and go during this portion of the event, which will also feature light refreshments. Following the hour-long exhibition time, AAMPO will hold its Bicycle Mobility Advisory Committee meeting at 6 p.m.
Lily Lowder from Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG) will provide information on carpooling website NuRide, which has been operating in San Antonio since 2008, and AACOG’s Bike Buddies Program, where school children bike to school together instead of walking.
Other representatives include Cristian Sandoval, Earn-A-Bike Co-op founder and executive director, who will present the Avenue B Bike Lane survey results, and Abigail Rodriguez, VIA Metropolitan Transit manager of facility programs, who will provide updates on VIA’s Ingram and 5-Points transit centers – which are being renovated – and other passenger amenities projects.
Representatives will also discuss the City’s Vision Zero initiative, which aims to eliminate roadway deaths of pedestrians and cyclists.
Adam Schneider, Aqualand Development president, will also be on hand to discuss the Lone Star Brewery Redevelopment Plans. AAMPO decided to host Bike Night at Lone Star since it will likely become a popular destination in the coming years for bikers looking to take a break along the Mission Reach trails.
Each year, AAMPO continues to expand and build upon the current bike system in place in San Antonio. The overall goal is to continuously add to the number of miles on the city’s bike network, Alvarado-Vela said, and hosting Bike Night each quarter and engaging the broader community in the discussion will only help San Antonio become a more bike-friendly city.
“The more people support events like these, the more we can make the case for the need (for more bike friendliness) for this particular community,” Alvarado-Vela said, “and show that, yes, there are folks out there that want to ride their bikes and they want the infrastructure to do so safely.”
Top image: A group ride concludes Women’s Wrench Night at the corner of Josephine and Broadway streets in midtown San Antonio. Photo by Scott Ball.
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