4/17/2007
Media Contact:
Whitman Communications
262-2660 |
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Earth Day Indiana RENEWs Committment to Area Cyclists
A Pedal & Park bike corral will offer area cyclists free, secured at the 27th annual Earth Day Indiana festival, the state's largest one-day environmental event and the area's first free outdoor festival of the year. The festival will take place on Saturday, April 28th between 11 AM and 4 PM at the American Legion Mall and Veterans' Memorial Plaza in downtown Indianapolis (Meridian and North Streets). Although its purpose is to serve as a forum for the exchange of environmental information, the event attracted more than 18,000 last year with its mix of music, food, arts & crafts and family fun.
"This year's theme is 'RENEW!,' referring to renewable energy options like biofuels and solar power," explained Stephen Sellers, Executive Director of Earth Day Indiana, Inc. (EDII), the not-for-profit organization hosting the event. "That's why we're partnering with the region's primary transportation planner, the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), to provide free, secured bike parking to those who pedal to the plaza," he said. "There's no resource more renewable than foot and pedal power. So, with Bike-To-Work Week just around the corner, we hope people will leave their cars at home and try pedaling downtown."
EDII volunteers will monitor the free bike parking corral at the plaza's Pennsylvania & North Streets entrance. Corral personnel will be sheltered from the sun by MPO-provided tents which will also house transportation-related literature and give-aways. As sponsor, the MPO will pay EDII a $1 parking fee for each bike checked or a lump sum of $300, whichever is greater, to support their mutual missions of alternative transportation and environmental conservation.
"Bicycling for recreation and transportation can ease traffic congestion and its related air quality issues," noted Mike Dearing, MPO Manager/Master Planner. "It also helps address the region's health concerns and demand for greater mobility options. That's why we're happy to work with Earth Day Indiana in support of pedal power."
This is the sixth year the MPO has sponsored Pedal & Park bike corrals. The program was founded by the Greenways Foundation to encourage use of non-motorized transportation alternatives, promote activity on Indy Greenways, dispense relevant recreational literature, and raise funds for its partnering not-for-profit organizations. The Central Indiana Bicycling Association (CIBA) is instrumental in coordinating most corral volunteer supervision. Upcoming Pedal & Park event include Bike-To-Work Day (May 18), the Broad Ripple Art Fair (May 19-20), Carmelfest (July ?), the Indiana State Fair (August 8 - 19) and Penrod Arts Fair (September 8). For more information, visit www.pedalandpark.org.
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Earth Day, Cycling
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