Slow Roll Chicago

Last Saturday’s Slow Roll Chicago End-of-Season Benefit Celebration, co-hosted by Streetsblog Chicago, has to go down as one of the best local bike parties of all time. Over 100 people packed Ancien Cycles in River West to support SRC, a group that is helping lead the movement for a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable Chicago bike culture. Thanks to generous support from those who showed up, the group netted $2,831 to fuel their important work, making this their most successful fundraiser ever.

Here's one more great reason to attend Slow Roll Chicago’s End-of-Season Benefit Celebration, co-hosted by Streetsblog Chicago. Earlier this week, SRC members installed an exhibit of cool bike images by international photographers at the event space.

If you’re interested in learning more about Slow Roll Chicago’s movement to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive local bike culture, join us for their End-of-Season Benefit Celebration, co-hosted by Streetsblog Chicago. The party takes place this Saturday, November 7, from 7-10 p.m. at Ancien Cycles, 688 N. Milwaukee Avenue, and it doubles as a meet-up for Streetsblog readers.

When it comes to making Chicago a truly bike-friendly city, equity is the elephant in the room. Whoever you are, and wherever you live in the city, you should have the opportunity to reap the benefits of cycling, including increased mobility, better health, and cost savings.

On Tuesday, one of Chicago’s leaders in the fight for transportation equity was recognized on a national level. Slow Roll Chicago cofounder Oboi Reed was one of 11 transportation innovators who received the 2015 White House Transportation Champions of Change awards.

About a month ago, the Better Bike Share Partnership announced a $75,000 grant to the city of Chicago to launch the “Divvy for Everyone” campaign, a strategy to increase bike-share access and ridership among low-income residents. At the time, Chicago Department of Transportation officials declined to discuss the details of the program, but BBSP’s grant program manager provided info about the plan from CDOT’s grant proposal, and I shared it with Streetsblog readers.

“We work to create a city of Chicago where no matter who you are or where you live, you are able to enjoy all the benefits biking can offer,” states the Two Wheels, One City Call to Action. This online pledge to build a more diverse local bike culture was released last week by Slow Roll Chicago, the Active Transportation Alliance, the Chicago Cycling Club, and endorsed by over a dozen community organizations. These groups are also hosting two bike rides with a focus on diversity as part of Chicago Bike Week: tonight’s Two Wheels, One City Ride and Friday’s Rolling Spokes Ride.

Divvy bike-share has been a resounding success on many fronts, with 476 docking stations installed and more than four million trips taken since the system launched two years ago. However, like most bike-share networks across the country, there’s plenty of room for improvement when it comes to access and ridership in low-income communities. Thanks to a $75,000 grant from the Better Bike Share Partnership, announced last week, the Chicago Department of Transportation will be taking steps to help close the bike-share gap with a campaign called "Divvy for Everyone."

[This article also ran in Checkerboard City, John's transportation column in Newcity magazine, which hits the streets on Wednesday evenings.]