Archive

Public bike ride is planned to launch Rotary Way route

May 5, 2016   ·   0 Comments

The Town of Orangeville is launching its first bike route, Rotary Way, with a public bike ride on Saturday, May 28. Participants will meet at 9:30 a.m. at Princess Elizabeth Public School. Bicyclists will ride together down the closed streets of Elizabeth, Second Avenue and Second Street with a final stop at the Orangeville Farmers’ Market. The route is almost entirely a gradual downhill slope.

Bike ride organizer Grant Peters of the Orangeville Sustainability Action Team (OSAT) says the goal is to have at least 100 cyclists taking part in the public ride. The leisurely bike ride will have police escorts, creating a safe atmosphere for all ages and skill levels. Jeff Lemon of OSAT will lead the  ride, adding some pomp and ceremony astride a penny-farthing bike, known as a high wheeler.

Public bike ride events have been tremendously successful all over the world (Portland, Oregon; Bogota, Colombia; and London, England, to name a few) as a way to encourage car-free travel and “living streets”. People are free to ride any non-motorized vehicle — skateboards, inline skates, etc. Spectators are also encouraged as it should be quite an event to witness.

At the Orangeville Farmers’ Market the Rotary Club will do a brief presentation.

Mayor Jeremy Williams and several members of Orangeville Council will be participating in the event, either as riders or as part of the presentation.

Rotary Way and the two other planned bike routes can be viewed on a map on the Town’s website.

Readers Comments (0)