Bike the Drive this Sunday

This Sunday is the spectacular Bank of America Bike the Drive.  Each year we have the wonderful opportunity to shut down Lake Shore Drive to car traffic for the morning and have a private party.  It is an invitation-only event (and of course you are invited).  We are in the midst of the mayhem that is Bike the Drive.  Our phones are ringing like crazy.  Our volunteers are pouring in thousands of hours of work.  If you are one of those persons calling in, we'll get to you and we'll answer your questions.  We strive to make this event the best that we can possibly make it.  We are even working on the weather (looking pretty good, by the way).

Each year we get the question:  Why isn't the ride free?  I'd like to take a moment to answer that question.  First of all, the event is very expensive to put on.  The City is gracious to allow us the use of Lake Shore Drive, but it costs money.  We have permits and services to pay for including:  park district space rental, police and traffic aide labor (at overtime rates), barricades, ambulances, and food.  This year, our services and fees have escalated to heights we couldn't forecast putting a lot of pressure on the event to turn out as many people as possible.  All funds raised from the event go to support regional advocacy and educational programs.  The event funds such great work as:

• Local safe routes to school program in Chicago and surrounding suburbs.
• Regional Drive with Care campaigns seeking to make our streets safer for bicyclists and pedestrians.
• Legislative campaigns to make our streets safer and to ensure that bicyclists and pedestrians have full rights to the road.
•  Local advocacy efforts and staff to develop great bicycle and pedestrian plans for municipalities and to ensure that we have a world class transit system.

You get all of that for the price of one event.  And if you act quickly, you can use my special coupon code of KIS6E5 for an additional $5 off.