Our November newsletter contains relevant, useful information and stories.
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Dear Ride Illinois,
Thanks for your interest in Ride Illinois – your statewide, nonprofit bike advocacy organization. Ride Illinois is celebrating 30 years of advocacy in 2022. With the support of members, we’re all making Illinois better through biking! If you are not already a member, please join today as Ride Illinois begins its next 30 years of important bike advocacy and education efforts.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary, Ride Illinois created this 9-minute video – part celebration, part interview, and part fun. Enjoy the video and enjoy learning more about the Ride Illinois Community!
Visit rideillinois.org/join-support to join or donate to support the critical work to make biking safer and easier in Illinois. Members can check membership status and giving history at this link.
The 2023 Grand Illinois Bike Tour
Join us June 11-16, 2023 for the 20th annual Grand Illinois Bike Tour (GIBT). Our 2023 loop will tour northwest Illinois including the Mississippi River and the Quad Cities. We’ll start and end at Kewanee High School with overnights in Moline (two nights), Savanna (one night) and Rock Falls (two nights). Choose among our daily mileage options for a total between 210 to 375 miles, consisting mainly of quiet rural roads as well as some paved trails around Kewanee, the Quad Cities, following the Mississippi River to Savanna and then to Rock Falls.
Proceeds from this fundraiser support Ride Illinois’ ongoing advocacy and education efforts. Find more information, including registration, here.
2022 Illinois Bike Summit
Thank you again to all of those who attended and supported the biennial Illinois Bike Summit, on October 12 and the professional training on October 13. Nearly 200 people attended in-person or virtually for the Illinois Bike Summit and the training for planners and engineers on October 13th.
The response to the summit has been overwhelmingly positive, with more than half of survey respondents indicating they were very satisfied and nearly all indicating that they were satisfied with the 2022 Illinois Bike Summit. We will be reviewing all of the feedback to make the next summit even better!
For those that attended the Illinois Bike Summit, links to the presentations and recordings were previously shared. For those who were not able to join us, we invite you to watch the recording of the Path to a Top 5 Bicycling Friendly State session and identify one way you can make a difference in your community.
Great American Rail Trail and The Kaskaskia Trail
In October, Ride Illinois met with Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, local organizations, advocates, and former Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, to develop a strategy related to funding and engineering to build the Kaskaskia Trail – a rail with trail connection between the I&M Canal and Hennepin Canal Trails.
Connecting these trails will create a contiguous route across Illinois and will have a positive impact on tourism, active transportation, and economic development for nearby communities. Next steps include discussions with CSX and the land owner, developing talking points to garner local support, and secure funding for a feasibility study. While building this trail may still take several years, the end result will be worthwhile.
Planning for 2023
The results of the midterm election are in. Chances are you don’t miss the onslaught of ads in print, TV, and online! Ride Illinois will now focus on priorities and potential legislation related to improved safety for adults and children who ride bikes in Illinois. Along with some partner organizations, we’ve been discussing ways that the secretary of state can make non-motorized travel safer and more accessible. More to come as these initiatives move forward.
Support from Ride Illinois-Affiliated Bike Clubs
We want to thank the Chicago Area Tandem Society, the Blackhawk Bicycle & Ski Club and the Joliet Bicycle Club for their continued support of our advocacy and education work. The Chicago Area Tandem Society is a Bronze Level Affiliated Club and both the Blackhawk Bicycle & Ski Club and the Joliet Bicycle Club are Platinum Level Affiliated Clubs. You can find more information about affiliated clubs and community organizations on our website.
Upcoming Events
Ride Illinois helps to promote the organized rides of affiliated bike clubs and supporting organizations with our annual Ride Guide and our Ride, Advocacy & Education Calendar. Below are some events we think you’ll appreciate:
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