Developing a Portland-Style Bike Culture in Cincinnati

This Monday night, March 15th from 6:30 PM-9:30 PM find out how to develop a Portland Style Bike Culture in Cincinnati with Portland Bike Advocate, and Cincinnati native, Lily Karabaic at Sidewinders Coffee Shop, 4181 Hamilton Avenue in Northside.

Please share the Facebook Event Page with friends and bicycling groups. http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/event.php?eid=359578921951&ref=mf

As Cincinnati updates the bicycle master plan, find out how we can learn from Portland's successes and failures. Learn about the bicycle infrastructure and activism from Cincinnati native and Portland bicycle guru, Lillian Karabaic.

What does Portland have to do with Cincinnati's bikes?

In 2008, Portland, Oregon was the first major city to get certified platinum bicycle friendly community by the League of American Bicyclists. Just 20 years ago, there was barely 10 miles of bike lanes in the city of 500,000. Now 8% of their population commutes uses a bicycle as a primary mode of transportation.

Since moving on from carfree living in Cincinnati, Lillian has been immersed in every aspect of Portland's bicycle culture, including 2 years of working in education at the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA). The BTA works with citizens, businesses, community groups, government agencies and elected officials to facilitate transportation by bike. Lillian helped implement a traffic education program with the police bureau, planned the 2nd Safe Routes to School National Conference, and created new bicycle commuters as part of the workplace Bike Commute Challenge. In addition, Lillian helped plan the world's largest naked bike ride (5000 riders) and Pedalpalooza, the annual 2-week event of fun-oriented 200+ bike rides.

In 2007, Lillian gave this presentation with the MoBo bicycle co-op to a packed crowd at Sidewinder's and to the Ohio-Kentucky-Indian Regional Council of Governments. Since then, Portland has implemented its first cycletrack (a physically separated bike lane on the road) and achieved platinum status.