Organizers of the eighth annual Utah Bike Summit, to be held Tuesday, April 5 in Salt Lake City, are looking to Europe for inspiration and practical solutions for building bike-friendly communities.
The daylong 2016 Utah Bike Summit at the Salt Palace Convention Center features a keynote by Mikael Colville-Andersen, a well-regarded urban mobility expert from Copenhagen, Denmark, where bicycles outnumber residents and over 50 percent of citizens commute by bike each day.
The theme of the Summit is "Shifting into High Gear." Its overarching goal is to capitalize on Utah's current momentum and make the state a better and safer place in which to ride.
"Every year we strive to make the Utah Bike Summit an event that is even more interesting and relevant for all types of people who ride bicycles and those who want to capitalize on how bicycling can improve the air quality, livability, and personal health for all Utahns," said Phil Sarnoff, executive director of Bike Utah, the event's sponsoring organization.
Toward this end, Sarnoff invited Colville-Andersen to deliver the Summit's keynote address. Colville-Andersen is known for a philosophy of simplifying planning for bicycling and believing that communities should be designed, instead of engineered. He is the founder of Copenhagenize Design Company, which consults with cities and governments around the world to help them become more bicycle-friendly.
The event's closing speaker is Andy Clarke, former president of the League of American Bicyclists. Clarke, currently the director of strategy for Washington, DC-based Toole Design Group, has three decades of experience promoting active transportation and livable communities and has served as the chair of the Transportation Research Board's Committee on Bicycle Transportation and as Secretary General of the European Cyclists' Federation.
In between the keynote and closing speeches, the Utah Bike Summit includes an update from Utah Department of Transportation Deputy Director Shane Marshall, educational sessions, and networking opportunities. Summit attendees include everyday riders, bicycle and trail advocates, representatives from Utah's bicycle, health, and tourism industries, planners, engineers, students, and elected officials.
"Through the Bike Summit, we hope to inspire everyone to return to their communities with information and new skills to work with their friends, co-workers, families, and government officials in supporting efforts to get more people on bicycles," summarized Sarnoff.
Online registration for the Utah Bike Summit is open now. Tiered pricing is $60 for students, $90 for Bike Utah members or government employees, and $110 for non-Bike Utah members.
Bike Utah is the statewide, nonprofit bicycle advocacy and education organization. The mission of Bike Utah is to integrate bicycling into the everyday culture of the state. Bike Utah believes that bicycling is for everyone and that riding in Utah should be safe and fun.
Questions about Bike Utah or the Utah Bike Summit can be directed to Phil Sarnoff, Bike Utah Executive Director, 801.440.3729, psarnoff@bikeutah.org.
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