For 15 glorious days this month bikes, trikes, and the like could be seen all around Pittsburgh. BikeFest 2012 was another great celebration of all things biking. From Pedal PGH to the The BikeFest Party, hill rides to ridin' with the Golden Girls, it was another year for the record books.

Thank you to all of the members, supporters, sponsors, donors, organizations, and volunteers that made BikeFest possible. BikePGH couldn't be more proud of the energy surrounding this annual festival. If you couldn't join us for an event, join us on a stroll down memory lane with pictures from the fifteen days of fun.

Photos, photos, and more photos!

Here are some places to relive BikeFest 2012 

• BikeFest Party Photobooth shots 
• Pedal PGH pics 
• Positive Spin at Pedal PGH   

Contribute your photos!

Do you have some great shots of Pedal PGH or BikeFest that you'd like to share?  We're looking for people to contribute photos. You can send them to us, or simply put them online and share the link or the photos in one or both of the places below. 

• Flickr Group Pool  
• BikePGH Message Board 

The 2012 National Bike Challenge comes to an end on Friday, August 31. Don't worry, you can keep logging your miles and prepare for the next Challenge, but the competition will end on that day. 

Lots of great stories have emerged about how the Challenge has motivated people to ride more. To celebrate the achievements of Team Pittsburgh we're having a Wrap Party at OTB on Friday, September 7. We'll ease into the evening for a Car Free Fridays happy hour from 5 - 7 and soon after have an award ceremony and raffle drawings for this year's participants.     

There will be access to the National Bike Challenge site for you to verify how many points you've earned to determine what prize level you'll be eligible for in the raffle drawing. Pedal for Pints cards will be drawn to determine the winners, so bring yours if you got one, and if you don't you can pick one up at OTB.    

Happy Hour is from 5 to 7, including half price appetizers. More specials will be announced soon.  The award ceremony and raffle prize drawing will start at 7. Prizes include gift certificates to restaurants, shops, and Zipcar.    

National Bike Challenge Wrap Party  

Friday, September 7th, 5pm-9pm (raffle around 7pm) 

OTB Bicycle Cafe / 2518 East Carson St, Southside  

The city installed new bike lanes and shared lane markings, or sharrows, on the East Carson St, East Ohio St, and (soon) Butler St business districts.

The markings vary between sharrows and bike lanes depending on the width of the streets, which change considerably over the length of the project areas.  Each of these connects to current bike infrastructure, not only connecting some gaps in the bike network, but helping people on bikes feel welcome on the streets and in the neighborhoods. They also serve as a visual reminder to drivers that bikes belong on the street.

Check them out, thank the Mayor, and be sure to support some local businesses along the routes! 

Councilman Peduto and The Shadyside Action Coalition (SAC) are issued a request for proposals to architects, designers, and artists/teams interested in creating interesting and durable designs to serve as bike corrals at metered parking spaces within the Shadyside business districts.

Proposals are due no later than 5PM on Sept 7, 2012 via email.

For questions and submissions, contact shadyside.bike.corral@gmail.com

Shadyside Action Coalition
PO Box 10149
Pittsburgh, PA 15232
www.shadysideaction.org

Schedule:

• Aug 20: RFP issued
• Sept 7: Submission due
• Sept 10-14: Submission Selection
• September/October: Art Commission Submission

Click here to view the Request for Proposals and all you need to know.

Cities across the country have been installing bike corrals to address an increase in people using bikes and their need for a place to park them.  Typically, bikes lock to signs or bike racks located on sidewalks.  However, in some places, the narrow sidewalks often get cluttered, making it difficult for pedestrians to get by. 

The idea of the bike corral is to make a "parking swap," and use the space that previously accommodated one vehicle in order to accommodate multiple vehicles, increasing the parking capacity of a business district. Typically one parking space can accommodate about 10 bicycles.  Pittsburgh's first bike corral was installed in May in front of OTB in the South Side.

• Add your voice in our advocacy for safe streets and better biking and walking facilities 
• Get discounts on great events like tickets for BikeFest! 
• Demonstrate your support for our mission and vision
• Join the fun and exciting bicycling community in Pittsburgh
• Receive a receipt for a tax-deduction  
• Receive discounts from dozens of local bike shops and businesses that support a bicycle-friendly Pittsburgh