This year the Bicycle Alliance of Washington launched an outreach, education, and encouragement program to get more women out biking. The program, called I Bike SEA, received support from Climate Action Now.
Currently only 27 percent of bike commuters in Seattle are women. However, women are far more likely to participate in and benefit from cycling outreach and training programs than men. I Bike SEA sought to address this critical need.
In September, the Bicycle Alliance coordinated events over two weeks to demonstrate that cycling is safe, convenient, fun, and feminine. A kick-off celebration during Pioneer Square's First Thursday included free bike check-ups, drinks, assistance for how to get around, as well as bike pools home. Other events included coffee meet-ups with safety tips, local bike pools, and a celebratory wrap-up happy hour.
Over 80 people participated in the two-week program. I Bike SEA also spread the word through both social media and traditional media that bicycling is fun and accessible. Coverage included KOMO-TV, the SDOT blog, downtown Seattle business commute trip reduction newsletters, the Seattle Bicycle Blog, local businesses, as well as the Bicycle Alliance of Washington blog, Facebook, and Twitter.