May is shaping up to be a BUSY month for TART! Please participate in one or more of the wonderful upcoming opportunities!
Office mailing: May 6- We are still looking for a few more hands for our mailing on Thursday. 2 folks needed from 8:30-12:30 and 1 needed from 12:30-4:30. Lunch, massages (yes, chair massages, you read that correctly) and great conversation included. Please call us 941-4300.
Old Mission Peninsula School bike rodeo: May 8- TART is teaming up with the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office and the Cherry Capital Cycling Club to host a free bicycle safety rodeo on Saturday May 8 at 10:00 a.m. Bring your bike, helmet and a friend- we’ll provide the fun! All ages welcome. We will teach basic bike maintenance, safe riding skills as well as proper helmet fitting. There will be riding courses, prizes and Moomer’s ice cream! Each child who completes the course will receive an official Certificate of Accomplishment. This event is open to the public. Volunteers are needed for this event, please call us at 941-4300 if you can help out.
Grand Vision Citizen Action Expo: May 10- Please attend this community event to get active implementing the Grand Vision. Details here.
TART bridge re-decking volunteers: May 10-May 21- The TART trail bridge behind Woodland Creek Furniture will be revamped next week. We will be removing the boards and replacing them. Eight to ten volunteers are needed per shift for the 2 week project. Shifts will take place from 8-noon, noon-4 and from 4-8 p.m. Monday through Friday beginning May 10. Volunteer duties include prying off the old boards, hauling the lumber to a dumpster, pre-drilling holes for the replacement decking and tying down the new boards. Volunteers need to bring: gloves, knee pads, sunscreen, a brimmed hat and a large pry bar (if you have one.) The trail will remain open throughout construction and will be re-routed around the bridge-under-repair through the Woodland Creek Furniture property.
Bike/Ped Count survey: May 13 and May 15- We need 18 volunteers to volunteer to conduct a bicycle and pedestrian survey at six locations on Thursday May 13 from 7-9 a.m. and again from 4-6 p.m. and Saturday May 15 from 12-2 p.m. To help out, please call 941-4300.
Tails to Trails 5K Run/Walk: May 15- Your four-legged friend is begging you to join us for our inaugural Tails to Trails event on the Vasa Pathway. It’s sure to be a tail-sniffing good time for all! Details here.
Ride of Silence: May 19- TART and the Cherry Capital Cycling Club are co-hosting the Ride of Silence on May 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the EuroStop Deli located next to the old railroad depot near Woodmere Ave and Eighth Street. The Ride of Silence is a silent bike ride in honor of those who have been injured or killed while cycling on public roadways.
Bike Commute Classes: May 20 and June 22-TART is once again hosting Bicycle Commuting classes this spring. Course dates and times are Thursday, May 20, from 4-7 p.m. at Northwestern Michigan College and Tuesday, June 22, from 4-7 p.m. Munson Medical Center. The classes will be taught by League of American Bicyclists Certified Instructor, Reuben Chapman. Course content will include: riding with traffic, signaling, bike attire and gear, choosing routes, and more. The class will be interactive and will include a short bike ride on main roads, peripheral streets, bike lanes and on trails. The goal of the class is to educate and encourage proper bicycle handling and increase the level of comfort of bicycle commuters. The classes are designed for people of driving age as it assumes knowledge of basic traffic rules. If you would like to participate in the free classes, please call (231) 941-4300 to pre-register.
Recycle a bicycle: May 22- TART and the Cherry Capital Cycling Club are hosting a recycle your bicycle program on Saturday May 22, 2010 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. This program, now entering its fourth year, has placed over 200 refurbished bicycles to area shelters and economically disadvantaged individuals as their primary source of transportation. The goal for this year is to refurbish and giveaway 200 additional bicycles. Donated bikes can either be dropped off or prior arrangements can be made for them to be picked up by volunteers on May 22. THREE WAYS YOU CAN HELP: 1.) Donate your unwanted bikes and good quality parts. 2.) Donate money to purchase parts, cleaners, and lubricants for refurbishing bikes. 3.)Donate your time (bike mechanics with tools and stands, mechanics’ helpers, drivers with capability to transport donated bikes to repair site and storage; volunteers to write receipts, sort bikes, clean bikes, and distribute to mechanics.) This bike repair marathon will be held in the parking lot at the Career Tech Center, 880 Parsons Road, on May 22 between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. To volunteer for the event, donate, or find out how to qualify for a refurbished bike, please contact Don Cunkle at 231-947-8966 or email ycunkle@charter.netor contact TART at 941-4300.