October Bike Walk Week kicks off in the Twin Cites

With winter just around the corner, a week of Bike-Walk activities aims at keeping Twin Cities’ bikers and walkers on the roads, despite the soon-to-be slippery and snowy Minnesota streets.

Organized by a coalition of Twin Cities organizations and government departments, including Metropolitan Transit and the Minnesota Department of Transportation, Bike Walk Week will challenge Twin Cities’ residents to cycle and walk more to promote healthier lifestyle choices.

An estimated 10,000 people registered for the June Bike Walk Week event, said Bike Walk Twin Cities Communications Associate Amber Collett.  A similar number is expected in October.

“Biking and walking are not only good for your environment and health,” Collet said. "They are good for your wallet.”  The average U.S. household spent $5,477 on gas and auto expenses in 2009, according to a Bundle Data report. With gas prices increasing, that number just keeps going up.

Bike Walk Week, held annually until 2010, is now held three times a year to give bike riders more chance to enjoy group biking, Collett said. Bike Walk Week will feature numerous activities, including free winter safety classes and basic bike maintenance skills, and will highlight the advantages of getting around the cities without a car.

Collett urged schools to register their students for the International Walk and Bike to School Day on October 5 to support happier and healthier students as well as to demonstrate safe walking and bicycling routes to get to school.

More than 29 schools in the Twin Cities have registered to participate so far, Collet said. Hiawatha Community School, which has been participating in similar events over the years, will send some of its K-5 students and their parents to participate in the International Walk and Bike to School Day.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to encourage families to bike or walk to school,” said Hiawatha Community School principal, Deb Regnier. “The students are starting their day, ready to learn with both their bodies and minds.”

Ibrahim Hirsi