Bike Utah

1,000 miles campaign: Bike Utah completed active transportation plans for the Utah communities of bluff and parowan, providing guidance for active transportation infrastructure investments for the next 10 years. We provided general technical assistance to over 20 communities throughout the state including grant and planning support. We took 18 policy makers and government staff to davis, California to experience their world class bicycle infrastructure. Bicycle education and safety training program: during 2023, the youth best program continued to provide onsite Bike safety education, primarily to students in 4th-6th grades. In 2023, 2,227 students participated in the best program. The traditional best program has consisted of four hours of bicycle education and safety training. It has both classroom style components and the opportunity for on-bike practice. In q4 of 2023, with the launch of the community assistance program, this program's title transitioned to community engagement and education. Program focus expanded to address additional bicycle safety barriers and reach new communities identified by the statewide needs assessment. With this increased scope, program staff helped repair 43 bicycles and donated ~100 helmets for youth and underserved communities. Utah statewide bicycling needs assessment: in 2022-2023 Bike Utah utilized a qualitative research approach centered around individual and group-based discussions to conduct a statewide cycling needs assessment. Over 200 Utah residents who identified as underrepresented individuals in cycling shared their concerns and stories. Clear emerging themes gave shape to a systems based framework that Bike Utah now uses to address barriers, support and meet the cycling needs of underrepresented individuals, and grow ridership. Outlined in the needs assessment document are the "five elements" of successful bicycle communities, which have become the guiding principles for our community assistance program. These five elements are: 1) complete cycling infrastructure, 2. Access to gear and maintenance, 3) education and information, 4) thriving cycling community, and 5) inclusive planning and policy. Community assistance program: Bike Utah's community assistance program was launched in october 2023 to provide holistic support for communities in becoming more bicycle-friendly. We lend our staff expertise and resources to identify and address barriers to cycling, turn an idea into reality, and make communities even better places to ride. Our education and planning teams partner with community groups, schools, nonprofit organizations, tribes, government agencies, and more. This partnership assists local communities in addressing barriers to cycling and creating a more bike-friendly environment by providing a broad range of services and skills such as active transportation planning, safe routes to school planning, safe cycling training, Bike maintenance events, and community workshops. Mid week mtb series: the mission of the mid week mtb series is to foster connections throughout the mountain biking community, to provide fun racing events for all ages and abilities, and to support all levels of individual skill-building and mountain biking goals. In 2023, the mid week mtb series expanded its offerings and hosted an unprecedented 19 races at venues throughout the salt lake valley, wasatch front, and wasatch back. These included 4 winter fat-bike races, 7 cross-country races, 5 mini enduro races, and 3 women's mini enduro races. Over 1,100 unique riders participated in the race series, with an average of 260 racers at each cross-country and mini enduro event, 51 racers at each fat Bike series event, and 68 racers at each women's mini enduro series event. Proceeds from registration fees directly support all Bike Utah programs. Utah Bike summit: to celebrate the end of Bike month, Bike Utah hosted the 14th annual Utah Bike summit on may 31 at the salt lake county library's viridian event center in west jordan. Focusing on keeping the event accessible and available to everyone, the half day event was free of charge and featured a keynote presentation, a panel of subject matter experts, and discussions on how e-biking is changing what "active transportation" means in Utah. Over 100 transportation engineers, cycling industry professionals, non-profit leaders, civic officials, advocates and activists, and community members joined together to network and share conversations.