The Royal Netherlands Embassy in cooperation with the City of Chattanooga Transportation Department, and with generous support from the Benwood Foundation, will host a ThinkBike Workshop, Sept. 23-24.
The ThinkBike Workshop brings together Dutch bicycle transportation experts, and Chattanooga-area leaders, planners, engineers, architects, business owners, citizens, and cyclists to discuss how Chattanooga can become more bike-friendly.
“In the Netherlands, bicycling is part of our DNA. We are pleased to bring our expertise to Chattanooga, as the city explores how bicycling can be incorporated into its transportation mix,” said Dutch Ambassador Rudolf Bekink.
The morning kickoff spearheads the two-day event with introductions by Mayor Andy Berke, and the Dutch guests outlining the benefits of safe streets for all, and the purposes and goals of the event. The kickoff, which is free and open to the public, will be held on Monday, Sept. 23, at 9 a.m. in room 1A of the Development Resource Center, 1250 Market Street.
Following the kickoff, two teams led by Dutch and local experts, and including stakeholders with a wide array of biking ability, will spend two days both in design and on their bikes, exploring feasible ideas for how streets, intersections and whole neighborhoods can be improved for optimal bike use. Teams are charged with considering bike commuting safety, and feasibility of implementation.
“Our transportation system should support choices that are viable and safe for all Chattanoogans; at the same time, those choices must be cost-effective and efficient,“ said Blythe Bailey, administrator of the Chattanooga Transportation Department.
Recommendations from the Think Bike workshop will be shared with the public in a final presentation on Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 5:30 p.m. on the fourth floor of the Downtown Library, 1001 Broad Street. The projects being considered during the event include improvements for the bikeability of the Frazier Avenue/Cherokee Boulevard corridor on the North Shore as well as a model for neighborhood bikeways on Virginia Avenue/Beulah Avenue in St. Elmo. The final presentation is free and open to the public.