New York Bike Summit 2018

New York is a state of unique natural, historical and cultural resources, and an ideal destination for bicycle tourism; With the anticipated completion of the Empire Trail, New York state is poised to become a global destination for active recreation. This panel will provide insights into ongoing efforts to attract and accommodate bicycling as a means to drive regional economic development.

New York State is on the cutting edge of the clean energy movement with innovative programs and consumer outreach. Producing negligable emissions beyond production and sale, bicycles have a key role to play in advancing a low carbon future, representing an ideal tool to reduced automobile dependency. This panel will address key initiatives to advance clean energy and carbon reduction throughout the state, focusing on the role of the bicycle in this framework.

Women are a lead indicator of the success of a bicycle mobility in a community. Empowering women to ride through promotional events and targeted education programs is critical for advancing the future of bicycling. Using Women Bike Chicago's annual "Day of Dialog and Demonstration" as a case study, panelists will discuss how women’s bike events differ from others, how to reach the right target audience. The panel will focus on the evolution and planning of these events as well as methods defining, tracking and benchmarking the success of women's bike education programs.

The Empire State Trail is a bold, unprecedented vision for a connection from Buffalo to Canada and New York City, which will help transform New York into one of the country’s most attractive bike tourism destinations. An extension of the Empire Trail from New York City to Long Island is essential for the path to both serve as a true statewide resource, and respond to local demand throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Capitalizing on growing enthusiasm for biking and walking amenities on Long Island, The Trust For Public Land and NYBC have partnered to develop a plan for an East/West Trail from New York City to the North and South fork. Panelists will discuss the tremendous the proposed trail alignment, focusing on use of utility corridors to maximize off-street segments and the tremendous level of stakeholder engagement and institutional knowledge contributing to this effort.

Institutionalizing bicycle education for kids is the key to advancing bicycle ridership in the future. By exposing children to bicycling as a viable mode of transportation during their formative years, educators have an opportunity to normalize bikes as a competitive mobility option in adulthood. In partnership with the New York City Department of Education, Bike New York has begun deploying bike education programs to New York City public school students. In addition to tracking program success, panelists will discuss the structure of this program as well as strategies for overcoming some of the challenges coordinating with a public school system.