KALAMAZOO & PORTAGE, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The tenth annual Kalamazoo Bike Week is continuing from now through Saturday, May 15.
One of the events planned for the week, a bike ride joined by Kalamazoo Mayor David Anderson and Portage Mayor Patricia Randall, had to be rescheduled due to the possibility of inclement weather.
As a result, the event will now take place on Saturday, May 15 at 9:00 a.m. The Mayors will lead a 10-mile bike ride. This event is free, but requires registration.
CLICK HERE to register for the event. A map of the route for this event can be viewed here.
On Tuesday morning, both Mayors spoke with WKZO about Kalamazoo Bike Week.
“The highlight for us is the Saturday morning ride at 9:00 from Celery Flats,” Mayor Randall said. “I know a lot of the bike groups are eager to get starter, we’re waiting for the Governor’s change of COVID limitations. Further into the summer, we will be doing our annual bike camp, and the weekly rides will be resuming once it’s safe to do so. I’m excited about that, patiently waiting, and the weather will be improving.”
Mayor David Anderson of Kalamazoo said the annual week of events also provides good educational opportunities for participants and the community to learn about bike safety.
“On the educational side, this is a reminder once again that as spring comes, drivers really need to give room to bicyclists around the road,” Mayor Anderson said. “We’re talking about a half lane, we have actually five foot safe passing laws in Kalamazoo, Portage and Oshtemo and Kalamazoo Townships. So just make sure, as you’re driving, to be courteous about that.”
Mayor Randall also echoed the educational aspect of the week.
“With the spring comes an array of different types of bicyclists,” Mayor Randall said. “Children, families, serious road cyclists. It’s the biker’s responsibility to be as visible as possible with headlights, taillights, bright-colored clothing, this all helps keep everyone safe. Cyclists should be going with the flow of traffic, but we do know that some of the younger cyclists choose to ride on sidewalks. You have to really be alert as a driver. Hopefully we’ll have a safe summer of bicycling in our area, and I encourage people to dust off their bike and get out there and give it a go.”
Further Viewing –
To listen to the full interview with the Mayors, click here.
Upcoming events for Kalamazoo Bike Week can be viewed at this link.
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