Café Society will meet at Ron’s Barber Shop on Friday, October 15

Biking has several health benefits, including low impact on the body and environment, reduces stress, and encourages a more active lifestyle. Chicago was once the “bicycle building capital of America” where over two-thirds of the country’s bicycles and accessories were manufactured within 150 miles of the city, according to the 1898 Chicago Bicycle Directory. But how many people feel safe and comfortable riding their bike to work or to run errands, or for sport or leisure?

From “How to Make Biking Mainstream: Lessons from the Dutch” by Jay Walljasper:

“…the Dutch don’t drive every time they leave home. Their 27 percent rate dwarfs not only the measly 1 percent of trips taken by bicycle in the U.S., but also the rates of many, much bike-friendlier nations (12 percent of trips in Germany are by bike; in Denmark, it’s 18 percent).

But a commitment to biking is not uniquely imprinted in the Dutch DNA. It is the result of a conscious push to promote biking, which has resulted in a surge of cycle use since the 1970s.”

Questions for Consideration:what measures could the City of Chicago implement to make bicycling more safe and enjoyable? How would building a bike-safe city make Chicago cleaner? What are the benefits of cycling and what are the risks? How can more people be encouraged to use their bicycles, especially if they are only traveling a short distance? How can we create an urban culture where riding bicycles is preferable to driving motor vehicles and why would we want to?

Want to learn more?

• Why Building a Bike-Safe City Is Key to a Clean Energy Future
• Do the Health Benefits of Cycling Outweigh the Risks?
• B-Cycle Launches in the Loop
• Biking the Boulevards

Free and open to the pubilc. For more information please call 312.422.5580.

If you need a sign interpreter or require other arrangements to fully participate, please call 312.422.5580. For parking locations near the facility, please visit ChicagoParkingMap.com.