May bike party undeterred by wind and cold

The wind was howling, the temperature was a bit less than comfortable, and so attendance was maybe a little less than it might otherwise have been, but Eden Prairie’s Bike Month celebration still was held on Thursday, May 15.

The family-friendly event, a collaboration between the city and Commuter Services, was moved indoors at Round Lake Park, and the planned group ride around the lake was canceled for safety reasons, but the moms, dads, kids and others made the best of things.

Mama’s Taco Truck, serving free tacos and burritos, was a hit. Representatives from bike- and transit-oriented organizations presented information on activities.

Those attending the event could also decorate their bicycle helmets, pick up some free accessories and enter a drawing for a free electric bicycle. The celebration was one of several events marking May as Bike Month.

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Eden Prairie Police Officer Jason Hunt provided safety and bike maintenance advice to attendees. The police department also partnered with the city’s Parks and Recreation Department to present information on the upcoming Community Bike Day, on Sunday, June 1, from 1-4 p.m., with free safety checks and adjustments, plus family bike rides around Neill Lake.

Bike rack practice, trail maps and more

Commuter Services brought a bus bike rack demonstration unit for participants to learn and practice how to put their bike quickly and securely on the front of a bus. The idea of the practice rack is so riders may be confident their bike will fit and that they know how to mount it on the rack before buying a ticket.

The bicycle mounting racks are used on both large commuter buses and the SWPrime ride sharing vehicles of SouthWest Transit.

SouthWest Transit presented information on SWPrime, its on-demand Uber-like door-to-door rideshare service, at the event. SWT also promoted its new bus route along the Interstate 494 corridor,  the 686X and 686L, between SouthWest Station in Eden Prairie and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Commuter Services, the outreach arm of the I-494 Corridor Commission, also had additional information available. Its mission is to mitigate traffic congestion and air pollution along the I-494 corridor by encouraging the use of alternative transportation options: bike, carpool/vanpool, bus, telework and walking. (Learn more about the resources available through Commuter Services here.)

The Minnesota Department of Transportation highlighted improvements for bicyclists and pedestrians in the I-494 construction project through Edina, Bloomington and Richfield.  The project’s website provides an updated timeline of project work to make navigating that corridor less confusing.

The table from Three Rivers Park District was covered with info for upcoming events and maps of the regional park system’s parks and trails. Bryant Lake Park in Eden Prairie has two miles of trails available for bicyclists.