UW's Ride in the Rain Challenge will kick off Thursday evening at 7 p.m. in the Architecture Hall Auditorium (Room 147). The kickoff event will feature the award presentation for UW's recent Gold Bicycle Friendly University award - League of American Bicyclist President Andy Clarke will talk about how universities are catalysts for the creation of bicycle-friendly communities and will present the award to UW Associate Vice President for Facilities Services Charles Kennedy.
After the presentation and talk, SDOT director Scott Kubly, Cascade Bicycle Club executive director Elizabeth Kiker, Pronto! Cycle Share executive director Holly Houser, and UW Faculty member and Green Futures Lab director Nancy Rottle will join Clarke for a panel discussion on current progress and the path forward for bicycling at the UW and around the region.
The event serves as the kick off for the "Ride in the Rain" challenge, a UW signature program that was key to claiming the gold award, encourages year-round bicycle commuting by transforming the month of November into an epic bike-stravaganza with events, classes, prizes and friendly competition. Started in 2004 as an event for UW commuters, the challenge has grown to include staff at Seattle Children’s Hospital and is hosted for the first time this year by the Cascade Bicycle Club. Click here to learn more about the challenge.
For more information on the event and the award, see the UW Today story.