On April 5, 2016 Bike Utah will host the eighth annual Utah Bike Summit at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City.
The Utah Bike Summit is the statewide bicycle conference. The theme of the 2016 summit is Shifting Into High Gear. The summit brings together everyday riders, bicycle and trail advocates, representatives from Utah’s bicycle industry, planners, engineers, representatives from Utah’s tourism industry and health fields, and government officials in order to make Utah more bicycle friendly. Regardless of your interest in bicycling (transportation, recreation, road, mountain, commuter), the Utah Bike Summit is for everyone. The summit features international, national, regional, and statewide speakers who provide information and ideas about how to make Utah more bicycle friendly.
The keynote speaker at this year’s summit is Mikael Colville-Andersen. Mikael is based in Copenhagen, Denmark where bicycles outnumber residents and 50% of citizens commute by bike every day. He is an urban mobility expert and one of the leading voices in global urbanism. Mikael is the founder of Copenhagenize Design Company, which works with cities and governments around the world in coaching them towards becoming more bicycle friendly. He is known for his philosophy about simplifying planning for bicycling and how communities should be designed instead of engineered. Mikael has given multiple TED Talks that can be found online.
A closing address will be given my Andy Clarke. Andy Clarke is the Director of Strategy for Toole Design Group. He has three decades of experience promoting active transportation and livable communities as a consultant, trainer, advocate, and policy analyst. Andy has held leadership positions in a number of national organizations over the years, including serving as the President of the League American Bicyclists, the first Executive Director of the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals, a Vice President with the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and the Deputy Director of the National Center for Bicycling and Walking. He served as Chair of the Transportation Research Board’s Committee on Bicycle Transportation and as Secretary General of the European Cyclists’ Federation.
In addition to the keynote address, there will be multiple other updates and breakout sessions. Utah Department of Transportation Director Carlos Braceras will give an update on efforts within UDOT to support bicycling. Breakout sessions will include topics in the following areas: the Utah High School Cycling League; Developing Healthy Communities; Active Transportation Wayfinding; Bicycle Tourism; Selecting Must-Have Bicycle Projects; and Road Respect Communities.
2016 Utah Bike Summit sponsors include: Point B; TravelWise; UTA; SOAR Communications; Toole Design Group; Amer Sports; Durham, Jones & Pinegar; Ski City; Downtown Salt Lake City Alliance; Parametrix; Alta Planning + Design; Mountainland Association of Governments; Wasatch Front Regional Council; HNTB; HDR: AECOM; WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff; Wilson & Company; Horrocks Engineers; and Cycling Utah.
Registration for the 2016 Utah Bike Summit is open now and includes all sessions over the course of the day, networking opportunities, and a catered lunch. Register at www.bikeutah.org.
