America's Top 10 Bike-Friendly Cities

Coming in at #5, Chicago, IL


Population: 2,695,598

When former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel took over as mayor in 2010, he brought with him Washington’s forward-thinking former transportation director, Gabe Klein, and an ambitious agenda to reinvigorate Chicago’s bike network. The Streets for Cycling 2020 plan calls for the installation of 100 miles of separated bike lanes over the next four years, a commitment local bike advocates refer to as “staggering.”

There’s already a lot to love. A protected bike lane on Kinzie Street was installed in just six weeks; cyclists now account for 51 percent of the traffic during rush hour. Other funded projects include turning an elevated railway into a bike path and expanding the bike-share system to 5,000 bikes. During Chicago’s Bike the Drive event each May, thousands of cyclists flock to Lake Shore Drive for a car-free 30-mile ride.

In case you were wondering, Washington D.C. came in 4th, Boulder, Co. 3rd, Minneapolis, MN. 2nd, and the #1 Bike-Friendly City is..........Portland, OR.  Thank you Bicycling Magazine for the article

http://fitbie.msn.com/slideshow/america-s-top-10-bike-friendly-cities/slide/5

Summer Employment

JOB DESCRIPTION: BICYCLING AMBASSADOR

START DATES: March 12, May 14 and June 18, 2012.
LENGTH OF JOB: Through Mid-October, 2012.
COMPENSATION: $10-$13 per hour, approximately 35-40 hours/week.

PURPOSE AND GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The Active Transportation Alliance, a non-profit advocacy group, manages a city-funded education and encouragement program called the City of Chicago’s Bicycling Ambassadors. The Bicycling Ambassadors teach motorists and bicyclists to better share city streets. They do this by speaking face-to-face to members of the public. Teams of Ambassadors deliver bicycling expertise personally in demonstrations and conversations in public places, at community events and to children at summer day camps.

Cycle Messinger World Championships

CMWC 2012 Chicago

The 2012 Cycle Messenger World Championship will be held over the weekend of August 3rd–August 5th, 2012.

The venue for this year's Cycle Messenger World Championships:

Soldier Field Campus, Chicago Illinois

22 Days Late...

but Winter has arived in Chicago

The Holidays are over. Time to get back to school

The goal of the Doemens Beer Sommelier course is to impart knowledge regarding beer on a level that enables the certified sommelier to advise customers of breweries, distributors, retailers and restaurants & bars on the production of beer, dominant characteristics of beer styles, how to select the right beer for pairing with the dish of their choice and the positive health benefits of moderate beer consumption. Beer sommeliers will also learn responsibilities in maintaining quality of the beer served to the guest and its perfect presentation, and students will learn to create beer menus, advise cooks & staff on beer meals and organize beer purchases.

This course is completed with an evaluation of papers regarding the creation of a beer meal and a beer menu, with a practical sensory test to detect and describe different beer varieties and categories as also sensory beer defects, an oral exam in the beer presentation sector in gastronomy and two written exams after the first education phase and at the end of the course. Successful completion of this course you will be granted the title of Doemens Bier Sommelier, which also makes you eligible for participation in the annual Doemens Bier Sommelier World Championship. Check it out @ Siebelinstitute.com. Classes start online January 22, 2012