Tag Archives: Active Commute Week

Walk, bike, or share rides during Active Commute Week

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Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
WKTV Managing Editor
joanne@wktv.org

Area residents are encouraged to bike, walk or share rides ruing Active Commute Week. (Pxhere.com)

Active Commute Week is underway in the Grand Rapids area with commuters having the opportunity to set up an account to log all “green” trips for a chance to win prizes.

Running through Thursday, June 15, Active Commute Week is hosted by The Rapid’s West Michigan Rideshare in partnership with the West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum. The week-long event aims to promote positive changes in individual commuting habits within the community. Through friendly competition, participants are encouraged to embrace greener methods of transportation, such as taking the bus, walking, running and cycling to improve the environment and support a healthy lifestyle.

Commuters may set up an account with the option to join a team or register as an individual to log all “green” trips throughout the week for a chance to win prizes. These trips can be anything from biking to work, riding the bus to the grocery store, or carpooling to lunch. From the account portal, commuters will be able to monitor their reduction in carbon footprint to watch their real-time environmental impact.

The Rapid will host a variety of events from food trucks to free bike repairs with it all culminating in a community celebration set for Friday, June 16 from 4 – 4 p.m. The community celebration will be on the second floor of the Rapid Central Station and include a reward ceremony for the top commuters. There also will be a chance to win raffle prizes, enjoy beer from Brewery Vivant, pizza from Peppino’s, mingle with the active commuters, and enjoy artwork from students around the community.

All activities will be held around the Rapid Central station, 250 Ceasar E. Chavez Ave. SW.

June 12

8 a.m. – 7 p.m El Jalapeño food truck

4 – 7 p.m. Grand Rapids Bicycle Coalition

June 13

8 a.m. – 7 p.m El Jalapeño food truck

4 – 7 p.m. Upcycle Bikes (free bike repairs)

June 14

4 – 7 p.m. Upcycle Bikes (free bike repairs)

June 15

8 a.m. – 7 p.m. El Jalapeño food truck 

8 a.m. – 7 p.m. Pedego Electric Bikes

11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Tony’s Taco Mobile 

2 – 6 p.m. King Possum (live band) 

4 – 7 p.m. Upcycle Bikes (free bike repairs) 

4 – 7 p.m. Grand Rapids Bicycle Coalition 

Friends of Grand Rapids Parks 


5 Local Things You Need to Know: Headlines for the Week

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Roger B. Chaffee By NASA/photographer unknown – NASA [1] Great Images in NASA Description, Public Domain

Wyoming and Kentwood: WKTV Journal Newscast

The latest WKTV Newscast takes a look at the new Roger B. Chaffee statute that was dedicated in May along with celebrating Older American Month with Holland Home. To get residents ready for the summer, we take a peak at the summer concerts in the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming and look at the summer exhibits that have opened at the Grand Rapids Public Museum and the Grand Rapids Art Museum.

 

For the full broadcast, click here.

Wyoming: Lee High School’s Top Ten

University of Michigan, Grand Rapids Community College, Grand Valley State University, Western Michigan University, these are just some of the places that that the top 10 of Lee High School’s Class of 2018 are heading.

 

For more on the story, click here.

 

Wyoming: Active Commute Week Challenge

It’s that time again when many area residents will take the challenge and leave their vehicle at home. June 11 – 15 is Active Commute Week, where commuters are encouraged to consider how they get to work and seek other ways that help benefit the environment.

 

For more on the story, click here.

 

Viewed from left and right, “Let Go” by Pamela Alderman. (Courtesy of the artist Alderman)

Kent County: ArtPrize Top 25 artists donates piece

 

When Pamela Alderman created “Let Go” for ArtPrize in 2017, she was looking to impact the audience with a large interactive piece. Alderman‘s work, an ArtPrize Top 25 finalist, is a beautiful seascape on five large wood panels that includes three Plexiglas figures that transform as you move around the artwork. The work was installed this month on the fifth floor of the Kent County Courthouse.

 

For more on the story, click here.

 

 

Kent County: Students get the  chance to be the change

 

A local radio group is teaming up with local organizations and businesses to provide Grand Rapids area students with funding, resources and mentors to implement the change they want to see in their community.
The #GRSummerProject is open to area students from sixth grade to college freshmen. The project is a collaboration led by Townsquare Media and includes the support of Level One Bank, Start Garden, Experience Grand Rapids, Amplify GR and Grand Rapids area schools.
For more on the story, click here.

Get active by commuting via bike or The Rapid as part of Active Commute week

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Active Commute Week returns June 12 – 15 to the Greater Grand Rapids area as many get ready to ride their bikes or take the bus to participate.

 

The goal of Active Commute Week is to raise awareness about the health, economic and environmental benefits of active travel. The week is a chance for individual participants and teams to earn points for using active transportation, including bicycling, walking, riding The Rapid, carpooling, running, longboarding or inline skating.

 

Participants fill out a form and are notified through The Rapids when their account is ready. Teams and individuals can track their active transportation online during the week for a chance to win prizes.

 

Several organizations have signed up to participate such as Metro Health – University of Michigan Health, which will be hosting one of the Bike to Work Day Pit Stops on Fray, June 16. Metro Health will be hosting at the Fred Meijer M-6 trail near Metro  Way off of Byron Center Avenue. This is an entrance to Metro Health. For a complete list of Bike to Work Day Pit Stops, click here.

 

Also Grand Valley State University has joined as a sponsor and will  host bike ride with President Thomas J. Haas on Monday, June 12. The ride will be from the center of the Allendale Campus to the Sustainable Agriculture Project on Luce Street.

 

Participants will meet at the Bill Seidman statue near Mary Idema Pew Library at 4 p.m. Helmets are required, and the Grand Valley Police Department will provide an escort. Refreshments will be served at the SAP and bicyclists can join a guided ride back to campus at 5:30 p.m.

 

Join the Active Commute Week Committee and the Greater Grand Rapids Bicycle Coalition for The Handlebar Happy Hour Friday, June 16, at Long Road Distillers, 537 Leonard St. NW.  The event takes places from 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. The winners of the Active Commute Week Challenge will be announced and prizes awarded. Awards and a raffle will take place at approximately 6:30 p.m. This event is open to everyone.

 

More information and a list of the week’s events are online at www.acwgr.org. Join social media during the week using #acwgr.