Map of 2.2 mile course for Ride on, Tucson! The bike party is Sunday, January 20, 1-4 p.m.

“Grey’s Anatomy” star Patrick Dempsey and top American pro cyclist Tom Danielson will host a bike party in Armory Park on Sunday, January 20, 1 – 4 p.m. Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry and Board of Supervisors Chairman Ramón Valadez will kick off the event and join this community ride for people of all ages and abilities.

“Patrick and I really like the community aspect of bike riding,” says Danielson. “And we wanted to get everyone out for a bike ride. It doesn’t matter if they’re riding an old bike or a new one, we just want people to have fun on their bikes.” Danielson rides for the Garmin-Sharp pro cycling team and prepares for his race season by training in Tucson in the winter.

The Ride on, Tucson! route will be closed to vehicle traffic so everyone can enjoy a leisurely ride around one of Tucson’s oldest neighborhoods.  Armory Park will host music, including Jovert, Tucson High Magnet School’s steel drum band, and the Determined Luddites. Other festivities will take place throughout the afternoon.  Bicyclists can ride the 2.2-mile route multiple times, meet some new bicycling friends, and pick up event posters signed by Dempsey and Danielson.

Pima County Bike Ambassadors will help keep bicyclists moving in the right direction along the route and provide information about bike safety and other great places to ride in Pima County. Mechanics will be on hand to fix flat tires and do other minor repairs.

Bicycling Magazine will visit Tucson for the event as well. Editor-in-chief Peter Flax will arrive a few days early to ride on The Loop shared use path. He will also tour other bike infrastructure in Tucson like the Rattlesnake Bridge and bike boulevards.

“It’s a great way for us to showcase The Loop to the over 400,000 people who read Bicycling Magazine,” says Huckelberry. “Pima County and Tucson can promote our region as a bicycling destination and showcase the economic development potential of The Loop.”

Like Danielson, Patrick Dempsey also has a connection to Tucson. As a teenager, he starred in the 1987 movie, “Can’t Buy Me Love,” that was filmed here. He enjoyed his time in the city then and looks forward to the ride. In a recent video interview with Bicycling Magazine, Dempsey talked about encouraging kids to ride: “Think about when you were a kid, you had the opportunity to go somewhere, the bike gave you freedom. That’s what it’s all about at the end of the day.”

Helmets are required for Ride on, Tucson! Event participants may be featured in upcoming Bicycling Magazine videos and articles. For Ride on, Tucson! information, go to: http://www.20-20cycling.com/ride-on-tucson/

For more information about The Loop, the bike and pedestrian paths being developed along the Rillito, Santa Cruz and Pantano rivers and on Julian Wash and Harrison Road greenways, visit http://www.pima.gov/theloop/

This year’s event, on Sunday, March 18, will close to cars – and bring a variety of activities to – most of South Fourth and South Eighth avenues between downtown and Interstate 10.

Pima County has committed $15,000 a year for the next three years to Cyclovia Tucson.  It has also arranged a safe route for cyclists to Cyclovia from The Loop, 55 miles of off-street bike and pedestrian paths being developed around metropolitan Tucson.

“Pima County is committed to improving the quality of life for the entire community through our continued investment in recreational programs for all ages,” Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry said.

“Development of The Loop is one such investment.  The community feedback has prompted us to expand our wellness offerings to include bicycle training, sponsored rides and other bicycle-related activities.  The more healthy activities the region provides, the better.”

Emily Yetman, 2012 Event Coordinator for Cyclovia Tucson and President of the local nonprofit, Living Streets Alliance, welcomed the County’s support.

“The County has been a leader in promoting health and wellness in the region,” Yetman said, “and we see this as a great partnership since Cyclovia Tucson is all about getting people out to get exercise, have fun, discover more about our community, and give ‘people-powered’ transportation a try.  We’re thrilled!”

The County’s financial support will come from the Pima County Bicycling and Pedestrian Program.

Cyclists on The Loop will be able to ride to Cyclovia via the bike and pedestrian path on the east side of the Santa Cruz River Park through Verdugo Park at West 19th Street and onto West 18th Street to South Eighth Avenue (see map below).  Guided rides to the event from various parts of the Tucson area are also being organized.

Pima County’s programs and services – including its educational, sustainability and environmental efforts; The Loop; and the Pima County Public Library and Health Department – will be highlighted at Santa Rita Park, South Fourth Avenue and East 22nd Street.

For more information about Cyclovia Tucson, visit www.cycloviatucson.org.

For more information about the following Pima County programs, check out the following links:

Bicycle and Pedestrian Program, including free bicycle safety classes, http://bikeped.pima.gov.

The Loop,  www.pima.gov/TheLoop

New Loop video, www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3Etsx13J3M

Public Library,  www.library.pima.gov

Health Department,  www.pimahealth.org

Sustainability efforts,  www.pima.gov/Sustainability/

Environmental programs,  www.deq.pima.gov

Las Artes GED program,  www.pima.gov/CED/CR/LasArtes.html

Buffelgrass eradication efforts,  www.pima.gov/nrpr/eeduc/volunteers/sdweedwackers

• Flowing Wells District Park, 5510 N. Shannon Road.
• Christopher Columbus Park, 4600 N. Silverbell Road.
• Crossroads at Silverbell Park, 7548 N. Silverbell Road.

Free bike helmets for kids will be available only at Flowing Wells District Park.

The Loop bike jerseys will be available for sale only at the Flowing Wells park.  They come in three styles: one long-sleeved and two short-sleeved.  The long-sleeved jersey is $40; short-sleeved is $35.

Fruit, granola bars, and water will be available at the registration sites, while supplies last.

The Loop is 55 miles of car-free paths being developed around metropolitan Tucson, with links to Marana and Oro Valley, for Pima County residents and visitors to enjoy on foot, bikes, skates, and horses.

If it doesn’t have a motor, it’s good to go on The Loop.

Launch The Loop celebrates the connection of 23 miles of pedestrian and bike paths through the Santa Cruz and Rillito river parks.

Walk, ride, run or skate from the registration sites directly to the 10 a.m. Dedication Celebration on West Sunset Road, west of Interstate 10.  (The dedication site is 1.3 miles from the Flowing Wells park, 1.5 miles from Columbus Park and 4.5 miles from the Marana park.) Or register early at Flowing Wells park and participate in a 22-mile bike ride to the University of Arizona campus and back before the Dedication Celebration.

Hundreds of Pima County residents and visitors are expected to enjoy the weather and the scenery and get their muscles moving on the Rillito and Santa Cruz river park segments of The Loop on Saturday.

Go to www.pima.gov/TheLoop for more information and the latest Loop news, maps and events.

Event partners include Pima County, Tucson, Marana, Oro Valley, the Northwest YMCA, the Regional Transportation Authority and the Pima County Health Department’s Healthy Pima program.

The 22-mile Connect 2 Tucson ride starts at 7 a.m. at Drachman Plaza on the University of Arizona campus, heads north on Mountain Avenue to the Rillito, west along the Rillito to the northern extension of the Santa Cruz River path, south on that path to St. Mary’s Road and back to the University on University Boulevard.

For more information, go to www.moving-planet.org/connect2tucson.

The Pima County Regional Flood Control District and the Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation Department have cleaned up sediment on the paths from recent storms, and no construction closures are planned along the route.

NEW WEBSITE FOR THE LOOP

Pima County has launched a new website for The Loop at www.pima.gov/TheLoop.  Look for updated maps and information about events, construction and closures there.

BEST BIKE RIDING IN TUCSON

In its annual Best of Tucson issue, readers of the Tucson Weekly have picked the Rillito River Park paths as best place to ride bikes in Tucson.

Go to http://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/best-bike-riding/BestOf?oid=3153660&keywords=

 NORTHWEST YMCA HOSTS FAMILY BIKE DAY ON OCT. 8

Pima County and the Northwest YMCA are putting on Family Bike Day from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at the Y at 7770 N. Shannon Road.

For more information, go to http://www.pima.gov/TheLoop/documents/pdfs/091611%20Family%20Bike%20Day%20flyer.pdf

The official celebration of the connection and the opening of The Loop is scheduled for Oct. 22.

However, while most of the route is already in use, recent heavy rains and a variety of construction projects will require that the connection and other parts of the Rillito River Park paths be temporarily closed in places.

Bicycle riders and pedestrians are urged to exercise caution and watch for warning signs posted along the route.

When completed, The Loop will be 55 miles of paved and gravel paths around metropolitan Tucson (with links to Marana and Oro Valley) for Pima County residents and visitors to enjoy on foot, bikes, skates, and horses.

The Interstate 10 and Union Pacific underpass that connects the Rillito and Santa Cruz river paths is expected to be closed at least until Sept. 17 while debris deposited by storm flooding is cleaned up and paving delayed by the flooding can be completed.

Recent storms have also washed out other areas along the Rillito Linear Park paths, and cleanup efforts are under way.

Work is also proceeding on the Santa Cruz path as it approaches the Rillito.  The Flood Control District will be striping the paths and erecting signage in the coming weeks.

The Pima County Regional Flood Control District reminds all path users to obey all detours and signs.

That portion of the Rillito River path will be closed during the construction work. This project is expected to be completed by Sept. 9.

All river path users are encouraged to use the north bank or the bike and pedestrian paths on River Road.

The Pima County Regional Flood Control District reminds all path users to obey all detours and signs.

http://www.youtube.com/cityoftucson#p/u/0/PDmPFPhwNlw

The Julian Wash Greenway is part of The Loop, 55 miles of multi-use paths being developed around Tucson, with links to Oro Valley and Marana, for pedestrians, bicyclists, equestrians and skaters to enjoy.  The Loop will connect the Julian Wash Greenway, the Rillito River Park, the Santa Cruz River Park, the Harrison Greenway and the Pantano River Park.

The 23-mile path from West Silverlake Road to North Craycroft Road is the longest completed, continuous segment of “The Loop” – 55 miles of car-free paths being developed around Tucson (with links to Marana and Oro Valley) for Pima County residents and visitors to enjoy on foot, bikes, skates, and horses.

Walk, ride, run or skate to the dedication site on West Sunset Road, west of Interstate 10, for a ceremony/celebration at 10 a.m.

To get free T-shirts, water bottles, backpacks and safety gear while supplies last, register between 7:30 and 9:30 a.m. at one of the locations below before heading to the dedication site:

• Flowing Wells District Park, 5510 N. Shannon Road.
• Christopher Columbus Park, 4600 N. Silverbell Road.
• Wheeler Taft Abbett Sr. Library, 7800 N. Schisler Drive in Marana.

Here’s a map of the event.

The Northwest YWCA at 7770 N. Shannon Road is planning a pre-Launch the Loop bike safety rodeo on Oct. 8.

Check www.pima.gov for updates.

Event partners include Pima County, the City of Tucson, the Town of Marana, the Town of Oro Valley and the Northwest YMCA.