The Independent
A group of elite road cyclists will visit southern Utah with a variety of events to accompany an event geared toward helping raise awareness about car and bicycle safety. They will be making their way from southern Utah to northern Utah as part of a multi-faceted educational program, “Road Respect: Car and Bike Rules to Live By.” Events will take place in Santa Clara on Thursday, May 28; Washington City and Hurricane on Friday, May 29; and Kanab on Saturday, May 30, and will include a kids bike rodeo, bike fix-ups, various refreshments, a classic car show, shorter rides for the whole family, and longer rides that more serious bicyclists can take along with the Road Respect riders. There will also be giveaways of hundreds of kids bike helmets and even four new kids bikes.
Events kick off in Santa Clara on Thursday at 6 p.m. in Gubler Park. Free kids bike helmets will be given to the first 100 kids who come with a parent. There will also be a kids bike rodeo with the Santa Clara Police, a classic car show, bike fix-ups, and a family bike ride. Two free kids bikes donated by eSpokes & Rapid Cycles will be given away.
Friday will involve the same list of giveaways and activities in Washington City and Hurricane, with the addition of two longer rides that bicyclists can take with the Road Respect riders. The regular events (including the free kids bike helmet giveaway) begins at 9 a.m. in Hurricane at the Hurricane Community Center and at 11:30 a.m. in Washington City at Sullivan Park. However, those interested in the longer rides will be checking in earlier at both locations.
Riders interested in a 27.2-mile round trip ride via back country roads to Sand Hollow will check in at 7:00 a.m. at the Hurricane Community Center, and those interested in a 40-mile ride along area bike paths to the top of Snow Canyon State Park will check in at 8 a.m. at Sullivan Park in Washington. Registration for both rides is free.
To register for the Hurricane ride, click here.
To register for the Washington City ride, click here.
The Road Respect visit in Kanab is an opportunity for local cyclists to ride along with the core cycling group to Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park and Angel Canyon at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. Both rides will leave from the Kane County Information Center, located at 78 S. 100 E. in Kanab. The Kanab rides will be followed by a “Road Respect Rally,” featuring fun activities aimed at informing drivers and cyclists about safety on the road and a kids’ bicycle rodeo.
To learn more about the Road Respect program, or to find out how you can join in the ride-along or Road Respect Rally in Kanab, contact Lara Clayson at (801) 916-8269, or visit the Road Respect website at RoadRespect.utah.gov.
The Road Respect program is a part of the Zero Fatalities program and was developed by the Utah Department of Transportation and the Utah Department of Public Safety in response to concerns from both bicyclists and drivers about safety and the behaviors of each group on the road. It includes a multi-media campaign and features the Road Respect Bike Tour with 30 cyclists from UDOT, the Utah Department of Public Saftey, and other state agencies and bicycle advocacy groups biking through the state. By demonstrating proper cycling behaviors on the road, the Road Respect Tour cyclists serve as positive examples for other cyclists and drivers with the aim of increasing respect among both groups.
