Their annual Car-Free Day will kick-off in the traditional force of a Tour d’Arcata at 7 a.m. There will be two initial meeting locations, Mad River Community Hospital and the Bayside Grange, at the Arcata Plaza the two groups will converge. After a few loops around the Plaza the tour will head up to Humboldt State for a free community sponsored breakfast. Runners, skateboarders, rollerbladers and cyclists are all welcome.
Tommy Viducich, President of HSU Green Wheels, says after breakfast it will be a party on B Street from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will wind down with a bike-in, walk-in movie at 8 p.m. at the University Center Quad. It’s like a drive-in but without the cars. The feature-length film, Airborne (1993), will be shown to celebrate the 90’s culture of rollerblading.
Viducich says, “Although Green Wheels is hosting the event, the Bicycle Learning Center is playing an integral role in Car-Free Day this year. As seasoned riders the Bicycle Learning Center (BLC) volunteers will be making sure the Tour d’Arcata is a safe and easy ride.”
Throughout the day the BLC will have its shop, which normally lives in a small shed behind Nelson Hall, set up on B Street.
At the BLC’s shop the students like Justin Williams become the teachers. He says, “The BLC is empowering for both the volunteers and the people receiving help.”
Williams started teaching Bicycle Maintenance classes last year through the Industrial Technology (Applied Technology) Department. “The classes are a non-intimidating way for people to approach the BLC. Too many people don’t ride their bikes because they are not in order.”
Beyond Car Free Day, Devin Trainor, President of the BLC, encourages folks to bring in their bike to the BLC Monday through Friday 10-2. “We’ve got the tools, we’ll help you isolate the problem and show you how to fix it.”
Viducich adds, “Car-free Day is a great event that shows the endless benefits of putting down those car keys and lacing up those tennis shoes, picking up that bike, or jumping on the bus.”