The following is a press release written by McKaylyn Lynch for City of Bloomington.
Bloomington, Ind. – The City of Bloomington is excited to announce the 2nd Annual Bike to Earth Day Event at Switchyard Park on April 20, 2024 from 1:00-5:00pm. This year’s event is hosted as a joint effort between the Department of Economic and Sustainable Development and the Parks and Recreation Department. The event is free and open to the public and will be filled with fun activities for the whole family including face painting, food trucks, local vendors, and live music from Busman’s Holiday. In addition to fun and entertainment, attendees also have the opportunity to participate in an EV Ride and Drive Event to learn more about the transition to electric vehicles, or sit in on informational climate talks to learn more about living sustainably. For a full list of activities that you can enjoy at Earth Day, please visit the City’s Earth Day website.
Organizations that are interested in tabling at the event are invited to complete a vendor interest form, which can be found on the Earth Day event website. The City is seeking a diverse set of vendors that can engage with residents on a wide range of topics related to sustainability, alternative transportation, and the environment. The event serves as a great opportunity to inform residents about opportunities to get involved in the community and promote climate action. If you have any questions regarding the event or how to become involved, please contact sustain@bloomington.in.gov.
In honor of celebrating a cleaner Earth and an early Bike month, it is highly encouraged that residents bike to the event instead of driving to help promote alternative transportation and reduce transportation emissions. Switchyard Park is equipped with over 120 bike racks available for bike parking during the event, and is highly accessible via biking trails on the B-Line. Residents can visit the Switchyard Park website for park maps and more information.
Go Bloomington
The event is co-sponsored by Go Bloomington (gobloomington.org), the City’s alternative transportation platform, as identified in the City’s Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan. Go Bloomington’s mission is to reduce carbon emissions, decrease traffic congestion, and improve parking availability by promoting walking, biking, public transit, carpooling, vanpooling, ride sharing, micro-mobility, and teleworking. TDM consists of programs, education, pricing, and other strategies to shift behavior using existing infrastructure and maximize traveler options. Learn more at https://bton.in/!!2dJ. Attendees who register with Go Bloomington will be entered into a drawing to win a Little 500 bike or a new e-bike.
Earth Day
Earth Day began in 1970 as an attempt to bring public energy and consciousness to water and air pollution. Rachel Carsobn’s Silent Spring, published eight years earlier, had brought environmental concerns to many Americans. In 1990 Earth Day became a global event when 200 million people in 141 countries mobilized for the environment. Over the last two decades, the focus of Earth Day has come to be climate change and the growth of the internet has allowed for greater communication and mobilization around our climate crisis.
