Tennessee Bike Summit
What: Presentations and workshops focused on bicycle tourism, infrastructure, policy and public healthWhen: April 22-23Where: Chattanooga Public Library (1001 Broad Street) | with breakout sessions in the Edney Building and mobile workshopsCost: $90 for both days or $50 per dayRegister at tnbikesummit.org
The Tennessee Bike Summit is returning to its roots next week.
Chattanooga will host the annual bicycling conference as it celebrates its fifth anniversary in the city where it began as a tightly budgeted event in 2012.
Now, it's an anticipated annual event with an impressive roster of speakers, both local and national, who will lend advice to cycling advocates from across the state on how to build on the state's growing bicycle infrastructure.
"A lot has happened in Chattanooga and across the state since we first pulled it together here that first year," Bike Walk Tennessee president Matt Farr said. "I wasn't super involved then, but I know it was done on a shoestring budget and it was the first of its kind in Tennessee. We were really excited to see it grow into what it's become, and we're really looking forward to a great summit next week."
Bike Walk Tennessee is a pedestrian and bicycle advocacy group organizing the summit, which is scheduled for April 22-23 at the Chattanooga Public Library on Broad Street.
Representatives from the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and the Path Less Pedaled are among the out-of-state guests scheduled to make presentations.
Bicycle tourism will be a frequent point of discussion throughout the summit and the inaugural, more narrowly focused Southeast Regional Bicycle Tourism Summit on April 21-22.
Organizers are catering to a narrow swath of transportation and tourism officials with the tourism summit, but registration for the general summit is open to anyone.
Jim Johnson, owner of locally based biketours.com, is scheduled to present at both. His business helps tourists find bicycling trips all over the world and his presentations will center on bicycle tourism.
Johnson is also sharing a similar message this week at a conference in Georgia and next month in the Eastern European nation of Macedonia.
"I'm actually very excited to be talking about that with a Tennessee audience," he said. "In five short years, cycling and Bike Walk Tennessee have blossomed in importance and recognition."
Contact staff writer David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.