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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend September 21, 2005 Ashland lauds Car Free Day The annual event demonstrates how humans can do without the automobile, if only for one day a year Trick bicycle demonstrations, information booths, walking tours and free bus service highlight the annual Car Free Day, planned Thursday in Ashland and throughout the county. "There are many reasons to be car-free," said planner Paige West of the Rogue Valley Transportation District, which will offer free bus service on that day. "Improved health and air quality, less traffic congestion and saving money are all good reasons not to use your car. Being car-free just one day a week would make a big difference." Oak Street in Ashland will be closed to motor vehicles between Lithia Way and Main Street from 2 to 8 p.m. There’ll be a bike safety rodeo for kids, a Safe Routes to Schools information booth, trick bike riding demonstrations by local rider Dave Norrie and a unicycle troupe. Visitors to Oak Street also can see the city of Ashland’s Conservation Commission information booth and take tours of local green businesses. Ashland Tree Commission members will host a walking tour of the nearby Railroad District. Other organizations with information booths will include the Ashland Woodlands & Trails Association, the Bear Creek Greenway Program, the United Bicycle Institute and Siskiyou Velo. The Ashland Community Bike Program, which maintains a bicycle lending library for community members, will give free bicycle repair lessons. Advertisement Participants can join community bike rides, listen to music with a car-free theme and view custom bikes. Standing Stone Brewing Co., a green business on Oak Street, will have an outdoor caf�. Festivities will continue into the night with the Car Free Day Bike-in Movie Theater at Garfield Park on East Main Street in Ashland. There will be a short film featuring ideas for making cities better places to walk and bike, along with a feature-length family-friendly comedy about the cross-country adventures of a man seeking his beloved stolen bike. Garfield Park activities are co-sponsored by the Ashland and Medford parks and recreation departments. RVTD will report ridership numbers and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality will record emissions data so Ashlanders can see if Car Free Day had an impact, said Tracy Harding, an organizer and member of the Ashland Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission. International Car Free Day began in 1997 in La Rochelle, France, and has since spread around the world, with millions of people participating annually, according to Ashland Car Free Day organizers. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Advertisement s