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Project Updates for Light the Night

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  1. Light the Night 2025 Leftover Light Count

    Associated Project(s): 
    Light the Night

    Light the Night 2025 was a success, students and community members alike biked to various stations on campus to receive free bike lights.

     

    Bike Lights Remaining:

    Location

    Sets Brought

    Red Lights Leftover

    White Lights Leftover

    Green & Lincoln

    150

    37

    36

    Alma Mater

    400

    160

    166

    Hallene Gateway

    250

    95

    92

    Ike

    200

    45

    46

     

  2. Weekly Update -- Light the Night & Sales

    Associated Project(s): 
    Light the Night
    Campus Bike Center

    Email from Jacob Benjamin:

    Last Wednesday was Bike To Work Day! It was a success. Had good weather and good turn outs at the stations I visited.

    Light The Night is tomorrow evening. Should be good weather—if warm—for that, too!

     

    We are busy but it’s not mayhem anymore—that’s a plus!

     

    We are low on used tires, as is common this time of year. I’ll roll over to the Urbana shop to see if they have any to spare.

    The numbers:

    Sales: $1,735.35
    Bikes (B-a-B): 1 for $50

    Memberships: 38 for $1140
    Tires/tubes: 31 for $286

  4. September 2025 CU Bike Announcements

    Associated Project(s): 
    C-U Bike to Work Day
    Light the Night
    Evaluation & Planning for Bicycles

    Email from Gabe Lewis:

    Happy September!

     

    Our team has these bike-related announcements to share with you:

     

    #1:  Bike to Work (& Class) Day is this Wednesday, September 10

    If you are not pre-registered for Bike to Work Day yet, do so now and tell a friend to do the same!  cuBikeMonth.org

     

    16 stations will be open across Champaign County, with 8 of them being on the University of Illinois campus.  Each station will have free t-shirts (while supplies last), stickers, breakfast snacks, and bike literature!

     

    #2:  Light the Night returns on Tuesday, September 16

    Bring your bike to one of four on-campus stations to get free bike lights!  You can also sign up to be a volunteer for a partial or full shift – no experience needed!

     

    #3:  Active Transportation Plan (ATP) survey is OPEN

    Calling all bicyclists, pedestrians, and park visitors:  we want to hear your thoughts via this survey and/or comment map on your experiences – good or bad! 

     

    Completing this survey will help the Regional Planning Commission (RPC) develop the Champaign County Active Transportation Plan (ATP).  RPC staff will also be at various events this fall – including Light the Night – with tablets for people to complete this survey.  We want to hear from everyone to work on making Champaign-Urbana a better place to walk and bike!

     

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    #4:  More Bike Month events

    The cuBikeMonth.org calendar has several bike events listed for September and October, including Saturday’s FREE Moonlight Bike Ride from Meadowbrook Park to the Sidney Dairy Barn!  You can also keep up with C-U Bike Month announcements on our Facebook page.

  5. Notes following the Bike Month Planning meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Light the Night

    Here are the assigned roles for Light the Night 2025:

     

     

    Station Name/Location

    Station Manager(s)

    RPC ATP Staff Person

    1

    Alma Mater

    Sarthak Prasad

    JD McClanahan

    2

    Ikenberry Quad

    Jake Benjamin

    Gaby Harpel

    3

    Hallene Gateway

    Kevin Garcia & Gabe Lewis

    Gabe Lewis

    4

    Green & Lincoln

    Abby Kipping & Qiushi Huang

    TBD

     

    Station Notes:

    • Green & Lincoln will also be the MTD Bike on Bus Rack Demonstration Site
    • All stations will have some Project 529 Bike Registration Forms and Stickers

     

    Timeline & Tasks:

    • Event Date:  Tuesday, September 16
      • Rain Date:  Wednesday, September 17
    • U of I personnel will deliver lights, tables, chairs, lawn signs, and sandwich boards to each station.
    • Station Managers should be at their stations by 3:15 PM.
    • First shift volunteers will arrive at 3:30 PM, and second shift volunteers will arrive at 5:15 PM.  Make sure they have a Bike Month t-shirt and light set if they want/need them.  They will also need a brief verbal training on the following:
      • Orientation of the station (where people enter and exit)
      • How to install lights
      • Brief recap of Rules of the Road
        • Ride with traffic
        • Stop at stoplights (and stop signs)
        • USE YOUR LIGHTS AT NIGHT – that’s why we’re installing them!  It is legal and safe.
      • Sending people to take the ATP survey
      • Directing people to other resources
    • Tear down at 7 PM
      • Leave tables and chairs for U of I personnel to pick up
      • Remaining lights, lawn signs, sandwich boards, and Bike Month & ATP materials need to be returned to Sarthak/F&S

  6. Help Celebrate CU Bike Month at Light the Night

    Associated Project(s): 
    Light the Night

    Light the Night - Tuesday, September 16 between 4 and 7 p.m.

    Help Celebrate CU Bike Month at Light the Night
    		 
     

     

    Light the Night is Tuesday, September 16, from 4 to 7 p.m., at Alma Mater Plaza, Hallene Gateway, the Ikenberry Commons Quad, and at the intersection of Green Street and Lincoln Avenue. You MUST bring your bike to get a free light set. Approximately 1,000 bike light sets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. 

    Remember, Illinois law requires a front light along with a rear reflector/light when riding at night. If your bike is without these items, please take this opportunity to become compliant and enhance your visibility and safety during evening hours.

    Also, volunteers are needed, and no experience is necessary. Individuals will be quickly trained to install the light sets. In case of severe weather, the event will be rescheduled for September 17. 

    Loading Your Bike on the Bus

    In Lot D9 (adjacent to the Green/Lincoln location), there will also be a demonstration of how to load bicycles onto MTD buses, as well as an opportunity for attendees to practice this activity with their own bikes.

     

     

    Register Your Bike
    		 
     
    Keep Your Bike Safe - register it and join the 529 Community
     

    According to the University Bicycle Ordinance, bicycle registration is mandatory for all bicycles parked or operated on campus and owned by students, staff, faculty, university departments, community members, and bike share vendors. Protect your bike by adding a theft deterrent identification shield for $10.

    The U. of I. joined 529 Garage's national database registration system in 2020 to help improve safety and aid in the recovery of stolen bicycles. 

    Volunteers will be able to assist with bike registration at Light the Night, including issuing the 529 Shields (decals). 

    Also, remember to sign up for the upcoming Bike to Work Day on Wednesday, September 10. More information about bike programming will be available there and at other events throughout the semester.

     

    Link to open the newsletter online

  9. Bike Month Returns

    Associated Project(s): 
    Community Bicycle Events and Rides
    Light the Night
    C-U Bike to Work Day

    September is Champaign County Bike Month:

    • Bike to Work Day is on Wednesday, September 10th, 7:00-10:00 am
    • Light the Night is on Tuesday, September 16th, 4:00-7:00 pm

    The C-U Bike Month Facebook page and cuBikeMonth.org will have announcements when BTWD registration opens later this month. The cuBikeMonth.org calendar already has several bike events listed for August through October.

  10. 2025 Bike Month Planning Meeting #3

    Associated Project(s): 
    Light the Night
    C-U Bike to Work Day

    Today, members of the planning team attended the third meeting for Bike Month 2025. The team discussed sponsorships and advertising for Bike to Work Day as well as location and purchasing details for Light the Night. Attached is a document with agenda items and a document with roles & responsibilities.

    Attached Files: 

  13. Dates set for C-U Bike Month 2025

    Associated Project(s): 
    C-U Bike to Work Day
    Light the Night

    In a meeting on 6/13/2025 dates for the C-U Bike to Work Day and Light the Night events were finalized. Attached is a flyer showing the event dates. Registration will open later this summer at cubikemonth.org.

    • Wednesday, September 10th, 7-10 am:  Bike to Work Day
    • Tuesday, September 16th, 4-7 pm:  Light the Night
    • Thursday, September 11th, 7-10 am:  Bike to Work Day rain date
    • Wednesday, September 17th, 4-7 pm:  Light the Night rain date

     

    Attached Files: 

  15. Bike for Earth Day 2025 Location Conflicts

    Associated Project(s): 
    Encourage Bicycle Use
    Light the Night
    C-U Bike to Work Day

    The Alma Mater Plaza welcoming center for Bike for Earth Day was moved to Graziano Plaza (plaza between the Engineering Hall and Everitt) because of a scheduled climate march and the March for Science rally. Morgan White was able to reserve Graziano Plaza for volunteers to hand out Bike Lights and Bike Month T-shirts to attendees. For future Bike for Earth Day events, it may be easier to move the welcoming center locations to actual reservable spaces.

    Attached Files: 

  16. Bike for Earth day - April 22

    Associated Project(s): 
    Encourage Bicycle Use
    Light the Night
    C-U Bike to Work Day

    Read this announcement online - Bike for Earth Day
     

    Join the celebration of Earth Day on Tuesday, April 22, by biking around campus, grabbing a free set of lights, or registering your bicycle!
    As part of the university’s Earth Month events, the first-ever Bike for Earth Day will feature three welcoming centers open from 3 to 7 p.m. at:

    • Alma Mater Plaza 
    • Hallene Gateway (intersection of Illinois Street and Lincoln Avenue)
    • Activities & Recreation Center (east side driveway)

          🎉 Bike Light Giveaway included! 🎉

    Check out the above link for more details

     

    Attached Files: 

  19. Leftover Bike to Work Day and Light the Night combined event

    Associated Project(s): 
    C-U Bike to Work Day
    Light the Night

    F&S, MTD, Urbana, and Champaign are planning to host an event in April 2025 (around Earth Day 04/22) to give away the remaining lights and t-shirts from Bike to Work Day and Light the Night. Additional details are still being discussed internally. 

     

    • Bike to Work Day:
      • 1565 Bike Month t-shirts purchased
      • 1274 registered
      • 775 participated/checked in
      • 1132 t-shirts given out
      • Leftovers at CCRPC: 413 t-shirts (Adults) and 20 t-shirts (Youth)
        • Youth Small - 10
        • Youth Medium - 10
        • Small - 122
        • Medium - 179
        • Large - 77
        • Extra Large - 26
        • 2XL - 9
    • Light the Night: 520 light sets leftover. - https://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu/project-update/leftover-light-count. 

  20. Leftover light count

    Associated Project(s): 
    Light the Night

    Total white: 520

    Total red: 537

     

    Alma Mater

    White: 182

    Red: 198

     

    Ikenberry Commons

    White: 155

    Red: 164

     

    Hellene Greenway

    White: 183

    Red: 175

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