Bike to Wherever + happy hour **FRIDAY** ~ N Main charrette 5/19-21 ~ Ride of Silence 5/20 and more!
Kirk Westphal
Friday, May 8, 7-10am (see link for stations)
5pm happy hour at Kerrytown Sweetwaters
Bike to Wherever Day
Details here: https://www.a2gov.org/engineering/transportation/2026-bike-to-wherever-day/
This is a fun morning of events (followed by a happy hour at Kerrytown Sweetwaters at 5pm — yes they have draft beer and cocktails!) where you get free snacks and swag at "stations" on your way to work or school or errands. Or get up early and hit up as many as you can for their bingo challenge! From the city website: Please join Walk Bike Washtenaw, the City of Ann Arbor, GetDowntown, and businesses across the community in celebrating Bike to Wherever Day. A network of pop-up commuter stations, hosted by local businesses and organizations, will be out to support you along the way with free food, drinks, games, and more from 7-10 a.m. on Friday, May 8, 2026.
May 19-21
Tuesday, May 19 | 1–3:30 p.m.Wednesday, May 20 | 4–6 p.m.Community members are invited to stop by to speak directly with the planning team, review materials, and provide feedback at a time that works for you.
Public Open House
Thursday, May 21 | 5:30–7:30 p.m.
Community members can learn about the project and share input on design concepts for North Main Street.
From the city: The City of Ann Arbor and the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority are focusing on the future of North Main Street, from Huron Street to Huron River Drive. Vision Zero North Main Street is a transportation study to learn about opportunities to improve safety, increase mobility options, and create a more welcoming gateway into the city.All public meetings will be held at the Ann Arbor DDA Office in the Kerrytown Market and Shops located at 415 N. 5th Ave., 2nd floor. To learn more about this charrette and its schedule, please visit North Main Street Transportation Study on Engage Ann Arbor.We encourage you to share this with neighbors, coworkers, and friends who travel in Ann Arbor.Thank you for helping us plan a safer, more connected transportation system.
If you are not getting emails about Ann Arbor's transportation and housing initiatives, I strongly recommend going to engage.a2gov.org and hitting "follow" for the projects that interest you. There is an informative video about the North Main process here.
This is a pivotal year in Ann Arbor for transportation safety and infrastructure. Meetings concerning the "A2R2" (Ann Arbor Roadway Rightsizing) project and North Main are critical to attend if you are concerned about public safety, biking and walking infrastructure, and livability of our neighborhoods. This particular charette is specifically about North Main, but the outcomes will inform how the city approaches future road improvements.
The city has committed to changing the design of our roadways to eliminate deaths and serious injuries for everyone using them but has not made nearly enough progress. I would recommend attending one of the "drop-in" sessions in addition to the final open house. Please ask questions of the consultants about each design until you are convinced that each option has a track record in other communities of eliminating serious injuries. E.g., how does each design guarantee it will limit the speed of drivers to non-lethal levels — in areas where people walking and biking mix with cars — so that inevitable crashes won’t cause serious injury? This is the entire premise of Vision Zero.
May 20, 7pm Farmers Market
Ride of Silence
Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1014480714582477/
From the page: On May 20, cyclists will gather at hundreds of sites worldwide and ride in a silent procession to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways. Read more at rideofsilence.org. In 2003, Chris Phelan organized the first Ride of Silence in Dallas after endurance cyclist Larry Schwartz was hit by the mirror of a passing bus and was killed. The Ride of Silence is a free ride that asks cyclists to ride no faster than 12 mph, wear helmets, follow the rules of the road, and remain silent during the ride.
May 13, 6:30pm, 339 E Liberty, #300
Walk Bike Washtenaw board meeting
Monthly and open to the public, come to WBW’s board meeting to observe, make public comment, or find out how you can get involved in the latest in walking and biking advocacy!
May 29, 7pm Farmers Market
Ann Arbor Bike Party
Family-friendly slow roll on the last Friday of each month! Check back at the Facebook group for this month’s theme.