Indy Bike Hub YMCA
Full video coverage of the grand opening Indy Bike Hub YMCA and the speech of Mayor Ballard on his vision of an alternative transportation plan.
Wednesday, September 14th, a crowd of about 200 people joined Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard as he opened the Indy Bike Hub YMCA in the City Market. In addition to the City of Indianapolis, the YMCA and Bicycle Garage Indy (BGI), a local bicycle shop, joined forces in the year it took to bring this superb bicycle central facility to fruition.
The services which this Hub now provides, will help strengthen the center city integrating Indianapolis commuter bicycling and improving connections with downtown housing, retail shopping, business, government, the performing arts, religious, as well as social, philanthropic, and community activities.
Mayor Ballard emphasized this synergy when he addressed the gathering.
“With this sort of thing we are going to make a big difference in the city. Now we can go around the city, through the city, to get to different places. You can ride your bike to places, and not just riding for fitness per se. It becomes an alternative form of transportation: you can get to work; you can go to a place you want to visit that day, a park, to the IMA (Indianapolis Museum of Art); to the City Market for a couple of hours. If you have an easy way to get there you can use a bike lane, a trail. This is the important change we are trying to do.”
Randy Clark, owner of BGI, spoke to the larger sense of the new Hub, when he took the podium. “Welcome to the national premiere of the bicycling commuter Hub. Combined with the YMCA you have got a unique and world class facility, to be sure.”
The Indy Bike Hub YMCA boasts bike storage and showers which can be found in only fourteen sites in thirteen North American cities, and five in Europe. This Hub is singular in that it also houses several community functions. IndyCog, a city bicycling advocacy group, and Bike Indiana, a state bicycling advocacy organization share an office in the facility.
The Hub also now houses the local police bike patrol station. In addition, the sizeable facility houses a fitness center, a retail bike and repair shop, and a lounge.
The Hub is located at the corner of Market and Alabama Streets, and along the east portion of the Cultural Trail, Legacy of Marilyn and Gene Glick, a seven mile customized bicycle and pedestrian corridor facility linking many downtown nodes of community and arts.
Article by Richard Vonnegut and Mario Vian Photos by Guido Maregatti
