Blue Island Bike Route – 50th Anniversary
Please join us to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Blue Island Bike Route! This will be an all-ages group bike ride to commemorate the original bike route in order to bring awareness to the rich biking history of Blue Island. This event is brought to you by The Blue Island Bike Route Club, in partnership with The Blue Island Public Library, Blue Island Park District, and Blue Island City Hall. A special thanks to The Blue Island Police Department for keeping everyone safe on the ride.
This event will start at the top of the hill in Memorial Park at 10am.
12804 Highland Ave. Blue Island IL
12804 Highland Ave. Blue Island IL
Why is The Blue Island Bike Route Club doing this?
From the Blue Island Bike Route Club:
Think back to the summer of 1972…
Throughout Blue Island there was anticipation in the air.
The City was going to have a bicycle route.
Along the route, green rectangle signs that simply read BIKE ROUTE were placed, creating an awareness that vehicles and bicycles now shared the streets.
Sponsored by the Blue Island Evening Women’s Club and the Blue Island Park District, with the cooperation of the city’s Department of Public Works (and local Boy Scout Gene Swierczewski working on his special project for Eagle Scout rank) everyone worked together to create a safe route through town.
The route was created for all to enjoy!
Fast forward to today… the daughters of Carole Mitchel decided to honor their mother who was an active member of the Blue Island Evening Women’s Club and chairman of the community improvement committee with a 50th Anniversary Ride.
The Blue Island Bike Route Club was created to honor this vision. This group of community minded individuals consisting of community members, bike enthusiasts, daughters and friends of the original Blue Island Evening Woman’s Club members, and other civic organizations.
This event is for those who share our memories of the original route and also those who want to experience it for the first time.
It’s going to be a great ride!
Throughout Blue Island there was anticipation in the air.
The City was going to have a bicycle route.
Along the route, green rectangle signs that simply read BIKE ROUTE were placed, creating an awareness that vehicles and bicycles now shared the streets.
Sponsored by the Blue Island Evening Women’s Club and the Blue Island Park District, with the cooperation of the city’s Department of Public Works (and local Boy Scout Gene Swierczewski working on his special project for Eagle Scout rank) everyone worked together to create a safe route through town.
The route was created for all to enjoy!
Fast forward to today… the daughters of Carole Mitchel decided to honor their mother who was an active member of the Blue Island Evening Women’s Club and chairman of the community improvement committee with a 50th Anniversary Ride.
The Blue Island Bike Route Club was created to honor this vision. This group of community minded individuals consisting of community members, bike enthusiasts, daughters and friends of the original Blue Island Evening Woman’s Club members, and other civic organizations.
This event is for those who share our memories of the original route and also those who want to experience it for the first time.
It’s going to be a great ride!
