Bloomington, Indiana – For one week in late August, Bloomington’s streets will become more than routes from one place to another. They will also serve as meeting spaces, bike courses and conversation starters as residents are invited to help shape how the city approaches transportation safety.
From ice cream and family bike rides to quick neighborhood surveys, Bloomington Safety Week will run Aug. 22-28 with a mix of public events centered on a simple question: what would make local streets safer and easier to use for everyone?
The week is part of Bloomington’s ongoing Safe Streets and Roads for All Action Plan, an effort focused on improving transportation choices while making the city safer and more accessible for people traveling by bike, on foot, by transit or by vehicle.
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Three evening events will anchor the schedule, beginning Tuesday, Aug. 25, with the Welcome Week Community Bike Tour from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Organized in collaboration with the Indiana University Office of Sustainability, the ride is designed for new residents, students, longtime community members and anyone interested in exploring Bloomington by bicycle.
The guided ride will move at a slow pace and will begin and end on the IU campus. Along the way, participants can meet other riders and become familiar with comfortable bike routes around the city. A limited number of bicycles will be available to borrow for people who register in advance. Additional information is available at bton.in/Ride.
Safety Week will shift from bicycles to conversation on Wednesday, Aug. 26, when the city hosts “Traffic Cones” at The Chocolate Moose, 405 S. Walnut St., from 4 to 6 p.m.
Residents can stop at the Bloomington Planning and Transportation Department table, share their thoughts about safe streets projects and discuss transportation issues directly with city staff. The event will also include free ice cream.
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Families will take center stage the following evening. Kidical Mass: Back to School Bike Ride and Celebration is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 27, from 5 to 7 p.m. in collaboration with IU Health.
The event combines a family-friendly guided bicycle ride around Bryan Park with activities aimed at younger riders. Plans include games, treats, helmet decorating, free bike lights, bike-blended smoothies and other activities. A limited supply of children’s bicycles will also be available to borrow with advance registration. More details are available at bton.in/Ride.
Participation will not be limited to the three scheduled evening gatherings. Throughout Safety Week, Bloomington will also set up pop-up booths at several locations across the city. Residents who encounter one of the booths will be invited to answer a short, interactive survey question, giving the city another way to collect public feedback.
The broader initiative is tied to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All, or SS4A, program. The federal program provides funding for planning, infrastructure and operational projects intended to prevent deaths and serious injuries on streets and roads.
Its scope includes all roadway users, from pedestrians and bicyclists to transit riders and operators, micromobility users, motorists and commercial vehicle operators.
By combining organized rides, casual conversations and quick public surveys, Bloomington’s Aug. 22-28 Safety Week is designed to turn transportation planning into a community activity rather than a discussion held only in meeting rooms. More information about the initiative is available at bton.in/e1rhv.
