Transportation is one of our community’s top contributors to climate change. Streets for Everyone is an Action Team of the Ashland Climate Collaborative working toward a vision that people of all ages, abilities, and means can choose to bike, walk, and roll throughout Ashland for their everyday travel needs because it is safe, convenient, and efficient.
Events
Bike Buses
Does your child go to Willow Wind, AMS, Walker, or TRAILS? Come bike with us! Our leader Mike Vergeer will meet the kids at the corner of Hersey and Oak at 8 am. Parents are welcome too. Join us as kids and families and ride bikes to school together. The more, the safer. Learn more about Bike Buses in Ashland.
First Friday Bike Rides
On the first Friday of each month, Streets for Everyone hosts First Friday Bike Rides! Meet our ride leader on the Plaza in downtown Ashland at 5 pm, and we finish at 6 pm. It’s a great way to kick off the weekend with a family-friendly ride. Learn more about First Friday Bike Rides.
Bike Programs
Bicycle Benefits
Ride your bike and save money at Ashland businesses! Currently 6 great businesses downtown are a part of this program — and the number is growing. All you have to do is get a sticker at a participating business, put it on your helmet — then just bike, shop, and save! Learn more about Bicycle Benefits.
Youth Bike Education Program
This program teches kids to ride bikes safely, which contributes to their physical and mental well-being, aids concentration even hours after a ride, and builds skills and healthy habits that serve them for a lifetime. Learn more about the Youth Bike Education Program.
Latest News
- Ashland was named the fifth-best U.S. town for biking — Can we do better? – September 17, 2024
- Newly installed ‘bike boxes’ intended to make Ashland and Walker intersection safer for all – July 27, 2024
- Check out our May Streets for Everyone Newsletter here.
- Bike Boxes are Coming to Ashland. Read the full article here.
- Get Ready to go EV Shopping – On April 3, Oregon reopened its Clean Vehicle Rebate Program.
- April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month — Distracted driving poses a major hazard for all road users, from pedestrians to cyclists, wheelchair-users to drivers. We can all do our part to avoid distracted driving. Watch this video for more information.
- Join Us at the Rogue Valley Bike Swap — Admission = free. Buy, sell, or donate: a whole bike, bike parts, or bike accessories at this 32nd annual event. Saturday, April 27, 12pm-2:30pm at the Grove in Ashland, 1195 E. Main Street.
- Speak Up for Safe Streets — Send Comments NOW to City Council supporting protected bike lanes on North Mountain Ave! (Oct 26-Nov 5, 2923)
- Riding your bike to school is SO COOL. Learn about the new “Bike Bus” programs springing up all over Ashland.
- On November 7, City Council will consider the matter of protected bike lanes for North Mountain Ave. They should build in these added safety improvements for motorists and cyclists alike. (Oct 2023)
- Hooray! Transportation Advisory Committee unanimously supports protected bike lanes on North Mountain! Now on to the City Council on November 7. (Sept 2023)
- Thank you to all who wrote in to the Transportation Advisory Committee supporting protected bike lanes on North Mountain Avenue — read the letters here! (Sept 2023)
- Check out our guide to public testimony supporting protected bike lanes on North Mountain Avenue. (Sept 2023)
- Ashland’s proposed Economic Diversification Strategy has a glaring omission: it ignores the proven benefits of making bicycling a practical, safe and efficient way for people of all ages and abilities to get around town (June 2023)
- We need safety improvements on ODOT-controlled portions of Ashland Street (May 2023)
- Say YES to protected bike lanes on North Mountain (May 2023)
- We can create safe routes to school in Ashland (May 2023)
- We NEED a connected and protected bike network in Ashland. Read our recommendations to City Council: (March 2023)
- Learn about the City of Ashland traffic calming and safety program. Download the packet here, or watch our webinar about the program (July 2022)
- Smart street design makes our city safer for everyone — bikes, cars, and pedestrians. Watch our 2021 webinar, “Rethinking Steets for Safety, Equity, Climate, Health, Affordability and Happiness,” with Dr. Marc Schlossberg, Professor, City & Regional Planning, and Co-Director of the Sustainable Cities Institute (SCI) of the University of Oregon School of Planning, Public Policy, and Management
Our Vision is a Community…
- Where people feel safe biking, walking, or rolling for their in-town travel
- Where we prioritize social equity and livability
- Where people can enjoy neighborly social interactions and stress-free movement through shared public spaces
- Where we practice responsible environmental stewardship by reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and protecting air and water quality
- Where children can bike, walk, and roll safely
- Where essential workers can afford to live without having to own a car
- Where individuals young and old, with or without disabilities or other physical restrictions, feel included, safe, and comfortable on Ashland streets
- Where motorists feel safe sharing the road with people on bikes
- Where streets are not congested
- Where residents have affordable options for owning, sharing, and repairing their bikes and other
Our Mission
Through education, outreach, and policy advocacy, Streets for Everyone promotes proven strategies to increase the ability of Ashland residents of all ages and abilities to go anywhere in Ashland safely, conveniently, and efficiently by biking, walking, or rolling.
Our Goals
- Mode Shift. Increase travel by biking, walking, and rolling in Ashland by 15 percent per decade between now and 2050.
- Reduced Emissions. Achieve net zero emissions from the transportation sector by 2050 by reducing vehicle miles of travel and electrifying the motor vehicle fleet.
- Safety. Improve the safety of biking, walking, and rolling in Ashland.
- Convenience. Improve the convenience and quality of biking, walking, and rolling in Ashland.
- Reduced Traffic Congestion
- Equity/Affordability. Enhance affordability and social equity by making it easier to forgo car ownership.
- Quality of Life. Improve the quality of life, livability, and health of our community.
Meet Our Streets for Everyone Action Team
We are all volunteers and Ashland residents. We welcome community members, businesses, and groups to join us. For more info contact Streets4Everyone@gmail.com.
Aaron Michalson
Streets Team Volunteer, Founder of Left Coast Bicycles
A native of Ashland, Aaron grew up mountain biking on the local trails. Today, he is a passionate advocate for sustainable urban mobility, spending over a decade conceptualizing and implementing employee transportation programs, projects, and strategies for employers such as Adidas and Daimler.
Aaron is dedicated to making Ashland’s streets safer and more accessible for people of all ages and abilities—whether they are biking, walking, rolling, or using public transit. You can often find him cruising around town on his cargo ebike with his daughter.
Gary Shaff
Streets Team Chair, Former Land Use and Transportation Planner
A longtime resident of the Rogue Valley, Gary has been active in the local transportation space as both a land-use planner and advocate. He enjoys hiking, gardening, woodworking, bicycling, and fishing.
Mike Vergeer
Streets Team Volunteer, Transportation Options Coordinator at RVTD
Mike Vergeer coordinates Transportation Options programs with the Rogue Valley Transportation District. He believes that reducing barriers to biking and walking will not only help us reach our climate goals, it will put smiles on our faces, foster resilience in our communities, and cultivate healthy independence among our youth.
If you find that something is keeping you from biking and walking for your short trips, Mike wants to help! Find him leading a local bike bus on his giant orange bicycle or in the community bike shop space.
Sharon Dohrmann
Streets Team Liaison, Board Member of the Ashland Climate Collaborative
Sharon is a dedicated volunteer for Streets for Everyone and a member of Ashland’s Climate and Environment Policy Advisory Committee (CEPAC). In the past, she served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Niger, West Africa, and as an organizer for the Women’s March Southern Oregon.
Sharon’s professional background is in IT and web development. She was the co-owner of Cypress Technology, an IT consulting company in San Francisco before she moved to Ashland with her husband and two children in 2014. She continues to work in Ashland as an IT consultant.
Thor Morris
Streets Team Volunteer, Economist at the Federal Highway Administration
Thor Morris is an economist with the Federal Highway Administration. He lives in Ashland with his wife Kathryn and their two dogs and cats. You can find him playing ping-pong at the Grove, tennis at Hunter Park, or enjoying music around town
Wherever he goes, Thor is thinking about urban planning, transportation, and climate change. He aspires to see Ashland transformed into a national leader in walkability and bikeability to ensure a low-cost, high quality of life for everyone.