Did you miss the inaugural Alaska Walk and Bike Conference in June 2019 in Sitka? Well, now is the time to save the dates for the second annual Alaska Walk and Bike Conference: Walk, Bike and Roll, Equity For All. The dates for 2020 are June 9-13 with events happening at various locations around Sitka, with presentations at the Aspen Suites Hotel.

Details are still in the planning stages for the conference, and we are consulting with a couple of national and statewide speakers who can give presentations on various topics related to active transportation and equity. The timing is set so participants also can attend Sitka Summer Music Festival events.

The inaugural conference, held June 4-8 in Sitka, featured a two-day Smart Biking training certification, a series of walk audits, an after-hours discussion of outdoor recreation, community bike rides and hikes, bike maintenance workshops, and more. In addition, there were  speakers on a variety of topics such as how outdoor recreation (including hiking and mountain biking) is an economic driver in Alaska, what makes a walkable community, how active transportation makes us healthier, and what we need to do to make sure our seniors and kids can safely walk and bike in their communities.

Please mark your calendars now if you hope to attend the conference. We will announce conference rates and possible travel scholarships as we get closer to the dates. If you are interested in presenting, please contact us at akwalkbikeconference@gmail.com, or email Doug Osborne at douglaso@searhc.org or Dawn Groth at dawn.groth@alaska.gov