2023 PEDAL Summit in Fresno – in collaboration with the City of Münster

2023 PEDAL Summit in Fresno – in collaboration with the City of Münster

The 2023 PEDAL Summit is sponsored by the City of Fresno, the Fresno State Transportation Institute, and the Fresno Sister Cities project in collaboration with the City of Münster (the “bicycle capital” of Germany) and other local community-based organizations such as the Fresno County Bicycle Coalition and US Green Building Council. “PEDAL” was dubbed as this year’s focus, representing the region and international partners’ advancement of active transportation development through Planning, Education, Design, Advocacy, and Lifestyle (P.E.D.A.L.).
The ultimate goal is to promote and encourage sustainable transportation in the greater Fresno region, which suffers greatly given its geography and the health burdens of air pollution generated by fossil-fuel-based transportation and agricultural systems, as well as climate-related wildfire smoke.

Sessions

1. Alternative Transportation (Policy/Planning):

This session will be dedicated to issues related to bicycle planning and infrastructure. Speakers will address the ongoing challenges faced by local agencies, highlight new projects, and discuss concepts that have been successful in other cities. The City of Münster will share their experience in making Münster a bicycle-friendly city.

2. Bicycle Commerce: Bike Business and E-Bikes

Supercharging Two-Wheeled Transport: The Impact of E-Bikes and Changing Business Models- Local Challenges and Opportunities. In this session the panelists will consist of owners from shops such as Rubber Soul, Trek Sunnyside, Bike Shop at Woodward, REI, and Leezen Heroes (Münster). Topic ideas include regulation, rider education, impact of e-bikes on business models, incentive programs, industry/retail.

3. Local Bicycling Challenges: 5 E`s of Safe Bike Routes (Enforcement, Education, Engineering, Encouragement, Evaluation, Equity)

What’s wrong with Fresno? In this session, panelists will discuss the various challenges facing bicyclists in Fresno, and the rest of the San Joaquin Valley. Discussions will address several topics, including Engineering: how is reliable parking, or the lack thereof affecting cyclists?; Enforcement: what is currently in place to report bicycle theft? What can be improved?; Education: what sort of outreach do we have in place to improve safety on the roads for both bicyclists and vehicle drivers? Equity, and Encouragement will also be amongst the topics discussed. Professionals from our sister city Münster, will participate in this session to compare and contrast methodologies, and policies.

4. Bicycle Education: K-12 Outreach and Summer Academies

In this session, speakers will discuss bike transportation in K-12 schools. Participants will exchange views on safe routes to school, harken back to bike licenses, and the German approach to using bicycles as a mode of school transportation. Attendees will also be briefed on the 2023 Bike Summer Academy and Fresno State’s recent projects.

5. CA High-Speed Rail

This session will feature speakers from the California High-Speed Rail Authority. Dialogue will revolve around the current status of local infrastructure built to support the line and expectations for the transformation of California, and the San Joaquin Valley after its construction. Panelists will further discuss how the HSR will integrate with other forms of transportation, and transit; including plans for the upcoming station in Downtown Fresno. Students from Fresno State University who participated in the FSTI German study abroad program will also share their experiences of the German transit system.

6. E-Vehicles

In an effort to reach sustainable transportation, not only are electric vehicles being implemented, but so are e-bikes, e-cars, e-tractors, and e-planes. Each of these electrically powered modes are vital to reaching sustainability. However, along with these great innovations come great challenges. This session will explore the technology of e-powered transportation, address the need for charging stations against the power grid deficiency, and finally, will include lessons learned from Germany.

7. Safety / Health

With a multimodal perspective and a particular focus on active transportation modes, this session discusses some of the transportation safety and health challenges, needs, solutions and innovations that are relevant to our region. This panel of speakers will cover topics such as vision zero, data and innovations, public outreach and enforcement, and local and international lessons.

8. Local Innovations

Innovations are shaping the future of transportation. In this session we will highlight innovative technologies in the form of autonomous vehicles, goal setting for innovation through the new US National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization, implementation of innovation on the example of the Fresno County Transit agency, and the transformation towards a 100% electric fleet. Also, discussed in this session

More information at www.fresnotransposummit.org