It’s that time of year again.  The Ann Arbor Art Fairs will descend upon downtown Ann Arbor from Weds. July 16-Sat. July 19th.

Because the Art Fair’s close many downtown streets and parking prices increasing during this time, you might be looking for other commuting options during this time.

getDowntown has created a page on our website with info on Art Fair Commuting, from which streets will be closed, to what you need to know to get around.

Check it out here: www.getdowntown.org/resources/Commuting_during_Art_Fair.html

Hello all,

Looks like we will still be going ahead with the Green Fair, Bike Fest and Green Commute since the forecast is only calling for a 40% chance of rain.  So do the no rain dance and come on down!

It’s all happening between 6pm-9pm on Main Street and Liberty Street in Downtown Ann Arbor

As part of the Mayor’s Green Fair, getDowntown is helping organize a Bike Fest and Green Commute section of the Green Fair.  We will have tons or great activities, including rides on the Seven Person Conference Bike, an AATA Hybrid Bus, a Zipcar, and much much more!

Read all about Bike Fest Here

Read all about Green Commute Here

View some awesome photos of the Bike to Work Day Rally here

We had more than 50 people submit Bike to Work Essays for our bike giveaway on Friday.

To read all of the essays, click here

We selected 5 essays at random to win the Commuter Bikes.  Here are the winners:

Emily Beam, University of Michigan
Carolyn Brink, University of Michigan Health System
Chan Huntington, U of N Space Science, N Campus
Dan Robertson, University of Michigan, Medical Campus
Jason Voss, Zingerman’s Mail Order

Congrats to all!  And please read the Bike to Work Day Essays, they’re great!

So Friday is Bike to Work Day.  And we’re giving away Commuter Bikes with the help of local Bike Shops.

The only thing we ask is that people submit an essay to be eligible to win a bike.

So far, we’ve received around 30 essays.  And they’re great!

They are all up on our website for your viewing pleasure: Bike to Work Day Essays

We will announce the winners at our Bike to Work Day Rally on May 16th at 8am at City Hall.

This Friday at 8am is the Bike to Work Day Rally at Ann Arbor City Hall (100 N Fifth Ave). There will be rides departing from bike shops and other locations to City Hall.

In addition to much food and fun, WE WILL BE GIVING AWAY COMMUTER BIKES AT THIS EVENT! But you must submit at essay to be entered into the drawing!

To submit and essay and learn more about the Bike to Work Day Rally, please go here: Bike to Work Day Rally.

Here are some more winners of Curb Your Car Month Prize Drawings:

Bike to Work Friday Winner (won a $25 gift card to Whole Foods): James Welch, Arbor Research Collaborative for Health Employee

Monday go!pass drawing winners: We have the numbers and the places they work, but we don’t know the names yet. The go!pass numbers drawn were 4117 (Brown Jug Employee) and 4350 (Vinology Employee).

You can win, too! Check out all of the Weekly Prize Drawings here: Weekly Curb Your Car Month Prize Drawings.

The AATA and SEMPCOG just introduced Michigan Rideshare.  This computer program will allow you to create an account and view people who want to carpool and vanpool to work.  The site is officially live today so we need people to start using it so we have some matches.

You can create an account by going here: https://mirideshare.org

Want to learn more? join others who want to carpool and vanpool tonight at Conor O’Neill’s Celtic Room.  More info here.

Tonight, getDowntown is partnering with the Ann Arbor District Library to bring you a panel discussion featuring local commuters who are living car-less and car-lite.  The idea is to also have audience participation for this event, so please come and share your stories, too!

Here’s the blurb about the event (from the AADL website):

Car-lite, Car-less: A Panel Discussion On How We Commute to Work

Thursday May 8, 2008: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm — Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

Ever marvel at the bicyclists zooming by you in traffic downtown? Or gaze enviously at pedestrian commuters? Hear what local commuters Ed Vielmetti, Alaine Karoleff, Scott Munzel and Tamara Real have to say about their alternative commutes. The panelists will discuss their methods, challenges and surprises they encounter, and how using a sustainable mode of transportation helps them get more out of their commute.

This event is cosponsored by the getDowntown Program and the Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce in celebration of Curb Your Car Month. The getDowntown Program (www.getdowntown.org) encourages/assists downtown commuters in the use and development of sustainable transportation choices and is a partnership between the Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce, the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority, and the City of the Ann Arbor.