Waukegan’s Bike the Amstutz planned for June 9 bicycle awareness, healthy lifestyles

The Waukegan Bike Project plans to host the inaugural Bike the Amstutz in partnership with the City of Waukegan and Waukegan Main Street.

The event is set for Saturday, June 9, when the public is invited to ride their bicycles on Waukegan’s Amstutz Highway between Greenwood Avenue and Belvidere Road from 4 to 6 p.m.

This free event will feature a performance by the band the Blue 88s, pedicab rides, prizes and bicycle games, kids’ art projects and more.

Like Chicago’s “Bike the Drive,” Waukegan’s Bike the Amstutz is designed to promote bicyclability and bicycle awareness, as well as advocate for healthy lifestyles.

“For a city of over 100,000 people, Waukegan has little bicycle infrastructure but there are a lot of bicyclists, and many people here who rely on bicycles as their primary means of transportation,” Waukegan Bike Project Executive Director Will Gardner said. “Our goal is to provide a voice for this community and advocate for increased bicyclability in Waukegan. This event was inspired by David Richmond, my lifelong friend and an avid Waukegan bicyclist who recently passed away due to stomach cancer. He was passionate about getting things going downtown, and we’re very proud to hold this first Bike the Amstutz in his memory.”

Bike the Amstutz is free and open to the public, with free parking available at Bowen Park’s Greenwood lot, but participants are encouraged to ride their bikes to the event.

Check-in is at the Greenwood overpass of the Amstutz, just east of Sheridan Road.