The Iowa Bicycle Summitis organized by the Iowa DOT and the Iowa Bicycle Coalition.
Milly Ortiz, Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator at Iowa DOT, says the purpose of the summit is to educate engineers, planners, trail developers and the public about the best ways to build, develop and manage bicycle facilities.
Though there isn’t a particular theme to the summit, organizers ultimately want safer accommodation for bicyclists.
With that in mind, Ortiz says some of the sessions that will be offered focus on trail design and safety, bicycle-friendly businesses and the U.S. Bike Route System.
"Either on-road, off-road, on pay shoulders or bicycle lanes, off-the-road recreational trails. So the intent is educational opportunities to make bicyclists safer on the roads and off-road trails.”
Ortiz says the summit will also feature guest speakers, workshops and a bike expo.
The 2013 Iowa Bicycle Summit takes place January 25th and 26th at the Veterans Memorial Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center in Des Moines.
Events take place from 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. each day.