The “Extra Innings Festival” held at Tempe Beach and Arts Park in downtown Tempe, offered its usual flair of music and the beginning of the MLB baseball along with Cactus League Spring Training season. 

But this year, the festival made initiatives to encourage environmentally friendly and eco-conscious behavior a priority, including going full recyclable on all beverage services, a prize system for individuals who picked up discarded beer and soda cans, and free valet parking for all cyclists who chose to bike to the festival. 

The Tempe Bicycle Action Group staffed the free-to-use bicycle valet, an initiative to encourage all festival-goers to go green and bike, rather than driving or even ridesharing to the festival. 

Along with providing their services to attendees, volunteers provided information about upcoming community events, and resources for Tempe bikers. 

Ainsley Pfieffer, Vice President of the Tempe Bicycle Action Group, was just one of the many volunteers from the organization who came out over the course of the weekend to help facilitate a “green” push. 

“The three branches that we focus on are community, advocacy, and education,” Pfieffer explained. 

The group consistently hosts events to encourage biking in Tempe, including free bicycle parking at major events throughout the city, and coordinating group rides. They also teach classes on cyclist safety throughout the community, as well as having programs to provide cyclists with safety necessities such as bike lights for visibility, and locks for safety.

But most importantly, the Tempe Bicycle Action Group works directly with the City of Tempe to improve infrastructure and safety while encouraging cycling as an alternative form of transportation. 

Pfieffer described Tempe as being bike friendly most of the time, but with some areas in need of improvement- just one of the many reasons the group continues to act. 

In 2023, Tempe was designated as a Gold-Level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists with over 220 miles of bikeways throughout the city. 

However, cycling related crashes continue to be a problem throughout Tempe. 

Pfeiffer discussed the importance of driver awareness of cyclists and ensuring that drivers know right-of-way law for those on bikes.

“In the instance of many crashes, it isn’t the driver’s fault, but the way the infrastructure is built,” Pfieffer told Northeast Valley News. “Sometimes we don’t always have a clear and safe path to get from point A to point B.” 

The group continues to work with the city, local events, schools and businesses to improve bike paths, install bike parking racks, and provide education and opportunities for a safer cycling community throughout the city of Tempe.