One of the big attractions in Council Bluffs is the new Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge that spans the Missouri River to Omaha, Nebraska.  In keeping with RAGBRAI tradition, the committee wanted riders to have the opportunity to ride the bridge and also safely dip their tires in the Missouri River waters.  “We wanted to provide a unique and safe experience for riders to ride the new Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge,” said Larry Foster, Parks and Recreation Director for Council Bluffs and RAGBRAI Executive Committee member.  Foster came up with the idea of bringing the water to the bridge instead of having the riders attempt to dip their tires in the waters of the Missouri River.  Most of the nearby river banking was extremely steep and dangerous, so a plan was devised by Foster to pump river water up to the bridge. 

“It came down to just days before RAGBRAI of figuring out the right pump that would work for this project,” claims Foster.  The bridge engineering firm, HNTB, was charged with the role of devising a way to pump the river water to the bridge.  “I think it turned out just great!” added Foster.

Police Chief Ralph O’Donnell was a bit concerned when RAGBRAI was first announced to start in Council Bluffs.  The chief called on Capt. Scott Milner, Lt. Dan Flores, Sgt. Chad Meyers and Officer Darren Budd to dive into the planning process for RAGBRAI.   Sgt. Meyers and Officer Budd put together an action plan that addressed all the safety concerns.  Lt. Dan Flores added invaluable insight as an experienced cyclist who had ridden many RAGBRAIs.  They also lined up help from several law enforcement agencies such as the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Department of Transportation, Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office and Pottawattamie County 911 Center.

Lynn Rollins headed up the Council Bluffs RIDE RIGHT Committee, but he credits the local bicycle clubs and cyclists for the success.  “We did several training rides on the actual route from Council Bluffs to Red Oak to have cyclists ride the roads and report on them,” said Rollins.  The Bellevue Bike Club, Omaha Pedalers and area cyclists heard about the training rides on Facebook.  In early June, the statewide RIDE RIGHT committee held its official inspection ride that was joined by over 30 area cyclists.  “I give the Law Enforcement Committee a lot of credit for really taking the time on picking the safest route out of town,” adds Rollins.  He claims much debate was had on selecting the safest possible route.

“We are very proud of the efforts of our RIDE RIGHT Committee.  They worked very hard to ensure safety as their first priority,” said Council Bluffs Executive Committee member Tricia LeSieur. ”Our Law Enforcement Committee worked for months as well to cover every detail – again, to ensure safety first!”

The RIDE RIGHT video showing is a staple of starting town.  Charlie Schilling, Director of the Mid-America Center, wanted to make sure the riders would be comfortable during the educational session.  Schilling offered the use of the arena and the jumbo screen to show the RIDE RIGHT video on as well as the driver’s safety meeting.  So many riders remarked about the wonderful way to host the safety sessions in the arena.

Congratulations to Council Bluffs on making RAGBRAI as safe as it can be!

The RAGBRAI 2009 launch party July 18 in Council Bluffs will include live music, camping, a barbecue festival and a bicycle expo in the middle of the city’s casino entertainment district near the Missouri River.

The band Barenaked Ladies will headline an outdoor concert in the parking lot of the Mid-America Center to cap the RAGBRAI party. The celebration also will be merged with the Council Bluff’s arena’s sixth annual Mid-America RibFest, July 16-19.

The 37th annual RAGBRAI starts in Council Bluffs and ends in Burlington on July 25.

Registered RAGBRAI riders (about 10,000 of them) will be able to pay $10 for all-weekend (Friday through Sunday) admission to RibFest and related entertainment in Council Bluffs; all-weekend adult admission for the general public will cost $15 and will be on sale from April 24 through July 16 from www.ticketmaster.com.

Children 12 and under will be admitted free at RibFest with an accompanying adult. Parking also will be free. Riders’ campgrounds will be situated near the concert and festival to create a single-site celebration and headquarters for the ride’s launch on July 19.

Council Bluffs has hosted RAGBRAI four previous times, in 1974, 1986, 1994 and 2000.

Barenaked Ladies formed 21 years ago in Toronto and recently saw the departure of member Steven Page. The current lineup features the foursome of Ed Robertson, Kevin Hearn, Jim Creeggan and Tyler Stewart.

National barbecue-cooking teams scheduled to participate in this year’s RibFest in Council Bluffs include: Aussom Aussie Australian BBQ Co. of Sydney, Australia; Big Boned BBQ of Hixson, Tenn.; Texas Rib Rangers BBQ of Denton, Texas; Howling Coyote Southwest BBQ of Chicago, Ill.; Chicago BBQ of Burr Ridge, Ill; Texas Outlaws BBQ of Elizabethtown, Ken.; and Willingham BBQ of Minnesota.

The 37th Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, from July 19 to 25, will follow a 442-mile route through the southern half of the state, with overnight stops in Council Bluffs, Red Oak, Greenfield, Indianola, Chariton, Ottumwa, Mt. Pleasant and Burlington. RAGBRAI is the largest and longest bicycle touring event in the world.

For more information, visit the Council Bluffs RAGBRAI site or ticketmaster.com.