Mayor Brad Cavanagh Talks Impact of RAGBRAI in Dubuque
For the first time since 2010, the RAGBRAI route includes Dubuque. The largest bike-touring event in the world kicks off on July 18th, where cyclists will be starting their 391-mile trek across the state in Onawa and make their way to Dubuque over the course of the week.
Dubuque is the final scheduled overnight stop on this year's route. Residents can expect to see RAGBRAI riders come through on Saturday, July 25th. Dubuque Mayor Brad Cavanagh stopped by the studio this week to talk about the event, its impact on general traffic in the area, and how it will be a welcome boon to the city's economy, even prior to the day cyclists ride through the area.
READ MORE: How You Can Directly Support Tri-State Veterans Now Through July 4th:
Dubuque Mayor Brad Cavanagh in Studio:
This was the first time Mayor Cavanagh came on my show, so that was a treat in itself. The Mayor and I had a wonderful conversation about the impact of RAGBRAI on the community. Even prior to July 25th, riders and their families will have a "camping weekend" in Dubuque beginning on Friday, July 17th.
Complimentary tent camping will take place at McAleece Park beginning at 10 am. Registration is required and can be accessed on Travel Dubuque's website.
Furthermore, when riders do come through the area on July 25th, Mayor Cavanagh envisions the city becoming "one big party." During our interview, he laid out the route in detail and said if you don't have any plans that day, residents should find a spot to see the thousands of cyclists ride. Again, this event is not guaranteed to impact us every single year, and with it being 16 years since the route has included Dubuque, there are a great deal of folks who have never experienced something like this.
Mayor Cavanagh also stressed that if you have any plans of intracity travel on July 25th, you might want to plan an alternative route. For consecutive weekends, RAGBRAI will bring an inordinate amount of additional people, and with that, additional traffic to the area, so planning ahead is strongly advised. That said, the event will surely be a great boost to the local economy, with hotels, restaurants, bars, and more seeing a surge of business.
Volunteers Needed:
From staffing information tables to photographing special moments at the dip site, and helping direct visitors, copious volunteers are needed to make RAGBRAI a success in our community. Volunteer opportunities are available on Travel Dubuque's website.
Take a listen to my interview with Dubuque Mayor Brad Cavanagh where we discuss RAGBRAI's impact on the local community below. Find out more about RAGBRAI as a whole on the event's official website.
A Historic Home on Loras Blvd in Dubuque is For Sale
Gallery Credit: Steve Pulaski