The Ideal Role for Biking in Our Community

Vision: Biking as Essential Infrastructure

In an ideal community, biking serves three critical roles: practical transportation, community connector, and health equity tool. Biking shouldn't be relegated to weekend recreation or limited to the most athletic residents—it should be a safe, accessible option for anyone running errands, commuting to work, or simply moving through their neighborhood.

I envision a community where a parent can confidently bike with their child to school, where seniors can safely ride to the library or grocery store, and where someone without a car isn't isolated from jobs or services. This means biking infrastructure that serves all ages, abilities, and trip purposes—not just recreational cyclists.

Making It Reality: Concrete Actions

Protected Infrastructure Development

• Prioritize protected bike lanes on major corridors connecting residential areas to schools, employment centers, and commercial districts

• Implement bike infrastructure as standard practice in all new developments and road reconstruction projects

• Create low-stress neighborhood bikeways that provide safe routes for children and less confident cyclists

Policy Integration

• Establish bike infrastructure standards in zoning and development codes

• Require bike parking minimums for new commercial and residential developments

• Integrate biking considerations into transportation planning from day one, not as afterthoughts

Accessibility and Equity Focus

• Ensure bike infrastructure connects lower-income neighborhoods to job centers and essential services

• Partner with local organizations to provide bike access programs and safety education

• Design infrastructure that accommodates cargo bikes, adaptive cycles, and e-bikes to serve diverse mobility needs

Maintenance and Safety Systems

• Establish dedicated funding streams for bike infrastructure maintenance—not just initial construction

• Implement rapid snow clearing on key bike routes during winter months

• Create clear enforcement protocols for protecting bike lane integrity

Community Engagement

• Conduct regular community rides to identify infrastructure gaps and safety concerns

• Establish citizen advisory committees that include diverse voices, not just current cycling advocates

• Use pilot projects and temporary installations to test solutions before permanent investment

The key is approaching this systematically rather than piecemeal. Every transportation decision should ask: "How does this serve people on bikes?" When we make that a standard practice, biking naturally evolves from niche activity to essential community infrastructure.