Phillip Barron
The Herald Sun
December 20, 2004 8:49 am
DURHAM — Building a bicycling community takes cooperation. Cooperation between drivers and cyclists. Cooperation between municipal and state governments. And, when our community grows, cooperation between the public and private spheres of development.
Historically, the model that Durham used for bicycle transportation improvements focused on responding to residents’ requests. Encouraged by cyclists and bike activists, in 2001 the Durham City Council and the Durham County Commissioners jointly established the Durham Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. It’s charged with promoting “the full integration of bicycling [sic] into community transportation policies and practices.” That is, the city and county want BPAC to help identify ways to make Durham more bike-friendly.
This is a radical departure from the “squeaky wheel gets the grease” policy and it sets Durham apart from most other cities. BPAC’s charter establishes a body dedicated to helping the city address bicyclists’ needs before the bicyclists raise them themselves. BPAC is not a replacement for citizen input; it’s a complement.
BPAC’s goal is to do what it can to make sure that bicycles and bicyclists are considered whenever public facilities are built, whenever a road is widened, whenever new land is acquired. Why? Because it’s more cost-effective to stripe bike lanes while widening roads, to build sidewalks on the bridge when building the bridge.
This is part of building a bike-friendly community. But, the city can do only so much. The private sphere picks up where the public sphere leaves off.
Bike lanes invite cyclists as long as there is a place, at their destination, for cyclists to park their bikes safely. Public roads with bike lanes encourage more people to ride when the private neighborhood streets connecting to these roads are also bike friendly.
So, I have a few requests for help building a stronger bike community in the Triangle. Consider them end of the year requests or New Year’s wishes.
First, let’s host more cycling events. The Halloween Hundred drew more than 180 cyclists to its inaugural event and Little River Park’s grand opening drew an estimated 200 mountain bikers. Cyclists have a strong presence in Durham and it’s evident that riders come out to support homegrown events. How about a downtown criterium?
Second, a request to private businesses. Please, make sure that if someone (an employee, customer, or client) wanted to bike to your business that he or she could. Cyclists need a safe and secure place to park their bikes. Covered bike parking is ideal. And hey, while we’re at it, why not encourage customers to bike by offering a discount on purchase totals? Whole Foods gives a bring-your-own-bag credit to encourage that good practice. Why not encourage another?
Third, to all those developers out there, please think of bicycles in all new planning and construction. Bike lanes and greenways are more useful when they connect to neighborhood bike paths or parks with bike racks.
Bike-friendly resources are gifts, not just to bicyclists, but to the Triangle as a whole. Promoting clean, healthy, person-powered transportation is about building a stronger sense of care and concern for our community.