Bikes Belong Helping 6 Cities Build Protected Bikeways

Really, I’m not sure why bike companies don’t invest more money in bicycle infrastructure—it’s advertising gone wild! Communities can easily value and trust bike companies that do so, and the companies can even stick permanent advertising along the routes! Well, I don’t know if that’s what Bikes Belong’s thinking was (note that Bikes Belong is an organization sponsored by the U.S. bicycle industry, not a bicycle shop), but it should certainly get more support for a new program focused on getting six cities protected bicycle paths.

The Green Lane Project will provide financial and technical assistance for cities to develop physically protected cycling infrastructure,” Streetsblog DC writes. “The six to-be-determined cities will then serve as models for other American cities looking to incorporate street designs that make cycling appealing to residents of all ages.”

More from Streetsblog:

“Bikes Belong is looking for cities that have political support for creating world-class bike infrastructure, as well as a plan in place. The organization also wants to include three ’emerging cities’ outside the superstars like New York and Portland, [Green Lane Project Director Martha Roskowski] said.”

Why this is important: Bicycling is the greenest, most-efficient (relatively popular) mode of transportation on the planet. One of the most important factors for getting people on bikes is safe bicycling infrastructure, if not the most important (believe me, I wrote my master’s thesis in city and regional planning on this topic).

Good luck to Bikes Belong and all the cities participating or trying to participate in this program!

Photo of bicyclists on protected bicycle road taken by me (Zachary Shahan) in Groningen, the Netherlands.

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