Interestingly, I twice unsuccessfully tried to comment on this very positive development reported today in Bflo News
My "censored"(?) comments
Original article:Tireless biking advocate Justin Booth deserves much of the credit for 'growing' a biking culture in Bflo.
I regularly biked downtown in Bflo when it was decidedly 'uncool'. I now live in Mpls, "#2 most bike-friendly US city" & have a daughter in Portland (OR), which is '#1'. An important bike-friendly feature in both Mpls & Portland is bike racks on all buses, which greatly enhance options for those tentatively beginning to rely on bikes for business or pleasure.
Especially in 'northern' cities the likes of Bflo & Mpls, having a 'back-up plan' of a bus, should weather change for the worse during a day of work, is invaluable.
Getting bike racks on more Bflo buses is very important. Promotion of biking in Bflo, a city struggling against deep poverty, is also especially important to increase inclusion of the poor in both the economy & the civic fabric. Sadly, many low income folks resist biking because it is too often viewed as an admission of poverty.
Recruiting minority & low income community leaders to bike themselves & promote it as healthy, cheap, & "cool" could advance biking in Bflo to even higher & more significant levels.
http://www.buffalonews.com/city/colu...icle216939.ece
Bicycling is on a roll in Buffalo
By Denise Jewell Gee News Columnist Published:October 11, 2010, 12:00 AM Updated: 7:07 AM
A move to Buffalo five years ago meant a dramatic change for Jacob Casella. It wasn’t the snow or the forlorn sense that every sports championship would end in disaster. It was something much greener.
Casella sold his car, bought a bike and never looked back on his driving days in Mansfield, Pa. Casella, now 27, has seen biking “skyrocket” on city streets since then. Not a month went by last year that he didn’t ride his bike. He pedals to work and has invested more in his latest set of wheels than the Plymouth Volare he bought as his first car.
Buffalo cyclists like Casella are putting the city toward the front of a nation-wide trend. You might have had a sense biking was catching on if you saw dozens of cyclists pedaling together in Allentown during the loosely organized Sunday Night Bike Ride. Or maybe you noticed the blue metal bike racks that have popped up on city sidewalks.
The numbers back up signs that cycling is growing in Buffalo. The percentage of commuters using bikes in Buffalo to get to work has more than doubled in the last nine years, according to recently released data from the U. S. Census Bureau analyzed by the League of American Bicyclists. The league ranked the country’s 70 largest cities by their bicycle commuting rates. Buffalo, the smallest city on the list, ranked No. 20.
A higher percentage of commuters reported biking to work in Buffalo than in warmer climates in Phoenix, San Jose, Calif., and Austin, Texas.
This statistic should give Buffalo pride. And nobody should be prouder than those with their feet on the pedals. They’re not just talking the environmental talk. They’re taking steps to change the way they live—and showing it off.
Chelsea Watson, 18, travels everywhere on a purple single-speed bike. She doesn’t want the hassle of buying car insurance or paying for gas. But there’s more to this movement than simply saving money. It’s the eco-friendly version of tricking out a car with new rims. “It’s like a status symbol to have a nice bike and to be seen riding your bike all the time,” Watson said.
Sam McMillan, a 20-year-old Buffalo resident, uses his car only for long trips and the snowiest of days. The rest of the time he pedals around on one of four bikes he owns. It’s the ultimate accessory for the eco-chic. “It’s like an article of clothing that just happens to have two wheels,” Mc- Millan said.
Urban cyclists pinpointed a variety of reasons for the growing interest: The city’s relatively small geographic size and flat terrain make for easy biking. It’s cheaper than driving, and more people are concerned about their impact on the world.
Buffalo has taken steps to nurture the trend. Through a partnership between the city and Green Options Buffalo, dozens of blue bike racks have been placed throughout Buffalo, and more are on their way. In 2008, Buffalo was the first city in the state to pass “complete streets” legislation to emphasize road design that keeps all commuters—including bicyclists—in mind. “That’s a pretty huge step because there are still a lot of cities in the country that haven’t passed it,” said Ethan Johnson, co-owner of Campus WheelWorks on Elmwood Avenue. “For Buffalo to be ahead of them isn’t where we usually are.”
More can be done to keep Buffalo in the forefront of this green evolution, and ensuring that redesigned roads incorporate features such as bike lanes is an important next step. But some of the simplest steps start with drivers: Watch out for bikers as you swing open your door, and be sure to share the road.
It’s a chance for Buffalo to ride at the head of the pack.
djgee@buffnews.comnull
Excellent article, It's nice to see that bicycling is on a rise in the area. I personally put 1,000+ miles a year on my bike but find that Buffalo and the surrounding suburbs are not too "bike friendly" Sometimes it's the drivers but mostly It's the streets. I tried to commute from Lancaster to East Aurora a few times but gave up... there is simply no shoulder on the north/south roads to give a cyclist enough room. not to mention the drivers balancing those steaming hot cups of Tim Hortons coffee while trying to get to work.Originally Posted by kernwatch
I also ride from lancaster to Grand Island in the summer and find that I add quite a few miles to the trip figuring a way to stay on the bike friendly streets and paths. Regardless, It's something that I won't soon give up.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote