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Safe Streets -- Why the Bike Master PlanBy Chris GilliganFor seven
years I rode my bike to work because my family had only one car, because parking cost
$30.00 per month, because downtown traffic was congested – but mostly because it was
fun. With two preschoolers taking up most of my free time I didn't have the chance to ride
as much as during my college days. Biking to work made me healthier and happier, and it
was a mini adventure every day. And when “streetscaping” closed many downtown
intersections, traffic moved so slowly that I could actually get to work much quicker on
my bike than I could drive a car. Later, the
Walnut Street Bridge was refurbished for bike and pedestrian traffic, and I had a
beautiful, safe route across the river. Seeing the mist on the river on a cold morning, or
watching the sun set over Elder Mountain in the evening, gave me a sense of relaxation
that I never experienced during a car commute. From that
small start, riding three miles to work and three miles back, I have progressed to
100-mile road rides and mountain bike endurance races. Biking is not
for everyone, I know. But it can be a good transportation option for folks who live close
to where they work. It's also great for students, even the younger kids. I've heard one
mother say that, after her kids started riding their bikes to school, she had so much free
time she didn't know what to do with it – so she dusted off her own bike and started
riding again. She lost weight, had more energy, and was happier. That mom is
from a Nashville suburb, where her community has bike routes linking neighborhoods to
schools, shopping centers, and recreation facilities. We have one
approved city project that was designed by and for cyclists: a route from North
Chattanooga to St Elmo, the North-South
Corridor. It would connect the Walnut Street Bridge and
Riverwalk to the Incline Railway and Lookout Mountain -- giving tourists, commuters,
students and recreational riders a safe, quick, fun path through the central city. Since
October, 2001, four citizens’ advisory groups from Hamilton County and north Georgia
have been working to build a master plan for bicycling. Some of us are doing this because
we love to bike, and we think our neighbors would get out and ride their bikes more often
if we had better, safer routes, streets and facilities. This plan is part of a larger plan
for all surface transportation — cars, railroads, buses, highways, parking, streets,
intersections, enhanced parkways, etc. The Regional
Planning Agency and their transportation consultants and engineers have assessed hundreds
of miles of roads and intersections. Their plan identifies the best options for bike
lanes, routes, and multi-use paths. In April we’ll unveil the plan, and
municipalities in our area will have the chance to adopt it as part of their overall
transportation strategy. We drafted a
master plan for bicycle transportation because, if it's a good one that represents the
needs and desires of our community, we can get our fair share of federal and state
transportation money. Not just for bikes and bike lanes, but for our roads, highways,
buses, trains, trucks, cars and strollers. If we don't
have a coherent plan, we'll miss out on those federal dollars. The feds
require that we plan alternate transportation systems in order to get funding for streets
and highways. If we don't plan and implement functional alternate systems, they'll hold back
money that could be spent on state highways, interstates, intersections, etc. Spending
money on bike lanes and public transportation will
not take money away from projects that benefit automobile
drivers. In fact, having a rational, citizen-supported, economical plan for getting people
to and from work, home, shopping and recreation will get us more funding for all types of
transportation facilities. We need safe,
marked bicycle routes through the city in all directions. This would allow folks to
commute from outlying areas, and give long-range tourists a route through the city.
Currently there are no good routes, and certainly none that are marked. Also, many of the
routes that are good for cyclists have certain sections that make them dangerous. Routes and
lanes should also connect our neighborhoods to schools, shopping centers, and recreation
facilities. However, bikes should not be limited to specific lanes and paths. All road
maintenance and construction should consider users other than just autos, especially in
the central city. Roads should
be maintained for auto and bike traffic with good drainage, reasonably smooth surfaces,
predictable transitions to gutters, and storm drains that do not catch skinny tires. Road
lanes should have shoulders, or be wide enough for autos to safely pass bikes. We estimate
over 5000 bicycles are sold in Chattanooga every year. Why aren’t they on the road?
Most folks tell us they take their bikes to Chickamauga Battlefield or the Riverwalk
because they are afraid to ride in traffic. I'll admit, it is pretty scary to mix it up
with cars on the road. I got used to it, but I won’t fool myself into thinking that
everyone is going to start commuting 30 miles, round trip.
Chris However, we
all have to start somewhere. In Chattanooga, we have gotten started, but we have to keep
pedaling to help make our city a better place to ride our bikes.
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