More Americans ride bikes: Cities getting help to develop protected on-street bike paths
A recent headline — Bike use rising among the young, but skyrocketing among the old —caught the eyes of the Movers Jacksonville, Fl. "We've seen an increase in folks taking up riding after not being on a bicycle since childhood," they said.
The headline and article, published by a writer for the Green Lane Project, said that more than a third of the national increase in bicycling came from folks aged 60 to 79, according to analysis of federal data.
Only problem is that many American cities built during the last 60 years don't make it easy to ride bicycles, according to the article.
That's where the Green Lane Project is helping. It helps urban areas introduce protected bike paths.
PeopleForBikes, a nonprofit group that runs the project, provides financial, strategic and technical help in placing new bike paths - protected paths on sides of roads and separated from traffic - within cities that are chosen.
Two years ago six cities were chosen: San Francisco, Chicago, Portland, Memphis, Austin and Washington. In June, another six were chosen. They are: Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Minneapolis, Pittsburg and Seattle. The project is expected to be done within two years.
"That 's great for a lot of people," said the movers Jacksonville, Fl.
Of course, traffic safety and driving courtesy concerns among drivers and riders will arise, such as the one posed in a recent AAA publication. A motorist asks: Why do I see the pavement painted green?
The traffic safety expert replies: green pavement may be used within a bicycle lane or within an extension of a bicycle lane to bring more attention to it and to alert motorists of possible conflicts on the road.
It's important to observe road rules, said the movers Jacksonville, Fl.
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