Ways to Get Your City to Become Bike Friendly

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The top bike friendly cities in the US are Minneapolis, Portland, Boulder, Seattle, Eugene, and San Francisco, just to name a few. Here you can enjoy cycling without worrying about accidents or legal issues. Did your city make the list? What makes cities and areas bicycle-friendly mostly depends on their infrastructure. If your city’s infrastructure does not support cyclists, there are many ways in which you can help make efforts to restructure it. Here is how you can join the movement.

Speed limits

This is one simple way of moving toward a bicycle-friendly environment. The speed limits on streets where there are residential apartments should be reduced. Slow moving vehicles can maintain the safety and security of the cyclists. Cyclists would feel safer while maneuvering through the road. However, there are certain roads where the speed of the vehicles could not be controlled. It would be better for the cyclists to avoid the roads where the speed limits could not be controlled over a certain limit, as this can increase distracted driver accidents. It would be helpful to have a map or guide noting safe streets for cyclists, as well as dangerous areas to avoid.

Road conditions

There are certain improvements and adjustments that could be done in order to improve the conditions and safety of the roads to accommodate cyclists. It is important to make all the parts of a city accessible to the non-motorized transport modes. To do that, improvement and extension of network connectivity to different parts of the city is important. There should be designated bicycle lanes around the city. Traffic signs need to be placed in a clear and visible manner so that it is easy for cyclists to cross roads and junctions.

Bike Rental

Availability of bike rental facilities for public transport is vital to make a city bicycle-friendly. There should also be proper parking facilities and repair shops. Electric bikes are also an affordable option that people should have access to, especially for those without cars. Cities could provide required information on the ways to use these methods of transport, provide charging points, and special incentives to make sure these options are taken advantage of.

In addition, training courses to bicycle enthusiasts on safe cycling throughout the city would be very helpful. These should traffic rules and roads that one should and should not take. Hosting bike-friendly events, especially those focused on sharing the road, would definitely be a push in the right direction.

What else can be done?

According to Civitas, a European initiative that supports implementation of sustainable and green transport policy, when you are planning to make a city bicycle-friendly, you must gather support. You must seek out companies that might also be interested in making the city bicycle-friendly. There are businesses and NGO’s who have a vested interest in helping to turn cities bike-friendly. These organizations might be willing to donate to your cause, or provide support and guidance in the matter. These efforts combined can help in making a city bicycle-friendly. Remember by supporting cycling, you are contributing to a cleaner environment and a healthier community.

Nik Donovic (37 Posts)

Nik Donovic believes that what may be good for business today may negatively impact the environment tomorrow. He believes it's time to stop being selfish with the environment and start being sustainable.