Bentonville On Road To 'Bike Community'
Enthusiasts Working To Make Room For Bicycling
Last updated Wednesday, May 28, 2008 10:02 PM CDT in News
By Richard Dean Prudenti
The Morning News
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BENTONVILLE - Do something for bikes. That's the call of bicyclists pedaling ahead on a campaign to make Bentonville the next "Bike Friendly Community."
Tim Robinson of the Phat Tire Bike Shop in downtown Bentonville said he and other bicycle enthusiasts have met with city leaders to see what can be done so bike riding can be a safe and legitimate mode of transportation for the populace.
"Let's increase the mileage we have and make our arterials more efficient," Robinson said.
City leaders have been wanting to put up "bike signs," but haven't known where to place them, Robinson said to a crowd of about 30 residents who met at Compton Gardens to talk over the possibilities Thursday.
Robinson hopes in the next 30 days to have worked with city leaders to form a list of streets and corridors that would be safe for riding bikes - "to put up some of those signs, to stamp some of those areas and show where the bike corridors are," he said.
This meeting could be the beginning of the road leading toward Bentonville becoming a "Bicycle Friendly Community" - a title the city can earn from the national agency League of American Bicyclists for efforts including engineering good bikeways (on-street and off-road) and educating the public on proper bike use.
Robinson introduced Andy Clarke, the executive director for League of American Bicyclists.
"It is up to you in this room tonight to make sure Bentonville is a great place to ride a bike. It's up to you because you showed up to make it bike-friendly. Do something for bikes," Clarke said.
Clarke outlined how the national "Bicycle Friendly Community" program works and what people can do to encourage city leaders to turn Bentonville into a bike community.
This will require a change of thinking as well as building (or restriping) roads.
What people want most is knowing the roads are safe for bikes. So that "something" to do could include making phone calls to city leaders to make sure this occurs, and meanwhile bicycle riders can get on the wheels more often to become visible, active and enjoy the ride on local roads.
"We do love our cars," Clarke said, speaking on behalf of the country.
However, since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center, 265,000 people have been killed in traffic accidents in the United States, Clarke said.
"Why do we let that happen? Because we can't imagine life without a car. If we give people a real choice, we will have a new love affair," he said.
Clarke said bike routes makes more sense than ever considering escalating gasoline prices, people's need for more healthful living and desire to enjoy life. "Trails serve multiple objectives - transportation, recreation, climate protection, habitat preservation, air quality ..." he said.
"Take advantage of this moment ... There truly can't have been a better time to do this - to get communities to be more bicycle-friendly," he said.
MORE INFORMATION
'Bike Friendly' Push
For information on how to encourage Bentonville to become a "Bike Friendly Community," go to Phat Tire Bike Shop, 106 E. Central Ave., in downtown Bentonville, or ask questions at info@phattirebicycles.com.
Source: Staff Report
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