This month’s favorite ride is a couple of options to get to Phil’s Trailhead. Although we we wish there were a less convoluted route that was safer, we are hopeful we will see that in the future. Read on to find out about a fun summer event in the Bend Central District and some thoughts we have on Bend being a bike town.
Is Bend a Bike Town or a Bike-Rack Town?
A while ago I had an e-mail discussion with a group of bike people about why so few people bike for transportation in Bend. Someone mentioned how many bike-racks, with or without bikes attached, were being hauled around Bend on cars and pick-ups and how few people on bikes were in the bike lanes. This struck a chord with most of us and one person, who still has a memory, pointed us to a couple of articles in The Source Weekly. The idea that bike-rack-numbers overwhelm people-on-bike-numbers is not a new phenomenon in Bend and has been recognized by the astute reporters at The Source for many years. Read on for more:
2015: Bike Town USA: Does Bend deserve the accolades?
2019: If You Build It, Will They Come?
2021: This Is Bike-Rack Town USA. New Efforts Might Make It A Real Bike Town.
2021: Transportation Transformation
We’re seeing lots of construction in town, primarily due to projects that were funded through the $190 million GO Bond passed in 2019. Some of these projects: Wilson Ave, Olney Ave, Butler Market Rd, and the Bend Bikeways include substantial improvements in bike infrastructure. The Hawthorne Overpass will help people walking and biking get over the Bend Parkway and the railroad. But are these projects going far enough to shift our transportation options towards being a true bike town?
This is a story that has been discussed in the news since 2015. Some might argue that after almost a decade, we should be seeing more people on bikes already. Is better infrastructure enough? Maybe something else is needed? Will we still be asking if Bend is a Bike Town or a Bike-Rack Town in 2035?
Our Favorite Routes – Getting to Phil’s Trailhead
Getting to the mountain bike trails can be fun too when you ride to them! For this edition of “Our Favorite Routes” we have written up two different options for getting to Phil’s Trailhead for different sides of town. We hope you enjoy them!
50+ Cycling Survey
Are you 50 years young or more? Do you enjoy the occasional bike ride or even pedal your way through adventures regularly? The 50+ Cycling Survey needs you! Spend just 20 minutes sharing your cycling opinions and insights to help influence the future of biking for older adults.
Your input is valuable even if you have taken the survey in previous years. As you’ve journeyed through another year, your perspective has evolved. Your participation year after year enables us to better understand cycling trends and preferences change over time. Your feedback can help us understand rates of e-bike ownership, motivations for cycling, and more.
Take a moment to reflect on your cycling habits and share your thoughts with us! Click here to take the survey.
BCD Summer Event
Bikey Book Club
Next Meeting: July 22, 6:30pm
The Bikey Book Club met this week to begin discussion of Bicycle/Race: Transportation, Culture, & Resistance by Adonia E. Lugo, PhD. We watched a video interview of the author to better understand why she wrote the book and what she is hoping to accomplish. She expands on what traditional, predominantly White, middle class, bicycle advocates normally consider street safety from just safety from cars to safety from police, harassment, gentrification and other issues surrounding transportation issues. She distinguishes between the needs of people, mostly poor and predominantly Black and Brown who must ride bikes or walk and others who want the choice of riding a bike or living in a walkable community. And she explains why so many people quit riding bikes in favor of driving as soon as they can afford to. The book opened my eyes to some painful truths about our transportation system
At our July 22nd session, we’ll continue discussing this book.
You can contact [email protected] or [email protected] for more information.
Upcoming schedule: Downtown Bend Library, Meyers Room
July 22, 6:30-7:45; Bicycle/Race: Transportation, Culture, & Resistance by Adonia E. Lugo, PhD