Newspaper Page Text
On Apr. 15. the Athens Banner-Herald printed
an editorial statinq that “bicycles cannot—in
fact should not—be considered a viable form of
alternative transportation.* The crux of the argu
ment was weather. The author claims that the
weather here in our fair city is not conducive to
biking because there are days when it dips below
freezing or rises above 90 degrees. And sometimes
it rains. Thus, for at least the equivalent of one
month, weather conditions make it “impossible*
or “impossibly uncomfortable* to use a bicycle.
Reading this, I couldn't quite decide whether to
laugh at the ludicrous argument or weep for the
sentiment it conveys. So I decided to write an
article instead.
I know a number of bike commuters who will
ride in the conditions described as “impossible.*
Wind, rain, heat and cold are not obstacles to
these die-hard cyclists. They dress appropriately for
the conditions and still manage to show up for
their jobs on time, looking professional For these
people, the weather argument falls completely flat
I count myself among the fair-weather
cyclists. I freely admit it—I am a wimp about the
cold, and avoid riding in the rain. I am sure there
are many, many others like me out there. But this
is no justification for claiming that bicycles are
not a viable form of transportation. Why should
there be a criterion of 100 percent use for a mode
cf transportation to be considered viable? I use
my bike several times a week between the months
of March and October, and it gets far more use as
a commuting vehicle than as a form of recreation.
If we used the criterion of 100 percent use for
public spending on projects such as parks,
schools and other public facilities, nothing would
ever get funded.
The author of the ABH editorial claims that
there is 'scant evidence people are using bicycles
for anything other than recreational purposes;*
therefore transportation dollars should not be
spent on bike infrastructure. The author goes so
for as to say that if bike advocates were 'truly
committed* to commuting by bicycle, then they
should be “willing to use them with or without an
accommodating infrastructure.* Now this is an
interesting argument Imagine, instead, that we
have an infrastructure based on bicycles and
pedestrians instead of cars. Imagine that the few
roads that do accommodate cars are unpaved,
have little connectivity, and frequently require
long circuitous routes for commuters to get where
they need to go. Imagine that there is no parking
available once drivers reach their destinations.
■m
What if we told drivers that if they are “truly com
mitted* to commuting by automobile, then they
should be “willing to use them with or without an
accommodating infrastructure?*
Our transportation infrastructure promotes
automobiles above all else. Current use of alterna
tive transportation options does not reflect the
level of usage that would be achieved if our infra
structure were more balanced, with more real
choices. In 2003, MACORTS (the regional trans
portation planning body for Athens-Clarke,
Madison and Oconee counties) solicited public
input on the Long Range Transportation Plan.
They received comments from 377 individuals,
which is a phenomenal number for this type of
survey. Over 90 percent of respondents expressed
a desire for improvements in pedestrian, bike and/
or transit facilities. These comments came from a
diverse public, not some 'fringe group’ of active
alt-trans advocates. Less than 15 percent of all
comments came from BikeAthens members.
Bike facilities require a relatively small invest
ment of public funds.
In general bike lanes
in Athens are added
when roads are due for
repaving/ restnping
anyway, thus incurring
minimal additional
costs. It is also impor
tant to note that four-
lane roads are not con
verted to three lanes to
accommodate bikes, but
to calm traffic and make
the roads safer for
motorists. Bike lanes on
such roads are just an
added bonus. Property
tax dollars dedicated tc
bicycle infrastructure in
the FY '06 draft budget
represent only about
0.1 percent of the
overall ACC budget of
approximately S138 M.
Annually, that cost is
less tl*an $1.50 per
individual ACC taxpayer.
Bike infrastructure
is not a luxury that
benefits only a small
select segment of
society. Bike-friendly neighborhoods are pedes
trian-friendly neighborhoods. Bike lanes provide
an extra margin of comfort for pedestrians by
acting as a buffer zone between cars and side
walks. Bike commuters also help alleviate traffic
congestion for those who prefer to drive, and do
their part to reduce consumption of fossil fuels
and improve the quality of the air that everyone
has to breathe.
BikeAthens will hold its first Courteous Mass of
the year at 6 p.m. on Friday, Apr. 29. This is d\
monthly, casual-pace bike ride of 5-6 miles «
around town. It is intended to demonstrate sub
port for better bike facilities and safer traffic con
ditions. It is also a great opportunity for less- 1
experienced cyclists to try riding on the streets,*
as well as being a fun social event This year,
most rides will start from City HalL However, the
Apr. 29 ride will start at the Athens Banner-Herald
building at the comer of Broad and Thomas
streets. This will serve as a highly-visible, polite
negation of the recent anti-bike editorial The
BikeAthens website (www.bikeathens.com) pro
vides more information on the ride. We urge
everyone who believes in a balanced transporta
tion policy to join us.
Kirsten Hazier
Kirsten Hazier is a board member with Bike
Athens and a Ph.D. student in the UGA School of
Forestry.
Mark Dodson rides on Baxter SL
'Drink SnectaCs
$1.00 SKooters
. $1.00 Off All Drinks
ATHENS ONLY
MICRCBREWERY
S40 E. WASHINGTON ST. • ATHENS • 546-1102
and a lot of fun!
.Cups Coffee Cafe'
1 l) l I Barnett Shoals R‘d
4ircvn \crcs Shopping Or
Yes , we’re on the
Eastside
where friends will gather
and groups can meet.
Coffee and Tea
Zims Bagels
Big City Muffins and Scones
Cakes by Cecilia
Marti’s Salad Cups
Lattes and Mochas
Milkshakes
T-Ligbt Race
Specials
3. 50 Bloody Mary’s
'inks
ljo Coors Light
l. 00 Champagne
I. 00 Mimosas
APRIL 27, 2005 • FUGPOLE.COM 11