{news} article on Connecticut Bicycle Coalition revival

[David Bedell]

http://fairfieldweekly.com/gbase/News/content?oid=oid:147551

Peddle Power
Cycling advocates want to see more bike-friendly roads for commuters and 
cyclists

by Starre Vartan - March 16, 2006
Feature

It may seem unlikely, but spring will be here in just a few short weeks, and 
that means you’ll be able to get outside in the fresh air, smell the salty 
sound and feel the sun warming your limbs. Sounds pretty great, right? If 
you’re a member of a local cycling or hiking group, or just into enjoying 
the natural beauty of the local area on your own, you may want to get your 
gear tuned up, dusted off (and mud-proofed). Now’s the time to get prepared 
for those first days of spring so you don’t miss them—though some people 
have been planning for it for months.

A group of avid local cyclists hasn't forgotten the joys of exercising 
outside (and indeed some group ride regularly during the chillingly cold and 
short days of winter). They've met throughout the winter and are ready to 
reorganize the disbanded, but not dissolved, Connecticut Bicycle Coalition 
(CBC).

"Connecticut doesn't have a statewide bicycle advocacy group, and we need 
one," says Ray Routh, a likely board member of the new CBC. "We want to 
promote the idea of 'complete streets' with access for cyclists and 
pedestrians. Right now, it's only automobiles that are considered in 
planning and new construction."

The future CBC members and organizers all love to ride and have first-hand 
knowledge of how difficult it can be to get around Fairfield County and 
other parts of the state. They say they know exactly what local bike riders 
need: more bike-friendly roads for the commuters and road cyclists, and 
increased access to off-road areas for mountain bikers.

Jeremy Burcham, co-owner and manager of the new Fairfield bike shop, 
Breaking Away Cycles, hosted the meeting, and says both advocacy and 
education are the keys to successful sharing of the road. "If you add bike 
lanes to a road, it not only makes it safer for cyclists, it also makes 
people aware that you can ride your bike in the area, and maybe will even 
give them the idea to ride themselves," says Burcham. "People need to 
realize that it's an option--a safe option."

While there are bike-riding social groups, whose members get together to 
ride for fun and charity, (Sound Cyclists, Yankee Peddlers and Pequot 
Cyclists to name a few), there hasn't been an organization advocating 
locally or at the state level for weekend riders, the kid who rides her bike 
to school, or the guy who rides his bike to catch the train to work.

"Cyclist advocacy is especially important in an area that's dominated by 
commuters. If it's safe and there's education about it, more people will 
accept bikes as a viable source of transportation and fitness," Burcham 
explains.Many people are intimidated by riding on the road, but this is a 
perception that can be changed with the right tweaks to driving habits and 
smart road modifications, Burcham adds.

"Every citizen who lives south of the Merritt in Fairfield County is within 
four miles of a train station," notes Rick Laurie, the outgoing president of 
the CBC. That means, given some encouragement, commuters could be convinced 
to ride their bike to the train; four miles would take a moderate to slow 
rider less than a half an hour. Unfortunately, most stations don't have bike 
racks or a place to safely lock one's bike to.

Accommodations for bikes on Metro North and buses is important for 
intermodality, the idea that in order to reduce traffic, you need to have 
multiple, interlocking transportation options. (Taking the train to a 
commuter shuttle is another example.) This is the kind of work the CBC hopes 
to be involved with in the future. Laurie said that already, many buses are 
bike-friendly (they are built with special racks to hold the bikes on the 
outside) and that in the future all buses will be able to carry bikes.

Tracy Bloom, who owns Weston Massage and Fitness, has more than just bikers 
in mind when she talks about making a change. "My interest is in both 
bicycle and pedestrian safety. There's people out there on the roads biking, 
but also jogging, walking with their dogs and strollers, and there's just 
not enough enforcement of the existing laws to keep them all safe. I want to 
bridge the knowledge gap between drivers, pedestrians and cyclists."

Bridging the gap means more people need to know how to share the road. 
"Right now, both people on bikes and in cars don't always know the rules of 
the road; for example, many people don't know that bikes have the same 
rights to the road as cars do," Ray Routh notes. Since most people drive, 
even if they also use the roads for walking and cycling, educating drivers 
is imperative. "We have to look at it from a driver's perspective," says 
Routh.

For more information about the CBC, go to www.ctbike.org