Crosstown on a Bike Path
Whether you ride for pleasure or for fitness, to commute or to compete you can certainly agree that bicycling is not only good for you but it’s good for the community and its good for the environment. We’ve been seeing more and more people on bikes in recent years but as our community of cyclists grows, our cycling infrastructure needs to grow with it. Several cities have done a great job with adding new bike lanes but as you may have heard, there has also been a fair amount of opposition to bike lanes in some major US cities. In the car-centric culture we live in, it seems many motorists cannot imagine why we would spend any time or public funding to make a roadway safe for all of its users.
OK, enough with the ranting. How about doing something about it? Well, every six years the federal government allocates billions of dollars to expand and improve our country’s transportation infrastructure. It’s our job to let them know we want investments in bicycle facilities and programs. This is where PeopleForBikes.org steps in. People For Bikes is a movement started by the great folks at the Bikes Belong Foundation. Bikes Belong is a national non-profit focused on bicycle safety and working to put more people on bikes. Their People For Bikes campaign goes one step further by getting all of us involved. By gathering 1 million names of support, People For Bikes can represent us with one powerful voice to urge US Senators and Congressmen to make investments in creating bicycle friendly communities.
PeopleForBikes.org has a vision of a place where “every bike lane leads to the next. Where trails, bridges and underpasses lead safely to exactly where you want to go. And regardless of your bicycling experience and fitness, you can pedal smoothly across the street, across town, or even across the country.” At Montague Bikes we share this vision and believe that it is possible if we can come together and show our support of cycling.
If you enjoy riding your bicycle and you haven’t yet shown your support for this great cause, head over to the People For Bikes web site and SIGN THE PLEDGE!
In addition to signing the pledge, there are plenty of other things you can do to help out the People For Bikes campaign. You can tell your friends, send a letter to your state representative or even make a donation to help support their efforts. The only way we can improve our bicycle infrastructure and make our communities safer and more convenient for cyclists of all ages and abilities is if we ask for it. No one else is going to fight for us. We need to stand up and make this world a better place to ride.
Even if you’re reading from another country, don’t hesitate to contact your local officials and voice your support for bicycling in your area. We all want the world to be a better place to ride our Montague Bikes.
