“Eugene’s reputation in the bicycling world has slipped. The percentage of local trips made by bicycle slowly has declined, and there have been few major, eye-catching bike improvements in recent years…”
–Sue Wolling, Eugene Bike Coalition
The City of Eugene Transportation Department is kicking of their new strategic pedestrian and bicycle planning process by hosting a Walking and Biking Summit on Saturday (10/7).
City planners hope to rally the troops and boost the bikey morale with the half-day summit. Similar to the Portland Bike Summit held earlier this year, workshops are planned on topics including bike tourism, industry, sharing the road and how to be an effective advocate.
Despite their bikey reputation, Eugene is currently ranked only as a Silver-level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists. According to Sue Wolling of the Eugene Bike Coalition, they can do better.
In an op-ed published Monday in the Register Guard she wrote:
Eugene is known around the world as a city for bicycling. Many people who live or visit here are attracted for reasons related to bicycling.
But Eugene’s reputation in the bicycling world has slipped. The percentage of local trips made by bicycle slowly has declined, and there have been few major, eye-catching bike improvements in recent years. The League of American Bicyclists recently granted its gold medal for bike-friendly cities to Corvallis and Portland; Eugene received only a silver award. Eugene belongs at the top of the list of bike-friendly cities.
The environment for bicycling also has changed a great deal. Traffic has increased significantly, and some motorists are not accustomed to sharing the road with bicycles.”
bike bridge]
Back in July, I joined the BTA crew and two of Eugene’s transportation planners for a tour of their bike facilities. I liked what I saw, but I think what Eugene is sorely missing is a vocal and active bicycle community. This summit is a great way to light that fire and get folks excited.
You can register for Eugene Walking and Biking Summit online or by calling (541) 346-3889 (registration is encouraged but not required). David Roth is the man to get in touch with for more information. You can call him at (541) 682-5727 or email david.f.roth at ci.eugene.or.us .