Bike Traffic - February 2006

February 2006

Pedaling Influence in the Corridors of Power
A Growing Recognition of Bicycling's Role in Communities

Bicycling has come a long way. When the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation was founded 21 years ago, bicycling’s benefits to communities were not widely recognized. Looking at the support last year for bikes on Metra legislation and for the Bicycle Safety Restoration Act (also known as the Boub bill), there is a sense of widespread acceptance that bicycles are not just toys anymore.

Fortunately for advocates, bicycling issues are not at the mercy of partisan politics.

“Bicycling is definitely a bi-partisan issue,” said State Sen. John Cullerton of Chicago’s North Side. “That’s been born out by the Boub case," he said, referring to the 1998 Illinois Supreme Court ruling in Boub v. Wayne Township that stripped bicyclists of their status as "intended users" of Illinois roads. "We have bi-partisan support for the Boub bill. The challenge is convincing municipalities that this is in their interests.”

Arlington Heights Mayor Arlene Mulder agrees. “It’s like potholes or snow removal. There is no Democratic or Republican way of fixing them – it’s required.”

In describing how they view the benefits of bicycling policies, lawmakers touch on a number of priorities.

Transportation Accessibility

“In addition to the recreational value of bicycling around the lakefront, many of my constituents depend on their bikes for basic transportation,” said Sen. Cullerton. “Lakeview and Lincoln Park are very densely populated. Owning and parking a second car, or even a first car, is not an option.”

Sen. Cullerton joined Rep. Elaine Nekritz in sponsoring the Bicycle Safety Restoration Act (HB4907). “When 49 states have it right, we have to examine why Illinois doesn’t,” Sen. Cullerton said, referring to Illinois’ distinction of denying “intended user” status to bicyclists.

Economic Development, Tourism

In Chicago legislators see bicycling as a valuable part of tourism and, subsequently, economic development. Illinois legislators like State Rep. John Fritchey of Chicago’s North Side recognize that widespread bicycling contributes to calming traffic, creating ideal conditions for tourism. “(Tourism) tends to be a dynamic of a city that is friendly to pedestrians and bicyclists,” Fritchey said.

Besides offering an inspiring (and hassle-free) way to shuttle between neighborhoods, museums, Loop and Lakefront, bicycles are perfectly suited for Chicago’s inviting network of narrow neighborhood streets, noted Ald. Eugene Schulter of Chicago’s North Side 47th Ward.

These tourist-friendly amenities benefit residents, too. “From our neighborhood, we can go all the way up to the botanical gardens, the lagoons and forest preserves,” Schulter said.

The expansion of rental operations at major Lakefront and downtown attractions like Millennium Park indicate a growing demand for bicycling tourism.

And not only does a city’s tax base benefit, residents see an improved quality of life. For example, Millennium Park plays a dual role as a tourist attraction and an incentive for bicycle commuting. “Millennium Park planning would not have included accommodations for bicyclists 20 years ago,” Rep. Fritchey added.

The city isn’t the only place linking bicycles with tax base, property values and quality of life. In the suburbs, leaders like Rep. Nekritz of the Northwest Suburban 57th District are looking for ways to connect their communities to regional bike trails. In Des Plaines, she said, “there’s a gap right now. If this was completed it would take people from Wisconsin to downtown Des Plaines and beyond.”

In the Southland, Mayor Dan Podgorski of Lansing sees a strong link between bicycling and his town’s economic future. Developing Lansing’s abandoned rail corridor as a multi-use trail sat low on Podgorski’s agenda when he took office in 2001. “I just didn’t have the vision of what a trail could do for economic activity,” he admitted. But at the invitation of the Lan-Oak Park District, the mayor and other Lansing officials sat in Southwest Suburban Frankfort’s town square on a cool, cloudy, late October day, and watched more than 30 trail users over the course of an hour pull off the Old Plank Road Trail to shop at adjacent retailers and restaurants.

“It was eye-opening,” Podgorski said, “to see how a trail connecting to downtown compliments merchants and entrepreneurs.” In September the village broke ground for the Pennsy Greenway, which will connect downtown Lansing with Northwest Indiana, the Burnham Greenway, and the Old Plank Road Trail.

A Synergetic Relationship

Officials also see a synergetic relationship between bicycling, healthy streets and, thus, quality of life. The more people bike, the better bicycle accommodations, convenience and safety provisions will become, said Rep. Fritchey.

Hoping to move this process along, Sen. Edward Maloney of Chicago’s South Side introduced the Complete Streets Bill (SB508) last year, which would require bicycle and pedestrian accommodations in all new major state road projects. “Biker safety is important in getting people to bike more frequently,” Sen. Maloney said.

Congestion and Air Quality

More leaders are looking to bicycles to relieve congestion and improve air quality. As a member of the Congressional Bike Caucus, U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (5th District) helped pass U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin’s bill to budget $5.2 million for a pilot program called Conserve By Bike, plus another $20 million in funding for Illinois through Safe Routes to School.

Conserve by Bike will launch 10 pilot programs throughout the U.S. that will use education and marketing to convert car trips to bike trips and document the results. “Reducing air pollution, relieving congestion, improving safety and promoting exercise for commuters is certainly something that is not a Republican or Democratic issue,” Gutierrez said.

Health

“It’s one way to combat the lack of healthy activity in our society,” explained State Rep. Marlow Colvin of Chicago’s South Side, who authored the legislation that pressured Metra last year to permit bicycles aboard its trains permanently. “Bikes on Metra gives people expanded access to trails that they might not otherwise have,” he said. “Any way we can use the law to expand bicycling is a good thing.”

Arlington Heights’ Mayor Mulder pointed out that bicycling knows no age limit. “It’s something everyone can do. We’ve got guys in our community who are 85 or 90 years old and are still doing it.”

New Generation

Lansing’s Mayor Podgorski grew up in his village, and recalls physical activity being built in to his childhood. “My friends and I, we’d get on a bike and be gone all day. We’d bike to Lynwood, Glenwood without batting an eye.” According to Podgorski, that’s an ideal Lansing hopes to recapture with its Pennsy Greenway: a car-free corridor where the bike once again becomes a vehicle for family adventure.

Legislators know that healthy habits start when you’re young, so it’s important to educate children on lifelong activities such as bicycling. State Sen. Iris Martinez (D-Chicago) was a chief sponsor of the bill that establishes the process for spending federal funds for Safe Routes to School, which, Sen. Martinez said, will help children develop healthy habits that will result in a healthier nation come the next generation.

“Right now there’s not enough (physical education) in schools,” Sen. Martinez said. “Safe Routes will help get the state (department of transportation) to come up with creative ways to use federal dollars to get kids on bikes.”

Steve Buchtel, John Greenfield, Emily Kircher and David Callahan contributed to this report