Do we need to do more for bicyclists?

That’s a question I posed to myself after having this story pointed out to me earlier this week about Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood’s efforts to put cyclists’ interests in the spotlight:

“Continuing his very public campaign to encourage urban biking as an alternative to automotive transportation, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood biked to work on Monday morning.Donning a helmet and sporting trendy Nike sneakers, LaHood pedaled the roughly 1.5 miles from the Washington Monument to the Department of Transportation’s headquarters in southeast Washington D.C.

…{snip} …

LaHood’s promotion of urban bike riding and bike lane construction have become increasingly recognizable elements of his transportation agenda. The Secretary delivered a much-discussed speech, from atop a desk in the Senate Dirksen building, to the National Bike Summit during its closing ceremony. He’s taken to his blog to announce a “sea change” in departmental focus, away from “favoring motorized transportation at the expense of nonmotorized.”

…{snip}…

“At a time of record high gas prices, the ride will highlight DOT’s commitment to providing Americans with convenient, affordable, and healthy transportation options,” read a statement the department released prior to Monday’s bike ride

After looking at those two pieces, what say you? Even with some of the limitations we have with our main arterial roads, should Peoria be looking into more ways to make this a bike-friendly community? Are you pondering using your bike more, between good weather and high gas prices, to get from Point A to Point B, at least if those two points are close enough to each other that a car isn’t, strictly speaking, a necessity?

One thought on “Do we need to do more for bicyclists?”

It’s not just bicyclists. We need to have ‘complete streets’ that accommodate all users — pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, and motorists. We need to think holistically about transportation needs.