Bike to a Better Tacoma, Looking Ahead to a Greener Future
We’d like to welcome Tommy Stone to the writing team at Exit133. Tommy is a current student at the University of Puget Sound. Please welcome his voice and perspective to our community conversation.
In addition to the slew of other Bike Month events, beginning with the Bike Swap at the University of Puget Sound in late April, Bike to a Better Tacoma will take place today as City staff members meet with local bicyclists from the Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Committee to discuss the possibilities for a more bike-friendly future.
The event will run today from 4:30 to 6:30 at the Hub, where free pizza and valet bike parking will be offered to its attendees.
The League of American Bicyclists has named Tacoma as a Bike Friendly Community at the bronze level, joining only 214 other communities and 47 states in such a recognition.
By installing 96 on-street bike racks and fulfilling other remarkable efforts to support biking in Tacoma, it might seem that conditions will inevitably improve as Tacoma officials perform their duties according to the city’s new title.
However, as an avid bicyclist myself, I can vouch for the community’s need for more aggressive efforts so that bicyclists can more easily share the road with motorists.
More often than not, my bike route to work is devoid of any semblance of a bike lane and consequently, I am forced to ride over potholed roads with hurried, commuting motorists surrounding me the entire way.
To continue living up to its new title, Tacoma needs reform at a more foundational level, beginning with its roads.
For many, bicycling is more than a hobby but a way of life, even a conviction.
Doubtless, today’s dialogue will spark an ongoing attempt to compromise between bicyclists’ commitment to their activity and Tacoma officials’ commitment to supporting the entire population.
Thus, although improvements have been made, is Tacoma truly a Bike Friendly Community or is the title misplaced?
DETAILS
Bike to a Better Tacoma
Hub – 203 Tacoma Ave. South
Thursday, May 24, 2012 – 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm
Filed under: Transportation, Biking, Events
9 comments
C Cory May 24, 2012
Tommy, completely agree with you about the lack of facilities and bad roads. I’ve been biking daily for 8 years and haven’t had any changes made to the route I take, the roads have only gotten worse (Yakima Ave. going in to Stadium district.) I can’t imagine how Tacoma got this bronze level bike community award. I personally avoid streets with bike lanes though and I think there must be some better solution, I found that I was in more danger of being doored on the Union and Stevens bike lanes than any other place. People seem to view it as their own personal door opening zone and they don’t bother looking to see if anybody is coming. I would vote for making more side streets into what I think are called bikeways, and not putting efforts into adding more bike lanes to busy streets. I can’t go tonight, but would you pass on my comment if you get a chance?
D Dave May 24, 2012
Tacoma is already “blessed” with many wide roads and boulevards. Dedicated bike lanes are unnecessary and unwanted around most parts of town. At least by this cyclist!
T tacoma_1 May 25, 2012
Hardcore cyclists may not feel the need for bike boulevards, but a bike boulevard would definitely attract more casual bicyclists. Parents with kids, novice riders that don’t feel comfortable jousting with cars while riding, boomers that haven’t ridden for decades, etc.
A quick trip to the store shouldn’t make one feel like they are putting their life at risk. IMHO.
T talus May 25, 2012
I agree with Tacoma1 — on my usual routes, Pacific Ave (downtown), 6th Ave, and Division suck and badly need improvements to be safe for bikes. Even sticking mostly to side streets and riding for a couple of blocks on those streets can be scary, and there aren’t a lot of good alternatives to certain blocks of Division and Pacific. Bikes shouldn’t relegated to searching for out of the way routes for safety’s sake. And while we’re at it, how about some crosswalks at major intersections like Division and I Street? I won’t vote for the street repair levy (if the city acts fast enough to actually get it on the November ballot) unless it has a lot in there for pedestrians and bikes as well as cars — without better infrastructure for non-motorized folks, potholes are the only thing that keeps people paying attention and driving at reasonable speeds.
A AreteTacoma May 25, 2012
Bike boulevards are great for kids and casual cyclists and I support them as a means of expanding the number of people willing to bike in this city, but some arterial facilities are needed for hardcore cyclists and commuters. If you are not on an arterial with stop lights, good luck crossing 19th St, or Pac Ave. at peak commuting time. Large arterials are the only roads that cross SR16 and I5. Though the north end is relatively bikeable, good luck getting to the east side or South Tacoma, or especially the Mall without using some very high traffic arterials. In my opinion this isn’t an either, or question. It is a question of how to strike a balance between both boulevards and arterial bike facilities while also adding miles of mixed use non-motorized trails with the limited resources available.
J JJ May 25, 2012
Don’t worry too much eventually 20 or 30 years from now there will be little motor vehicle traffic due to Post Peak Oil.
The main roads will mostly be cleared for use for cycling,EPAMD’s,other human powered vehicles or even horses without nuisance motor vehicles or their aggressive drivers.
T talus May 25, 2012
If we’re going to entertain semi-apocalyptic scenarios, as water disappears in the southwest U.S., people will move to the relatively wet Puget Sound area in droves. So our roads may well be fuller with cars (maybe electric ones or some other technology) than they are now even if all the oil is gone. We’ll still need to make more room for bikes. Even now, Tacoma has relatively uncrowded streets, but they’re so poorly designed that I feel as safe or safer riding down 2nd Ave in downtown Seattle than I do at the intersection of Division and Tacoma Ave. or 21st and Pacific.
J JJ May 25, 2012
It’s going to be fun seeing the future police arrive on bikes in the future (without patrol cars) on dispatch or patrol.They will have to have bike trailer paddy wagons too.
M Matt in Tacoma May 26, 2012
I helped 2nd Cycle with the bike valet at this event. We had over 50 riders attend, plus another 10 kids that arrived with parents either in trailers or on cargobikes.
https://twitter.com/2ndCycleTacoma/status/205813781161459713/photo/1
Ridership in Tacoma is certainly on the rise and events like these help to show that bikes are an integral part of our community’s transportation network. Stay positive and keep riding!