The West Side

This originally appeared in the INDYCOG newsletter.  Get involved with bike advocacy, join INDYCOG! I wasn't there when it was born. I didn't see its first step or hear it first speak. But this week, I think I saw bike advocacy grow up. I attended my first National Bike Summit last year. It was contentious. We were fighting to keep the dedicated funding that others had worked so hard to attain. We were greeted with polite nods, and a sometimes dismissive attitude. One representative refused to see us. This year, we not only met with staff, but with members themselves. They were interested, engaged and (do I dare to say?) supportive. What a difference a year makes. Now, it could be that we weren't asking for funding like we were last year. I'm sure that's part of it. But I heard the word "tipping point" several times. Legislators are seeing the success cities like Indianapolis are having. Good politicians are nothing if not ...

I decided to try out the "new" bike lanes on Lafayette Rd. on Saturday.  Specifically I wanted to ride up to 71st St. and see the progress on the Eagle Creek Greenway. The first thing I noticed was the fresh strips of green paint.  This marks the areas of the bike lane where cars can cross.  This will, hopefully, make the lanes easier for motorists to understand.  They really stand out. When I reached 71st St., I made a right turn on to the greenway.  What a nice addition to the Eagle Creek area.  At this point, it doesn't go that far.  When it's finished I'm told we will be able to ride from the park all the way to the Monon using a combination of greenway, and bike lanes.  It will be great to finally be able to cross town on a bicycle using dedicated bike ways. Oh, the places we will go! Ride on.

So, I'm finally getting around to writing about my experience at the National Bike Summit.  A bit late, but it's given me some time to reflect on the experience.  After all, it's on thing to visit the Capitol, and it's quite another to be inside the Capitol lobbying our Representatives (staff actually, but you get the point).  It's kind of overwhelming.  The National Bike Summit is organized by the League of American Bicyclists , the oldest cycling advocacy group in the country.  Over 800 people attended the event, and all but one state (Alaska) was represented.  Over a dozen of us from Indiana took time out of our schedules to stand up for cycling.  I traveled with 3 other members of INDYCOG , and  Nancy from Bicycle Indiana did a great job organizing, and scheduling meetings with our Reps.   The point of the Summit is to ask Congress to maintain funding for bike, and pedestrian infrastructure.  These funds are...