Cincinnati is great…it’s a very walkable city that has interesting streetscapes that do not completely bend over backwards to accommodate the automobile. I also feel that Cincinnati has a pretty strong bicyclist contingent… but with that said, I also think we should be doing a lot more to provide safe bicycle networks and parking facilities.
Portland is a city that is often thrown around as a poster child for a lot of things. But you know what…they simply do a lot of things right, and bicycling is one of those. You can request free bike racks, from the city, and even check out their standards if you so choose to install your own. Portland even has a master bike plan that has routes and parking facilities mapped out.
Bike Oasis Covered Bicycle Parking Facilitywww.streetsblog.org
Now this has me asking myself…what could be done in Cincinnati to improve the bicycle situation here. Sure we have racks installed randomly, but Cincinnati’s existing bicycle plan seems to be lacking. Furthermore I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a covered bicycle parking facility in this city, or even a plan to install one. With Portland’s bicycle parking options you can actually even request to have a facility installed that would provide on-street bike parking…taking up roughly 1.5 on-street parking spaces, and it would provide parking for 12 bikes.
All in all, it seems like something worthwhile for the city to pursue. You could reduce traffic congestion, air pollution, improve fitness levels, offer greater amounts of parking options and just make the city a more attractive place for those who choose to travel by bike. Given the recent progress of streetcars it would seem to be an attractive opportunity for the city to pursue.
Bicycling in Cincinnati:
MoBo Bicycle Co-op
Bike Trails in the Tri-State
Trail Yeah
Trek Cincinnati
Morning Glory Bike Ride
