City en route for Platinum-level distinction

The task force assigned to realize the city’s goal of earning a League of American Bicyclists Platinum-level distinction met in a nearly empty conference room in City Hall on Thursday.

“Did something big happen last night?” joked Jim Rosenbarger, a member of the task force, referring to Wednesday’s storms.

While the mood of the meeting was light, the agenda ahead of the task force could not have been more mounting — realizing the goal laid out by the City Council in 2010 to earn a Platinum-level distinction, the organization’s most prestigious designation, by 2016.  

One of the largest goals before the task force is the need to spread the word and encourage more citizens to embrace a bicycle friendly lifestyle, Scott Robinson, City Long Range and Transportation Manager, said.

However, Bicycling in Bloomington is not just about racing, Robinson said.

Both citizens and the city can work with local businesses to improve the likelihood that people will ride their bicycles instead of their cars. To do that, Robinson suggested that businesses from grocery to department stores increase their accessibility for cyclists as a way to transform the city into a car-less, not car-free city.   

Fellow task force members Chad Roeder and Rosenbarger agreed, saying that the city must also seek to attract a “big tent” of cyclists from retirees and students alike.

Among other major obstacles discussed during the task force meeting was the possibility of updating city codes to allow three feet of clearance between a driver and a bicyclist.

This proposal would be for the safety of both the cyclist and the driver, Robinson said, but would also give cyclists a peace of mind to know that they have some level of security on the roadway.

The task force also discussed improving bicycle access to roadways and thoroughfares, increased enforcement of existing cycling regulations, increasing the number bicycling patrol officers and bike lanes, and constructing a continuous East-West cycling corridor through the city.

While some of the tasks will remain complex and arduous, the task force agreed that they can be accomplished if the city is to meet the 2016 goal.

Interested in getting involved in biking in Bloomington?
The Bloomington Community Bike Project will be holding a Clips of Faith film and beer tour at 8 p.m Friday, June 3, at Bryan Park. The showcase of “handmade films and handmade beers” will benefit the Bloomington Bike Project.

To volunteer or learn more about the Bloomington Bike Project’s Clips of Faith event, visit www.bloomingtonbikeproject.com.