Memphis Announces Major Initiatives for Protected Bike Lanes

The city named as one of the worst for biking in the U.S. by Bicycling Magazine only five years ago is now aiming to be the best in Tennessee. Memphis Mayor A C Wharton, Jr. announced groundbreaking plans last Wednesday to implement a network of protected bike facilities as a part of their commitment to the Green Lane Project.

The Mayor publicly announced Memphis’ first-ever Complete Streets Policy, a timeframe for new bike facility installations in summer 2013, and a commitment to build 15 miles of protected bike lanes (also called green lanes) over the next two years. Green lanes are dedicated spaces for people on bikes in the roadway; many are physically separated from car and sidewalk traffic by curbs, planters, parked cars or posts.

The bicycle-friendly mayor, who is credited with reversing Memphis’ reputation from worst city for bicycling to most improved, reaffirmed his reputation today, stating “We’re working hard to make sure we’re not just building quantity, but that we’re building quality bike lanes. We want all our citizens, young and old, to be able to make the choice to bicycle and feel safe and comfortable when doing so. Green lanes are how we’re going to take the next step to make Memphis the most bike-friendly city in Tennessee.”

To put Memphis’ plan for 15 miles of future green lanes into perspective, Memphis currently has zero green lanes, and between 1874 and 2011, only 62 such protected bike facilities were built nationwide. Memphis is playing an influential role in the exponential growth of protected bike lines nationwide; by the end of 2013, more than 200 green lanes will be on the ground. The Green Lane Project is supporting this growth.

55th Street Protected Bike Lane, Chicago

In addition to collecting data and research, sharing best practices, and hosting leadership summits and study tours, the Green Lane Project has distributed over $250,000 in grant money between six U.S. cities (Austin, TX, Chicago, IL, Memphis, TN, Portland, OR, San Francisco, CA, and Washington, DC) to assist in getting green lanes on the ground since the Project kicked off in May 2012. The Project has granted $45,000 over the past year to Memphis alone.

“Memphis is a Green Lane Project star and a great example for cities nationwide. With a clear vision and committed leadership, any community can make bicycling a safe, convenient, and accessible way of getting around,” said Green Lane Project Director, Martha Roskowski. “For the people of Memphis, green lanes will lead to health, safety, congestion and economic improvements over the next two years, and beyond.”

Reposted from Green Lane Project

Check out these other news sources that picked up on this story!

Memphis Business Journal
Memphis Flyer
Memphis ABC affiliate
Commercial Appeal
Road Bike Review
Commercial Property Executive

Whitehaven Celebrates National Bike To School Day

We had the pleasure yesterday to participate in National Bike To School Day with about 100 faculty, students, and administrators from Westhaven Elementary School located on Hodge Road in Whitehaven. We were joined by bike patrol officers Johnson and Jefferson from the Raines Police Precinct and led students on a 0.7 mile ride to start the school day.

After the bike ride, children ate breakfast during a bike safety talk from Officer Johnson. Each child received bike safety information to take home as well as a rear blinking light in case they wind up riding after dark. Additionally, the school was provided new bike helmets to giveaway to students before the end of the school year.

We’ll be working with Coach K next year as we works to establish a bike to school day each week at Westhaven Elementary School and an annual bike safety curriculum for students to take during physical education courses.

Check out the great photos below that document our time together.

Bike to School Day is part of the celebration of National Bike Month. Almost 1,300 schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia registered events for 2013.

In 1969, 48 percent of students in grades K through eight (ages 5 through 14) walked or bicycled to school. In 2009, only 13 percent of students in grades K through eight walked or bicycled to school.

In 1969, 89 percent of students in grades K through eight who lived within one mile of school usually walked or bicycled to school. In 2009, only 35 percent students in grades K through eight students who lived within a mile of school usually walked or bicycled to school even once a week.

This is an opportunity lost. Walking or bicycling to school gives children time for physical activity and a sense of responsibility and independence; it also creates an opportunity to be outdoors and provides time to connect with parents, friends and neighbors.

Bike Month is Here!

It’s here! National Bike Month starts today — a full 31 days packed with unique and wonderful events and rides that celebrate the many joys and benefits of bicycling in communities nationwide.

Mark your calendar and get involved in special national events taking place here in Memphis:

National Bike to School Day is one week from today: Wednesday, May 8. Hundreds of events are already scheduled — learn more here.

Women unite: The second annual Cyclofemme takes place on May 12. Organize a ride in your community or join one of the nearly 200 events already planned — join the movement!

The Ride of Silence, honoring bicyclists who have been injured or killed on our public roadways, marks its 10^th anniversary on May 15 — find a ride in your area here.

And, of course, celebrate Bike to Work Week (May 13-17) and Bike to Work Day (May 17). Register here for Bike to Work Day - It’s FREE!

Memphis is also host to the 2013 TN Bike Summit, an opportunity for planners, engineers, elected officials, advocates, and bicycle enthusiasts from across the state to come together to share successes, challenges, and strategies for moving TN forward as a bike-friendly state. Register today and secure your spot!

Speaking of bike-friendly states…today, it was announced that TN has risen in the 2013 rankings to the 17th most bike-friendly state in the country! This is a jump from number 26 in 2012 and shows that the continued work from people across the state are making great progress and are receiving the recognition that is due.

Win A Bike Corral – Enter Now Through May 10!

Thanks to a collaborative effort between Saris Cycling Group and the City of Memphis Engineering Division, the city will be giving away and installing a bike corral to the business or organization in Memphis that demonstrates the greatest need, location, and public support for additional bike parking.

A bike corral converts the space of one on-street parking stall to parking for 10 bikes. It’s a great use of space and a low-cost option for more customer parking. It frees up sidewalk space for pedestrian foot traffic and communicates a commitment to bike friendliness. Additional bike parking helps to support many initiatives the city has undertaken in recent years, such as the addition of more than 50 miles of bike lanes, to increase the use of bicycles for transportation throughout the city.

Anyone can nominate a location to win the bike corral, by emailing a photo of the location along with a brief description of why you would like to see a bike corral at that location to kyle.wagenschutz@memphistn.gov before May 10. Your photo will be posted on the City’s Bike/Ped Facebook page,
http://www.facebook.com/BikePedMemphis
, and votes will be tallied based on the number of “Likes”.

Three finalists will be selected and announced on May 11. Voting will resume until May 16. The winner will be announced on May 17, National Bike to Work Day.

To learn more about the bike corral contest, contact Kyle Wagenschutz at (901) 576-6710 or kyle.wagenschutz@memphistn.gov.

Click here to download the above flyer as a PDF.

Bike to Work Day 2013 – Registration Now Open!

Registration is now open for Bike To Work Day 2013, which will take place on Friday, May 17!

Lots of changes are in store to make this year’s event more convenient and accessible for resident all over the city. Registration is FREE and is available online at www.biketoworkmemphis.com.

TN Bike Summit – Registration now open!

Bike Walk TN is proud to announce that registration is now open for the 2013 TN Bike Summit being held in Memphis, TN during May 22-24, 2013.

Please visit the TN Bike Summit website for instructions on registration. Register before April 24 to receive the early-bird rate of only $25!

We’re working hard to firm up speakers and sessions. Stay in touch with the latest info by connecting to our Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Feel free to email us at tnbikesummit@gmail.com with any questions or comments.

See you in May!

Jeff Speck on the Riverfront

You Are Invited to a Presentation by

Jeff Speck

author, planner, and architectural designer
about his analysis and recommendations
for the Memphis riverfront

at

5:30 p.m., Monday, March 18
Memphis Cook Convention Center, Room 205
(in the new addition overlooking the river)

 At the request of Mayor Wharton, Jeff reviewed more than 20 plans about the riverfront and developed recommendations for City of Memphis’s consideration. Jeff is author of his new book, Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America One Step at a Time and so-author of Suburban Nation: The Rise of Sprawl and Decline of the American Dream and The Smart Growth Manual. Jeff is former director of design at the National Endowment for the Arts where he created the Mayors’ Institute on City Design, and he formerly was director of town planning at Duany Plater-Zyberk and Co., a leading practitioner of the New Urbanism.