Second in a short series recapping last year…

When I opened the shop I knew I wanted to work to improve the cycling infrastructure in Evansville. I also knew that was a big job and I would need some help.

Enter the “trails team”… a group that started to meet in the late spring of 2024 to talk about projects and improvements. It started with just a few folks with big ideas and slowly grew to include community members with diverse backgrounds. We meet every month to talk transportation and infrastructure.

There are lots of terms out there that describe what we are trying to do. Micro-mobility, Active Streets, Safe Streets For All. All those stand for safe, accessible transportation options that connect all neighborhoods in a community.

It’s not about middle aged dudes in stretchy “kit”. We want them to be safe too, but our focus is getting kids to school and to the pool from any part of town; making sure someone without a car can get to the super market, their job, or the gym; and ensuring that folks out for a walk with their kids or dogs (or both) have a safe path to play in a park, get an ice cream, or grab a coffee.

Through our alliance with the Rock Trails Coalition we make sure we are connected to what’s happening at the county level. We can get forgotten up here in the northwest corner of Rock County. Historically, all the action has been focused on Janesville and Beloit. Staying connected will offer more opportunities to work together when projects are proposed.

We also are working with the Janesville chapter of the Ice Age Trail Alliance. Evansville is now officially an Ice Age Trail Community and the trail goes through downtown, Lake Leota Park, and the school forest. It connects Evansville to Gibbs Lake Park to the east and Magnolia Bluff Park to the west. We would love to see those connections expanded to include a true multi-use path suitable for hikers, runners, and cyclist.

If you’ve ever wondered how we get more bike paths and sidewalks in town, the answer is the Planning Commission. They meet on the first Tuesday of the month at City Hall. Every development project gets reviewed and approved by that committee. Showing up and voicing support for safe streets and multi-use paths goes a long way towards making sure they are included by the developer.

In part three I’ll cover some of the other work we did to get more people on bikes.

What other advocacy ideas to do you have? Where would you like to ride your bike but don’t feel safe, or aren’t sure if it’s legal or not. Drop a note in the suggestion box and let me know.