ROANOKE, Va. – Kick up those stands and start pedaling; it’s National Bike to Work Week.
“It’s actually just the best way to start your day,” RIDE Solutions Director Jeremy Holmes said.
RIDE Solutions provides resources to help folks get out of the car and find alternatives to their morning commute.
“Bike to Work Week is just a way to experiment. You don’t have to do it all the time. You can do it once this week and see if it is a good fit for you,” Holmes said.
The City of Roanoke is making it easier for people to find safe routes by keeping cyclists in mind during its transportation projects, Holmes said.
“Infrastructure is critically important to make sure people feel comfortable. There’s often a chicken and the egg, is the bike lane there first or is the rider there first,” he said.
Roanoke’s Transportation Division is keeping that infrastructure in mind, averaging about three miles of new bike lanes every year.
“Now more than ever it is important to see this as a real mode of transportation,” Traffic Engineer Andrea Garland said.
Every time the city paves a new street, they look at opportunities to add bike lanes.
“For us it is almost a no-brainer because you’re already putting in the investment. You don’t have to look for money to make those changes,” Garland said
One of the streets due for paving is Colonial Ave. Garland said they plan to add bike lanes to this stretch sometime this year.
RIDE Solutions encourages folks to see the city from a new perspective by using their app to find the safest way to explore.
