Infrastructure alone won't lure bicyclists

Last month's public hearing about Ann Arbor's nonmotorized plan displayed some very real tensions.

Bicycle riders don't feel safe on the streets. Many people at the hearing spoke about the close calls they've had with drivers who either aren't looking for cyclists or who are actively belligerent. One person described being run off the road.

Though most of the speakers were supportive of the plan and of ways to promote more bicycling and walking downtown, that sentiment wasn't universal. One man proposed that cyclists pay a user fee for the right to use the road. And though they supported cycling, several business owners urged the city not to eliminate parking spaces in favor of bike lanes.

The city's vision, as stated in the report, is "to establish a physical and cultural environment that supports and encourages safe, comfortable and convenient ways for pedestrians and bicyclists to move throughout the city and into the surrounding communities.'' The ultimate goal? A city with "individuals freely choosing alternative transportation modes (walking, bicycling, mass transit, etc.), which will lead to healthier lifestyles, improved air and water quality and a safer, more sustainable transportation system.''

Ambitious, for sure. The extensive report - online at www.greenwaycollab.com - outlines how the city can achieve that vision and was approved unanimously by the Ann Arbor City Council last month.

Plans are proposed to add more than 38 miles of new bike lanes - right now, there are about 18 miles of bike lanes in the city. More sidewalks, some 25 miles worth, are proposed as well. The plan also calls for narrowing roads - converting four-lane roads to three lanes, for example, including the stretch of North Main Street heading out of town - to allow bike lanes and islands for crosswalks. The city hopes to tap state and federal dollars to carry out some of these changes.

But if we're to create a city that encourages people to walk and ride their bikes, we'll need more than infrastructure to reach that goal.

We'll need a serious culture change, one in which bike riders are viewed as having a legitimate place on our roads. That respect cuts both ways, though - cyclists also need to respect the rules of the road, and too often that's not the case.

Will we see the day when cycling, riding the bus or walking is the norm, not the exception? Maybe - although that's harder to envision in the dead of winter.

But we'll never get close if residents don't feel safe enough to try.