For one week of the year, thousands of riders take to Iowa roads for RAGBRAI. For the remaining 51 weeks, most riders will return back to the safety of the trails. While cyclists in Iowa have the same rights to the road as vehicles; they, however are not nearly as powerful, nor easily seen. Regardless of fault in a bike/vehicle accident, the rider is going to be the most at risk.

IF YOU BUILD IT (RIGHT), THEY WILL BIKE.

The majority of bicycle riders, roughly 60 percent, are not the “strong and fearless” or “enthused and confident” riders who will take to any road and forge their own path. They are parents with kids, new riders, and those who simply want to go for an evening ride after work. Without safe connections to trails from their homes, most do not feel comfortable to ride on the road with traffic. For many people, traditional bike lanes offer no more protection than riding on the road, after all, the only separation between you and a 4,000-pound vehicle is only a strip of paint.

This is where I feel incorporating protected bike lanes into roadways can play a critical role. A protected bike lane physically separates bicyclists from vehicles and offers peace of mind that will attract the “interested but concerned” class of riders to the road.

Iowa has one of the best regional trail networks in the nation, thanks in large part to abandoned railroad corridors. As these regional trails are connected and we close the gaps, the most difficult connections remain. It may not be feasible to construct these connections unless we look to on- street solutions.

While painted markings are a quick short-term solution, on higher volume roads these will not make people feel any safer or attract new users. The best way to leverage communities’ resources is to create an on-street facility all users can feel comfortable on.

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