Did you know that cycling is the 6th most popular sports activity in the United States? There are approximately 4.2 million participants in cycling making it more popular than golf, tennis, skiing or snowboarding. Having said that, sharing the road with those who cycle is not only important for safety, but it is also the law.
It’s easy to assume that a car always has the right of way on a road and often times folks can get frustrated when someone is biking on a busy road, but with more and more people commuting to work by bicycle and with many people taking cycling up as a leisure activity/sport, it’s important to know the rules.
As taxpayers, cyclists pay to use the roads as well. Cyclists have the same legal rights as motorists AND THEY TOO must ride in a lawful and predictable manner when riding on the road as a vehicle would. Bicyclists need to use hand signals and obey traffic signs, lights and road markings.
Beyond sharing the road, the City of Bowling Green has been working with the Greenways Commission to provide a system of connected passageways for bikers, walkers and runners. These Greenways help to develop a network of walking and biking pathways that bring the community and nature together.
Currently, several roadways form a loop around Bowling Green: Cemetery Road, Fairview Avenue, Sixth Avenue, Veterans Memorial Boulevard, Campbell Lane and Lovers Lane. This “Inner Loop” connects several of our major parks and other destinations: Kereiakes Park, Roland Bland Park, the Depot Library, Hobson Grove Park, Russell Sims Aquatic Center at Preston Miller Park, Lost River Cave, and the Lovers Lane Soccer Complex. The Greenway will eventually extend around this loop and where there is neighborhood interest, through adjoining neighborhoods.
So whether there is someone biking on the road or a Greenway, be sure to share the space! For more information about our Greenways or cycling here in Bowling Green, please visit http://www.bgky.org/bike/index.php or http://www.warrenpc.org/greenways/.