The May 2010 issue of SOKY Happenings has hit newsstands with a lovely four-page spread all about biking in Bowling Green. Bike BG president Sara Shipley Hiles wrote an article called “Why We Ride (And Why You Should Too)”. Bike BG member Stephen Ogden did the goregous design and graphics. Readers will also find ads detailing Bike BG’s 2010 ride schedule and BGLOB’s Tour de Cave ride on June 5.
Here’s the text of the article:
By Sara Shipley Hiles
It’s 5 p.m. on a lovely evening. As I pedal my bike down a quiet street, my heart thrums to the symphony of spring around me. Tulips bob their heads in time with the whirring spokes. Birds tweet their greetings and the wind conducts a gentle rhapsody amid the dogwood blossoms.
I glance behind me to see my 2-year-old son, Alex, happily riding behind me in his bike trailer. We pass other kids on bikes, a family out for a ride, some college students returning home, and a few serious cyclists out to test their legs. We all nod and wave to each other, members of a growing Bike Nation, riding for enjoyment, exercise and transportation.
Biking is one of the most popular sports in the United States. An estimated 42.5 million Americans ride bicycles, according to the National Sporting Goods Association. This is more people than play basketball, golf or soccer, or run or downhill ski.
Besides being just plain fun – who can forget the thrill of having training wheels removed for the first time? – biking makes sense for many reasons. Here are a few facts from the League of American Bicyclists:
- Obesity is a serious problem in the United States, causing approximately 300,000 deaths nationwide each year, according to the Surgeon General. Riding a bike for just 30 minutes a day is an easy way to get exercise and maintain a healthy weight. Did you know that a 150-pound cyclist burns 410 calories in an hour of riding at 12 mph?
- Bikes can be used for transportation, too. They’re much cheaper than cars to buy and operate, and cyclists can often ride right to the front door instead of searching for a parking spot.
- Riding a bike reduces traffic congestion, cuts down on air pollution, and provides freedom of transit for people of all ages and backgrounds.
Yep, I’d say biking can save the world. And in much of the world, people don’t drive – they ride bikes every day, everywhere. Riding a bike may not be feasible all the time, but for trips of four miles or less, it’s often just as fast to go by bike. So why don’t more of us ride?
That’s where Bicycle Bowling Green comes in. This non-profit bike advocacy organization was formed several years ago to build a bicycle-friendly community right here in Bowling Green, Ky. We work with other local organizations to make biking easier, more fun and more common.
Happily, there has been a lot of progress toward our goal of creating a bike-friendly community. Here’s a snapshot:
The Greenways Commission of Bowling Green and Warren County has built 15 miles of shared-use paths all around town at a total investment of about $7 million, with another 5 miles of trail to be completed within the next year.
Some of the hubs along these paths include Western Kentucky University’s main campus and south campus, the Lover’s Lane soccer park, Kereiakes Park, the RiverWalk at Mitch McConnell Park, Lost River Cave and Preston Miller Park. One project currently underway will add a 1.5-mile trail to connect Hobson Grove with Boat Landing Park. Another project will add a 4.5-mile trail to connect several schools and parks in Woodburn.
“The first goal the Greenways board set was to try to connect schools and parks, so you can get from place to place without being isolated,” says Greenways coordinator Josh Moore. “Trying to make an inner and outer loop of city limits was part of it as well.”
Western Kentucky University has been a leader in promoting bicycling. WKU has added 500 bike racks to campus during the last three years. All regular service buses are equipped with bike racks. Students can attend the “Velorution” bike festival each fall, and they can check out free bikes through the Big Red’s Bikes bike-lending program.
Jennifer Tougas, director of Parking and Transportation Services, advocates bike riding partly to reduce the demand for parking. “For many people, getting around town by bike is an excellent alternative to driving a car. It’s healthy exercise, it’s cheap, and it’s sustainable,” she says.
The campus has a full-service bike shop inside the Preston Center athletic facility. And WKU and the city of Bowling Green are collaborating on the WKU Community Bikeway Project. The $1.2 million, 2-mile project will connect the campus to downtown via Center Street, and should be finished in 2012, says WKU landscape architect Helen Siewers.
The City of Bowling Green has officially endorsed the goal of becoming a bike-friendly community. The city works toward this goal through a variety of programs, such as its Energize BG initiative to get people exercising. Mayor Elaine Walker will lead her third Mayor’s Bike Ride on Sept. 18.
The Bowling Green League of Bicyclists, the city’s original cycling club, maintains a busy schedule of road rides and mountain bike rides in Warren County and surrounding areas. The club will put on its annual Nat’s Outdoor Sports Tour de Cave ride on June 5. Its members participate in everything from Bike to Work Day (May 21 this year) to long-distance rides in other states. Check out bglob.com for more information and a ride schedule.
Bicycle Bowling Green, for its part, organized the city’s first successful Bike Summit in 2008. More than 100 people attended to hear speakers including Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson, a major bike advocate. The summit solidified a commitment to making Bowling Green a bicycle-friendly community recognized by the League of American Bicyclists.
This year, Bike BG will continue its popular rides for cyclists of all abilities. Every Thursday, the “Easy Riders” leave Kereiakes Park at 6 p.m. for a leisurely hour-long ride. New this year, the “Tour de Town” ride series will be held once a month on Saturdays and include t-shirts and other giveaways. For example, the June 19 Water Park Ride, starting at Preston Miller Park, will provide free water park admission for all participants! Look us up on Facebook or visit bikebg.org for a complete schedule.
Bike BG is also cooking up new community involvement programs, including a public service announcement contest and a business-recognition program.
My favorite part about riding a bike has always been the joy of being outdoors. Riding down country roads, surrounded by forests and fields, puts me in a state of transcendence akin to a spiritual experience.
Springtime in Bowling Green is perfect for biking. Whatever your motivation, I hope you will get out there and enjoy the ride!
About the Author: Sara Shipley Hiles is a freelance journalist who teaches journalism part-time at Western Kentucky University. She is president of Bicycle Bowling Green, a non-profit group working to build a bicycle-friendly community. Visit bikebg.org for more information and join our group on Facebook.
Sara Shipley Hiles is a member of Bicycle Bowling Green. She thinks every day is better with a bike ride. 
