Nationwide, since 2001, the number of cyclists increased by 39 percent, and the number of people cycling to work increased by 60 percent.
Locally, those numbers could be even higher, fueled in large part by Pelotonia ridership. Because of this growth, in 2012, New Albany officials worked to make our city an official part of U.S. Bicycle Route 50, one of the longest bike routes in America stretching from Washington, D.C. all the way to San Francisco.
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Photos courtesy of the City of New Albany
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Many communities, including New Albany, are undertaking planning efforts to understand how to better accommodate and promote cycling. Last year, as part of New Albany’s Strategic Plan update, the city conducted a transportation study to evaluate all the ways in which people get from one point to another, including cycling.
This study confirmed the important role New Albany’s leisure trails play for families and leisure riders. It also revealed a large growth in the number of cyclists and cycling clubs using the city’s rural road corridors for longer, faster group rides. These different types of riders on different types of infrastructure led the city to embark on a five-month-long effort to create a bike master plan.
A steering committee was formed, consisting of cyclists and clubs throughout New Albany.
Hundreds of residents and cycling enthusiasts took part in a public workshop and community bike ride. Riders discussed their feelings about cycling along road and trail conditions and shared ideas about what bicycle accommodations they would like to see in New Albany. The city’s website provided opportunities for hundreds more to provide input about biking in and around the community.
The bike master plan is divided into six sections, with each section building upon the others, to foster cycling in and around New Albany.
- Infrastructure – This section examines different types of infrastructure needed to encourage cycling and support the needs of all types of riders. Hubs, connectors, sharrows, protected lanes, on-street and intersection facilities, shared roadways, loops, and trails are all part of this section.
- New Albany Velo Loop – Building on the foundation established in the infrastructure section, the Velo Loop is a five-mile cycle track loop developed with the help of the steering committee. This loop creates on-street bicycle facilities that are inviting to less experienced cyclists because of the physical separation from traffic that is a characteristic of cycle tracks. This loop also creates multiple New Albany connectivity opportunities, introduces a unique and identifiable bicycle gateway, and will encourage increased ridership.
- Cycling Hubs & Amenities – This section considers the types and locations of facilities and hubs necessary for cyclists to safely reach a destination. The section also delves into other amenities that can encourage continued cycling in the community.
- Signage & Wayfinding – Comprehensive signage and wayfinding packages will be critical to the city’s cycling program success. This section discusses different types of signage and ways to implement them to make cycling intuitive and easily navigable throughout New Albany.
- Education & Policy – Along with building and maintaining cycling facilities, the city will support community education efforts and create new policies as needed to make residents more aware of cyclists along New Albany’s road corridors. These efforts will help facilitate a safer road sharing environment for cyclists and motorists alike.
- Implementation – This section presents the final recommendations of the bike master plan and establishes measurable goals for each step to make New Albany an even more bicycle- friendly community.
The full plan can be reviewed on the city website at www.newalbanyohio.org/government/community-development/planning-projects. Once on this page, click on “Bike New Albany Plan” on the right-hand side of the page under “Other Plans & Studies.” Though the full plan will take years to fully implement, the map below is an illustration of the multiple bike plan components and locations.
Scott McAfee is a contributing writer and public information officer for the city of New Albany. Feedback welcome at ssole@cityscenemediagroup.com.
