Spokane is on its way to becoming known as a bike-friendly community.

Correspondent Virginia de Leon asked several biking professionals about the area’s appeal and what more can take place. Alex Renner, past president and current board member of the Baddlands Cycling Club Age: 62 Profession: Professional Commercial Photographer How long have you lived in Spokane? Since 1954 How often do you ride? I commute to my office whenever possible, maybe once a month. We have no showers and it is hard to haul camera gear on a bike. For pleasure and training, I ride almost every day and we race on Tuesdays. Daily rides are 30 miles or longer and weekday rides are 60 to 100 plus. What are the qualities of a bike-friendly city? Bike lanes make a big difference and Spokane needs more of these. I don’t understand why they build new roads and don’t include bike lanes. A good example is Nevada Street, north of Francis. Before all the development went in, that portion of Nevada was an excellent way to reach the Newport Highway and points north. Instead of bike lanes, they built suicide lanes for cars that go nowhere. How bike-friendly is Spokane? Spokane has not been that great in the past but we seem to have enlightened people on the city council who ride bikes and know what we are up against. We still have rednecks that holler for us to ride on the sidewalk. They need to be educated as do some cyclists that hog the whole road just because the law says they can. If a red light means stop for cars it also should be obeyed by cyclists who think they are above the law. What are some signs of improvement in the last few years? I have seen great improvement in awareness by motorists of our rights and safety. We still have a long way to go. If the motorists who yell and throw things would only think about who they are insulting. The person on the bike could easily be the next cop that stops or helps them, the doctor who treats them in the hospital, the fireman or woman that they depend on for emergencies, the MedStar nurse who they depend on to keep them alive after an accident, the lawyer who represents them, the teacher who teaches their children and many other professional people that they depend on. What else can this community do to encourage people to ride their bikes? Again, bike lanes and driver/cyclist education about each others rights. Any advice you can offer to people new to bike commuting or riding on city streets? Be considerate of motorists and don’t assume anything. Obey the rules of the road. A smile goes a long way. Cycling is a great way to see the city and points beyond. Ride responsibly and be an example instead of the bad guy.   Michael Conley, owner of North Division Bicycle Shop Age: 64 Profession: Small business owner How long have you lived in Spokane? 64 years except for a little college and that tour of Vietnam thanks to the U.S. Army. How often do you ride your bike? As often as I can. What are the qualities of a bike-friendly city? It has a Plan for a variety of bike facilities for bicyclists of all ages, needs, destinations and abilities. It has a cooperative transit agency (bike racks). It has education programs for adults and young riders. City workers who understand that facilities for cyclists can improve their city. Government officials and representatives who know how to encourage bicycle use How bike-friendly is Spokane? Fair, and getting better. Although we have gotten a late start compared to other cities, a city is judged by its bicycle education programs, groups that promote bicycling, whether it has a bicycle/pedestrian plan as part of engineering plans, and whether the plan is resulting in improvements. What are some signs of improvement in the last few years? We’ve had a Bicycle Advisory Board in place since 1994. However, only recently have city traffic engineers begun to listen to the plans. Required bike/ped plans have been written, and the Spokane Bicycle Advisory Board is working to get the City to pay attention to the plans. Voters approved a Spokane Parks and Rec bond to build a BMX park on Assembly near the Stadium. We now have a mayor and city council that listen to citizens who have worked on committees to write bicycle/pedestrians plans. There are a few new staff people who get it, and actually ride to work. In prior years the plans sat on the shelf, ignored. Spokane Valley is coming on board with its plan, but advocates struggle to educate their city council on the need for good facilities. Interest in all kinds of riding has increased in Spokane. We have highly visible group rides organized by citizen groups. The first large group ride was the Autumn Century in the 1980s. Now there are so many group events that deals need to be made so weekends don’t conflict. Rotary’s Lilac Ride had a record number of participants this year in April despite the cool spring. SpokeFest and Summer Parkways Rides are blessed by the City of Spokane because they encourage all riders to come out to enjoy the heart of the city. What else can this community do to encourage people to ride their bikes? Build a variety of bike lane and street facilities that make connections through town. We have a few here and there, but they don’t connect. The variety needs to include routes for people who ride across town, as well as featuring quieter streets for families who want to ride to schools, parks, and shopping. Promote education efforts for bicyclists and motorists on good road habits. The insert in the last utility bill was a good start. Any advice you can offer to people new to bike commuting or riding on city streets? Do research. Learn the rules of the road (available at www.wsdot.wa.gov/bike/Laws.htm) and find the best route. Find a local bike shop that can answer questions about a bike that fits you, the right helmet and clothing, and help with learning to be a good cyclist. Be wary of the cheapest gear – it’s not a good value in the long run. Anything else you’d like to share about cycling? It’s fun. It makes you feel good. With a little preparation, Spokane is a beautiful place to ride. Biking to work is no longer for the brave few. Lots of people are coming into the shop looking for a commuter bike. Workshops and courses give people the confidence to ride legally and safely. Trails and on-road space for bicyclists are good for small business. There are seven independent bike shops within the city, and six in the county. Bicycling means different things to different people. Some see a bicycle as a kid’s toy on sidewalks, others ride to work on streets, some prefer quiet trails only for recreation. We have to appreciate everyone’s point of view. We could save lot of money on school buses if kids had better ways to walk or bike to school. The kids would be healthier and arrive at school better able to start their day. Driving kids a few blocks to school is such a waste of energy and increases traffic. Bill Bender, founder of SpokeFest Age: 56 Profession: Physician/neurologist How long have you lived in Spokane? 27 years How often do you ride your bike? Daily What are the qualities of a bike-friendly city?  Statistics show that women on bicycles is an “indicator” of a bike-friendly city.  Seemingly that must mean there is a feeling of safety that would allow women to ride. This would include safe places (recreationally or in the urban setting), “personal” safety (from violence/crime), and safety in regards to motorists. A bike-friendly city also has facilities that invite and foster bicycling, such as racks (the more creative racks, the more friendly), bike lanes, signage, designated routes and end of trip facilities.  How bike friendly is Spokane?  Moderately bike friendly, and rapidly improving. One of the big positives is the wonderful geography, with the ability to ride in a rural setting within a short time or the Centennial Trail or Fish Lake trails from the urban center.  Recreationally, we are one of the best. … I seldom travel to places that have better cycling out your front door.  We have an avid and growing population realizing this recreational part of cycling.  For the most part, motorists on rural roads are quite respectful. The urban portion and commuting are really quite friendly and do-able with experience and desensitization, perhaps even better than other major urban centers, but there still aren’t enough amenities (signs/lanes/designated routes) to create the air of permissiveness that the average person needs to get involved. How have things improved in the last few years? Our municipal government is quite favorable, from the mayor to the newer group of council people, and the leadership in Street Engineering who realize the value of alternative transportation, and particularly cycling. This has led to new and creative ways to do bike lanes, sharrows, and signage. Bike accommodations are becoming more of the necessary part of road design and planning.  The Master Bike Plan creation and adoption has also helped with this. A direct offshoot of this has been the hiring of a bike/pedestrian coordinator. At the same time, consciousness about physical activity and rising gas prices have been helpful. All of these things have allowed groups to flourish in their efforts to create, enhance, and promote bike culture. Our media have been great in this respect — hardly a week goes by without some reference to the bike culture or events in Spokane. What else can be done to encourage people to ride bikes?  People need to see how easy it can be. Community events for the average person are helpful. Children should be encouraged to commute to school, friends’ houses, and run errands by bike. Adults should be encouraged to make small trips (the market, visiting nearby friends, out to dinner) by bike. Once they see how doable it is, they can expand their use. Any advice?  Try riding around the neighborhood first to get comfortable with small amounts of traffic. Expand out to small errands, where minimal amounts of riding in traffic is required to gain comfort on more heavily-travelled roads. Use Google maps to find specific bike routes to places nearby that would be the least threatening. Anything else you’d like to share about cycling in Spokane?  I love to travel to other places in the country and in the world to cycle, but I still always come back to thinking that it is as good to ride around here as just about anywhere.  Access to beautiful cycling country is within short reach, out my back door.