GREENSBORO, N.C. — Cities all across the state are expanding bike lanes in their areas. The City of Greensboro has committed to a goal of having 75 center line miles of bike lanes, or bike facilities, in the next two years, and one cyclist says the added bike lanes are needed.
What You Need To Know
The City of Greensboro is working to become car optional
Currently, there are 62 miles of bike lanes, and by 2025 there will be 77 miles
Adding new bike lanes comes at a low cost to the city
Nicole Lindahl has a love for environmental advocacy, and that led her to ditching her car in 2004. Ever since then, she has ridden a bike everywhere.
"It’s a free feeling, you’re no longer confined in a box-like space, and you’re able to communicate with people outside,” Lindahl said.
She’s one of the advocates on the bicycling advisory committee for the City of Greensboro, working on a goal to have more than 70 miles of bike lanes by 2025.
"Bike lanes, even the ones that are not as effective, the one just have one line of paint between you and the driver in the car, are a reminder to drivers that bicycles are there,” Lindahl said.
The city has been working to become car optional since November 2020, and it’s added 15 miles of bike lanes that reach across Greensboro. Currently, there are 62 miles of bike lanes, and by 2025 there will be 77 miles.
The goal is to help encourage more people to get out and ride a bike.
"And the more people riding their bikes on roads, the more the drivers become used to that,” Lindahl said.
She has had six accidents, averaging one a year from 2004 until 2010, when the first bike lanes were added to the city. Her worst crash happened when someone was making a left turn.
"Of the two that were pretty scary for me. I got my front teeth knocked out one time, and I got a really bad concussion, and that was with a helmet on,” Lindahl said.
The updated bike lanes differ from the older ones designed back in 2010, transitioning one strip lanes to the new buffered and protected bike lanes. And adding new bike lanes comes at a low cost to the city as they’re focusing on the most traveled area’s and lean on the cyclists for input.
"Bike lanes are great for many, many reasons, one of them is encouraging people to get out there and ride,” Lindahl said.
New bike lanes are added through the city by already planned road construction or resurfacing projects. And Charlotte, Raleigh and Chapel Hill are expanding bike lanes in their cities too.