While bicycles remain an afterthought in Wichita transportation planning, Portland is redefining what it means to be a bike-friendly community — and that’s adding another niche to the local economy, according to a New York Times article.
From an extensive network of bike lanes to on-street parking for bikes, Portland has earned its reputation as “Bike City, U.S.A.†And bikers have responded by making bicycle-related businesses, from frame builders to clothing manufacturers, a booming part of the city’s small business economy.
We knew biking was healthy and green, but who knew it could also boost economic development?
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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13 Comments
When you talk about economic impact you need to address some issues. First, how much money did the city spend to make the area ‘bike friendly’? Has the increase in business’ paid enough in taxes to pay that back? Has any of the ‘public investment money’ been returned to the individual investors or did the central entity keep the ‘profits’ and spend it as it saw fit?
Anytime you encourage people to exercise and drive less it’s a win/win situation. I’d rather see tax money spent on these kind of projects than millons on memorials, etc. The Keeper of the Plains is a good example…yes it’s nice, but what real good does it do for Wichitans? We need to get off our butts, lose weight, and get into shape.
Why do bikes not travel in the opposite direction?
“With a population of 562,690″ for Portland
“with an estimated population of 354,865 in the year 2005″ for Wichita
Why compare with Portland?
And what’s with the crazy posts from the good capn??
Bikers promote economical development? Ha! He-he-he!
Ohh! Ho-ho-ho!
Give me a break. The cost of painting the lines, posting all those bike lane signs, providing bike parking stands are not insignificant. Are you telling me that bikers are providing high salary jobs in the area? Providing some sales and property taxes to the city?
We need to LICENSE bikes. Let them PAY for their SPECIAL lanes and signs. Why should I? I couldn’t get my old lady butt on one of those tiny seats anyway.Make em pay their own way. Issue state license plates and make them PASS A BIKE DRIVING TEST. And oh, let’s get some police to ENFORCE the LAW FOR BIKES! If I cut corners with my car like they do on bikes, you better believe I would get a ticket.
I’ll give you it’s a healthy way of communiting, and when we run our of power, we may need bike riders to generate electricity.
But I hardly doubt the bike lanes are going to put us on the map. Has anyone from outside the area cancelled a trip to Disney to ride their bikes in Wichita?
Ha-ha Ho-ho he-he!
About how many days of stifling 110 degree weather does Portland have I wonder? not many. They had the same idiot idea when I lived in HOUSTON. Hell, no one goes outside in Houston until January. Even the outdoor patios are air conditioned there.
Hell, you cant even use the outdoor sections of the new trendy restaurants here to SIT in the summer. Why on earth would I want to PEDDLE around in it.
Especially when the dunce designers put the patios on the WEST side so you can sit directly in the setting sun during the summer….think PF CHANG here – and others.
There are plenty of people in Wichita that would use bikes more if it weren’t down right dangerous to do so. If we had more lanes and paths that connnected then this would happen.
I ride, and by the way, nothing bugs me more than watch other riders run red lights and stop signs and take up the entire right lane when it’s not needed.
Gee, maybe if more people rode more, then the price of gas would come down to the point where you lazy people wouldn’t complain so much.
Gee, maybe if more people rode more, then the price of gas would come down to the point where you lazy people wouldn’t complain so much.
Posted by: Dave
Now, Dave, not everyone is physically able to ride bikes. I did in my younger days. But I think the last time I was on a bike, Elvis was alive!
I am NOT lazy! My husband (deceased) and I worked hard and ran a family business. And we raised a family of five wonderful children. Some of them ride bikes and their kids. But they hardly ride them downtown!!!
I admit it is good for people! But you can’t call non bike riders lazy. Why, that would mean the majority of the population is lazy and I don’t buy that.
Notice I didn’t bother commenting on your illogical conclusion that if people road bikes the cost of gas would come down.
Like supply has anything to do with the prices going up today.
But it makes about as much sense as stating bike riders provide “economic development”!!!
HAHA!
But ms Keny, if people did ride bikes it would reduce their carbon signatures.
When I lived in the NW there were plenty of affluent people that rode bikes to work. Microsoft’s campus is full of bike racks and they definately add to the “economic development.”
The buses even had bike attachments on their fronts so you could attach your bike. This allowed you to live in Seattle, take the bus to the east side to Bellevue, Renton or Issaquah and then hop on your bike to continue onto work.
So your theory that bike riders are only poor slobs that can’t afford automobiles is flawed…
So your theory that bike riders are only poor slobs that can’t afford automobiles is flawed…
Posted by: BizSnype | November 08, 2007 at 02:41 PM
Ah, Biz, who posted that?
A. N. Keny should know that letting city planning have a positive role in increasing bicycle traffic has shown that it does actually attract better qualified personnel to jobs in the area (like better neighborhoods to raise children and a good education system also does.)
I do agree, however, that more emphasis should be placed on bike safety, but this works both ways (car drivers and bike riders need more education on this) since when a car and a bike meet, the car always wins.