��������

Each morning, Brian Toone mounts his bicycle and kicks off for work. Rain or shine, he rides, taking the paths that he can, and the bare sides of the road otherwise. Toone has no other choice �� because he has no car. He moved from one of the most highly ranked biking cities in America �� Davis, California �� to Birmingham 20 years ago, and says that the bike lanes leave much to be desired.The bike lanes in the Greater Birmingham Area are sporadic and not interconnected very well. They are not structured to support an easily useable network of trails that could promote commuting to work by cycling, said Toone.>> �������� 13 ON-THE-GO: Download our app for freeWhile bike lanes do exist in the area, they are very poorly maintained and are full of road debris, rendering them unusable, said Toone. They are unsafe, with little to no “share the road�� signage.It is also hit-or-miss whether cars are parked in the existing bike lanes or if trash has piled up. Toone is used to the swept-daily bike lanes of Davis.Besides the risks of flat tires and potential harm from the glass, rocks and mud that Birmingham bike lanes tend to accumulate, there's also the risk of being struck.The cyclist said he has been hit by a car while biking six times, two being very serious accidents.Toone’s friend, Geoff Leonard, has not been so lucky with his rides either.In 2020, a car hit Leonard while he was biking on Greensprings Highway, knocking him unconscious and shattering his tibia. Leonard’s life was drastically altered. He lost his job, his mobility and his independence. He had to spend over a year steadily regaining the use of his leg �� from wheelchair, to walker, to cane. Because of this, Leonard has completely ruled out using any roads for biking.Driver education plays a key role in this issue. With both Leonard and Toone being critically injured by poor driver/cyclist interaction, they agree that cars need to be more aware of bikes.“I do not think the city and surrounding areas have the structure that truly supports that ,�� Toone said. “But I have to (and want to) do it anyway, no matter how dangerous it is.”But Toone is not the average Birmingham citizen; he is a competitive cyclist. He has been a USA Cycling member since 1993 and has placed in both state and national championships.While he is willing to push through the difficulties of the poor bike lanes in the Greater Birmingham Area, the average person is not.The Greater Birmingham Area is aware of this issue. Homewood City Councilmember Jennifer Andress explained that both the cities of Homewood and Birmingham have adopted the “Complete Street Ordinance.”This ordinance requires that every new road being built must accommodate a bike lane as well as considering other forms of transportation in their design layout. It also requires that when existing roads are being repaved, these structural enhancements for alternative modes of transportation must be added as well.Carolyn Buck, of the Freshwater Land Trust, serves on the committee for the Complete Streets Ordinance. One of the goals stated in the ordinance is to provide better connectivity and “opportunities to facilitate daily physical activity through active transportation.”“What it's going to do is be a complete network, and so it's a really cost-effective way to roll out this type of infrastructure to get that connectivity that we want,�� said Buck. While the nature of this ordinance is efficient in implementing structural change, the timeline for the improvement is long. Bits and pieces of trail will only come together after years of roads wearing down and eventually requiring a makeover. >> FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube Andress mentioned that she is also a part of a grander-scheme development called the Red Rock Trail System. This plan started back in 2010 and has since added 129 miles of trail. The goal is to enhance connectivity within Jefferson County by adding 750 miles of multi-use trails, parks, bike lanes and sidewalks.Toone says that implementing a safer biking network would not only get more people outside but also keep the streets safe.“The larger the number of people riding, the more likely a driver is to know someone who rides a bike,�� he said. “Therefore, they might not objectify a cyclist as some illegal idiot obstacle that needs to be avoided, but rather a real person with a real family. They themselves might even consider the option of riding instead of driving.��