National bicycling group gives Corvallis a gold-level rating

Sue Donna Doolen rides her bicycle around town whenever possible to avoid starting up her car, thus conserving and getting exercise.
"I usually use it unless if I'm in a hurry to get to work or if it's raining," said the Corvallis woman, who rode to the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library early Sunday afternoon.

"Corvallis is good about all the bike lanes," added Doolen, who said she appreciates the extra effort by the city to make room for bicycles, especially in the downtown area.

For those efforts, Corvallis was among 14 cities recently recognized by the League of American Bicyclists for being one of the most bike-friendly communities in the country by accommodating bicyclists and encouraging residents to bike for transportation and recreation. The city received one of two gold-level awards. Palo Alto, Calif., received the other.

Corvallis statistics submitted for consideration showed 7.5 percent of all trips to work are made by bike, one of the highest rates in the nation. The city has extensive covered bike parking, a plus for cyclists who ride in the rain. More than 95 percent of the arterial and collector streets have striped bike lanes, with lanes for the rest of the arterials scheduled for completion this year, the league said.

Corvallis is among the first cities in the country to be recognized by the league's Bicycle-Friendly Communities program, which was launched in September. The organization's bicycle-friendly community campaign is a national grass-roots effort to increase the number of trips made by bike, promote physical fitness and help make communities more livable. The League of American Bicyclists promotes bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation, and works through advocacy and education for a bicycle-friendly America. It has more than 300,000 members and affiliates.

A report by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance last fall ranked Corvallis as Oregon's most bicycle-friendly city. Corvallis and Eugene each received the highest grade, an ‘A-minus.'

Doolen, who lives not far from downtown, said the only area she rides through that doesn't have bike lanes is 35th Street, but she's not worried about it.

"But I know it's just a matter of time before there's road construction and the lanes are added," she said.

Maria Vu rode to Circle K on Northwest Monroe Avenue to get milk Sunday afternoon. The Oregon State University undergraduate student doesn't have a car, making bicycle safety especially important to her.

"I go to work and go all over on my bike," said Vu, who also works on campus.

She said she has found Corvallis much more accommodating to bicyclists than her hometown of Portland.

"They have plenty of bike lanes, and the campus area is really bike-friendly," Vu said of Corvallis. She's especially impressed by the location of bike lanes on both sides of the street. "Bicyclists usually have the right of way, like pedestrians, and cars can't go on most of the streets."

Mike Godwin was riding for recreation late Sunday morning on a path paralleling Northwest Walnut Boulevard near his home. He prefers the trails and paths to the bike lanes on the edge of traffic lanes.

"I like trails better, and when you're in the (downtown) you have to go on the streets," said Godwin, who enjoys riding at Ball Hill Park.

Beaverton and Redmond, Wash., were among the league's six bronze-level winners. No communities were granted the platinum-level designation, the highest honor of the league's awards.

"The league is very pleased to honor these remarkable American communities, where people benefit every day from reduced traffic, better air quality, and improved public health," said Elissa Margolin, the league's executive director. "These benefits translate to increased quality of life, higher property values and heightened community spirit."

The League of American Bicyclists examined the traffic engineering facilities and policies and bicycling promotion efforts of the communities when considering awards. The cities' enforcement of traffic laws on motorists and cyclists, efforts to educate both groups on traffic safety and processes to plan for and evaluate policies and facilities for cycling also were considered.

Jesse Sowa covers public safety and rural Benton County for the Gazette-Times. He can be reached at jesse.sowa@lee.net or 758-9521.