Bengal News West Reporter
As you drive down
Elmwood Avenue, you might notice the presence of a huge cyclist culture. Blue
bike racks decorate each block and even the ones outside of coffee shops have
sometimes three or four bikes locked in them. As you turn down Lafayette Avenue
and reach the intersection with Grant Street, you’ll also see a row of red
bikes lined up for rent.
All over the area
you’ll notice sharrows and green bike lanes that make a way for cyclists to
safely travel. This is when you realize it’s just as popular to ride a bike as
it is to drive a car.
The cycling culture is becoming a
huge trend in cities all over America and
leaders are making it easier and safer for those who choose it as their primary
means of transportation.
Buffalo is
becoming the latest city to make the adjustments, in an effort to attract the younger
demographic to the city.
Cycling has become
a huge trend in the area over the past decade. The city has made the roads and neighborhoods
more bicycle friendly.
Not only do these changes promote
the culture of cycling but it makes the city more eco-friendly too.
Kowalik, on the growing popularity of biking in the city:
https://soundcloud.com/marcus-darby-648732774/kowalik-interview
“The city has
definitely done a lot to make the roads safer for cyclists,” said Jenn Kowalik,
manager at Campus Wheelworks. “We are all really excited about the plans the city
has come out with.”
Bike lanes and
sharrows have been installed throughout the city to promote awareness to motor
vehicle drivers that the road is to be shared with cyclists.
Sharrows are
simply decals on the road as opposed to bike lanes, which give cyclists their
own lane of traffic which they can safely travel on.
In the summer and
fall seasons there are numerous events that cater to the cycling community such
as the Slow Roll and smaller community events that involve physical fitness and
more.
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| Bikes for rent on Grant Street and Lafayette Avenue |
Rick Cycle Shop, 55
Allen St., has been involved in the growth of community events.
“We help plan and
hold numerous events that include cycling such as women only events as well as
numerous charity events,” said Tom Azzarella, manager.
Events like these
attract people to the cycling culture. In fact, that is one of the goals for
another local bike shop.
Campus Wheelworks
located at 744 Elmwood Ave., is also an important catalyst in the cyclists’ culture
on the West Side.
“We definitely
want to promote the cycling culture. The community events we hold help people
realize that there are groups in the area they can join in on,” Kowalik said.
Campus Wheelworks
is looking to expand the cycling trend further into the West Side with plans to
build a new facility on Niagara Street to create a safer environment for
cyclists in the lower West Side.
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| Bike lanes and sharrows on Niagara Street |
“The new building
is an addition to the Wheelworks family. There is a lot of misinformation
regarding that, but the Elmwood location will remain open,” she said.
Niagara Street is a
wider road, which makes adding protected bike lanes easier for the city without
squeezing traffic as opposed to Elmwood Avenue, where the space is limited and
adding actual bike lanes may be impossible without making significant changes
to the area.
The cyclists culture has become an
integral part of the West Side neighborhoods. No matter what culture, religion,
or ethnicity you identify with cycling has brought them all together.