Green Lane Project: Sensible solutions for city streets

Cities across the country are remaking streets to help people move more quickly, more safely, and with less energy use while improving the quality of life in commercial districts and neighborhoods alike. One key strategy is making room for bicycles, as the density and compact character of cities makes riding a bike an incredibly effective transportation option. Leading cities are combining innovative new designs and traditional approaches to transform their streets.

Green Lane Project from Bikes Belong on Vimeo.

The Green Lane Project is a new effort that will work closely with six U.S. cities to help them build world-class cycling networks on city streets. These will be cities that are poised to make significant progress over the next two years in installing cycle tracks and related improvements, which we’re calling Green Lanes. The Project will facilitate a partnership between the cities and provide them with resources and technical assistance, while expanding the knowledge base and sharing it widely.

Focus cities: The six focus cities will be selected by the Green Lane Project team by the end of March 2012. These cities will have a plan or vision that is supported by elected officials, leading staff, and the community. Interested cities are invited to apply by March 9, 2012. More information and the application form can be found here.

Emerging cities: The work of the focus cities will be shared through events and on-line communications to support the many other cities across the country that are also making room for people on bikes. The Project website will provide updates on progress in the six cities, best practices as they are developed, and links to other resources. All interested cities will be invited to share their plans and progress on the website as well.

Safer, cheaper, faster, smarter: The campaign will build on the expanding toolbox, which includes the NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide, models from European cities, and the growing body of U.S. experience in applying innovative approaches. Research elements will build the knowledge base about the safety of these innovative treatments, understanding how local businesses are affected, and quantify how many more people ride bikes when good networks are available. On a broader scale, the Project will further the understanding of the scale of improvements and the size of a network that is needed to create a significant change in how people travel. This information could prove invaluable in preparing for future scenarios which may involve significantly higher oil prices, with an accompanying need for communities to transform rapidly to a new transportation paradigm.

Goals: The campaign will set clear and achievable goals:

• Track and publicize the installation of new facilities
• Understand their impacts
• Identify and address obstacles to implementation 
• Expand the knowledge base through research and best practices

Partners: The project builds on the strong work of NACTO and its Urban Bikeway Design Guide and a host of other agencies and organizations that have been advancing these ideas. The project is an initiative of the Bikes Belong Foundation, and is providing a strong focus for the organization’s grants, research, communications, and Best Practices workshops and study tours. Core funding is provided by the SRAM Cycling Fund and the Bikes Belong Foundation. Vital additional foundation and corporate support is actively being recruited.

For more information, contact Green Lane Project Director Martha Roskowski at martha@bikesbelong.org.