My wife is trying to get funding for a local bike path. As with most “community” changes she’s running into the typical, “Not in my yard” resistance. Some of the questions are legit most are simply whining.
Anyway alot of questions revolved around crime, loitering, increased traffic, increased littering etc etc.
I’m wondering if anyone knew of a source of information that deals or has dealt with these sort of issues or better yet if any of you have gone thru the process.
More specifically I’m looking for information on how bike paths positively or negatively affect the communities they go thru. Statistics on crime, littering, etc etc would be preferable.
From my standpoint, obviously biased, the crime, littering, property damage etc etc are merely excuses to keep the people away. Seems to me that with a path comes a greater sense of community awareness. People meet there neighbors, get to know the neighborhood, are healthier and therefore a stronger community emerges. However that’s an opinion backed by nothing and is worth nothing more than the naysayers opinion without facts.
Any help, articles, links would be greatly appreciated.
A lot of info here re: Rhode Island bike paths and administrative contacts. Some nice paths have been joined together over a number of years with a lot of local and state cooperation.
A lot of info here re: Rhode Island bike paths and administrative contacts. Some nice paths have been joined together over a number of years with a lot of local and state cooperation.
Keith
I’ve personally used these trails/paths (and grew up in a house the abuts the path in Cranston) and they are doing a nice job, it’s certainly cleaner than when they were railroad tracks. I have seen litter, grafitti, groups of teen/preteen tough guys and gals hanging around and on more than one occasion doing drugs. I did all of these things in this exact area growing up, sprayed my name under the railroad bridges, smashed bottles, smoked pot, and just generally being a teenage prick and it’s much cleaner now than back then. There is obviously more people now than when freight trains ran but I can’t say there are more problems (talking to old neighbors). Overall, it’s MUCH nicer than an abandoned freight line.
Since my husband’s business is road construction, we are very active in Bike Path and Greenway development locally here in SW Florida. There are studies out there showing greenways and bike accessibility increase property values and tourism, words politicians and developers can relate to.