(Neighborhood greenway | Photo courtesy of Commute Options/City of Bend Website)
If you’ve been by stretches of NE Sixth or NW 15th streets any time in the past few months, you may have noticed some changes. In the first phase of the Neighborhood Greenways project, the City of Bend has installed speed humps, signage and pavement markings to create designated routes for cycling and walking near busy streets.
In addition to giving cyclists safer route options, these improvements could come with an economic boon for local businesses near the Greenways: A 2012 study by the Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium (OTREC) showed that cyclists are “competitive consumers” at convenience stores, bars and restaurants, spending as much or more than visitors to those businesses who arrive by car. Cyclists may spend less per trip than someone hauling four wheels and trunk space, but cyclists tend to make many more trips per month, evening that spending out in the long run. Cyclists can also be enticed to stop on a whim (or add a regular stop to their commute) more easily than a driver whizzing by at speed, so businesses near these Greenways have an opportunity to establish themselves as unique cultural and community centers.
In the interest of planning for future phases, the City recently hosted a field test of a new two-way bike lane along a significant stretch of future Greenway. Present at the event were businesses, advocates from Bend Bikes as well as residents. If the City is open to it, similar field tests in the future could be a great opportunity for members of the community to collaborate on a transportation plan that works for everyone.
The Neighborhood Greenways Project, which has phases planned out to 2022, will ultimately lead to a variety of easier routes into downtown, as well as some safer crossings between east and west Bend. A more detailed description of the life cycle of the project can be found at the City of Bend website under City Infrastructure Projects.
Here’s a link to the OTREC study referenced: kellyjclifton.com/Research/EconImpactsofBicycling/OTRECReport-ConsBehavTravelChoices_Nov2012.pdf
