Bikes Belong announces six focus cities for their Green Lane Project

Bikes Belong announced the selection of six focus cities to participate in their Green Lane Project. These six cities were choosen out of a pool of 42 applicants. The cities are:

• Austin, Texas
• Chicago, Illinois
• Memphis, Tennessee
• Portland, Oregon
• San Francisco, California
• Washington, D.C.

Bikes Belong a nationwide organization based in Boulder, Colorado that has the goal of putting more people on bicycles. The organization is sponsored by the U.S. bicycle industry. Their members total nearly 400 and include bicycle suppliers and retailers whose goal is to combine their resources to improve bicycling in America.

In a statement released yesterday, Martha Roskowski, Green Lane Project Director stated  “We are delighted to be working with these forward-thinking cities. They are a range of sizes, spread across the country, and at various stages in terms of developing networks for bicycles. What they share is a strong commitment to rethinking how city streets are used and making room for bicycles.”

During the next two months, the Green Lane Project will work with elected officials, staff, and community groups in each city to finalize details, solidify the vision, and identify the unique story each city can tell. Details will be released at a national kickoff in late May in Chicago. The Green Lane website, greenlaneproject.org, will act as a hub where all U.S. cities working to install these types of facilities can share and learn from each other.

The Green Lane Project campaign incorporates the NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide, models from European cities, and the growing body of U.S. experience in applying innovative approaches.

The campaign will set clear and achievable goals which include the following:

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

For more information see the video below or go to the Green Lane Project site.