On Tuesday this week, area bicycle enthusiasts organized a Bikes Mean Business hour-long "slow ride" down Broad Street to highlight the benefits (namely, financial) of Chattanooga's new bike lanes.
The event was meant to rebuff naysayers and critics of the newly created - and pending - urban bike paths, showcasing the purchasing power and popularity of the cycling community. Given the scope of their rallying efforts, I was anticipating a massive gathering.
Columnist David MartinHowever, in a city of well over 150,000 residents, only a reported 50 cyclists participated. Somebody with a calculator, help me with that percentage.
What's more - or less, I should say - a mere 24 hours later, I made a point to pass the same bike route on my way to the gym. How many cyclists were using the Broad Street protected paths at 5:30 p.m. the day after the "slow ride"? One. Uno. As in singular.
I've bitten my tongue so far during the bike lanes debate. I'm not wholly against the idea of the paths, but I've also been skeptical of how much we actually need them here and what benefit they'll bring to this community. So I've waited to say anything, instead opting to see how things pan out during this initial phase.
An interesting thing about the arguments for and against the lanes is that they aren't political in the sense that progressives are lockstep for them and all conservatives are against them. Though I'd guess it's safe to assume that a sizeable contingent of the slow riders lean left politically, the right actually has a long history of toying with the idea of bike lanes. I mean, shoot, William F. Buckley Jr. was celebrating the civic virtues of bicycling more than half a century ago. He even pitched the idea of elevated bikeways during his 1965 campaign for New York City mayor.
The value of the lanes is tied directly to their functionality. Not whether we like them or not. It's all about their impact on this city. And so far, the results are underwhelming.
Bike apologists have anchored their advocacy in three promised outcomes: road safety, decreased automobile congestion and a financial boost for retailers, thanks to increased bike and foot traffic.
The jury is still out on how safety has been affected, but it doesn't take a detailed study to figure that the other two selling points are lagging. Broad Street and North Market Street are much more congested - especially at rush hours - and it's hard to think that the lone rider I saw using the bike lane on Wednesday evening was driving much of a positive economic impact as he zipped by.
In 2016, protected paths are slated for Martin Luther King Boulevard, Eighth Street, Bailey Avenue, Orchard Knob Avenue, Willow Street and Frazier Avenue. In 2017, according to the Chattanooga Department of Transportation, construction will take place on Veterans Bridge, 20th and 23rd streets, and Chestnut Street.
Chattanooga's transportation director, Blythe Bailey, said last week that the city is "taking a deep breath" before the next scheduled phases of bike lane implementation. Thank heavens, because those alterations will upend almost every facet of downtown traffic.
Supporters of the bike lanes will read that last sentence and say "yes!" But for the rest of us, we're going to need a little (OK, a lot) more convincing that these lanes are a good idea than a gaggle of bikers taking over Broad Street for a photo-op ride on a random Tuesday evening.
We've been told about the wonders the lanes will provide for Chattanooga. Fine, but let's see some proof before we go any further.
Contact David Allen Martin at davidallenmartin423@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @DMart423.