Ride to the Statehouse

Columbus, Ohio rolling towards Bike City, USA title

May 17, 2010

By Beverly Mullet Randall, Central Ohio Animal Tracks

A little rain was no deterrent as bikers quickly gathered at the Gateway across from OSU on High Street, Columbus, Ohio about 7:30 am on May 17, 2010 for the Third Annual Bike to Work event kickoff that started at the OSU Gateway and ended at the Statehouse. The event was organized by Consider Biking. The group included over 250 bikers from several area biking groups, local biking businesses, several government and nonprofit agencies, and over 70 CEO's or their representatives. Mayor Michael B. Coleman kicked off the event, followed by Councilwoman Mary Jo Kilroy, Columbus Councilman Hearcel F. Craig, Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Director Jolene M. Molitoris, Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) Executive Director Chester R. Jourdan, Jr., and Consider Biking Executive Director Jeff Stephens.

Some representatives from Ride for World Health

"Columbus is on its way to being Bike City USA," Coleman said. "And I'm glad to have you here because this is a demonstration of what we can do in our city. We can bike to work, bike home from work, we can use biking as a recreational opportunity. We're going to make Columbus Bike City USA. We're excited about it because this year we're spending $10 million on biking projects all over the city.

Columbus is on its way to being Bike City USA.
Mayor "Bikin' Mike" Coleman

That includes construction of all street bike way projects, bike lanes and sharrow signs. And starting in a couple of weeks we will put 189 sharrow pavement markings on High Street between Nationwide Boulevard and Morse Road." Coleman said Columbus City Council needs to pass legislation to fund this and that Councilman Hearcel F. Craig is the sponsor of that legislation. He added that these sharrow pavement markings will go together with 54 Share the Road signs already installed last fall on that same stretch of High Street. "Now we've got to share the road. Bikers and riders. We have the same pavement. We're going to share the road in a responsible way for both bikers and riders," he added.

Mayor Coleman introduced Councilwoman Mary Jo Kilroy as "another great biking partner who is getting money from Washington, D.C., funnelling it to Columbus so that we can build bike ways around our city." Mary Jo Kilroy said, "I'm proud that the Recovery Act money is able to put the bike improvements to work here right away and we're working with sustainable communities and livable communities in Washington, too, so that the 2011 budget includes money for all modes of transportation, including the two-wheeled kind."

At this point, Mayor Coleman called a tomato, a corn, a carrot, and a flower pot to the podium--people dressed as these items to raise awareness of the health and environmental benefits of biking.

Councilman Craig took the podium, thanking all the participants and saying, "I can tell you that my Council colleagues and I are committed to doing all that we can with the administration to make this Bike City, USA. He also thanked Consider Biking Executive Director Jeff Stephens adding, "You connect and continue to do so much great work answering that call, spreading the gospel for cycling...how being on bikes makes you feel good."

ODOT Director Jolene Molinaris said, "Mayor, the Governor and you share a vision about transportation that includes all modes and if we're going to have an Ohio that's competitive, we have to have a biking community that's second to none and ODOT has committed, since 1992, over $100 million in biking around the state but, in addition, $16 million from the Recovery Act, thank you Congresswoman Mary Jo Kilroy."

MORPC Executive Director Chester R. Jourdan, Jr. took the podium. "What a great morning in Columbus, USA. I think one of the things this shows is that no matter what kind of weather there is, you can get out and bike every day." He also thanked the participants and their cooperative efforts. "Recently, MORPC along with the City of Columbus passed something called Complete Streets. We're the largest major metro in the nation with a Complete Street policy currently in place today." He added that cooperation of this kind for transportation was just the beginning of helping to move Columbus into the global marketplace of the future, ending with, "Let's get out and bike!"

Before introducing Consider Biking's Jeff Stephens, Coleman said he had just bicycled with him the week before in the Tour of the Scioto River Valley (TOSRV) event. "We rode all the way to Portsmouth just last week...115 miles against 40 mph head winds in 32 degree temperatures. I loved every minute of it."

"It was a great day," Stephens said. "One of our friends passed and they said to the Mayor, 'You better watch out for that Jeff Stephens, he's like a gateway drug into some bad stuff.' He (Coleman) said, 'Don't worry, I'm addicted.'"

After also thanking all the participants, Stephens said, "We're here to talk about these sharrows. These are these markings we put down on the road. We're going to see more bicyclists nationally and locally, that's just the facts Jack, ok. So we know, it's been proven that cyclists are safest on the road, but cyclists don't want to get on the road, many, until they feel there is some kind of accommodations for them. A sharrow is one of those great accommodations that sort of puts bikers in traffic where they belong as operators of vehicles, so all of us here, we need to operate as vehicles.

Columbus' first sharrow pavement marking at the OSU Gateway on High Street.



"This is that 'expect bikes', that 'bikes' are the law. So that's what this marking is all about and just the one last thing I've been saying a lot lately. The thing that many people fear the most is being hit from behind by a motor vehicle. That is such a little slice in the piece of the pie called other, its almost nonexistent so get out there on the road, take your place, be confident, find some of the resources and the people and the education classes that can help you become a confident cyclist to ride on the road. So thank you all for all you're doing. Let's ride bikes."

And they're off.


Look for the carrot, corn, flower pot, and tomato bringing up the rear.



Some biking links:
Consider Biking www.considerbiking.org
Share the Road www.sharetheroadcolumbus.org
Yay Bikes! www.yaybikes.org
Ride for World Health www.rideforworldhealth.org