Bicycle riding in Indianapolis continues to grow and evolve as an accepted and respected mode of transport. Over the past decades, Indianapolis has earned a reputation as one of the best US bicycling communities. As a result, the city has experienced tremendous development in the cycling trail. In Indianapolis, the majority of the top tourist attractions like the museum of children in Indianapolis and Monument Circles are accessible by bicycle. The continued culture and development of protective cycling lanes motivate people to adopt the use of bicycles transport. Technically, Indianapolis focus on establishing and expanding the bicycle network to promote safety, mobility among people, health both in human and the environment in general, saving cost, as well as promote social opportunities among the Indianapolis people.
Bike lanes promote safety
In most cities, bike lanes are built on either side of the road to ensure that cyclists are not at risk of experiencing accidents. Often, paths are created with barriers to ensure that other forms of transport like vehicles cannot find their access to the lane. The safety of the lane promotes confidence among the users. There are fewer chances of accidents among cyclists when they are riding in their separate lanes as opposed to sharing a road with cars and other motorcycles (Annis, 2018). When the lanes are unprotected, they leave cyclists more vulnerable to accidents. Besides being helpful to the cyclists, protected lanes also help in reducing the number of things that drivers need to be worried about in the road. Protected lanes ensure that cyclists do not find themselves on the road but instead cycle on different paths.
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Another group of people that benefit from the building of protected cycling lanes is the pedestrians. Substantially, building cycling lanes reduces biking activities on the sidewalks. Sidewalks are safer for pedestrians when they do not have to share them with bikers. It leaves enough room for people to walk in groups and push strollers while going for nature walks. Creating a sense of safety among pedestrians is one way of encouraging people to walk. Substantially protected bikes reduce crossing distances and promote calm traffic. When bikers and pedestrians are separated, the latter are less likely to experience injuries that result from bike riding. The higher the number of biking lanes, the better the business opportunities in the region. Considering the high number of people engaging in cycling activities in Indianapolis,
Mobility and Savings
One of the primary reasons that more cycling lanes continue to develop in Indianapolis is that it is considered an appropriate mode of transport compared to others like the use of motor vehicles. Indianapolis (2012) argues that unlike cars, bicycles enhance mobility as it minimizes the amount that one needs to spend on transport as they move around. This way, it increases the quality of life as households get more dispensable income. Also, bicycles are known to have more predictable commuting time as compared to vehicles. Often, vehicles are likely to experience congestion, which slows down the movement of cars. Bicycle parking is always free of charge, thus reducing the cost of transport among riders.
Health
Health is an incredible reason that people choose to use bicycles for their movement as opposed to other forms of transport. Mostly, the health benefits of cycling are well-known. Basically, riding is considered a low impact exercise for the body. Bicycling is regarded as a better option than walking among people suffering from arthritis, mobility issues, and back issues. According to Lindsey (2018), cycling helps with weight management, thus being an excellent activity for people struggling with weight loss and physical activities. Another great advantage of cycling is in relation to the improvement of cardiovascular and mental health, and it helps in building strength and muscle tone, which in return, improve overall healthcare, thus reducing healthcare expenses. Based on the study conducted by the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 30 minutes of moderate exercise among adults can help them prevent the issues of high blood pressure, health disease, arthritis, and depression.
Environmental
Increased use of bicycles has ecological advantage. Unlike other modes of transportation, bikes do not have a carbon footprint. Mainly, it does not consume fuel as the case of cars, thus reducing the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. It is also known to reduce the formation of greenhouse emissions. Bicycles are not associated with break dripping, the discharge of the anti-freeze fluid, or toxic dust (Indianapolis, 2012). Cycling reduces water pollution, which is often experienced in the case of motor vehicle usage. Other environmental pollutions, including noise pollution. Reduction in air pollution implies that there are fewer cases of air-borne diseases like asthma.
Social
Indianapolis, as a community, has experienced an increase in the number of people enjoying the riding terrains in the region. This has increased the demand for expansive facilities to accommodate all people and enhance their social well-being. People who use bicycles for mobility are said to enhance a greater sense of community and opportunities increasing the livability of the city. In this case, it is easier for people to interact with one another in the community as opposed to other forms of transport. Sometimes, cycling occasions are organized to bring people together to solve issues. For instance, cyclists may come together to facilitate their bicycle riding to raise money to help the needy and those with a particular illness.
Reduced congestion
Generally, Indianapolis needs to increase the number of cycling lanes to ease the traffic experienced inroads, the available paths, and sidewalks. Eliminating bicycles from the way helps to facilitate the movement of vehicles with fewer congestions (Cantrell, 2019). This is the same case for the sidewalks and lanes. Extra lanes create more room for cyclists to ride their bikes, thus reducing congestion and enhancing smooth movement.
Conclusion
In Indianapolis, cycling is one of the most respected forms of communication. The number of people engaging in cycling continues to grow as the government participates in initiatives and projects that are meant to encourage riding as opposed to the use of cars. With the large population embracing the tradition of cycling, more bike lanes are required. Several reasons have been identifying as the driving forces that pushed the city to expand the pathways. First, the region is determined to ensure the safety of the cyclists by developing safe lanes that protect the pedestrians as well as the cyclists from road accidents. Additionally, the use of bikes is quite environmentally friendly hence not harmful to both the atmosphere and humans. Besides, riding bikes is of great benefit to the health of cyclists. It assists in weight management and preventing chronic diseases that may develop as a result of inactivity in life.
References
Annis, R. (2018). How to explore America’s most underrated biking city. AFAR . Accessed from https://www.afar.com/magazine/how-to-explore-the-nations-most-underrated-biking-city
Cantrell, A. (2019). New bike paths coming to Indy this fall will help keep bicyclists safe. FOX 59. Retrieved from https://fox59.com/2019/08/07/new-bike-paths-coming-to-indy-this-fall-will-help-keep-bicyclists-safe/
Indianapolis. (2012). Indianapolis bicycle master plan. (3012). Indianapolis Accessed from https://citybase-cms-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/f528a48064a94b178162d936a193c20e.pdf
Lindsey, J. (2018). Bike lanes make cities safer for everyone. Outside. Retrieved from https://www.outsideonline.com/2399281/bike-lanes-make-cities-safer-everyone
