By: Michael Lander
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| Having more places to ride a bike has given people that much more to love about Memphis. This popular cycling mural is located along the 10.85 mile long Shelby Farms Greenline trail near N. Mendenhall Rd. The trail currently runs from Tillman to the former Cordova Train Depot near Dexter Lane. A further 2.3 mile extension of the trail to Lenow Rd. is expected to get underway before 2019. |
All of us have wishes and sometimes we even go as far as making wishes on shooting stars, when we blow out birthday candles, after we pull apart wishbones, when we cast money into a fountain or a wishing well, or in so many other different ways.
As much fun as it might be to imagine that all of our wishes could possibly come true in any of these fantastical ways, most of us are sensible enough to know that this doesn’t really happen, at least not in real life.
This is not to say, however, that there is anything wrong with making wishes because every great accomplishment or achievement that we have in our lives begins with a simple wish.
The legendary basketball player, Michael Jordan, once said, “Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen,” and so there is nothing wrong with having wishes so long as you are willing to try and make those wishes come true.
It is with this in mind that Memphis area cyclists should consider coming up with some wishes of their own of what they would like to see happen to make Memphis, and the surrounding communities even better for cycling.
Even though the Memphis area has really come a long way in less than a decade, (having come from absolutely nothing to now having hundreds of miles of bike lanes, trails, and other cycling-related amenities that we have today), we should not rely on others to look out for our interests, but we should be proactive and to have a wish list that will help to ensure that we get whatever will make things even better for us as a community.
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| This wall art is located on Cooper Ave. near Central Ave in Midtown Memphis. In 2012, the Cooper-Young neighborhood was chosen as one of the best neighborhoods to live in within the U.S. and it may have one of the larger concentrations of cyclists in Memphis. |
Here, then, is a list of ten (10) things that we, as a community of cyclists, should consider having on our wish lists.
(1) More protected bike lanes
We’ve seen hundreds of miles of bike lanes put down in and around Memphis, beginning in 2008, and as welcoming a sight that this has been, we have yet to see but one protected bike lane installed thus far. Having more of these, especially on roads with heavier vehicular traffic should definitely make the wish lists of Memphis area cyclists.
(2) Finding ways to provide more space and separation for cyclists
Bike lanes, protected or otherwise, are not only something that most cyclists would like to see, because it helps to provide a space for cyclists to navigate on, but they can also help to entice some to ride who might not otherwise feel safe riding on our city streets. If bike lanes cannot be put in, cyclists should have other options made available to them which can provide more space and separation between them and motor vehicles and this might, at the very least, include wider shoulders. Having city engineers come up with possible solutions in these cases is something that we can hope for and should have on our wish lists.
(3) A vastly expanded network of bike lanes and trails
The Memphis Bikeway and Pedestrian Program Manager, Nick Oyler, recently said that one of his main goals is to help connect some of the existing bike lanes that we already have with one another. While this is absolutely great news for those who ride around in Memphis, we can only hope that this will eventually lead to a much more ambitious plan of connecting our bike lanes and trails, not only to nearby communities, but branching out well beyond that in all directions. Such a vast network as that would make a nice addition to any wish list that we could come up with.
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| The City of Memphis opened two of four lanes of Riverside Drive, exclusively to pedestrians and cyclists from June 2014 to April 2016. Even though this testing period did not end as some had hoped, there is still a chance that Memphis may still see another chance for protected bike lanes on this scenic roadway. If it ever does, it will show the city's commitment to the cycling community, to the health and welfare of its residents, and will provide greater economic benefits with an increase in tourism. |
(4) Protected bike lanes on Riverside Drive
One of the best places to see and visit is downtown Memphis and the area along the Mississippi River and so it is disappointing that it isn’t exactly easily or possible to get around on a bike, especially on Riverside Drive. No wish list could possibly be created that did not include having protected bike lanes on this iconic roadway, which would, ideally, connect The Big River Crossing over the Mississippi River with the Wolf River Greenway.
(5) Lighted bike trails
Being able to ride a bike on trails at night may seem like something that would only appeal to a small, fringe group of cyclists, but people would probably be surprised by just how many cyclists (including those who want to commute by bike) would jump at the chance to do this if they were allowed to hit the trails at night and, if the trails, themselves, had adequate lighting on them. Having trails that are lit, perhaps even like the solar-powered glow in the dark ones in the Netherlands, would be wildly popular and would make a nice item to have on a wish list for Memphis area cyclists.
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| Nothing may symbolize the growing popularity of cycling more than the bicycle arch at the entrance to Overton Park on East Parkway in Memphis. The ribbon-cutting ceremony took for it took place on April 19, 2014. In this photo, taken on June 25, 2015, is the former Bikeway and Pedestrian Program Manager, Kyle Wagenschutz who was participating in one of seven Bikes on Broad events from May to November 2015. Bikes on Broad was part of a national competition by PeopleforBikes, which Memphis participated in and came in second, just behind Tucson. |
(6) The need for more people to get involved in support of cycling
When it comes to cycling, the Memphis area has really made a lot of progress thanks to cycling advocates, non-profit organizations, businesses, philanthropists, and city leaders who have turned a vision and a dream into a reality. In order to make even greater strides in the years ahead, more cyclists need to get involved with any issues (political or otherwise) that might impact cycling. There is strength in numbers and the cycling community could become an even greater force by coming together and supporting one another for the greater good of cycling in and around Memphis. Anyone who has interest in cycling should definitely have this goal on their wish list.
(7) Finding ways to get more people out riding bikes
One of the ways that the cycling community could exert an even greater influence, (and benefit from the allocation of funding and other resources), would be by increasing the number of those who ride. The challenge for Memphis, and for other cities, is to come up with new and innovative ways to get more people out on bikes and to help make the number of cyclists grow, which will not only provide an economic boost, but, more importantly, will also provide health and fitness benefits for more of those in our community and for that reason alone it is well worth having this on our wish lists.
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| The Shelby Farms Greenline is one of Memphis' first paved trails and it will eventually intersect with the Wolf River Greenway, which will be the largest paved city trail in Memphis when it is completed in 2018. Having these trails and the city bike lanes extend well beyond Memphis to all of our nearby communities is something that all cyclists should hope and wish for. |
(8) Making streets even safer for pedestrians and cyclists
Pedestrians and cyclists are especially vulnerable to the threat that is posed by distracted, impaired, reckless, impatient, or angry drivers. Because of the dangers that these types of drivers present, more can and should be done, which can include greater awareness, education, and enforcement. It might also help to also have a database, which could help to identify the circumstances of any incidents involving cyclists and pedestrians and what if any actions were done to help prevent this from happening again. Safety on our city streets is one of the main goals for Memphis’ Bikeway and Pedestrian Program Manager and this should absolutely be on each and everyone’s wish lists.
(9) Addressing the needs of those who commute on a bike
The percentage of those who actually commute by bicycle in the Memphis area is relatively low, but for cycling to grow, this is something that will need to change. In order to accomplish that, there needs to be a bigger and better network of bike lanes with more support of businesses and amenities aimed at those who wish to commute on bicycle. Having more people commuting on their bikes will provide a more economical option for those on a limited income, it could help ease traffic congestion, and it can lay the necessary groundwork for those who wish to ride for other purposes. For these reasons, this should be a “must have” on our wish lists.
(10) Making Memphis one of the best cities in the U.S. for cycling
The last thing on our wish list is to see Memphis become one of the best cities in the country for riding a bike and a top destination spot for cycling. Seeing how far that we’ve already come, it isn’t unreasonable to imagine just how far we may be able to go over the next decade.
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| Memphis has put down over 500 miles of bike lanes since 2008 and there are plans to connect some of the existing ones with one another in the years ahead. Having even more bike lanes, or other options, is and should be on all local area cyclists wish lists. |
The future of cycling in Memphis is limited only by that which we wish for it to be today. It is for this reason that we can never underestimate the value of wishing and dreaming for anything.
There is really nothing wrong with wishing…… There is only something wrong with not doing anything about it.
Jonas Salk once said that “There is hope in dreams, imagination, and in the courage of those who wish to make dreams a reality,” and what we need is to have the strength and courage to do just that.
For those who love to ride a bike, we must do what we can to make cycling not only good for ourselves, but to make it more feasible and appealing for everyone else.
We can make this happen if we take these wishes that we have and try to make them a reality.
T.S. Eliot once said that, “Sometimes things become possible if we want them bad enough.”
We should have enough of the determination and resolve to one day make all of our wishes and dreams come true and to help create an even better place for cycling in and around Memphis.
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