It may be a first in Great Bend and let’s only hope it isn’t the last. This refers to the covered bicycle rack on the west side of the Great Bend Public Library.
The simple structure with a pitched roof was the brainchild of library Director Harry Willems. He acted on the requests from some of his employees who want to ride to work on their bikes and wanted a sheltered place to park them. They had been taking them indoors.
But the scope of his actions goes beyond library personnel. A cyclist himself, he hopes to see other businesses inspired by the idea and install racks at  their locations.
After all, according to a study released this week by the U.S. Public Interest Group Education Fund, Americans have cut their per-person driving miles in 46 states plus Washington, D.C., since the middle of the last decade. Since 1946, the per-capita miles driven per year rose steadily from a little over 2,000 to around 10,000 at the peak in 2004. It has tapered off, down to around 9,000 in 2011, the most recent data available.
“There’s a national decline in driving that is shared by almost every state,” said Phineas Baxandall, transportation program director for the fund. “It’s time for policy makers to wake up and realize the driving boom is over. We need to reconsider expensive highway expansions and focus on alternatives such as public transit and biking—which people increasingly use to get around.”
This includes Kansas.
In light of this, why wouldn’t we construct more such racks?
Key to encouraging more people to use pedal power are first, safe routes to ride, and second convenient/secure places to chain their often expensive bikes.
The library’s installation cost about $450. That’s a pretty small investment.
These would be simple, low cost improvements that could have a big impact, said Barton County Engineer Clark Rusco rides to work. Rusco, who is part of the Be Well Barton County leadership team under the Central Kansas Partnership, calls this the “low-hanging fruit.”
Be Well’s mission it is to promote walking and cycling improvements countywide.
It is becoming a more common sight to see folks riding bikes. For some, they can’t afford the alternative. For others, it is a matter of choice.
Regardless, we need to make sure the seeds of this fruit take root.
Dale Hogg