It's summer. That means time to bring out the bicycles... if you already haven't done so. And, according to sales, a lot more of you have bikes. So, with that bit of info, Michigan has been working toward making your biking life easier when it comes to lanes and trails.
Excerpt:
Sales of bicycles and bicycle-related accessories increased $200 million from 2006 to 2007 and held steady last year, according to the National Sporting Goods Association. The association also estimated that 15 percent of Americans, or 44.7 million, rode a bicycle six times or more last year, an 11-percent increase from 2007.
That's why Michigan, like other states, has been stepping up its efforts to meet the increased interest in bicycling with bike-hike friendly roads and projects like the Dequindre Cut, which opened last month, and the RiverWalk, which opened in 2007.
The Michigan Department of Transportation now maintains more than 2,560 miles of paved shoulder with bicycle access. The state also has more than 1,394 miles of rails-to-trails -- abandoned railroad tracks that have been converted into biking, hiking and walking trails. Combine those rails-to-trails with trails through parks and public land, and downtowns and neighborhoods, and the stretch increases to more than 2,000 miles, said Nancy Krupiarz, executive director of the Lansing-based nonprofit Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance.
Read the entire article
here.
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.