Over the past ten years, Rockford has been adding Bike Route signage and some striping to streets around the city.

Although, to be honest, I didn't see a single bike rider on my way into work this morning. So maybe we're not that bicycle friendly after all.

But seriously, if you are an avid bicyclist, RideIllinois says that Rockford is making all the right moves:

Rockford wants to be more bike-friendly. Already the home of the beautiful Rock River Recreation Trail, a growing network of designated bike routes, and a Complete Streets policy (that is actively used), the City of nearly 150,000 is taking a major step forward in making bicycle travel safer and more convenient. And Ride Illinois is helping.

It was time for the next 10-year plan, to improve the quality of the existing network’s segments and to add more. The City’s leaders upped the budget’s “Citywide Bicycle and Active Transportation Program” line item from $50,000 annually to $300,000 per year. Rockford staff hired Ride Illinois to develop its “Rockford Bikeway Implementation Study” with details to guide the next decade of investments.

Since October, Ride Illinois has studied over 500 distinct road segments in Rockford. Traditional, buffered, or separated bike lanes. Striped shoulders. Off-road sidepath trails. Bike Route wayfinding signs and 3-foot law signs. Our job has been to determine what’s needed and appropriate where, given each segment’s roadway geometry, traffic conditions, available right-of-way and other constraints.

 

 

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