Hi there – I’ve been here at Bike Newport for just under a month, and I’m already feeling the opportunity to apply what I’ve learned to real life here in Newport. In college in Colorado Springs, I volunteered for BikeCOS, a similar organization to Bike Newport. I was blown away by the dedication of the group, helping to provide public rides while being active in local government. From the moment I staffed my first “Motorless Morning Ride”, I knew I wanted to surround myself with these types of people!
Colorado Springs covers about 195 square miles, so many people have to travel long distances and biking is not always an option. While still encouraging a switch to walking or biking for smaller trips, the main focus of our work was slowing down car traffic, making our local streets more safe for all users (equally, if not, more important!)
Here on Aquidneck island, there is a great opportunity to switch from cars to bikes for shorter distance trips – and with that to help reduce carbon emissions. According to our Ride Island Bike Plan, 48% of car trips on Aquidneck Island are under 2 miles. For an average person, this trip would take 8-12 minutes on a bike. This is a meaningful opportunity for people to switch to bikes for shorter trips. Bike infrastructure on the island, however, makes that choice more difficult.
A University of Oxford study confirmed that using your bike once a day for smaller distance trips can reduce your yearly carbon footprint by 500 kilograms of CO2. To compare, 500 kilograms of CO2 is equivalent to driving a car from New York City to Los Angeles.
As reported in our Ride Island Bike Plan, many people would like to bike or walk to their destinations, but do not feel it is safe enough to do so. If the City of Newport, and the rest of Aquidneck Island, provide the infrastructure, people who want to ride but are concerned about safety will be more likely to ride. We, as a community, would see improvements to local air quality, a reduction in traffic congestion, and slower speeds on our roads, ultimately making Aquidneck Island a safer place to live and travel.
As a lifelong baseball fan, the most quoted line from “Field of Dreams” seems especially compelling here: “If you build it, they will come”. When we build for bikes, people will ride!
I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences, and I invite you to email me: chrisburich@bikenewportri.org.
Bike Newport