What’s a Bikewalk, you ask? Well, it’s just THE ultimate new community accessory that every city is dying to have. It’s an ultra-hip, carbon-free, emissions-free, people-powered, plant-powered, community building benefit that people across the world are begging their local officials to build for them in their cities.
We’ve all heard of sidewalks. They’re that functional concrete strip next to roads that people can walk on. Some are narrow, some are wide. Some are more delightful than others. The best sidewalks seek to emulate the experience of Parisian promenades on either side of the Champs Elysee, beautiful tree lined paths that invite people to stroll down for long distances over the course of several hours. When done well, sidewalks are outdoor living rooms that invite people from all walks of life to relax, linger, connect with loved ones and spontaneously engage with others.
Bikewalks take the sidewalk to a whole new level. Not only are they beautifully landscaped, brilliantly lit and engineered for strolling, they offer a tree lined, protected, continuous and unfettered path to support cycling. They provide a delightful, convenient (and safe) way to conquer life’s errands, commutes and even exercise on two wheels, while simultaneously rolling back time to awaken the carefree sense of freedom experienced when we first conquered life on two wheels.
So how do we make a Bikewalk? The blueprint is simple:
So…look for the Bikewalk, the ultimate new community accessory, coming to a city near you!
Bikewalks take the sidewalk to a whole new level. Not only are they beautifully landscaped, brilliantly lit and engineered for strolling, they offer a tree lined, protected, continuous and unfettered path to support cycling. They provide a delightful, convenient (and safe) way to conquer life’s errands, commutes and even exercise on two wheels, while simultaneously rolling back time to awaken the carefree sense of freedom experienced when we first conquered life on two wheels.
So how do we make a Bikewalk? The blueprint is simple:
- Start with 18’-20’ of public right of way in front of every property.
- Next to the property line, allocate 5-7’ wide walkway – this offers access to shops and buildings and potential outdoor seating for cafes and restaurants.
- This is key! Create a 1’-2’ wide zone for planting, resting and infrastructure to separate the walking area from the biking area. This zone is ideal for benches, street lights, trash cans. Fill the spaces between street furniture with hardy low plantings and ground cover that can absorb storm water runoff from the pedestrian and bike lanes on either side.
- Next, allow at least 6’ of space for a single direction bikeway, preferably with permeable paving, for maximum storm water absorption. If you have 10', you can carve out a two direction bike way.
- Finally, create a planting zone about 4’-5’ wide between the bike lane and the car travel lane. This zone should have tree wells every 20-30’ to support an urban canopy, as well as bike parking, space for pedestrians to access any parked cars, and bus stops if needed.
So…look for the Bikewalk, the ultimate new community accessory, coming to a city near you!