Largest pop-up bike lane in world being built in Macon (Washington: renter, live)
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The largest temporary bike lane network in the world is coming to downtown Macon.
“The lanes in the street are beneficial to everyone,” Lee Clack said. “The thing that scares me as a cyclist was always cars, [the lanes] make drivers aware of bikes on the streets.”
Clack owns Kudzu Seafood, a restaurant downtown that uses tricycles to deliver food.
“It makes it easier to move from street to street,” he said.
The bike lanes, which will be connected in a grid formation around the city are part of a campaign by the Better Block Foundation which received a $750,000 dollar grant from the Knight Foundation in January.
Jason Roberts, the co-founder of Better Block Foundation says Macon is a great city for the project.
“It’s an opportunity for you to take these wide streets and convert them into areas that have beautiful bike paths, better sidewalks and allow for car accommodations as well,” Roberts said.
Volunteers with Macon Connects, the Better Block Foundation, 8 80 Cities and Macon-Bibb County, will work from September 13 to September 16 building the 8-mile route throughout the city.
“Oh it’s really nice, it basically dignifies the experience for the cyclist,” Roberts said. “It makes an environment that’s a little more irresistible to ride a bike on.”
The pop up lanes are temporary – the paint will either be washed away by weather or cleaned off the streets by Macon-Bibb County. But first, they need to be celebrated.
Mayor Robert Reichert will hold a “Street Makeover” ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday afternoon followed by a tour of the bike lanes and a bike parade. The block party continues Saturday.
Starting September 16, cruiser bikes will be available at stations found at Washington Memorial Library, Tubman Museum and Ocmulgee Heritage Trail at Spring St. for any renter 18 years of age and above to use for on-demand, local trips. The bikes are free to rent for the first hour and $3.00 per each additional hour.
The Macon Bike Share Program is 100% funded by the grant awarded to the Macon CVB by Downtown Challenge Community Foundation of Central Georgia.
“There has been a lot of success with bike shares in other cities, and we are looking forward to offering a bike share program for our residents and visitors alike,” said Rhonda Okurowski, Director of Tourism at the Macon CVB.
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