Rural biking and walking have
unique challenges, but also
some great benefits!
Economic impacts of bicycling, Part 1.
Bikers Spend
0 People who ride bikes buy bikes. This puts people to work in
bike shops and apparel stores.
0 People who ride bikes buy other things. Bike-accessible
business districts benefit by catering to these customers.
0 People on bikes are more likely to make repeat
trips to their local stores.
0 People who ride bikes on vacation buy food,
have travel costs, and pay for lodging. Bicycling
tourists bring millions of dollars to towns.
Economic impacts of bicycling, Part 2.
Bikers Save
0 With the money saved from lower travel costs, people who
ride bikes have more of their money to spend on local
businesses.
0 People who ride bikes can save money on health insurance
costs.
0 Developers, cities, and individuals can save money on
parking costs by providing space-efficient, low-cost bike
parking instead of expensive car parking.
Advocacyadvance.org
0 Bicycling and walking are often the "forgotten modes"
of transportation planning
0 Approximately 131 million Americans bike or walk for
a variety of reasons.
0 Many small rural communities were built with a main
street and at a density in which walking is a very
viable means of transportation.
Biking and walking promote good mental and physical
health and prevent disease.
Good cycling and pedestrian infrastructure benefits the
community in many ways.
People bike and walk for recreation and transportation.
Bicycle infrastructure is cheaper to build and cheaper to
maintain than traditional roads.
Biking and walking provide CHOICES and EQUITY in
transportation.
Education about safe biking is important
to prevent injuries and accidents.
 Encouragement.
 Education.
 Engineering.
 Enforcement.
 Evaluation.
Equity and acceptance
More trails and activities
Increased funding
Better legislation/ enforcement
Signage/wayfinding and maps
Traffic calming
Education
New land acquisitions/ legal access
Bike/walking tourism
Infrastructure
Facilities (i.e. End of Trip)
Worksite wellness
Bike share/rental
Incentives
Nevada Legislature:
0 “3-Feet Please” Law
0 Nevada Vulnerable Highway Users Law
0 “Dead Red” Law for bicyclists and motorcyclists
0 Right Arm/Right Turn Law
0 Complete Streets
How can we begin to address
each community’s needs?
First, assess the motivation
Riding a bike or walking is fun.
As an economic driver.
To build a sense of community.
To provide opportunities for physical fitness and health promotion.
Financial reasons. The bike costs next to nothing to run compared to the
costs of a car.
0 Environmental benefits.
0 Energy independence.
0 The inability, be it for legal or physical reasons, to operate a motor vehicle.
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Then look at some strategies
to promote bicycling and in
your community!
For kids…
• Increases physical activity
• Improves health
• Provides autonomy and fosters
responsibility
• Teaches important safety skills
• Improves academic achievement
For parents…
• Chance to model healthy lifestyle
behaviors
• Quality time with children
• Safe and economical alternative
to driving to school
Helmet Distribution
and Bike Repair days
Complete Streets
0 Not just about accommodating bikes, focus is on creating
vibrant communities with safe streets for ALL users.
0 Not just for urban areas.
0 Create opportunities for residents and visitors to see the
town differently.
0 Smartgrowthamerica.org/complete-streets
Paths and Trails
0 A bike/ped friendly network need not be paved.
0 Case Study: Eagle, Colorado
Eagle, Colorado plans to connect
neighborhoods and schools with singletrack
to encourage kids to mountain bike. Photo:
Owen Richard/Flickr
Eliminate barriers…Create Jobs
Rural Bike Plans
0 NDOT + local partners
0 Preliminary work in
2013, plans are in draft
stage, should be
complete by the end of
2015.
0 Provides plans for
communities to
develop future bike
facilities.
Bicycle Friendly Communities
A BFC welcomes bicyclists by providing safe accommodations for bicycling and
encouraging people to bike for transportation and recreation. Making bicycling
safe and convenient are keys to improving public health, reducing traffic
congestion, improving air quality and improving quality of life.
Bicycle Friendly
Communities do not
have to be big.
Mesquite, NV has a
population of 15,000.
Across the US, many
even smaller towns are
BFC’s.
Bikeleague.org
Bicycle Tourism…
http://austinnevada.com/wide-openspaces-austin-nevada/biking/
Insights into rural bike tourism from
pathlesspedaled.com
0 Offer a wide range of experiences – everything from road
riding, mountain biking, gravel grinding, etc. But beyond
just biking assets, promote other related-but-non-cycling
activities (railroad, camping, hiking, rafting, fishing, arts,
beer, wine, etc.).
0 Have activities for all ages and abilities.
0 Rural communities don’t have to re-invent themselves into
mini-Portlands to entice cyclists, they just have to extend
the same sense of welcome as they would to their other
guests.
0 From behind a windshield, small towns are less memorable
as they pass by in the blink of an eye. On a bike, you feel
like you get a more intimate understanding of a place and
notice all the little details.
Special Events
Fallon, NV
13th Year (October 3, 2015)
200 participants
Generates about 150 room nights
Promoted in cycling magazines, bike shops, etc…
Small towns CAN do BIG events!