Making Buffalo a more bikable is the topic of a meeting being held Thursday night. The partnership between the City of Buffalo and GObike Buffalo will host the second public meeting of the Citywide Bicycle Facility Master Plan.
The meeting aims to nail down the community’s vision for a more bicycle friendly city. GObike Buffalo Executive Director Justin Booth says it will help pinpoint the best spots to install 110 new bike racks, build new paths, and create bike lanes, and cycle tracks.
“Our goal with this plan is to identify what routes are going to work to create this network for each of the different types of cyclists that are out there. But, the key is going to be making sure that it’s safe so we can really capture that 60 percent of the population that say they would bicycle more often if it was safe and accessible for them to do so,” said Booth.
The master plan is being funded through a New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and New York State Department of Transportation grant and matched by the city. Booth says he believes making Buffalo more bicycle friendly will be good for human health, reduce effects of climate change, and boost the economy.
“Places like Portland, Oregon for instance, which is considered one of the most bicycle friendly cities in the country, can demonstrate that people living in their metro area drive 4 miles less in their automobiles than people living in other metro areas, and it can demonstrate $2.6 billion going back into the local economy, because people are saving money not having to drive,” said Booth.
The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at d!g located at 640 Ellicott Street in downtown Buffalo. Booth says there will be four total meetings before the master plan is complete in May 2015.