Plainville Greenway Alliance

Bay Village and Rocky River are typical suburban communities on the shore of Lake Erie just west of Cleveland. For the last seven years, they have been quietly creating a highly successful biking culture among young people. I first encountered it in Bay Village in 2010, while I was riding there during a visit to family. I could not believe the great quantity of bikes I saw in front of two of the schools there (photo above). Now it has spread to Rocky River and beyond. Click  here  to read about what was happening in 2013.

Now that I have your attention, this really is the title of a recent article in the NYTimes about how motorists get away with murder, literally. But, before your blood pressure gets too high thinking about this sorry fact, read the article right through to the end; especially the end (click  here ). We cyclists bear great responsibility in how others perceive us. We are often our own worst enemy, blowing through stop signs and red lights with reckless abandon. So, if we want motorists and police to respect us and take us seriously as road users, we need to "ride different".

It's been more than 4 years since the Town completed the Master Plan Trail Study, but little has happened in that time. There are lots of reasons, none of them very good. But now is the time to act, while the political and funding climate still favors closing the gaps. Read here about Plainville's latest efforts to start closing the 4 mile gap here in town.