Columbia (Mo.) mayor says it's time to put pedal to metal
[Baltimore Spokes: Note they used Federal Funding, we have a hard time getting Federal Funding because of State Policies.]Says Columbia (Md.) needs to develop its bicycling potential
By Sarah Breitenbach - Colombia Flier
Columbia could learn a thing or two from a Missouri city that shares its name.
Darwin Hindman, the mayor of Columbia, Mo., visited Columbia, Md., Wednesday to tour the area and to talk about strategies for making Howard County more bike-friendly.
Hindman was invited to town as a guest of Columbia Tomorrow, a nonprofit dedicated to revamping downtown Columbia.
His visit included a two-wheeled tour on area bike paths and roads, and a lunch with representatives from nonprofits, businesses and local government.
“One of the things you've got to do if it’s going to work is take the people who don’t ride bikes now and get them interested in it,” he said.
Hindman told the group of 30 how his city used a $22.5-million federal grant to build bike paths, improve intersections and host city-sponsored bicycle safety courses.
“It’s beautiful here,” he said. “You’ve got an awful lot to build on.”
Hindman emphasized the health benefits of biking and its ability to decrease congestion when used as a means of commuting.
David Yungmann, founder of Columbia 2.0, an organization that seeks to involve younger people in the downtown redevelopment process, and a participant in the morning bike ride, said Columbia’s roads are not conducive to commuters on bikes.
“We were in people's way,” he said. “People are trying to park, trying to drive.”
County councilwoman Jennifer Terrasa, a Democrat who lives in Kings Contrivance, said while the county’s roughly 100 miles of bike paths are great for recreation, routes are not well connected.
“It’s almost like a strategic plan,” she said. “You have to go ‘OK, how am I going to get across (U.S. Route) 29? I can get over here, but how am I going to get across that road?' ’”
Terrasa said funds are not readily available to develop more bike paths or create dedicated lanes for cyclists, but bike usage will be a part of the planning process to redevelop downtown Columbia.
Earlier this week, the Howard County Council introduced legislation outlining General Growth Properties Inc.’s plan to bring 5,000 residential units, 5 million square feet of office space and 1.25 million square feet of retail space to downtown Columbia.
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