Some members of the USM community have found an environmentally friendly alternative for travelling to and from the Portland campus: they’re riding bicycles.
This fall the Bicycle Coalition of Maine has worked with the Alliance for Transportation Choice and the Maine Department of Transportation to have bike lanes painted citywide, including lanes on Bedford Street.
Originally a transportation plan with bike lanes was put together in the early 90s and in October of 2001, a hearing was held. Larry Ash, the city traffic engineer and Jeffrey Miller, executive director, Bicycle Coalition of Maine, were instrumental people in the decision.
John Balicki, Maine Department of Transportation Bicycle/Pedestrian coordinator said the project was funded 80 percent through federal enhancement funds by the Maine Department of Transportation and 20 percent by the City of Portland.
Statewide, there are over 5,000 bicyclists, Balicki said.
“I bicycle in from Cumberland once or twice a week and I’m ecstatic about the new bike lanes,” said Dudley Greeley, environmental & economic sustainability coordinator, Facilities management.
The Bicycle Coalition of Maine promotes an environmentally safe alternative to driving and educates motorists on how to share the road with bicyclists as well as educating bicycle safety to schools statewide.
“We are happy to encourage students to use the bike lanes for transportation,” he said. For more information about the Bicycle Coalition of Maine visit the site at www.BikeMaine.org