Sally Hanley thinks Northeast Ohioans are finally taking bicycling transportation seriously.

“In the past, bikes were thought of as a toy or for recreation only," says Hanley who has worked on bike issues for more than a decade as a senior planner for NOACA. "I think part of the image for any region today is tied to, ‘do you have a bikeway system?’”

While some critics say NOACA needs to adopt a stronger Complete Streets policy, Hanley defends the agency’s progress in bike planning. NOACA has a goal to make our transportation system “more balanced”, she recently led an update of its 1997 bike plan and points to a policy that reminds communities to follow federal guidelines and accommodate bikes if they get NOACA money. “The exact wording is ‘shall’ accommodate cyclists, unless it’s unfeasible,” she explains. “So, over next ten years, we will measure the impact of that resolution.”

Meanwhile, Marty Cader, who worked on the Bike Cleveland Plan for the city of Cleveland, can point to a number of initiatives that garnered an honorable mention from the League of American Bicyclists at the conference. Some of the city’s recent accomplishments include:

• Cleveland Bikeway Master Plan, adopted in 2007
• The city’s $13 million commitment to bike infrastructure as part of the city’s capital budget
• The soon-to-open three-mile bike lane on Euclid Avenue (a collaborative effort that included RTA and advocates like Ryan McKenzie, former transportation manager at EcoCity Cleveland).
• City Racks – the city installed 500 bike racks and 200 benches citywide
• Treadway Creek bike trail, the first neighborhood connector to the Towpath Trail in Cleveland
• Bikes racks on all RTA buses (and allowed on trains)

And, what’s on board for the city?

• A new zoning ordinance that will mandate all parking lots and structures set aside spots for bike parking
• Fulton Road Bridge will be rebuilt with bike lanes connecting to the Zoo.
• Reviewing all roadway reconstructions for possible bike routes or ‘Share-rows’—pavement paint with the bike symbol and arrows (Franklin Avenue and W. 65th will be the first two city streets with the symbols).
• A proposed downtown bike parking station near E. 4th Street.
• The Cleveland Bike Map (part of STEPS to a Healthier Cleveland) will show existing and proposed routes, bike lanes and trails along with other relevant information such as bike safety and shops. Expected print date is September, 2009.