National Active Transportation

After meeting with Jon Schull and a few other members involved with the Rochester Bicycle Master Plan, I remembered a number of bookmarks I'd forgotten all about.
Notably:

The Virginia Capital Trail Foundation

BikeWalk Virginia Trails

The Virginia Bicycling Federation

Rochester's GRATS (Greater Rochester Active Transportation System) already has a defined trail connecting Rochester to Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Should Virginia and other New York and Pennsylvania cities combine their infrastructures, these three states could easily become the first in a national active transportation infrastructure.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has already put plans in motion to "[elevate biking, and active transportation] to the point where as we develop new road systems, as we develop communities where people can use light rail or street cars or buses, bike trails and walking paths will be equal partners, if you will, and equal components of those kinds of transportation opportunities in communities across America," via NPR

Not only will biking become a useful, convenient, and considerable form of transportation, but systems like GRATS will help organize and connect bus, train, air, waterway, and metro/subway infrastructures. Should the nation really begin to seriously explore and take advantage of the possibilities of alternative and active transportation, an explosion of opportunities to correct and better manage city infrastructure and transportation issues will take place (not to mention a better system for lowering carbon emissions and waste).

With active systems, a greater majority of Americans will be able to take advantage of their communities, as well. There is a huge portion of the United States population that do not use cars (as the driver, at least) as their primary means of transportation. Active transportation systems cater to those Americans that may have disabilities, are homeless, with low income, are not old enough to drive a car, or would rather use public transportation for personal reasons (eg: religious reasons, or environmental priorities).

Transportation reasons aside, cycling for recreation and exercise is an activity many people take part in worldwide. With infrastructures ideal for biking, new cycling hubs could popup on the map, and could, potentially, create a means of tourism for a number of cities. In addition, new hubs of production and industrialization could emerge along side a well defined bike system other transit systems (eg: busses, subways, etc) could easily combine with.

I've been placed in charge of a project at RIT called "Tiger Bikes." It's a bike sharing initiative that was spearheaded by a previous member of RIT's Student Environmental Action League (SEAL). As she's now graduated, it's my job to work with other students familiar with the project and attempt to get it establisbed on campus. I believe a bike share in the city of Rochester would be ideal with GRATS, and nationwide, if multi-modal transportation is to be successful.

Also, I'm hoping to contact someone in VDOT, as I believe I know someone who knows someone.... I want to attempt to "get the ball rolling" in other places.

Recommended viewing: Beyond the Motor City