Ten Years of Bike-Commute Advocacy

Bend’s bike-commuting nonprofit, Bend Bikes, is turning 10 years old this year, amid a massive improvement of the city’s transportation system and a growing presence of e-bikes on the streets. For the anniversary, the Source Weekly checked in with board president Elisa Cheng about the organization’s progress and goals.

Bike lanes separated from vehicle traffic, like this one on Franklin Avenue, can help provide more safety for bicyclists pedaling around town. Credit: Bend Bikes Facebook

Source Weekly: Has the scope of Bend Bikes changed over the years, and if so, how?

Elisa Cheng: I believe that for the first several years, Bend Bikes focused on getting our name out there and building a bicycling community by holding bike ride events like the Holiday Lights Ride. We’ve moved away from an events-based organization towards being an advocacy organization that interfaces directly with the city staff and local elected officials to further our mission. Our community would benefit by having more people bike, walk and roll and the way to get there is by having safer options for them to get around. Safer transportation options for people biking, walking and rolling means dedicated infrastructure that connects people to where they want to go and is comfortable for all ages and abilities. We’d love to see kids riding their bikes to school more, people able to get to the market and restaurants easily by walking, biking, or rolling, and people feeling comfortable commuting to work by walking, biking or rolling.

SW: What role does Bend Bikes play in working toward the city’s updated transportation system? What sorts of input has Bend Bikes given on the selection of new lane-separated routes, for example?

EC: Currently Bend Bikes tracks almost all of the transportation projects the City is working on through engagement at open houses, meeting with city staff to go over design options and weighing in on City Council meetings with transportation items on the agenda. We’ve been part of city roundtable discussions on e-bikes, transportation utility fee, wayfinding project, General Obligation Transportation Bond Oversight Committee, crosstown bikeways and more. We are very excited to see and participate in the Crosstown Bikeways project. The City will be working on one north-south and one east-west route that will be protected and comfortable for people to ride across town in the next two years. This will really be the first step in creating a connected bike network across Bend. It’s so important for people of all ages and abilities to be able to get across town and to places they would like to go safely and comfortably. We have been invited by the city to weigh in on the routes they are choosing and how to make them safer. We’re very excited about this!

SW: Can you give some examples of projects Bend Bikes is excited about seeing come into our transportation system in the coming months/years?

EC: Another project we are excited to see coming is the Hawthorne overcrossing. This will be a bridge for people who are walking, biking or rolling to cross over Highway 97 and the railroad to get from the downtown area to the core area. Creating a safe connection between the east and west sides of Bend will be huge! And now that the Hawthorne Overcrossing project has gotten federal grant money to be built it’s closer to happening than ever.

SW: What is it about bike commuting that you personally love?

EC: I love the sense of freedom and community connection I feel when I’m biking around town. I often see people that I know and can easily stop and chat with them when I’m on my bike. I also love feeling active and like I’m helping the environment just a little bit by not producing emissions with that particular trip.

SW: How can someone get involved in Bend Bikes? What needs do you have currently?

EC: We are currently looking for new board members! Visit our website bendbikes.org for information on applying. We are also always looking for people to join our advocacy committee where they’ll be able to learn about pressing transportation issues in the city and help advocate for safer options.

SW: Any other topics I missed you’d like to talk about?

EC: Well now that winter is here, it’s harder to do this, but the next opportunity you get, go out and ride a bike! It will make you feel great and it’s fun!

This article appears in Source Weekly January 18, 2024.