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Bike advocacy groups encourage biking, safer roads in Salt Lake City

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SALT LAKE CITY — Unplugged Wellness and Salt Lake City Fixed, two bike advocacy groups are encouraging people to get outside and use the city's infrastructure. They explained that a reason people may be opposed to getting on bikes is safety concerns.

"We need a lot of improvement in that area, we've had fatalities in pedestrian, and cyclists' fatalities over the years and we want to eliminate those," said Dan Dugan, Salt Lake City Council District 6.

Unplugged Wellness shared that it's their mission to make people more alive. They are happy to teach people how to safely ride their bikes.

"The average American spends 11 hours a day on screens, 50% of Americans don't recreate outside. Bikes help us Connect with our place, connect with our community and they're fun," said Lucas Matelich, Unplugged Wellness.

The Founder of SLC Fixed Gear also hopes that people will join their biking community.

"Fortunate to have bike paths like the nine line or the S-line, we do have quite a few bike lanes so we take advantage of what we do have," said Nick Santos, SLC Fixed.

The Salt Lake City Council is working with residents to find areas that can be improved.

"We're listening we want your feedback and we want your input because I want to go to those neighborhoods and say hey we have some ideas how to help your neighborhood slow down the traffic," said Dugan.

Sharing that it is a city-wide effort.

"Across the whole community not only from the driver's side, the distracted driver's side but also distracted walkers we need to obey the rules of the road but also we just need to slow down. We shouldn't be in a rush, take a little presence to make your roads and your streets safer for everybody," said Dugan.

Matelich has some suggestions of his own, "wider bike lanes, lining the bike lanes with bollards, even painting the bike lanes gives a visual barrier."

Council member Dan Dugan explains that the city does want change. "We need to approve our streets to allow it to be safe for walkers, bikers, scooter riders, and drivers. Vision 0, the mayor proclaimed that hey we want to be Vision 0 and have 0 fatalities by 2035. That's our goal," said Dugan.

"We're also addressing it across the city with quick reactions to calm the traffic down in certain hot spots and the neighbors know where those hotspots are. We're working with the residents and the Department of Transportation to calm the traffic down in certain areas," said Dan Dugan, Salt Lake City Council District 6.

Finding ways to get traffic to slow down. "Bulb outs so you bump it out so the street is narrow at a crosswalk going to a school," said Dan Dugan, Salt Lake City Council District 6.

Avid Salt Lake City cyclists say there are some problematic areas. "There are some streets that are very dangerous, the cars drive very fast, or the bike lane just disappears, 7th East is basically a freeway, there is a bike lane on it but nobody ever rides on it because it's so unsafe," said Santos.

The bike groups explained that it comes down to the groundwork. "Have a full-proof infrastructure so have protection for the pedestrians and the cyclists the designated areas for the cars to drive separately," said Santos.

With safer streets, more people may be more confident in utilizing the city's infrastructure. "I don't think the onus falls on the drivers I think the onus falls on the infrastructure, if we design town better with safer streets then we don't have to rely on the drivers," said Matelich.

Santos shared that it's appreciated to have the city advocating for safer streets. "Pedestrians and cyclists are often the minority and the cars get the larger stage, when I hear that we have somebody speaking for us that is amazing and that's what will keep planting bike lanes and bike paths," said Santos.

Unplugged Wellness says it's important that riders know the rules of the road and stay alert. "You have to be continually aware, ride right ride assertively, the #1 thing that keeps a lot of new people from riding and we're here to wave the flag that hey when we ride together with 'know-how' actually it is safe," said Matelich.

SLC Fixed and Unplugged Wellness invites people to join their rides, they want to teach others the joy in biking.

"Let's get more butts on bikes," said Matelich.

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