SALT LAKE CITY — Unplugged Wellness and Salt Lake City Fixed,
Local bike advocacy groups are encouraging people to get outside and use all that Salt Lake City has to offer, but admit that the reason why many are hesitant to do so is out of 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 Salt Lake City councilman Dan Dugan.
Unplugged Wellness teaches people how to safely ride their bikes.
"The average American spends 11 hours a day on screens. Fifty percent of Americans don't recreate outside. Bikes help us connect with our place, connect with our community and they're fun," said Lucas Matelich with Unplugged Wellness.
The founder of another group, SLC Fixed Gear, also hopes that people will join the Utah biking community.
"Fortunate to have bike paths like the 9 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 with SLC Fixed.
The Salt Lake City Council is also working with residents to find areas that can be improved.
"We're listening," said Dugan. "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.'"
Matelich has some suggestions of his own, including wider bike lanes and lining the bike lanes with bollards.
Dugan doubled down on how the city does want change.
"We need to approve our streets to allow it to be safe for walkers, bikers, scooter riders, and drivers," he said. "Vision 0, the mayor proclaimed that we want to be Vision 0 and have 0 fatalities by 2035. That's our goal.
"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."
Avid Salt Lake City cyclists say there are definitely some problematic areas in town.
"There are some streets that are very dangerous," explained Santos. "The cars drive very fast, or the bike lane just disappears, [700 East] is basically a freeway, there is a bike lane on it but nobody ever rides on it because it's so unsafe."
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," added 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 towns 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," he said. '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."
Unplugged Wellness believes it's important that riders know the rules of the road and stay alert.
"You have to be continually aware, ride right ride assertively," Matelich said.
SLC Fixed and Unplugged Wellness invites people to join their rides in hopes of teaching others the joy in biking.
"Let's get more butts on bikes," said Matelich.
DRIVEN TO CHANGE
