Bauer highlights G.S. bike lane improvements at start of city’s Bike Month

Bauer highlights G.S. bike lane improvements at start of city’s Bike Month
By John Mullen
Bike enthusiast and Gulf Shores city planner Andy Bauer asked City Council during a work session on April 19 to declare May National Bike Month by highlighting recent improvements to bike lanes and paths in the city.
“I’d like to thank the mayor and city council for investing millions of dollars over the past several years improving the bicycle facilities in the city of Gulf Shores,” Bauer said. “Your investment has greatly enhanced the livability for the residents of the city and also the tourists who visit Gulf Shores. It offers both mental and physical benefits. Also, a lot of people rely on bicycling to bike to work or bike to do some of their chores and some people just like to ride a bike because it’s a lot of fun.”
One of the main areas of bike access improvements came in the renovation of West Lagoon Avenue.
“This is improvement is important to the residents of this area and the tourists who stay in this area because West Lagoon Drive now is connected to the beach access at Little Lagoon Pass Park,” Bauer said. “There are also multiple other beach accesses along West Beach Boulevard that this trail can connect to.”
Recent improvements to bike trails and paths in Gulf Shores include:
• Coastal Gateway Boulevard added 1.7 miles of bike lanes
• Wedgewood Drive added one a one-mile bike lane
• Fort Morgan Road’s multi-use trail had 3.3 miles of trail resurfaced and was expanded from eight to 10 feet wide
• West Lagoon Avenue added two miles of multi-use trail and two miles of bike lanes
At the regular meeting on April 26 the council passed a declaration to make May Bike Month in the city, including sponsoring Bike to School Day on May 5.
Bauer said he and organizers were looking forward to restarting Bike to School Day after the 2020 event was canceled due to COVID-19.
“We typically get a lot of kids to participate in Bike to School Day,” Bauer said. “It’s a lot of fun. I’d like to encourage our citizens to get out and bike to school, bike to work or just bike around town this month.”
The Gulf Shores Police Department will be assisting with Bike To School Day. There will be two meeting locations where children can meet to depart for school: Kids Park Playground area (located in Sims Park) and Meyer Park. Participating students will arrive to school at approximately 7:45 a.m. There will be a return ride held after school. Participants should wear a helmet.
National Bike to Work Week will take place on May 17-23, and the official Bike to Work Day is Friday, May 21. The public is encouraged to put on their helmets and make their trip to work on their bike during this day and week to celebrate National Bike Month.
The city of Gulf Shores was designated as a Bronze Level Bicycle Friendly Community in 2018 and re-designated to the bronze level in 2020 and is only the second city in Alabama to achieve this status. Bike month was first established by the League of American Bicyclists and is celebrated each year to showcase the many benefits of cycling, Bauer said.
“Our goal is to achieve the platinum level which is the highest level that you can attain,” Bauer said. “Gulf Shores has over 50 miles of bike trails and bike lanes that connect the city with the Alabama Gulf State Park, the city of Orange Beach and points beyond.”
Baur said sponsoring Bike Month events will help the city maintain its bronze-level designation as a bicycle friendly community b
“This is an opportunity for us, the City of Gulf Shores, to further invest in our residents, both adults and children, by promoting a healthy lifestyle as we encourage a more active bicycling community,” he said.
National Bike Month, established in 1956, is sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists. This month presents a chance to showcase all of the benefits of bicycling and encourage the public to participate.
For more information on the listed events for Bike Month, visit gulfshoresal.gov or contact Bauer at 251-968-1151.