MOUNT VERNON — Randy Cronk, avid cyclist and volunteer with the Kokosing Gap Trail board of trustees, spoke to council members on Monday about the value cycling can bring to the city.
Noting that the Heart of Ohio and Kokosing Gap trails have increased cycling opportunities for residents, Cronk said that the closing of Elmwood school and the old middle school decreased the likelihood of youths riding their bikes to school. He also pointed out that the bike lanes that were on Division Street and Mount Vernon Avenue when he came to town 35 years ago are gone.
“Progress toward a bicycle friendly Mount Vernon has not been steady,” he said.
Cronk said that achieving the goal of a safe and bicycle-friendly city involves several things:
- Creating an expectation among street users that cyclists are on the streets
- Adopting a shared roads attitude
- Making road design and infrastructure changes
- Developing bike routes that connect with existing trails and link locations cyclists wish to reach such as schools, parks, and the Central Business District
“We need a city that encourages the movement of people,” he said. “An active lifestyle is critical to the health of our citizens. An intentionally designed bicycle-friendly infrastructure is critical to the safety of our citizens and can help reduce the volume of auto traffic on our streets.”
Cronk said that the city is uniquely positioned for significant opportunities if it leverages the Heart of Ohio and Kokosing Gap trails. As part of the Ohio to Erie Trail, HOOT and KGT draw hundreds, if not thousands, of riders to Knox County each year. He said he has personally visited with cyclists from England, Australia, California, Iowa, and New Hampshire, among others.
“Cycling already contributes to our economy and we could grow it further,” he said, citing such towns as Bentonville, AR; Rockwood, PA; and Xenia and Loudonville. “We have opportunity to tap.”
Cronk said that he, along with other cyclists, wish to be inclusive in the vision for safe and friendly bicycling in Mount Vernon.
“Bicycling is a real transportation option among other forms of transportation,” he said. “And I wish to be inclusive of all types of cyclists: those in spandex as well as those clad in blue jeans, the young and old, fast and slow, those on two wheels and those on three wheels.
“I call on you to take intentional action to make Mount Vernon an increasingly bicycle safe and friendly city.”
