Bikes For The Burbs

An appropriations bill is a bill that asks for a certain amount of money from the Pennsylvania state budget to be granted for important initiatives. This bill entitled Bikes for the Burbs would ask for 1 million dollars to create safe bike lanes and bring a city program such as Indego Bikes to suburbs, occupied by extremely dense and high populations, such as the Main Line. There are several reasons why a program like this will help the environment: there would less car and bus pollution, people would get more exercise, and there would be a decrease in the number of accidents.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 75% of carbon monoxide pollution in the U.S. comes as a result of car pollution. As of now, there are almost 58,000 people living in Lower Merion. According to Lower Merion School District Demographics over 20,000 currently own cars. If some of those 20,000 people rode bikes to the train station or school, it would significantly lower the local air pollution.

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Some of the money from Bikes for the Burbs could go towards making bike lanes so people can feel safe. Another portion of the funds could go to creating a bike share program like ones seen in big cities like Philadelphia. Right now in Philly, there is an organization called Indego that has hundreds of bikes all over the city for people to rent for commuting or leisure for less than 5 dollars an hour or 17 dollars a month. At that price it doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor, you can afford to get to your job or school.

Also, Bikes for the Burbs would help people get more exercise. Right now in America, per the Center for Disease Control (CDC), almost 40% of citizens are overweight. Riding a bike instead of driving in a car can improve mental well-being, promote weight loss, and build muscle and lung health. Riding a bike to school or work might cause people to make other healthy eating and lifestyle choices as well. It might also help local businesses like Suburban Square as people will stop to enjoy a coffee or meal as they ride around Lower Merion instead of buying gas.

Finally, Bikes for the Burbs would result in less car accidents. It seems every day there are car accidents in Lower Merion, especially at busy intersections. Cars run through lights, drive too fast, and ignore the speed limit, especially on Penn Road near where I live. Hopefully the new bike lanes and paths would clearly show bike lanes to drivers. Cars will now have a clear road with no slow cyclists in the center of the lane that they need to swerve around. The bike-sharing program would also reduce the number of cars on the road. The money earned each month from the bike-sharing fees could be used to repair broken bikes, improve signs and educate the township about bike safety.

Pollution is a serious issue that is getting worse in the United States. Locally if we in Lower Merion could promote a safe bike-sharing program, we could be the test case for other suburban areas to copy our idea. In addition to the environment, it also promotes a healthy lifestyle and reduces deaths from car accidents. But my favorite part of this bill is that bikes are for everyone. It doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor, most people can afford a bike-share.