By Kate Bartlett
Join GObike Buffalo and Independent Health in one of the most scenic rides of the year over the iconic Buffalo Skyway on August 14 in the family-friendly Buffalo Skyride. The ride is a celebration of GObike Buffalo’s efforts to make area streets safer for all people, whether walking, biking, driving, using a wheelchair or public transit. The ride is 13.8 miles including the Skyway, Outer Harbor, and South Park Avenue along the waterfront.
GObike has been aiming to make the roads safer for roughly 12 years. Kevin Heffernan is the Communications Director at GObike who often bikes and occasionally drives where he’s going. He is passionate about making the streets a safer place for all. “GObike’s roots were founded in getting bikes into the hands of more people in need. We would receive donations, fix them, and donate them back to community groups who organized distribution to children and adults. From that effort spawned two additional divisions on within our team. We have an education program funded by grants and New York State to work with children and adults about adhering to road safety, riding confidently, and keeping their bikes in good condition. We also petition to and work with local municipalities to implement Complete Street designs, and more safe bike infrastructure, increasingly protected lane projects, not just lane striping or sharrows. Our organization grew again when additional grant funders wanted to see safer streets sooner than later.”
“Today we are a 14-person team, working with over $1M in annual grants to increase access and safety for people out walking, rolling in wheelchairs, or riding their bikes. Community members approach us when they deem their street or neighborhood is too dangerous and we work with those communities to help them advocate to their local leadership for change. When we make streets and roads safer for people walking, rolling, riding, using transit, we also see car-to-car crash rates drop. So, safety is the end goal here. Protected infrastructure for those outside of cars. Slower speeds. All of which makes for a healthier, more connected, more economically viable community.”
“We don’t just work in the city of Buffalo. We have more upcoming projects in Buffalo’s suburbs and the rural areas of WNY than we do in the city alone. We’re also just kicking off a study and plan for a new trail to more safely connect Allegany Limestone Central School to its surrounding community.
“Our long-term goals are not to see a protected bike lane in every street in Western New York, but on every main arterial, as well as on trails alongside all main roads in urbanized or rural areas. We strive to create safe, healthy, low-cost options for transportation in our economically depressed region is to invest in its future, and save lives in the process.”
GObike’s biggest fundraiser of the year is the Skyride, which began in 2014. The ride is incredibly accessible to ride at only $40 and a relatively ‘easy’ ride (as rated by past years participants). This year’s ride includes a longer route along Lake Erie and a loop of South Park before climbing the Skyway, then turning around downtown, and doing it again. Riders are welcome to ride the loop as many times as they like until the event stops at 11am.
This year’s Skyride is presented by Independent Health and the theme is “Building a New Buffalo Legacy.” “Unfortunately, we’ve spent a lot of time this past month mourning the injuries and deaths of cyclists in the region due to drunk or impaired drivers. Crashes, injuries and deaths have skyrocketed since COVID began. In the face of that, our organization is lobbying harder than ever for those protected bike lanes and concrete bump outs for pedestrians that are proven to save lives. “A New Buffalo Legacy” is a theme meant to celebrate the patchwork of progress that’s been made thus far, and reflect the increased urgency and pressure upon local municipalities to construct better protective infrastructure to counter all of the dangerous driving occurring in our communities.”
Roughly 1,500 riders are expected to participate. Registration opens at 7am with the ride starting at 8:30. “It’s incredible. It’s one of the best views in all of North America while gazing upon our inland ocean of Lake Erie and the Niagara Riviera, Canada, and Buffalo’s industrial heritage. It’s only offered once-per-year, and it’s only offered by us at GObike. Not a race, but a casual fun ride where you cannot stop at the top, but you can ride as slowly as you’d like to get all those great photos.”
For more information, to register and view route visit https://gobikebuffalo.org/skyride-2020/ or email info@gobikebuffalo.org. Watch for future GObike events including a scavenger hunt in November and Bike Month in May.
Caption: Today GObike Buffalo is a 14-person team, working with over $1M in annual grants to increase access and safety for people out walking, rolling in wheelchairs, or riding their bikes. Organization works for a for a healthier, more connected, more economically viable community. More than just Buffalo area, they are currently kicking off a study and plan for a new trail to more safely connect Allegany Limestone Central School to its surrounding community.