Del. bike riders shift into high gear
Monday, April 27th, 2009
By: Bill Cook
bcook@whyy.org
Between an unpredictable economy and concerns over gas prices, more and more Delawareans are parking the car and hopping on their bikes.
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To raise money and awareness for the American Heart Association, Chris Figureida has pedaled more than 12-thousand miles across the United States. So, perhaps better than anybody, he knows just how hostile our roads are for bicycle riders.
Figureida: It's very, very dangerous. I unfortunately spend a lot of my time on state highways and cars just barely skim past me.
And he says if states don't do something soon, it's going to get a lot worse.
And that was the message at the Delaware Bike Summit: If delaware is going to become more bicycle friendly, cities, counties, and the state must all work together.
Jim Westhoff is with the Delaware Dept. of Transportation.
Westhoff: Gas prices are continuing to go up, people are going to be riding their bikes more, we better have roads that accomodate them or we'll have problems.