Cyclists discuss benefits of biking at Franklin County Bike Breakfast

GREENFIELD — Cyclists from across the county wheeled their way to the John W. Olver Transit Center earlier this month for free bagels, biking banter and the chance to see the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG)’s progress on new bikeway maps at MassBike’s annual Franklin County Bike Breakfast.

Attendees checked out FRCOG’s proposed updates for its Bikeway Maps, set for a revamp by the end of the summer. Along with tweaks for improved accessibility, like higher color contrasts, the new map will include bike routes that are labeled by difficulty level, along with stops for amenities and “Points of Interest” where cyclists can take a breather and see local sites, like Chapel Falls in Ashfield and the Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls.

“Franklin County, it has all these roads with lower traffic and really contrasting topography,” said Audrey Boraski, a land use and transportation planner at FRCOG. The county’s steep climbs and river valleys “[make] for these really nice views,” she added.

Along with updated bikeway maps, Boraski and Transportation Program Manager Beth Giannini are also working on FRCOG’s Bike Friendly Business Program to “make the region more friendly for bicycles,” Giannini described. Through the program, business owners sign pledges designating their businesses as bike-friendly with features like public bathrooms.

“Whether you’re a driver or you’re a biker, having more bikes is great for everyone,” said Chris Skelly, who biked to the May 12 event from Shelburne Falls. “It’s less traffic if you’re a driver … and if you’re a biker, you’ve got the chance to get some exercise at the same time as you’re trying to get to where you’re going. It’s good for the environment.”

A lifelong biker, Skelly teaches young bikers how to pedal on their own. During a recent 13-mile ride with a new cyclist in his family, he spotted the same joy for biking in his companion.

“They glow when they realize what they can accomplish on a bike,” Skelly said of his students.

“It feels like flying,” added Kelly Moore of Greenfield, another lifelong cyclist. From New York City to Tucson, Cincinnati and Chicago, “I’ve been all over the place on this bike.”

Unlike zooming along dirt roads in the driver’s seat, on a bike, “You can see everything close-up and at a slow speed,” Moore continued. “Riding your bike right now is a scent fest. You ride past, it’s like, ‘Oh, you’re smelling lilac, oh you’re smelling apple blossom.'”

Moore is part of Bike Greenfield, a community group that is “open to anything that supports cycling in and of itself; cycling infrastructure, policies,” described Greenfield resident Michael Mullin, who started the group in February with a sign-up sheet he passed around during a meeting about the Conway School of Landscape Design and city of Greenfield’s joint study on the city’s bicycle-friendly infrastructure.

Mullin said Greenfield should “leverage” its appeal as a hot spot for cyclists by boosting this infrastructure, the goal of the study. Moore described repainting bike lanes and crosswalks as a “first step” for improving the safety and, in turn, popularity of cycling in the city.

“Bikes are like an indicator species for a vital and prosperous and vibrant area,” Mullin said. “If people feel comfortable riding bikes around, it shows that they’re probably comfortable hanging around, and that’s where you start creating all these connection points for community, social, economic interactions. Whereas, if you build places that are just for moving cars, I don’t think anyone’s ever made a friend in those sorts of ways.”

Although Mullin said he is “the type of person who rides [his] bike to get ice cream, [he is] not the type of person who does this for sport or for recreation.” Still, he said the benefits of biking continue after braking.

“When you get there, you’ve got this little bit of endorphin rush. You’re floating,” Mullin said. “You tend to be making the place that you’re going better.”