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| Riders near the site of Aksarben Village. |
Ride and Be Free
by Ken Mayer
It’s spring, and a young man’s thoughts turn to…. Oh well, I guess I’m not such a young man anymore, but one thing has remained constant when the weather gets nice - getting on my bike. I’ve ridden almost continuously since my dad first gave me a gentle shove and sent me off into that brave new world.
Bicycles are something special. They are quite possibly the most efficient device yet devised to harness human power. I can ride for at least an hour on less than a thousand calories. Refueling is as easy as sitting down in M’s Pub for a lamb burger and a beer. It’s considerably less expensive and much more fun than that stop at the gas station to fill up the tank of my four-wheeler.
But there’s much more to a bicycle than being cost effective. A properly cared for bike is one of the quietest and most elegant ways to enjoy both nature and public space. Cruising along at somewhere between 12 and 15 miles an hour, the rider can enjoy the environment at a pace well suited to modern life. Slowing down or stopping to have a closer look at flora, fauna or public art is easily done.
Unfortunately, Omaha has long been something of a bike-hostile town. I’ve ridden for decades, sometimes to and from work, but the combination of cell phones, lattes and other driver distractions have made me fear for my life lately on city streets. We have precious few bike lanes, and most drivers are apparently unaccustomed to the adult rider, doing weird and startling things like honking as they approach from behind.
Bike trails are a good solution, because they mostly remove the traffic problem and generally offer more scenic routes. Trouble is, Omaha’s bike trails east of 72nd aren’t anything to write home about, particularly along the riverfront.
When I moved into downtown some 20 years ago, I was concerned about where I could ride and not get run over. I was pleasantly surprised to find the south segment of the Riverfront Trail at 2nd and Hickory. The levy road goes south along the river to the Veteran’s Bridge past Lauritzen Gardens and the zoo. On a good day I could see deer foraging and brand new automobiles being unloaded from rail cars in the Burlington Northern yards, watch the river roll by and hear the whistle from the steam train at the zoo.
There were a few problems, though. On Saturdays and Sundays, I was obliged to heft my bike over a gate apparently designed to keep cars off the levy. On weekdays there weren’t many cars, but large trucks often roared toward me, some servicing the equipment along the flood plain, some apparently using the stretch of pavement as a short cut.
If that weren’t enough, the whole ride was far too short. It might be fine if you run or walk, but I travel at 3 or 4 times walking speed and at least twice as fast as a runner. Same problem on the north stretch of the Riverfront Trail from Lewis and Clark to Miller’s Landing.
The city has long published maps of “proposed” trails. Many of these have been “proposed” for so long, they probably should have been called pipe dreams. Finally it looks like there’s light at the end of the tunnel for us bikies - and it’s not a car coming.
Later this year there will be a huge increase in trail access from the Riverfront, but not in Omaha. The completion of the Pedestrian Bridge will link downtown to more than 60 miles that comprise the Wabash Trace Nature Trail in Iowa. This means enough contiguous distance for a ride that really works up an appetite without feeling like you’ve been going in circles.
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| Missouri River Pedestrian Bridge looking toward Iowa |
On the Nebraska side progress is a bit slower, but showing some promise. The third phase of the Big Muddy Workshop’s plan for the Omaha Riverfront Trail, from Crown Point Avenue to Locust Street, is currently under way. When it’s finished, the trail will run 7.5 miles from NP Dodge Park to Kiwanis Park. Right-of-way negotiations are under way for phase four, extending the trail south to Miller's Landing.
While still short and non-contiguous, these segments are a step in the right direction. I just hope they are finished before I get too old to ride them.
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