This one might need Bike Valet.

Having attended a few road project public meetings in recent years via bicycle, I’m usually about the only one riding a bike to get there. Locking up at the rack is a pleasant, yet solitary experience. Sometimes I walk the bike in, if the bike rack placement doesn’t meet my liking, and I get those stares from other attendees as if I’m traipsing into the room with a full-size purple elephant.

Quite to the contrary, tonight’s meeting on plans to renovate, reinvent, and reconfigure the Silver Bike Boulevard west from Yale Blvd. to the Bosque Path is likely to be anything but lonely at the bike rack and there won’t be any elephant stares if, at around 6:00 this early evening, I instead walk the bike into:

Botts Hall at the Special Collections Library, 423 Central NE 

In fact, this public meeting might constitute the A-1 cyclist social event of the season. Not that this should scare you off, or anything.

As the subject of crafting a true ages 8-80 bike boulevard from UNM/Nob Hill across I-25 and the railroad tracks, through downtown, and on to the cycling Seven Cities of Cibola that is the Bosque Path has been discussed quite a bit here at BB, I’ll spare you further elaboration on ideas and, instead, just remind you of the meeting this evening.

Basically, as outlined in the information webpage on the project and meeting, the task ahead is to tweak the current route, either by altering that route and/or improving the existing one, dramatically improving safety/comfort in the case of crossing I-25 and other unsafe hot spots. In short, where should the green line below go and what must happen to make it safe and comfortable for 99.9% of all cyclists to take that green line?

Should be a fun cooperative task, and BB is looking forward to seeing all of us there at the bike rack (there is a bike rack, right?) around 6:00 p.m. today.

Hi-viz top hat and tails, optional.