Woodlands named cycling friendly community

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Host of an Ironman Triathlon and dozens of other cycling and running events throughout the year, perhaps it’s no surprise that The Woodlands recently received designation as a Bicycle Friendly Community and a Runner Friendly Community.

“It is a reflection of the community commitment to bicycling and promoting a healthy lifestyle,” said John Powers, assistant general manager of community services for The Woodlands Township. “It’s an accomplishment for the developer and the master plan, a combination of the infrastructure that’s there and the people that use them.”

Powers said there is no financial impact for either designation, and the cycling designation lasts four years. At the bronze level for the BFC, however, Powers said there are areas the community could improve, including education, although there are no plans for “construction-type improvements.”

“It exceeded our expectations, because we weren’t sure if we would be able to qualify,” said Steve Schoger, treasurer of The Woodlands Cycling Club. “Their standards are high and we have the third bicycle-friendly community in Texas. To get a bronze for the first time is great.”

The Woodlands was one of 11 communities awarded the designation by the League of American Bicyclists for the first time and one of 190 Bicycle Friendly Communities among 46 states. San Antonio (bronze) and Austin (silver) are the only other BFCs in Texas.

Schoger believes the designation could encourage more residents to ride their bikes, improving the overall health of The Woodlands and reducing pollution from cars on the roads. The designation also could improve property values and be an economic development tool, he said.

“It says something about the lifestyle that The Woodlands is trying to promote,” Schoger said. “What other communities have 185 miles of pathways for the casual bikers, as well as shoulders for bikers in the roadways?”

There are 300 members in The Woodlands Cycling Club, Schoger said, but he estimated there are probably 10 times that number of regular cyclists in The Woodlands and more than 30,000 who own bikes.

Schoger admits there are areas where The Woodlands could improve to upgrade the designation to silver, gold or platinum, including additional education and signage for cyclists and motorists. He also believes there are some possible construction improvements.

Schoger said there is a large number of cyclists east of I-45 who would “love” to ride in The Woodlands, but there is no easy way for them to cross the highway. A bridge to Woodlands communities could bring more cyclists into The Woodlands from Oak Ridge North, Imperial Oaks and Bender’s Landing.

With some streets built more than 30 years ago, Schoger said some are cracking, which could be dangerous to cyclists. He said there are also roads without shoulders, which pose problems. Cyclists in the area advocate for improvements, Schoger said, but they do not always get them. The expansion of Research Forest Drive, for example, did not include shoulders.

“We prefer to have the shoulder for safety reasons,” Montgomery County Pct. 3 Commissioner Ed Chance said. “If there’s space for it (a shoulder), we’ll put one in.”

Chance said shoulders are dependant upon the amount of right of way available and the cost impact. In the case of Research Forest, there was not enough right of way and the expansion put the road up against the ditch. A major project being considered by the $200 million bond election is the expansion and rehabilitation of Grogan’s Mill Road. Chance said whether it will continue to have a shoulder would depend on what the engineers decide and whether there is sufficient room.

The Woodlands also recently received the Road Runners Club of America’s Running Friendly Community designation. Kerri Snyder, past president of The Woodland Running Club, said the designation is relatively new, lasts five years and is less dependent on infrastructure than BFCs.

““It’s not necessarily an impact for runners in The Woodlands. It’s just another perk for people who might be interested in moving to The Woodlands,” Snyder said.

There are over 250 members of the running club and “easily” more than 40 running events in The Woodlands every year, Snyder said.

For more information on the designations go to www.bikeleague.org or www.rrca.org. For more information on the area clubs, go to www.woodlandscycling.org or thewoodlandsrunningclub.org.