Building a more bikeable Rochester: Sights from behind the handlebars

In the decades leading up to the 20th century, Rochester was one of the hotspots of the bicycling craze.

Monroe County had the most extensive network of bike paths in the nation, detailed in “Bloomers & Bicycles: Health and Fitness in Victorian Rochester” by Karen McCally. Bicycle racks were common; George Eastman was an avid cyclist and bike parking was included at Kodak facilities.

While automobiles came to dominate the roads in Rochester and other cities, plenty of people still ride bicycles in Monroe County: for leisure, for fitness and for transportation. The region’s bike infrastructure continues to receive investment with a focus on equity and climate change.

That was on my mind Friday morning, a little after 8 a.m., as I got on my bicycle and rode from West Henrietta to the Hungerford Building on Main Street in Rochester.

The point of the trip was to attend a breakfast hosted by Reconnect Rochester, discussing media coverage of traffic crashes, specifically those involving bicycles and pedestrians. Several other local media members attended, including the D&C’s own Kayla Canne and Robert Bell.

Improving bicyclist and pedestrian safety will be a priority as infrastructure expands and more people take part in active transportation. And many already do: 24% of households in Rochester do not have access to a personal vehicle, per the city’s active transportation plan. An average of 12 people die each year while walking or biking in Monroe County.

What is it like riding your bike on roads in winter?

I don’t typically get out for too many bike rides in February, but the mild El Niño winter made this my second so far. Leaving in the morning meant I was treated to some of the sights and sounds you might not experience until there are more favorable conditions to run and cycle outside.

I took a circuitous route to the Lehigh Valley Trail to avoid some particularly busy intersections, which brought me past the RIT campus and through Henrietta to the University of Rochester campus.

Along the trail, which was a tacky mud on the unpaved sections, I noticed red-winged blackbirds, American robins, a low-swooping red-tailed hawk and a pair of does. Some people were out for an early morning walk, enjoying the sunny skies and a spot of warmth; the temperature would reach the upper 40s for a high.

BTW, interested in migratory birds? Check out Madison Scott’s article on hummingbirds. There will be more avian coverage coming soon, so keep an eye on the D&C.

From there, the Genesee Riverway Trail brought me closer to downtown along the namesake river. Then a mixture of streets, some with bike lanes and some without — including the cycle track included in the Inner Loop East Transformation Project.

Cycling and climate are linked in New York state

While I’ve long enjoyed cycling, for fitness, for fun and for transportation, it crosses with my professional interests as well, through the lens of the climate crisis.

New York’s Scoping Plan released in 2022 is intended to serve as the guidance for this state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Part of that plan includes creating more bicycling and pedestrian infrastructure.

The vision for 2030 to reduce greenhouse gas emission in New York are headlined by increasing sales of zero-emission passenger cars. The plan also calls for enhanced bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.

In December, the federal government awarded the Genesee Transportation Council $1.7 million for active transportation projects including Complete Streets demonstrations, including temporary curb extensions, in Rochester. Another $3.2 million was awarded to the City of Rochester toward planning for bicyclist and pedestrian safety, including snow removal and maintenance for sidewalks, bike facilities and trails.

— Steve Howe covers weather, climate and lake issues for the Democrat and Chronicle and he had a binder full of Franklin Mountain Hawkwatch data as a kid. Share with him at showe@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Rochester NY bicycle paths part of climate-friendly future