Bikeways Master Plan to add more bike lanes in Yuma County
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - A plan to better improve bike routes in Yuma County has been in the works for the last couple of years, all in an effort to improve accessibility for bike riders.
The Yuma Region Bicycle Coalition has been working on creating more bike paths to promote safety and accessibility for everyone who has to share the road.
“I wanna keep all of our youth here that is riding with us and my friends here and family, I want to keep them safe," said Jr. Aguilar, Los Psycholists Bicycle Club member.
But Yuma Region Bicycle Coalition Board Member Jr. Aguilar said there are obstacles in the way.
“You got your bike lanes but they are not connected. So it kind of forces us bike riders to be out there, we have to now be in the main lane and ride with traffic," said Aguilar.
Adding drivers need to be mindful of others around them.
“All we can really ask for is honestly a little bit of patience, you know? You have a car that weighs over 2,000 pounds or a thousand pounds and were just us on the bike," explained Aguilar.
One of the latest projects completed is the bike lanes by the Yuma Palms Regional Center.
The president of the Bicycle Coalition said they're trying to figure out whether to put a bike path or a bike lane.
“And so the engineering is taking a look at things like average daily use on the road, road speeds and so forth in order to come up with policy that maximizes safety," said Jeffrey Brand, Yuma Region Bicycle Coalition President.
The Gorditas BMX Bicycle Club said having more bike lanes and paths will be crucial to keeping the bike community strong.
“You know I have a 14-year-old and how do we connect? Through bikes. You know and so I tell people once you come to one ride, you come to one ride you are going to be coming out to all rest of them," said Theresa Straub, Gorditas BMX member.
The Yuma Region Bicycle Coalition is set to share an update on its progress with the Yuma County Board of Supervisors sometime next year.
