Bike lanes in the works for Victorville

This is the article I found in the free Daily Press Review this morning. I was astonished that there were people out here thinking about the need for more bicyle lanes and dedicated bike paths. Thank God! I'm so excited!

DAILY PRESS, VICTORVILLE, CALIF. | BROOKE EDWARDS | Sun, Jun 20, 9:41 AM

--Wheels are turning on a plan to fashion bike routes along most major roads in the city.
"Many of my customers that come in are transplants from other areas and the first thing they ask me after purchasing a bike is, 'Where can I ride?' " said Carol Kraatz, who owns Victorville Cycles on Hesperia Road with her husband. "And it's difficult for me to explain to them that the city doesn't have any bike lanes, and they're pretty shocked about it. They kind of feel like we've fallen behind as far as the whole alternate transportation goes."

But with a unanimous vote of the council last week, Victorville took its first steps to establish as many as 62 bike routes on existing roadways, plus four major earthen paths that would accommodate cyclists as well as walkers, joggers and equestrian enthusiasts.

Victorville got a $125,000 grant from the Southern California Association of Governments in July 2009 to do the non-motorized transportation plan, with extensive research, workshops and more leading up to Hogle-Ireland Inc.'s presentation before council Tuesday.

The city isn't in much of a financial position to start work today on the proposal, which came in with a total price tag of nearly $73 million. But by approving the concept, Victorville is now eligible to compete for federal, state and local funding that could make the plan a reality.

"We've been missing out on a lot of those funds, by the way," Jenny Wilder, with the Sierra Club's Mojave Group, told the council.

Several people turned out Tuesday to speak in favor of the plan, including local bike enthusiasts Chuck and Pat Hanson.

Chuck Hanson was reintroduced to biking in his 40s to lose weight he'd gained when he quit smoking, according to a statement read by his wife. He's now clocked more than 220,000 miles by bicycle and holds the record for the only 70-year-old to complete the 508-mile Death Valley race.

The study recommends creating a network of safe bike routes in three phases.
The first would cost an estimated $3 million and include dedicated bike lanes along Hesperia Ro ad , Mo j ave a n d Seventh streets, Green Tree Boulevard and Village Drive. It would also include signed bike routes along more than a dozen city streets, including La Mesa and Seneca roads, Hook Boulevard and Third and Seventh avenues.