BETHLEHEM, Pa. — You may have seen a battalion of bikers in Bethlehem on Thursday afternoon, as the group cruised a total of four miles through scenic areas of the city.
The celebration was part of Lehigh Valley Bike to Work Week, a collaborative effort featuring the work of Coalition for Appropriate Transportation of Bethlehem, PennDOT District 5 and the city of Bethlehem.
- The Coalition for Appropriate Transportation, PennDOT District 5 and the city of Bethlehem showed their support for alternative means of transport, grouping up for a ride through town Thursday afternoon
- About 30 people showed up for the occasion, some newer bikers and some who ride daily
- The four-mile ride ran through some of the city's Historic District, complete with a police bike escort
The ride began at Bethlehem City Hall, headed west on Church Street and down the hill on Main Street.
From there, the bikers rode down Conestoga Street and by the old Moravian sites below Hotel Bethlehem.
Just before the intersection at West Union Boulevard, one of the tires on Mayor J. William Reynolds' bike began hissing, signaling a puncture.
"The mission today is to show that bikes can be used for transportation and useful purposes, in addition to enjoyment and recreation."Scott Slingerland, CAT executive director
Fellow riders were on the case quick, grabbing a spare inner tube and fixing the flat within a couple of minutes.
A community effort
CAT Executive Director Scott Slingerland explained some of the upsides behind choosing to bike, walk or ride a bus regularly instead of driving a car — something he said he’s been doing for around a decade.
“The mission today is to show that bikes can be used for transportation and useful purposes, in addition to enjoyment and recreation,” Slingerland said.
The benefits can include boosts in physical and mental health, reduced traffic congestion as well as climate, environmental and social benefits, he said.
Slingerland said CAT has helped thousands of people in their bike-riding journeys since he started with the group, offering advice on equipment and safe route planning.
Mayor Reynolds kicked off the event, speaking on city initiatives to benefit alternative transportation.
Some of those include applying for grant funds to cover a bike-friendly restructuring of West Broad Street, updates on the South Bethlehem Greenway and work on road markings.
"Streets and roads are not just about cars. … We are very, very committed to everything that we do in creating walkable and bikeable neighborhoods."Mayor J. William Reynolds
“Streets and roads are not just about cars,” Reynolds said. “We are very, very committed to everything that we do in creating walkable and bikeable neighborhoods.”
Council member Hillary Kwiatek tagged along for the ride as well.
She said she commuted to work on a bike when living in Maryland, traveling 20 miles a day each way for work.
As an important part of the city’s Climate Action plan, infrastructure changes would let more people use alternative modes of day-to-day transport, lessening everyone’s carbon footprints as a result, she said.
“There’s the Broad Street Activation Plan, for instance, that would hopefully eventually create an actual bike lane on Broad Street to make it safe,” Kwiatek said.
“We need to think about east-west and north-south routes that everyone can feel comfortable cycling on, and it can have an impact on our environment.”
Bethlehem resident Meredith Spear said she and her 3-year-old son, Cameron, have ridden together since he was 7 months old.
Meredith said it feels good to be part of events such as the group ride, adding that CAT is doing its part in making the city more bikeable.
“We’ve been following CAT and just trying to support the bike initiative,” Meredith said. “So more people out [biking] is good.
“I think Bethlehem has a little ways to go to make it more accessible, but we do it as much as we can.”
Bicycle safety, places to ride
Scott Effting, who runs Action Wheels Bike Shop on West Broad Street, said the average rider would need a tune-up on their bike once a year, especially if riding fewer than 1,000 miles annually.
But if the bike is squeaking when you hit the brakes or something feels loose mechanically, it's time to take it to a shop, he said.
While cruising on the roads can be nerve-wracking for new riders, he said there's still plenty of great places to bike.
"Cars are very intimidating when you start riding a bike, but all the gravel trails around here, they're starting to connect them all."Scott Effting, owner of Action Wheels Bike Shop
"Cars are very intimidating when you start riding a bike, but all the gravel trails around here, they're starting to connect them all," Effting said, referencing the D&L Trail that's part of the Delaware & Lehigh National Corridor.
Effting also recommended adding Monocacy Way to one's bike routes.
A policing alternative
When riding a bike on an active roadway, the same traffic rules apply that would when driving a car, according to Bethlehem Police Capt. Nicholas Lechman.
He said the department makes use of a couple of different kinds of bikes — both traditional and electric — for officers to be “a lot more approachable,” as compared to an officer in a police car in some instances.
The upkeep cost and saving on gas is another plus for the bikes.
"Believe it or not, especially on the South Side where routes can be more congested, [officers] can get around a lot quicker."Bethlehem Police Capt. Nicholas Lechman
“Believe it or not, especially on the South Side where routes can be more congested, [officers] can get around a lot quicker,” Lechman said.
Currently, BPD uses six e-bikes — four with the Community Police Unit and two with the Housing Authority Unit — and patrol officers have access to other, more traditional models.
Finishing the week with one more ride
After repairing Mayor Reynolds' tire, the group of cyclists was off again, turning left onto West Union, crossing the railroad tracks and taking a right onto Monocacy Way for a terrain change.
The riders cruised along the trail near the stream, eventually pulling up to the Historic Burnside Plantation. Most folks hopped off their bikes and walked up the grassy hill, stopping for a quick photo op and rest at the top before hitting the road off the site.
Pulling a right onto Schoenersville Road, the battalion cruised down Mauch Chunk Road and onto West Goepp Street.
Taking one more right onto Monocacy Street, the group made its way back onto a previously ridden part of the route before heading up the hill behind Hotel Bethlehem.
There, the gearbox-terror of an incline took its toll on some of the bikes and riders, some folks choosing to hop off and walk the rest of the way up to the Moravian Blacksmith Shop.
After a shot up Main Street and a right onto West Walnut Street, the force took a right onto New Street and eased its way back down the hill to its starting spot at City Hall.
The city of Easton held its own bike ride Wednesday, and Allentown plans to set off for its ride on Friday (National Bike to Work Day) from noon to 1 p.m. at Allentown City Hall.
