Cycle city

West Homewood resident Shawn Fitzwater bikes around the city every day, and his wife and two sons frequently join him in pedaling to Patriot Park. He’d like to see more residents using two wheels for transportation instead of four.

“It’s great to get out with the family without jumping in the car,” Fitzwater said. “It’s cheap, it’s something everybody can enjoy.”

The Homewood City Council is moving toward the same goal. On April 27, council members approved a feasibility study to consider a bike-share program like the one recently launched in Birmingham. If implemented, the program would place a series of stations with custom-made bikes around the city. Riders could pay to rent bikes and return them at any of the other stations.

Ward 1 Place 2 Representative Britt Thames helped bring the bike-share discussion before the council and worked with the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham (RPCGB), which is providing the study at no cost. Thames said he is excited about the possibilities of this program and believes it will fit well with growing resident interest in walking and other outdoor activities. 

“I think it would build on what Homewood is already known for and what people come to Homewood for,” Thames said. “If there were bikes available, I would easily see myself biking downtown and to Central Avenue.”

He also believes it could help traffic and parking problems in SoHo and other popular shopping and recreational areas.

As of this issue’s print date, the feasibility study has not yet started, but it will cover financial, operational, safety and accessibility issues related to creating a bike-share program. Scott Tillman of the RPCGB said the study will reveal the pros and cons of the project, but he noted that walkable cities like Homewood are often good candidates for more bicycle use.

Fitzwater supports a bike-share program for its impact on traffic, riders’ health and the environment. He said Homewood’s area of about 8.5 square miles also makes it easy to travel without an engine. The success of a bike-share, though, depends in part on whether the city is cycling friendly.

Bike lanes are scarce in Homewood, and many streets are narrow or heavily traveled by cars. Jim Wyatt, the head of Homewood’s engineering, planning and zoning department, said the Valley Avenue paving project has an alternate design that might include bike lanes, but he’s not aware of any other bike lane projects in the works. He believes it’s going to become a frequent topic on future road projects.

Fitzwater said that projects such as the Shades Creek Greenway are making the city better for bikes, but he is always aware of the danger when biking in areas like Edgewood or Green Springs Highway.

“I don’t feel quite as safe carrying my whole family over there,” Fitzwater said about Edgewood. “I’m always aware that somebody could be behind me and not see me.”

Danny Nicholas lives near Samford and said the neighborhoods in his area, roughly between Oxmoor Road and Saulter Road, are bike friendly but many of the main roads are not. Edgewood resident Michelle Jeffcoat agreed that Green Springs and other parts of Homewood, such as Lakeshore Drive and Valley Avenue, are not good for cyclists. She cited problems such as hills, narrow sidewalks and streets too small to create new bike lanes.

“I am skeptical of a bike-share program here,” Jeffcoat said. “Not that it’s not a great idea in theory. I’d love to be wrong, but I just don’t see it taking off in Homewood.”

Others are more optimistic about a bike-share’s success. West Homewood resident Ginny Powell said she supports the idea and thinks the city should focus on making a few specific routes bike-friendly at first. If the program catches on, she thinks resident demand will encourage more road improvements.

“Homewood has so many great neighborhood centers, destination shops and restaurants, and we’ve made great strides in encouraging green space. A bike share definitely fits with current trends toward a more conscious way of living,” Powell said. “I would love to feel safe biking to the market or other shops close to my house.”

Fellow West Homewood resident Will Womack agreed that an emphasis on connecting the city would be more productive than simply creating more bike lanes. As a former bicycle commuter, he said changing the way people think about cycling is essential to making it safe in Homewood.

“Dedicated bike lanes don’t necessarily make cycling safer. Research shows that they can make merging with traffic more dangerous. Having said that, joining up the greenways with bike paths to schools, offices and shopping areas would be fantastic,” Womack said. “Striping bike lanes is okay as long as there is some joined-up thinking behind it.”

Womack and Fitzwater both felt that Homewood residents need more awareness of cycling safety whether they’re in cars or on bikes. Fitzwater hopes the city will put up signs to remind drivers and cyclists of the road rules. 

“There is a sense that those main roads are only for cars and bikes should stay off,” Womack said. “The realtor who sold us our house in West Homewood — not a Homewood resident — actually said that bikes on Green Springs made her nervous and she wished they would stick to the sidewalks.”

In addition to safety signs, Fitzwater thinks Homewood should install signs to encourage more cycling. He noted that when he rides through Birmingham, there are signs noting the distance and time it takes to bike to major locations.

“That kind of motivates people,” Fitzwater said.

All of these concerns will be considered in the feasibility study, which will include online surveys and a public input meeting for residents. Tillman estimated that the study will take multiple months to complete, but he said it will be finished by the end of the year.

Visit thehomewoodstar.com for updates about the bike-share program.