I moved from Lake Stevens, WA (a very bike-friendly place) to Riverton, WY, which is quite the opposite. There's a total of 1 bike path, that is more for recreation than actual commuting. There's essentially two main roads in town, one going east/west, the other north/south (highway 26). Both suffer from the same issues, particularly when it comes to cycling:
-Cracked, pitted, and generally poorly-maintained roads. I'm constantly weaving back and forth to avoid giant potholes and cracks.
-Very fast speed zones, mostly 45/50mph. Obviously the city won't change this, but it's worth mentioning.
-Poorly designed intersections and crossings.
There's a lot more that I could go on about, but that's it in a nutshell.
So here's what I'm asking: Obviously we can't change everything we don't like about a city, but what would be some baby steps I could take to help improve my town for cyclists? I've seen a few out and about, and every one I've talked to has voiced the same concerns; poor road conditions, little to no infrastructure to help cyclists, etc. What can I do to at least get the idea of change in people's heads?
-Cracked, pitted, and generally poorly-maintained roads. I'm constantly weaving back and forth to avoid giant potholes and cracks.
-Very fast speed zones, mostly 45/50mph. Obviously the city won't change this, but it's worth mentioning.
-Poorly designed intersections and crossings.
There's a lot more that I could go on about, but that's it in a nutshell.
So here's what I'm asking: Obviously we can't change everything we don't like about a city, but what would be some baby steps I could take to help improve my town for cyclists? I've seen a few out and about, and every one I've talked to has voiced the same concerns; poor road conditions, little to no infrastructure to help cyclists, etc. What can I do to at least get the idea of change in people's heads?