Bicycling is Preventive Health Care and a Community Cycling Center can be just we need for a healthier and better community. A "CCC" can also be place we can all come together and celebrate our commonality and diversity.
For bicycling to become a normal part of transportation in the US, we need to include this country's diversity in advocacy strategies.
"Diversity" refers to a mix: a mix of people, a mix of experiences.
Raising visibility for bicyclists by bringing communities together, all ages, all backgrounds. Anyone can ride a bike but we currently lack the local facilities to learn and practice the skills and safety techniques that make the bicycling experience safer and more enjoyable.
Every school and township has athletic fields, baseball, football, tennis courts, basketball, playgrounds. All great, but cycling can benefit your everyday life in many more ways. From recreation to transportation, to style and artistic expression; Bicyclists are now staking claim to public space! And for a tiny fraction of the cost of an athletic stadium, a basic bicycle skills area can require nothing more than an area of a few thousand square feet and some loads of dirt. The design, planning and construction of a skills park can all be done with volunteer community effort.
A skilled bike rider is a safer bike rider.
We recognize the importance of the rail trail to the surrounding communities. The LVRT which will soon connect the whole Lebanon county, north to south. It already connects Lebanon, to South Hills Park, to Cornwall, to Mt. Gretna and beyond to the Conewago Trail in Lancaster.
Currently, there are no facilities of this kind in the county. In the past, there has been bicycle dirt jumping areas in and around Lebanon County. BMX riders have previously built unauthorized trails (like "Shepps trails" which was just off the LVRT near LHS). This area was owned by a utility and bullzozed in 2014. The Lebanon BMX racing track, located behind the fairgrounds, continues operate for over 3 decades, but is only available to ride during sanctioned racing times. It is closed to the public for general usage.
Pump track has potential to be the epicenter of relevant cycling education. This can happen through the following Multi-faceted education:
-Workshops on Foundational skills.
-Workshops on bicycle mechanics.
-Teaching Bicycle safety
-Community organizing and bicycle infrastructure planning.
An important element related to a bicycle skills park is development of a community led bike collective bringing forth the possibility for kids to get involved refurbishing and sale of abandoned and donated bicycles. This is especially meaningful to the disadvantaged and day laborers who use bicycling for transportation to and from jobs.
Example: RECYCLE-A-BICYCLE
