A recent article highlighting Bread of Life Church’s bike club on Chicago’s South Side argues for thoughtful community engagement in planning new and innovative bike projects in communities of color.
Controversy over new bike lanes in some African-American communities has sparked discussion about the perceived gentrifying effects of bike infrastructure and what is necessary to broaden support for biking in all communities.
The article cites a Portland bike lane project that required extensive community engagement in order to gain traction in a community that had historically experienced city-imposed change and underinvestment. A new plan with added community support includes the bike infrastructure as well as public art projects honoring the neighborhood’s history as Portland’s African American hub.