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. ![""]("http://www.activetrans.org/sites/default/files/IMG_3473.JPG")
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.