North-south travel has always been a challenge in Durango. That pesky river and those mountain slopes just keep getting in the way. First there was Main Avenue, the only route that went uninterrupted from the south end of Durango to the north end of Animas City. Soon thereafter, the railroad was built. It wasn’t until recently the hard-surface Animas River Trail provided a third north-south direct route.
Durangoans have been traveling that same single street for 140 years. In the same time span, we have changed how we travel and what Main Avenue looks like several times. With each change, we’ve had to revisit how we use roads. Each evolution experienced normal human resistance to change.
Bicycles have always been an integral part of the Durango fabric. Now, the bike industry is bringing us the “pedal-assist bike.” The name says it all. You ride; the small, silent electric motor provides a gentle boost. They help “normally motivated” people get up steep hills a little easier. They allow a wider range of skills to ride together. And more importantly, they reduce many barriers to entry into cycling. But in spite of my wildest dreams, they can’t turn me into Ned Overend or Travis Brown.
Pedal-assist bikes, also known as E-bikes, are already embraced in Europe and Asia. Boulderites have decided to allow E-bikes on many of their hard-surface multiuse paths. And just as with any new technology, they’re becoming more affordable. Pedal-assist bikes are likely here to stay.
Should we be nurturing and shepherding this green technology, and building it into our plans? Which is safer, to put a 10- to 15-mile-per-hour electric-assisted bicycle on the Animas River Trail or on Main Avenue? That may depend on the intent of the rider. Are they in a hurry, are they on a mission to get somewhere or are they on a casual outing? Maybe we should be making modifications to our routes, signage and street markings to better accommodate their use safely. Making E-bike travel efficient, desirable and friendly certainly would reduce our environmental footprint.
In becoming a Gold Medal Bicycle Friendly Community in 2012, the city has invested heavily in meeting the criteria. Durango’s 8-year-old Multi-Modal program is the envy of many small cities. Our trails are second to none. But maybe we can do better integrating streets and trails into a more comprehensive and operational transportation network.
A few months ago, the city preliminarily decided that E-bikes should not be allowed on the Animas River Trail. That might be the right thing, or it might not. What may not have been fully considered is who will be affected by this decision, what are the real safety concerns and whether access is being denied instead of encouraging a new mode of transportation.
There’s a key date coming up. Interested residents might want to attend the city’s meeting at 5 p.m. Monday at the Durango Community Recreation Center. At this joint gathering among the city’s Multi-Modal, Parks and Recreation, and Natural Lands Preservation advisory boards, members of the public will get a chance to share their views about how the city should adapt to the E-bike.
Ultimately, the city council will take in advice from the public (maybe even a special ad hoc pedal-assist committee), advisory boards and staff to set our future direction. This process is likely to take months to play out, but it could be well worth the effort.
The first draft of the city’s Multi-Modal Transportation Master Plan Update is due Oct. 10. So this is a crucial time to contemplate the E-bike’s proper place.
Almost every country, each of our states and many of our communities are struggling to categorize and regulate the E-bike. Currently, there is no consensus.
So let’s get on top of this issue. Study up. Ride a friend’s pedal-assist bike if you have the chance. Let’s thoroughly understand both the risks and the benefits of E-bikes and help lead the way.
No matter the answers, this community should be forward-thinking. We didn’t create the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic, host the first-ever World Mountain Bike Championships, form Trails 2000, have the best collegiate cycling program, create DEVO or even race through a bar by ducking the issues. We are a high-profile bicycling community, so let’s bring our heads together and create a leading edge vision for the future.
Ed Zink is the owner of Mountain Bike Specialists. He has been in the bicycle business in Durango since 1968 and has experienced numerous transitions in bicycle technology. Reach him at edzink@waterfallranch.com.
