Pedaling towards a greener future with more bike riding

Bikes are the way to go.”

Polly Talbott board member chamber of commerce

The Lynbrook Chamber of Commerce used recent grant money to encourage community members to use green, emission-free transportation methods.

With a $4,475 grant from the PSE&G Main Street Revitalization Program, the Chamber designated the funds to install eight new bike racks. Polly Talbott — who is on the Lynbrook Board of Directors for the Chamber of Commerce — came up with the idea to use this money towards increasing bike activity in the Village. She believes that bike riding will be more convenient for community members compared to walking.

“There’s a new apartment building on Sunrise, but it’s a little bit of a walk to go to the village,” Talbott said. “It seems to me that it would be great for people to be able to ride their bikes, park, and then do their own thing.”

Talbott believes good locations for the bike racks will be by the new Cornerstone Yorkshire apartment building and a new apartment complex being built in replace of the Feather Factory.

Talbott has been in discussion with storeowners to see if they’d allow the bike racks to be placed in front of their business. Specific traits for potential bike rack locations that jump out at her include congestion of bikes and cars in an area.

“We have a general idea of where these racks will be,” Talbott said. “There’s going to be bike racks along Atlantic Avenue.”

Outdated bike racks were a huge driving force in the decision making process behind the new racks.

“There are some bike racks under the railroad trestle, but they’re old,” Talbott said. Along with providing the town with updated bike racks, Talbott hopes that it also makes the village look more pleasing. She said the bike racks will be green to match the lampposts, benches, and planters.

“I thought that the new bike racks would not only be functional, but also be a nice attractive addition to the community,” Talbott said.

Talbott compared these bike racks to Nordic countries like Amsterdam where biking is very common there. “So many people rent bikes there and it’s so much better for the environment,” Talbott said. She is trying to bring the same energy to Lynbrook, but community members raise some concerns.

Lynbrook Police Department hosts several Bike Rodeo events in the summer showing bicycle riders how to prevent injuries and promote bike safety. Some community members expressed their disappointed when they saw that new bikes lanes weren’t included in this grant money. Members of INFO @ Lynbrook Facebook group, like Steve Burger, questioned the need for these bike racks.

“Having or not having bike racks never factored into my decision to ride my bike somewhere,” Burger said in the group. “There’s always something around — a light post, telephone pole, etc. — to lock my bike to.”

Some members of the Facebook group were also concerned that these bike racks would take up the already limited parking spots in the town. However, the President of the Lynbrook Chamber of Commerce, Cory Hirsch, reassured them that it would not. The bike racks “will be installed on sidewalks or on other village property,” Hirsch said. “No parking spots will be affected.”

Paul Hurwitz, an avid bike rider throughout Lynbrook and West Hempstead is a huge advocate for these racks. “Every town is in dire need of more cycling infrastructure,” Hurwitz said.

Hurwitz has first-hand experience as to why these bike racks are not only important, but also necessary. “Just today, I rode my bike from West Hempstead to Lynbrook to go to Card Shacks monthly raffle and had to leave my bike outside unlocked,” he said. Bikers like Hurwitz are eagerly awaiting the arrival of these new bike racks, which will be installed in about six weeks.

“They’ve been ordered and we’re all excited about it,” Talbott said.