In some cities, residents have embraced cycling as a form of travel and recreation. Here in Jefferson City, that's apparently not how we roll.
It's not for a lack of trying.
Last summer, a pair of local groups were pushing businesses to become "cycling friendly businesses." To do so, they had to offer three amenities to cyclists, such as free water, public restrooms, free bike locks or even a bike mechanic.
The city unveiled a new bike-sharing program that let people rent Spin bikes placed in Jefferson City by using an app. Then it introduced rentable, motorized scooters.
In an article last June, we published encouraging statistics: "States have experienced a 46 percent increase, on average, of people commuting by bicycle, according to a 2017 news release from the nonprofit League of American Bicyclists. Missouri saw a 70-100 percent increase."
Cycling was billed as a rising trend that would promote a healthy community and boost our local economy.
This May, Jefferson City proudly became one of 476 bicycle-friendly communities in the United States after receiving a bronze BFC designation from the nonprofit League of American Bicyclists.
The city added more bicycle lanes - some confusingly wider than the actual traffic lanes. City officials talked of "liveable streets" designed for all types of transportation.
Now, after all that, Spin recently announced, of the 75 Spin bikes that our city started with, there are just 25-30 remaining. And it's taking them away because they're not being used. What, what?
"The bike usage has been much lower than what they would like to see. From a business standpoint, it doesn't make sense to invest in a product that isn't being used," said Amy Schroeder in an Oct. 10 News Tribune article. She's the community relations manager for the Jefferson City Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department.
Some cycling advocates argue the bike rental program wasn't successful because local residents already own bikes.
Meanwhile, Spin scooter usage has increased. It's still not to the point Spin would like, but it has increased.
To be fair, the e-scooters are more fun - you can go 15 mph down the road without exerting any effort.
Perhaps the scooters cannibalized the bikes. Or perhaps we ignored the fact that our terrain is hilly, making pedaling uphill difficult at best in places.
Don't get us wrong, cycling in the Capital City isn't dead. There are still the same dedicated cyclists here in town - those who ride along the Katy Trail, across the bike bridge and on Jefferson City greenways, among other places.
But did we really gain many cycling aficionados in our bicycle-friendly community?
It seems like - so far, at least - our city went to a lot of trouble to prepare to ride a cycling wave that never came.
News Tribune