b'Its a great way to go from downtownarea, they are lacking in other parts of thestreets are classified using factors such as as part of the Cheshire Rail Trail all the waycity and in outlying Monadnock Regionif the streets include schools, bus stops or to Stonewall Farm, says Bohannon. Or,towns.senior housing. you can park at Stonewall and cycle intoWe want to make it as easy asStreets are appropriately designed the city. possible for people to bike to all parts offor people who will use them, notes Fundingthe city, and we thought adding moreMack. Not all streets need to have the sources for thisbike racks was a simple fix, says Mack.same features.Rural roads following a phase of theMack created a map of existing racksComplete Streets model will look different project includein Keene and identified high use areasthan a city street.Pathways forthat could benefit from a bike rack. A Keene, Thegrant from the N.H. Charitable Foundation Monadnockhas allowed MRTMA to contribute Conservancy, Thetoward half the cost of the bike racks and New Hampshireinstallation in a program the MRTMA calls Division of ParkRack it Up. Participating businesses and and Recreationsorganizations pay for the other half. Nearly Recreational20 racks have been installed around Trails Program,Keene and the orders are still coming in. and the City ofMack says MRTMA is now soliciting Keenes capitalgrant funding from the Centers for improvementDisease Control with the hope of doing budget. more outreach to business and property Improvements to the trail include theowners in Keene and surrounding addition of crushed stone and drainagecommunities about the benefits of these and the clearing of tree canopy. Its morebike racks. A map with bicycle-friendly welcoming, notes Bohannon. locations and incentives from businesses When completed at the end of thisfor patron-cyclists who use the racks are year, there will be 1.5 miles of improvedalso in the works. trail to the existing 4.5 miles of the Cheshire Rail Trail in Keene.Complete StreetsThe Complete Streets Coalition is a national program that works to create roads that are safe not only for motorized vehicles but for all users, includingThe addition of bicycle lanes as pedestrians, bicyclists, bus riders andpart of road construction projects in wheelchair users.Keene, for example, have been a topic of The Keene City Council, which voteddiscussion as the Cheshire Rail Trail grows to adopt a Complete Streets resolutionin popularity. Another Complete Streets in 2011, is working to ensure that thecommittee project has been counting citys roads are safer and welcoming tobicycle users in the city.everyone who uses them.There are all kinds of things you can J.B. Mack, as a representative ofdo with street design, says Mack. Its Rack It Up MRTMA, is collaborating with Keenesabout accommodating all users. Were Cyclists sometimes need to get off theirpublic works and planning departmentsthinking into the future too, about whats bikes, park them and lock them up. Butto develop a Complete Streets policylikely to happen tomorrow and in the bike racks arent always available, and thetargeted specifically for Keenesyears ahead. only option is to tether bikes to telephoneroadways. By adopting this policy, localLearn more about the National poles, trees or fences.transportation planners and engineersComplete Streets Coalition at: J.B. Mack, coordinator of thewill take into account all users ofwww.smartgrowthamerica.org/complete-Monadnock Region Transportationroadwaysnot just vehicles.streets.Management Association (MRTMA),Local policymakers have been noticed that while there are plenty oflooking at a Complete Streets model bicycle racks in the downtown Keenein Burlington, Vt., for inspiration, where www.healthymonadnock.org 17'