[Originally posted on FaceBook, 9/3/2018]
I’m recently back from a research trip to Marquette, Mich., where I ran 13.1 miles of their rail-trails. If you haven’t heard, Marquette has transformed itself into a real biking mecca, winning national press, and so it provided an opportunity to reflect on the relative strengths of Cheboygan’s biking environment. As with many things, there is room for improvement in our town. But first I want to tally up all of the good things that Cheboygan has working in its favor. In my Tribune article (8/7/18) I claimed that Cheboygan is the “best” city for biking that I have lived in. It’s time to back that statement up with some specifics.
Many of these observations are obvious to locals, but we take them for granted. What we need to do is identify them, communicate/market them, and build on the infrastructure we already have. The city of Cheboygan has many features that are hard to find in other cities, and are a benefit to bikers of all ranges and abilities.
First, we are fortunate in the fact that our city was planned BEFORE the advent of the car. It is compact, somewhat densely built, and therefore easy to navigate by foot or bike. Consider this: if you live in the city limits, you are no more than a 10-minute ride from the post office, the WalMart, the county building, the schools, grocery stores, the library, the opera house, a movie theater, the beach, the river – and many other amenities. Do you know how rare this is?? Misguided zoning ordinances across the country have played a huge impact in cementing our dependence on the automobile. I have lived in Chicago, Philadelphia, LA, Boston, Chapel Hill (NC); my wife has lived in NYC. A neighborhood in any of those cities, featuring easily walkable amenities such as these, would be a magnet for young hipsters. If you are fortunate enough to work in Cheboygan, too, there really isn’t any need for a car for daily activities.
Second, our city is almost entirely flat. Compared to neighboring Petoskey, or Marquette, it is a breeze to navigate, even for those who are not all that athletic.
Third, Cheboygan is lucky that it does not have a by-pass highway, which sucks development out of the city limits and funnels it into a concrete hell dominated by cars. I’m thinking of Traverse City, Bear Creek Township (outside Petoskey), Marquette Township (just west of Marquette), and many other unfortunate cities. Yes, we have development on Straits Hwy in Inverness Township, but it has not progressed to such an extent. Both state highways (23 & 27) converge in our downtown, and keep the center of gravity in our historical center.
Fourth, our city doesn’t have heavy vehicular traffic. Sure, it may seem busy on summer holidays, but in my experience drivers in the city limits are polite, and we don’t have four-lane highways dividing our town. One of these days I’ll have to share my experiences commuting 14 miles in Los Angeles!
All of these features are especially wonderful for city residents, who just want to get around town. But what about longer trips? Or tourists from out of town? We’ve got a lot of advantages there, too.
First, we are the hub of two extensive trail networks, which are groomed and exceptionally maintained. Even while traveling within the city limits, you’ll pass through woods, hay fields, streams, all with very few road crossings. Unlike other cities, you do not have to pass through a hellscape of suburban development to arrive at pastoral landscapes. A mere half-mile from the trailhead, you could park your bike, set up an easel, and paint a picture not unlike a Monet landscape. Again, we take this scenery for granted; but visitors from outside the area sure appreciate its beauty.
Second, we are located just 80-90 minutes by biking (on trail) from Mackinaw City, the most popular tourist destination in the whole state. This is a destination that is ALREADY quite popular with bicyclists. But we offer something that can’t be found on the Island, or Mack City: a quiet, authentic, and historically interesting place to explore. The history of Cheboygan is intimately tied up with the history of the Straits as a whole, a point we need to communicate with a wider audience.
Third, our proximity to the trails at Black Mtn should be a major draw for mountain bikers. It is probably the best trail system in the lower peninsula for mtn bikers, and FREE.
This is all to say that Cheboygan already has a lot of natural advantages. Why should we focus on promoting biking? I’ll give you five reasons: (1) We can encourage families and retirees, who love biking, to move here and stay here. Yes, such people exist, and they would move here if we could communicate what we have to offer. (2) By encouraging people to settle in the city limits, we can increase property values, and improve our tax base. (3) A population that chooses to bike more, and drive less, will be healthier, and will put less stress on infrastructure and the environment. (4) Bike tourists are particularly drawn to small, off-the-beaten-path towns, such as ours. They also have a relatively high disposable income. (5) Improvements to biking amenities and infrastructure do not require a lot of money, but can have a big impact; i.e., the return on investment is high.
In a later post I’ll have more to say about improvements we could make. But still, there’s a lot to celebrate.
Micropolitan 