You'd think with all the steep hills, Houghton would be a hard town to bicycle around, but a national honor announced this week shows that the opposite is true.
The
League of American Bicyclists chose
Houghton as one of 18 communities given a "Bike-Friendly Community" designation this year. It is now one of six other cities in Michigan with the designation, and joins Marquette as the only two locations in the Upper Peninsula on that list.
The program that gives out the designation considers planning, facilities, and community involvement in the criteria. Houghton's Bike Task Force applied for the recognition in July by providing information on 86 attributes like roads and trails, signage, bike racks, policies, and community bike events.
The task force says Houghton ranks well on many of the criteria, with considerable support from Michigan Technological University and the Houghton City Council.
Houghton City Manager Scott MacInnes says the honor can help bring bicyclists to Houghton, as well as encouraging economic development and tourism, but the work to make the city bike-friendly is still ongoing.
"The city has plans to improve Sharon Avenue and other roads to accommodate cyclists," MacInnes says. "We're still in the beginning stages of creating a network of roads and paths that make it convenient for residents to commute to work and school on foot or on bikes."
Future improvements include upgrades to the Houghton Waterfront Trail, shoulder repairs on Sharon Avenue, and adding bike racks on Sheldon Avenue.
Writer: Sam EgglestonSource: Scott MacInnes, City of Houghton
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