On my ninth birthday, my dad took me to check out a bike he found in the classifieds. It was a single speed, 20-year-old bike with 26-inch balloon tires for $20, and he bought it for me!
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I still love bike riding, but biking in hilly Dubuque can be difficult, even dangerous.
Though we live in a vibrant city with a keen focus on sustainability and community well-being, one crucial element is absent: a protected, accessible bike path through the city.
According to the American Journal of Public Health, protected bike paths can reduce injury risk by as much as 90%. Safety through separation from vehicle traffic is usually accomplished by a physical barrier, such as parked cars, a curb, landscaping or posts.