What's New

AMATS is launching what it hopes will be an ongoing dialogue with cyclists in the Greater Akron area.  With many considering biking as a viable, sustainable transportation alternative to the automobile, the planning agency decided recently that it was time to address the needs of the region’s cycling community.

AMATS will begin its outreach by hosting two Public Bike Meetings in Akron and Kent, according to Transportation Planner Phyllis Jividen.  The agency hopes to gain new insights into strategies that encourage cycling as a means of transportation and recreation by talking with the public and the area’s cycling enthusiasts.

The Akron meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. on April 13 at the Highland Square Branch Library and the Kent meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. on April 27 at the Kent Free Library.  The meetings are part of a larger sustained effort by the agency to work with cyclists to identify and meet their unique transportation needs, Jividen says.

She adds that the time is right for such an effort by the agency given growing public concerns regarding quality of life, fuel prices and environmental issues.  Cycling is increasingly viewed by many as an appealing alternative to driving.

“People are realizing that riding a bike not only has health benefits, but they can save money and cut down on pollution too,” she says.

Jividen adds that the agency will roll out new initiatives to promote cycling in the coming weeks.

For more information, please visit the agency’s Biking in the Region page.