Beyond Recreation: Burlington's Bike Path as an Economic Engine

Right now, I am writing this while sitting underneath an oak tree. It is sunny out and neither hot nor cold. There is a beach here, and a beach bar. It is busy and smells like sunscreen, but that's what I expected, as it is one o'clock on Father's Day. What I did not expect is that the parking lot is not full. This is surprising because the beach is full with lots of people, and the bar is, in fact, pumping out margaritas and fish and chips as fast as they can. The parking lot is not full because lots of the people here did not drive. Lots of people here got here the same way we did: by bike. This beach is off of the Burlington bike path. Burlington, VT is a city unlike most. It is situated along the shore of Lake Champlain, and across the lake is the stunning mountainscape of the Adirondack mountains. One of the things that makes Burlington so special is that it has a bike path that runs along the shores of the lake. While riding, I was reflecting on how many people were enjoying the trail, the impact that the trail has on the surrounding businesses, and the overall positive impact of bike infrastructure on the town.

While riding on the trail, one of the most noticeable, unmissable things is that there are lots of families out enjoying the trail. If you are taking your ride as a serious training endeavor, it can be annoying as you are forced to constantly slow down to pass people. However, for me, I enjoy seeing all the families out on the trail being active. There are few things that you can see people of all ages enjoy, especially ones that don't involve a screen. Thankfully, cycling can provide this simple joy to all people regardless of their background. Moments that force people to be present in their lives are becoming rarer and rarer. For this reason, cycling infrastructure is becoming more important now than ever on a human level. For many of the riders, including myself, our time out on the bike path is the most blissful part of my week, and that is not to be written off. During this time on the bike path, the riders are becoming better versions of themselves, and the world is a better place because of it.

On a larger scale, the cycling infrastructure provides a source of commerce and jobs for countless individuals. While riding along the path for a few miles, we passed lots of businesses that are largely supported by the bike path. These range from vendors that are closely tied to the cycling traffic, such as bike rental businesses and shops, to businesses such as ice cream stands and restaurants that also rely heavily on the traffic from the bike path. Even things like the hotels and clothing boutiques see a boost in traffic due to the cycling infrastructure. Each of these businesses is able to employ anywhere from a few to multiple dozen people. many of these jobs would not exist if it were not for the investments that the city made in cycling-specific infrastructure.

These effects can be felt in further reaches beyond the few blocks surrounding the bike path. All of the individuals who are employed because of the cycling infrastructure take their wages home and spend them in businesses across the city, furthering the economic impact of the bike path. People who exercise frequently are generally happier and can be more productive in their jobs, which in turn increases the productivity of the community as a whole. In doing so, it can create more wealth and better living conditions for the rest of the region.

I do view Burlington as a unique city for several reasons, and one of which is how the bike path is positively tied into the culture of the city. I hope that as cities and towns of all sizes continue to face economic hardships, that they take some notes on how cycling infrastructure can help keep money in the community, thus increasing the prosperity of the area. There are a few major things that the Burlington bike path got right to maximize the economic impact on the city. Firstly, it connects residential areas of the city to urban ones. This means there is a transportation function to the path in addition to a recreational one. Secondly, the path is a nice place to be. This is due to the fact that it is well-maintained with good pavement and the surrounding area is kept relatively clean. Finally, the path is partially in a commercial part of the city. This gives the space for businesses to create value in. All of these things combined with more is why this beach is so busy, why there are bartenders earning tips in the beach bar over there, and finally why I chose to travel here and spend my money at these businesses.