Erwayne Lacsina

Students travel to school depending where they live using various options such as cars, buses, bikes, or walking.

Aurora’s Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Transit Advisory Board is working towards creating stress-free, accessible trails that allow residents to bike safely. The board’s goal of prioritizing the overall safety of these paths will positively impact the health of all travelers and the community.

As the city of Aurora continues to grow, the demands for safe and accessible pathways grow as well. The board’s mission is to make communities more walkable.

Transit Advisory board chairman, Doug Johnson, explains that the current trails have made an impact on accessing certain locations.

“We are super blessed here in Aurora to have a well-connected network of multi-use paths,” Johnson said. “From recreational therapeutic uses to more utilitarian uses such as grocery shopping and running errands, using the New York Multi-Use path. We really can get almost anywhere, from anywhere by bike.”

However, since the trails are multi-purpose the Aurora Bike Map explains the rules and regulations for those who bike and others on the road to keep everyone safe. Student ambassador Michael Handzic reiterates the importance of following these rules.

“When these rules are respectfully followed, the trails can be a perfect place to wind down or get some energy, either solo or with friends,” Handzic said.

Michael Handzic is the first student to be appointed to a city board and shares his connection with being a student bike rider and the board’s mission.

“As a frequent bike rider and nature lover, seeing the lustrous forest preserves, small ponds and bodies of water, and other natural wonders, I was incredibly motivated to shape paths and maintain existing trails that encompass them,” Handzic said.

As the population grows, environmental health is at risk. The committee’s focus is on promoting bicycling as a sustainable means of travel as it helps reduce the number of cars, leading to lower greenhouse gas emissions. Bicycling preserves the surrounding area of the trails which improves the mental health of those who are around it.

According to Yale E360, studies have proven that spending time in nature lowers blood pressure, enhances immune system function, reduces anxiety, and improves mood. This ties into the board’s mission to connect with the people in their community and the world surrounding them.

The Aurora Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Transit Advisory Board continues to plan how they will keep the city safer, greener, and more accessible to all.

“We are dedicated to listening to concerns about sidewalk extensions, unsafe crossings, and multipath connections, that ensure the safety of all that use the trail,” Handzic said.