By Brenda Layman

Suburban living doesn’t have to mean life spent behind the wheel of a car. When city engineer Greg Bachman and other active transportation proponents make their vision a reality, Pickerington will become a paradise for bicyclists and pedestrians alike.

A glimpse of things to come is already in evidence on Diley Road. Recent construction resulted in more than just a road that can accommodate increased automobile traffic than the previous one. Positioned alongside is a wide, paved path for biking, running and walking that reaches as far as Canal Winchester. According to Bachman, the Diley Road project is only the beginning.

I met with Bachman in his office, and he was eager to describe the possibilities he envisions for Pickerington and the surrounding community. He soon covered his desk with maps, showing me the locations of existing Columbus Metro Parks trails and those planned for construction. An experienced cyclist and marathon runner, Bachman enthusiastically pointed out the places where Pickerington can link to those trails.

A link from Diley Road to Pickerington Ponds Metro Park would eventually tie the city’s bike trails to the entire Metro Park trail system. Cyclists could start in Pickerington and bike all the way to Westerville. Currently, a bike lane extends from State Route 256 in Olde Pickerington to neighboring Baltimore. Constructing a bike/pedestrian lane on Long Road would connect the Diley Road bicycle path to Hill Road, and extending the bike lane on State Route 256 would link all those sections together.

Bachman explained constructing a bicycling/walking lane on Long Road would also provide a safer, more inviting route for children walking to and from Pickerington Elementary School. Pickerington has already implemented a program called Safe Routes to School, which encourages students to walk to their neighborhood schools. The construction of more pedestrian walkways, along with education about traffic safety, encouragement, and enforcement of speed limits has the potential to make Pickerington a community where the majority of children receive the fitness benefits of walking to and from school on a regular basis.

Students would not be the only ones to benefit from an active transportation culture in Pickerington. Bachman envisions wide, shaded sidewalks alongside paved bike paths that would allow residents to walk from residential areas to shopping centers, schools and parks. Benches and drinking fountains would be placed along the way.

All these ideas dovetail with the Fairfield County Active Transportation and Open Space Plan adapted in August of 2009. I spoke with Holly Mattei, Director of the Fairfield County Regional Planning Commission, who explained the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission was consulted in the plan’s development.

The construction of more parks, preservation of water quality in the area’s streams and rivers and the development of an extensive, interconnected system of bicycling and walking trails are all a part of the county’s plan. Grant money can help pay for the projects. According to Mattei, cooperative efforts on the part of cities, townships and counties make it more likely such grants will be awarded.

“That’s the kind of synergy that makes it clear that all the entities involved are working together,” she explains. “We have a 20-year plan that’s a blueprint for where we want to go in the future.”

Plans for Pickerington are in the works, but community residents aren’t waiting for tomorrow. Cycling enthusiasts are already taking advantage of some great touring opportunities in the area.

Ira Weiss is a Pickerington champion for active transportation. Even a brief conversation with Weiss is enough to make the most sedentary citizen feel like giving cycling a whirl. Weiss told me about the cycling tours that leave every Sunday at 9 a.m. from a Canal Winchester bike shop called The Cyclist’s Connection.

The following Sunday I awoke to the sound of rain drumming on the roof. Lightening flashed in the distance, followed by a faint but ominous rumble of thunder. No one, I thought, would consider riding a bicycle on such a day. At 9 a.m., the temperature was 48 degrees, and the rain had subsided to a steady drizzle.

To my surprise, there were cars in the parking lot at The Cyclist’s Connection. Inside, I met Pickerington resident Ross Gridley and several other cyclists preparing for an indoor spinning session in lieu of the usual outdoor trip. Even when the weather is uncooperative, this group keeps in shape. Donna Bush, of Canal Winchester, is committed to active transportation.

“Part of the year, I commute from Canal Winchester to Columbus by bicycle three times a week,” she said. “For most of that distance, I can ride on bike trails.” Despite the sort of drizzly winter atmosphere that leaves many people feeling sluggish, Bush and the others were glowing with energy. With a plan that encourages folks to leave their cars parked and walk and pedal their ways around Central Ohio, Pickerington and its surrounding communities are on the path to a fit future.

Brenda Layman is a contributing writer for Pickerington Magazine.