Meggen Connelly's Bisbee Bikeways Project: Creating Safe Pathways for All

The Bisbee Bikeways Project

• 💡 Meggen Connelly founded the Bisbee Bikeways project in 2018 with the goal of creating safe pathways for cyclists and pedestrians in Bisbee, Arizona.
• 🎯 The project was inspired by a desire to reduce carbon emissions and provide safe passage for her daughter in a rural town with high-speed state and county highways.

Funding and Infrastructure Transformation

• 💰 Connelly has successfully raised over $9 million to implement this alternative transportation project.
• 🛠️ The project has secured funding to transform a leg of the state highway, marking one of the first times a grassroots organization is changing a state highway in Arizona.

Overcoming Challenges and Shifting Mindsets

• 🧠 Working with government on such a transformative infrastructure project has been an educational and challenging experience.
• 🚗 The initiative aims to shift the car-centric mindset by demonstrating that reducing highway lanes can have minimal impact on travel time (e.g., a 15 mph reduction may only add 15 seconds to a trip).

A Blueprint for Other Communities

• 🗺️ Connelly believes the Bisbee Bikeways project can serve as a blueprint or literal roadmap for other communities facing similar mobility and safety challenges.
• ✅ The project aims to connect the town, which is currently disconnected by state highways, and enhance overall public safety.

Recognition as a Remarkable Woman

• 👏 Connelly is recognized as a remarkable woman for her work in creating safe streets for cyclists and pedestrians.
• ✨ She expresses gratitude for the recognition and for the opportunity to inspire other communities.