Being the less observant of the two, I didn’t really notice the difference until my wife pointed it out.



“Check out the new bike lanes,” she exclaimed, excitement noticeable.

“You’re right,” I said, taking in the freshly paved streetscape of Tacoma’s North 21st and — more importantly — the bike lanes that now appeared on either side. Four lanes for cars had become three seemingly overnight. And little plastic markers now designated what paint would soon make official: a new emphasis on sharing the road between all modes of transportation in Tacoma.



“Hmm,” I was left to think. “Now, that’s wild and crazy stuff.”

Sharing the road with bikes, — of all things. Tacoma’s moving out of the dark ages.



It suddenly seemed like I would need to get accustomed to these newfangled notions.



From a municipal level, Tacoma is doing the same — as is evident by the new bike lanes popping up around town and the emphasis on “Complete Streets.” Kicked off in 2008, the adoption of “Complete Streets” as a citywide mantra means it’s now official policy in Tacoma to design and improve roadways and sidewalks in a manner that includes pedestrians, motorists and bicyclists equally. It’s a change City Hall is fully embracing.



Diane Wiatr, Tacoma’s mobility coordinator, says the city’s interest in increasing bikeability stems from three main concerns: climate control, public health and, most importantly, quality of life. She says as Tacoma pushes forward with its Complete Streets vision it will rely on the citizenry to lead the way. The first big push for public input will start in September.

“We want as much input as possible,” says Wiatr. “No one knows more about what Tacoma needs than the community.”



According to Wiatr, while updates and upgrades to infrastructure are a big part of improving Tacoma’s bicycle friendliness, there’s also plenty of educating to be done — for both drivers and riders.



The question is: How ready are Tacoma constituents for this change?

Naturally, it depends on whom you ask. But as for cyclists and Tacoma’s bikeing community, most couldn’t be happier.



Wait, I know what you’re thinking: Tacoma has a biking community?

“I think the bike community in Tacoma is growing,” says The Hub and Harmon owner Pat Nagle, who is also president of the Harmon Bike Club. “But I don’t think we are anywhere close to a town like Portland, where cycling is almost a way of life. The obvious need is for more bike lanes and safer roads.



“It’s a process, but I really feel that it’s growing.”



The new, bike friendly layout of North 21st and the one coming to South 12th would seem to validate Nagle’s assessment — that Tacoma is inching ever closer to its goal of bicycle friendliness — but some within Tacoma’s bike community (there I go again) aren’t willing to accept such slow, incremental change. Some aim to push the envelope, wanting not only to make the city of Tacoma recognize their existence but — more importantly — Tacoma drivers as well, who according to most cyclists seem reluctant and unprepared to share the roadways.



Take, for instance, Critical Mass, a leaderless monthly bike ride that happens in cities around the world, typically on the last Friday of the month. Critical Mass uses the power of numbers to momentarily claim the road for cyclists — whether drivers like it or not, or so goes the explanation. While Critical Mass rides in Tacoma tend to be small, and more importantly nonviolent, such is not always the case elsewhere.  In spots as close as Seattle, rider vs. driver altercations are not unheard of.  And perhaps more surprising, sometimes they’re instigated by the cyclists.



As with anything in life, though, it’s important not to judge an entire population by a few bad apples. And it’s even more important not to discredit and dismiss the entire bicycle revolution, in Tacoma and beyond, because a few douche bags on two wheels have done regrettable things in the name of the movement.



Tacoma’s July Critical Mass event will start at Jefferson Park at 6 p.m. Friday, July 31. While the route won’t be determined until the wheels have started turning, what’s certain is guys such as Travis Volk will be there. Volk considers himself part of Tacoma’s fixed gear scene, which specifically refers to a type of bike without the ability to coast, meaning anytime the back wheel is spinning so are the pedals — just as fast.  Volk sees events like Critical Mass as necessary in Tacoma’s bicycle evolution.



“The climate in Tacoma for bicyclists is sporadic. Motor vehicles are increasingly more accepting of us who ride, but it will always be a difficult relationship on the road with cars,” says Volk. “I can ride through the North End, Old Town and Ruston and know drivers are used to cyclists, but when you step downtown or through Hilltop, you are in areas where accidents can happen easily and the lack of respect among drivers is clear.

“A consistent Critical Mass would push the Tacoma bicycle culture to a new level,” Volk says.



Others aren’t so sure. One local rider told me he feels Critical Mass events — and their in-your-face nature — do more harm than good.



Whether you agree with the Critical Mass approach or not, what’s undeniable is Tacoma is making serious attempts at increasing its bikeability, and a community of cyclists is developing. Whether the two things are related is debatable, but it’s happening nonetheless.



“We need a huge paradigm shift in Tacoma. I think it has to change over time, but there are things the city can do to help,” says Wiatr, noting it could take decades to reach the end goal.



“I think it’s something (Tacoma) has had in mind for a while, but now we’ve got much greater support from the City Council and the community,” she continues.



“Really, we just want everyone to be able to ride.”