Beaverton Improves Walking/Bicycling Infrastructure

The Beaverton Committee on Aging has had a very busy summer, with a lot going on. You can see what we’ve been doing by going to the BCOA page and looking at our meeting minutes. But rather than simply talking about our committee, I’d like to focus on improvements that the city has been making all summer for people walking.

As we age, walking is a very important activity. Older adults need the physical activity of walking in order to maintain health into old age. Beaverton has recognized this need and has been making improvements to intersections for walkers and bicyclists. The city has been improving the ramps at a number of intersections, and the plan for 2023-24 is to do 200 ramps. These ramps increase the safety for older Beaverton residents, and ease access for all walkers and bicyclists.

Beaverton has worked with the Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District, and their trail system, to make Beaverton a very walkable city. It is possible in Beaverton to bicycle for miles without traffic interference on the THPRD trail system. My route normally is five miles out, and five miles back of about nine to ten miles of trail bicycling, all within Beaverton. The bicycle is an “anti-aging machine,” allowing exercise for older adults without the problems of car-bicycle interactions on the trail system.

Some have not bicycled in a long while and worry about falling. Practice will help, especially if you can get instruction. A quick computer search for “bicycling instruction, Beaverton, OR” will turn up a number of instructors in our area. Beyond that, some have gone to recumbent tricycles for their riding, which are almost impossible to fall from. For those comfortable with cycling, falls happen rarely, and are associated with things like hitting a curb, or a slick spot (I don’t ride on ice), or an interaction with an auto. By cycling or walking on trails in Beaverton, the interactions with autos are eliminated. The new electric bicycles, while not as calorie-intense as bicycle riding, help with hills and allow those just starting to exercise to do so with much more ease.

As we age, the temptation is to do a lot of sitting. But now we find that a lot of sitting is not conducive to good health. Even as we age, we need exercise, but we also need exercise that is easy on joints and does not cause other problems medically. Walking and bicycling are those exercises. These were about the only activity that was available outdoors during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Sitting, in contrast, allows blood to pool in the ankles, causes muscles to atrophy due to lack of use, and does nothing for the cardiovascular system. Walking and cycling also helps with the obesity epidemic, by burning calories that would otherwise contribute to weight gain.

Beaverton’s commitment to walking and bicycling make Beaverton a city for healthy aging. The THPRD trail and the Beaverton Bicycle Map can be downloaded at www.BeavertonOregon.gov/BikeMaps.

By John Ratliff, Beaverton Committee on Aging member. Learn more about the BCOA at www.BeavertonLibrary.org/BCOA.