Author: pacman

How long have you been a resident in Manitou Springs and why did you choose to live here?

I have lived in Manitou Springs on and off for 10 years, but more recently, I have been living in my current location for almost 2 years. 

I chose to live in Manitou Springs mainly because of the slower paced, mountain town vibe. The people here are either healthy minded, into athletics or are artists of some sort. 

Having grown up on the westside of Colorado Springs, Manitou wasn’t too far of a move.

As an avid cyclist, I have easy access to some of the best training rides one could ever ask for. 

What are the pros/cons of walking/cycling/rolling/being a carless resident in Manitou? (pick whichever describes you)

Pros:

When commuting via bicycle in Manitou Springs, I feel like I have a lot of freedom. I can ride on the road; I have access to cycling paths or I can hop off and walk my bike to my destination. There are plenty of bicycle racks to lock my bike to and parking is always free.  There are also plenty of steep hills to get a good workout in as part of my ride. 

Cons: 

The large amount of car traffic can be a bit stressful if I am in a hurry, but the slower pace of downtown can be just right at times. 

What infrastructure and/or esthetic improvement in Manitou would have the most positive impact on your cycling experience? 

I think proper signage to alert drivers to the new safety stop laws would be beneficial to me as a cyclist. 

What advice would you give someone who would like to give walking or rolling as transportation in Manitou a try but does not have much time or know where to start?

The best advice I would give someone who wants to try walking or rolling around Manitou would be to give yourself plenty on time to get around. If you leave plenty early, you can enjoy the trip rather than be stressed out. 

If you are thinking of cycling around Manitou, visit your local bike shop to get set up with everything you need to ride safely.

I would also recommend researching bike routes and trails as to avoid traffic as much as possible. 

And as always, hills aren’t IN the way, they ARE the way. 

What do you think would increase more walking and rolling of visitors and residents in Manitou?

I think public repair stations would benefit cyclists. Since there isn’t a full service bike shop in Manitou, repair stations would offer some cyclists the peace of mind knowing that they can fix their bike if they choose to venture into the town without their own tools. 

What other forms of transportation do you use and what has that experience been like?

I sometimes utilize the public bus system. I really enjoy the fact that the buses have bicycle racks on the front of them for when I don’t feel like riding home. 

I have also rented some of the PikeRide e-bikes to much success. The bike share programs are perfect for someone who just wants a bike for a short period of time, without having to fully invest in maintaining their own bicycle. 

Greetings from Pedestrian and Cycle Manitou (PaCMan)! We recently stopped by to chat with Rey Figueroa of Good Karma Cafe. Rey has chosen to live carless in Manitou Springs and shared with us about that experience. Here are his thoughts about his carless experience and ideas about how to get more folks to give walking and rolling as transportation a try.

How long have you been a resident and business owner in Manitou Springs choosing to live and operate a business without a vehicle?

I have been a resident of Manitou Springs for 8.5 years and an owner of a business without car for 3 years.

What are the pros/cons of living here and operating a business carless in Manitou?

The pros include the freedom and sense of mental and physical health it offers. Now, I am a better planner of my time and more productive when I drive as a passenger in an Uber or Lyft service. I get piece of mind of knowing that I am not a major contributor of a negative impact of contaminating the environment with fossil fuel gases/emissions. 

The cons would be the immediate gratification of getting in a vehicle that you control to move from point A to point B. After all, it is a conventional illusion.

What infrastructure and/or esthetic improvement would have the most positive impact on your experience living and working carless in Manitou?

Walking around is so much more pleasant without vehicles or the noise disturbances that vehicles emit. It would be ideal to limit access to motorized vehicles only to the perimeter of a town or city.

What advice would you give someone who would like to try living in Manitou without a car but doesn’t know where to start or have much time?

Follow me for a week!  Learn to simplify your life and improve your quality of life.

What do you think would increase the number of residents and business owners to live and work in Manitou without a car?

Don’t make excuses! Just do it! There has been major decentralization after this past pandemic. Corporations realized the need and benefits of allowing employees to work remotely. Walking or biking is beneficial in the long term. The need to establish convenient stores closer or in town has increased. People will get out and interact, and this makes a stronger community in all its aspects

What other form(s) of transportation do you use and what has that experience been like?  I mainly walk and also use an E-Bike and a long board, and as I stated before Uber or Lyft services on occasion. Walking, cycling, and using a long board make me feel like a kid again at my middle age. I am very fortunate to do so and feel active, which has helped prolong healthy aging.

Greetings from Pedestrian and Cycle Manitou (PaCMan)! We recently interviewed a local fourth-grader who chooses to walk to Manitou Springs Elementary School each day. Here is their perspective (they want to be anonymous) as well as a few words of encouragement asking other students to do the same.

And if you drive, please remember the following 2022 national dates: Wednesday, May 4, is Bike to School Day and Wednesday, Oct. 5, is Walk to School Day. We ask that you look for road users of all sizes, types and shapes every day to yield when pedestrians are using crosswalks.

Please remember that sometimes school children can be harder to notice, and we ask that you slow down and drive with awareness.

As the Colorado Department of Transportation asks in its Left Behind campaign, which aims to decrease the number of pedestrian crashes in Colorado, “Please drive safe and watch for pedestrians” so that we may all get home safely.

Thank you.

How long have you been a resident and why did your family choose to live in Manitou? 

I’ve lived here my whole life. My family wanted to live near the mountains.

What are the pros/cons of walking to school in Manitou?

Pros: I live close to the school so it’s the easiest way to get there. I’ve actually only been driven to school twice, so I don’t really know any other way. A friend in my class who lives in my neighborhood has recently started walking home with me. It’s fun to have a friend to talk with on the way home. Sometimes I walk with other parents and kids, too. It’s a good way to get to know people in my community.

Cons: There is a lot of traffic and it’s normally very cold in the mornings.

What infrastructure and/or esthetic improvement would have the most positive impact on your walking to school experience?

One of my parents walks me across Manitou Avenue in the morning to make sure that I get across safely. If there was a crossing guard at the intersection of Manitou Avenue and Pawnee, I could walk to school by myself. Something that would be really cool would be a tube that transports kids up the hill to the school (Pawnee) and a giant slide on the library lawn to get back down to Manitou Avenue.

What advice would you give someone who would like to try walking to MSES but doesn’t know where to start or have much time?

If you live in downtown Manitou Springs, it might even take less time to walk than it does to drive to the school. Try meeting up with other kids or families in your neighborhood and walk together. I would walk with other kids who have never done it before, so they know what to do. Talk to your parents and neighbors and make a plan.

What do you think would increase the number of kids walking to MSES?

“If you see her, you can be her” mentality. Being inspired by other kids who walk to school would inspire others to do it, too.

What other form(s) of transportation do you use and what has that experience been like? 

I also ride a bike and a scooter. Using these modes of transportation is fun and good exercise. I also use the Manitou shuttle sometimes and ride in cars when my family goes on long trips and when we go places outside of Manitou.