Trinity College Scholar Alex Perez in Hartford, Connecticut.

Trinity Scholar Proposes Bike Lane System to Hartford City Council

Spring 2015 | Chicago

Alex Perez, a sophomore at Trinity College majoring in sociology and urban studies, developed a proposal to make the city of Hartford, Connecticut, more bike friendly. Alex, who uses a bike as his main mode of transportation at home in Chicago, was inspired to create the plan after a study abroad program in Shangai, China, where he studied the recent decrease in cyclists and the effect it has on both transportation and pollution.

Upon returning to campus in Hartford, Alex connected with Professor Cameron Douglass, a post-doctoral fellow in environmental sciences. With his guidance, Alex analyzed the city grid and traffic patterns and also conducted surveys to create a bike friendly plan for Hartford. Using a geographic information system, Alex mapped out a system that incorporates existing bike lanes with proposed new lanes.

“A more developed bike lane system would allow people to have better access to all the resources in Hartford,” says Alex.

Alex is currently in the process of meeting with the City Council of Hartford to share his plans. After graduation Alex hopes to return to Chicago and work in urban planning.