The Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study has released what's billed as its first major bike plan.

The organization has named 63 specific areas that are recommended for investment to create safe areas for bicyclists to ride.  AMATS Program Coordinator Krista Beniston says the plan take into account trends in other regions that point toward using bicycles as a means of transportation, rather than just recreation.

"We're not saying that every one of those roads should be a bike lane, but what you would see, maybe, is a bike lane on some of the major through streets," said Beniston.

She offers East Exchange Street as an example, saying it would make sense to link the downtown area with The University of Akron. 

Beniston says some people would like to use pedal power even more, including bicycling to a bus stop or to city bus hubs in Akron or Kent, then catch a bus to work or other destinations.