GREENFIELD — In celebration of Bay State Bike Month and in anticipation of a new Franklin County Regional Bike Plan, the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) welcomed cyclists to the John W. Olver Transit Center on Tuesday.

With refreshments, giveaways and informational displays, cyclists were able to share their thoughts on biking throughout Franklin County, which will be taken into consideration when the agency releases its Franklin County Regional Bike Plan in October. The previous iteration of the plan was released in 2009.

“We’re looking comprehensively at the region on how we can make it better for cycling and we’re looking for public input on things that would be helpful,” said FRCOG Transportation Program Manager Beth Giannini, noting the plan looks at everything from infrastructure to cycling initiatives.

Transportation Planner Jack Carolan added that FRCOG is “exploring the barriers to cycling.”

The agency also shared a look into some of the data it received in its cycling survey, which recently closed after receiving hundreds of responses. In the survey excerpts, 48.8% of respondents said the biggest issue preventing them from biking more often is they are “uncomfortable biking in the streets with cars.” Other barriers noted by respondents included inclement weather, lack of time to bike and other, general safety concerns.

The Canalside Rail Trail in Turners Falls was by far the most popular bikeway in the county, with more than 60% of respondents indicating they use it. The River Road loop from Deerfield to Sunderland and the Deerfield Upper-Lower roads loop served as the second and third most popular routes. Nearly all survey respondents said they bike for health or recreational purposes.

“People are looking for ways to be healthier and not drive their cars so much,” Giannini added.

While the survey is closed, the public is invited to provide more cycling feedback to FRCOG ahead of the anticipated October release of the Franklin County Regional Bike Plan at the interactive map at bit.ly/3WHHq3Q.

Using the interactive map, folks can highlight specific areas where they have experienced issues or where they would like to see improvements. Areas with a high number of comments include Turners Falls Road in Greenfield, where people are asking for FRCOG to look at how to make the connector between Greenfield and Turners Falls safer, and downtown Greenfield, where people are requesting bike lanes to make the city more bicycle-friendly. Other areas with notes include South Deerfield and near the Sunderland Bridge.

Tuesday’s breakfast served as one of many events celebrating Bay State Bike Month, which is designated by MassBike, a Boston-based nonprofit advocating “statewide for policies that encourage and support community wellness, equity and inclusion, enable sustainable growth, drive economic vitality and tackle climate change.”

Other Bike Month events in the Pioneer Valley include a community bike breakfast at Pulaski Park in Northampton on Wednesday morning, followed by a community ride at Pulaski Park on Thursday, May 16, at 6 p.m. and then a Bike Commuter Happy Hour at The Barb & Olive in Northampton on Friday, May 17, at 6 p.m. Friday also serves as Bike to Work Day.

For more information about FRCOG’s Regional Bike Plan, visit bit.ly/4aqoZ6F.

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com.