"Biking to work totally improved my life," says Kate McCarthy of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. "I'm healthier, happier, and more upbeat."
McCarthy started commuting by bike after her car broke down for the last time. "I refused to fix it," she explains. "I'd been so burnt by cars, spent so much money on gas and parking tickets, I vowed to make biking work." Now she helps organize the annual Bike to Work Day campaign, inviting other new cyclists to discover the benefits of commuting by bike.
This year there are over 40 Bike to Work events taking place in cities from Alaska to Florida and Hawaii to New York, some of which, like Cascade Bicycle Club's event in Seattle, anticipate more than 11,000 participants.
McCarthy says the biggest effort required is the mental leap. "People think it's too far, or that it's dangerous, or that they'll get to work all sweaty. We give them the incentive to try it. The best pitch to get people to ride is to get them to try it just once."
But if saving money on gas, insurance, and repairs isn't enough to make you leave the car keys at home, what other incentives are there? Organizers do everything they can to make biking accessible. Wondering where to meet up with other cyclists? Stop by one of dozens of commuter stations. Wary of busy streets? Pick up maps and information about bike lanes. Got a flat? Out of tune? Visit an on-site bike mechanic or attend a tune-up workshop. Uncomfortable in traffic? Part of making cycling accessible is making it safe, so many advocacy groups offer commuter skills training programs to do just that. SFBC hosts an annual Bike to Work Day, this year on May 15, which McCarthy says is the highlight of the biking year.
"The main thrust and energy is to get people out on Bike to Work Day. Last year it was so rewarding. Bikes outnumbered cars on Market Street, it was so quiet, like a Sunday morning. And there were so many people, and so many bikes."
That community spirit is what makes it worthwhile for Lori Garcia-Meredith, the VP of the Board of Directors at Bike to Work Week Victoria in British Columbia. The program is running from June 2 to 8, and ends with a party and prizes. "A lot of people are riding to work all the time. This celebrates those people and invites new people to join. It makes it easier; there's peer pressure to ride."
For Garcia-Meredith, riding to work reduces her daily stress: "I'm actually a nicer person when I ride my bike. You see people on the trail that you wave to and say hello. I start feeling a bit deprived if I don't get my ride."
The commuter community built on the roads and at bike racks can then be taken into the office. Participating workplaces compete against other teams in their cities to see who can most reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, log the most kilometres, and register the highest percentage of employee participation.
The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation (CBF) hosts their week-long Bicycle Commuter Challenge, this year from June 7 to 13. Registered workplaces will compete for the highest participation percentage in the city. The higher the level, the better it will be for new cyclists to join in.
"It makes it accessible, easy, and comfortable," says Margo O'Hara, the communications director at CBF. "Even if you have power meetings, you can still show up by bike. It makes cycling very mainstream, and it helps people realize that the bike is a viable option for their commute."
Mainstream is the key. The perception among non-riders, that commuter cyclists are a breed apart, is something that Eric Gilliland at the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) works hard to combat. He says new riders may be surprised by how all-inclusive the group can be.
"You're not alone," he tells them. "They're not all crazy, spandex-clad, $3,000 bike people. They're normal people like you and me. Everyone can do this." And in Washington, almost everyone does. WABA's event, which takes place May 16, is a one-day bonanza and is one of the most highly attended Bike to Work Days in North America. This year, Gilliland hopes to have 7,000 participants in one city in one day.
The thing to remember, according to Peter Verbrugge, the Event Producer at Seattle's Cascade Bike Club, is that it doesn't have to be all or nothing. Cascade has one of the ambitious programs, a Bike to Work Month, with the main event taking place May 16.
"It's not like you have to bike everyday. It's a personal choice," he explains. "Our challenge was to make it for a whole month, because people can enjoy it and see the benefits."
So, if you've been thinking about Biking to Work, contact your local bike advocacy group. They can teach you how. The League of American Bicyclists lists bike advocacy groups by state. Check for one near you at www.bikeleague.org/cogs/resources/findit/. For more information about the above Bike to Work events, visit:
San Francisco Bicycle Coalition www.sfbike.org
Bike to Work Victoria www.biketoworkvictoria.ca
Chicagoland Bicycle Federation www.biketraffic.org
Washington Area Bicyclist Association www.waba.org
Seattle's Cascade Bicycle Club www.cascade.org
For a listing of Bike to Work programs in North America and beyond, visit www.biketoworkweek.org, a site created by James Ghofulpo in Erie, Pennsylvania. While there is no Bike to Work campaign in Erie, James makes his daily 12-mile commute by bike.
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