Thursday, May 15, 2008

Friday May 16 is National Bike to Work Day shut up and do it

By Chad Jones

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Comments (32)

If you’re tired of traffic and grieving over gas prices, here's an idea: why not ride a bike?

The NCTCOG offers a nice, <a href="http://dfwmaps.com/">dfwmaps.com</a> colorful bike trail map </a>of D-FW. Excuses are dwindling.

The NCTCOG offers a nice, dfwmaps.com colorful bike trail map of D-FW. Excuses are dwindling.

Conveniently for you, Friday, May 16th marks National Bike to Work Day, when workers throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area and the nation will call attention to this often-overlooked transportation tactic.

"Bike to Work Day is really about building support for the bicycle community and re-enforcing the fact that all types of commuters, regardless of mode choice, should have access to safe and connective routes," said Jennifer Ebel, Transportation Planner for the North Central Texas Council of Governments.

As it is now, routes to work in D-FW might not seem so safe, friendly or...existent. In 2005 the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (link) ranked Dallas #41 out of the country's 50 most bike-able cities.

"Dallas-Fort Worth may not be viewed as bike-friendly compared to cities such as Portland or San Francisco," said Ebel, "but we are changing. There are many efforts underway to manage trends, implement new developments, and retrofit the existing infrastructure to accommodate growth."

In particular, cities throughout D-FW have been working on what's known as the "Regional Veloweb," (link) a 644-mile, designated off-street trail network that will provide bicycle and pedestrian connections across. Also, it continues our trend of giving big things weird names, e.g. the Metroplex, the Mixmaster, Victory Park, etc.

"As of now, 112 miles of the Regional Veloweb are complete, including the Trinity Trails, River Legacy Trail, Katy Trail, Preston Ridge Trail, and the Denton-Rail Trail," Ebel said.

On Bike to Work Day, a holy day set aside 52 years ago by the League of American Bicyclists, the NCTCOG will be tracking commuter data through TryParkingIt.com. Here's how to partake.

1. Map Your Route.

DFWmaps.com can assist you with locating existing facilities and you can create a map using your home address as a starting point.
If the bike thing ain't going to work, you can still take public transit. Bus and Rail schedules and locations: DART, The-T and TRE, and DCTA.

2. Ride Your Route on May 16.

Texas state law allows bikes to share the roadways with cars. Texas Bicycle Coalition guidelines and League of American Bicyclist guidelines.

3. Log Your Ride.

Create an account at TryParkingIt.com. From here you can log the commute you took—either biking, transit, walking, or carpooling—by May 23.
logging your commute, you will be eligible to win a gift card!

4. See the Results.

In yourself, physically and mentally, of course, but also:
After May 27th, the NCTCOG Bicycle and Pedestrian Home Page will show the number of alternative commuter miles for May 16, the number of people logging trips for May 16, as well as the number of trips and vehicle emissions that were reduced.

Numbers do a body good

2000 Census data revealed the following statistics for North Texas commuters:
- 79% of drive alone, 14% of workers carpool, about 2% use public transit, and 1.5% walk
- The current mode share of bicyclists and pedestrians for all utilitarian and recreational trips in the Metroplex is 5%.
- 20-25% of morning traffic is contributed by parents driving their kids to school. National Center for Safe Routes to School
info from NCTCOG

"With how high gas is now, many people are recognizing that modern lifestyles are unsustainable and asking themselves what they can do to live a more economical, healthy, and environmentally friendly lifestyle," said Ebel.

Some prominent workers have already made their plans. More than 40 Texas Instruments employees plan to ride their bikes to work, while Dick Ruddell, president and executive director of The Fort Worth Transportation Authority, has also planned his bike commute, a whopping 15-mile ride from his home at 7 a.m. Meanwhile, Betsy Price, Tarrant County tax assessor-collector, aims to ride nine miles to work and meet Ruddell at 8 a.m. at the Fort Worth Intermodal Transportation Center.

"I think people are eager to find other means but holding back for various reasons," Ebel said. " My recommendation is to just tune up your bike and join."

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Comments

Pavel Lishin Verified

I bike to work every day (unless it's raining), but I live a quarter mile away from the office.

I don't know how feasible this would be in the summer if your office didn't have some sort of shower facility (which ours does not.)

1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Catherine Cuellar Verified

Way to go Pavel! For more resources

Cycle Dallas has good safety tips
Better World Club offers roadside assistance for both cars and bicycles

Now if Dallas would just turn one lane of the Houston Street viaduct into a bike lane for safe passage from Oak Cliff to the AAC's Katy Trail on ramp.

1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Teresa Gubbins Staff

pavel, what kind of bike do you have just curious. (i'm following the infectiously run-on style of the story's headline.) is there a bike rack at your office?

i used to be able to ride 2 miles to work during the summer without ruining the comfort of my coworkers. but then again, i did get laid off from that job

1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Scott Doyle Verified

If I owned a bike, I'd partake. If PegNews buys or rents me a bike, I'll definitely partake.

Otherwise, I'll just be checking back in to see how much traffic fatalities spike tomorrow - I presume those deaths are considered in traffic stats since laws allow bikes to share the road.

And T-Gub, Pavel rides whatever bike currently replaces the last one that was stolen.

1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Rick Yost Verified

Don't forget your helmets.

1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Pavel Lishin Verified

By the way, I hate biking down most roads. Damn the law, I don't trust the random jerks behind me not to rear-end me with their Hummer, so I try to ride on sidewalks as much as I can - except that there's a HUGE amount of roads that don't have any sidewalks for miles. And when they do, the curbs are not handicripple accessible - I've actually blown out a tire because I couldn't slow down in time, nor could I hop off the curb into the street, and ended up hitting the curb with my rear tire too hard. (The church folk across the street probably didn't appreciate the river of obscenity coming from me.)

Teresa - I don't know, I'll have to check when I get home. (I didn't ride today since it looked like it was going to rain.) There's no bike rack, I usually just put the bike in the break room.

1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Pavel Lishin Verified

Teresa - found it! It's a Novara Buzz that I bought from brett.

1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Scott Doyle Verified

I lolled at the first part of the link's description after reading Pavel's story:

Cruise the streets. Hop a curb. Surf an alley. The nimble Novara Buzz takes on busy city traffic and campus pathways with ease.

1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Scott Doyle Verified

Note: I'm pretty sure that story was with a different bike, because I'm guessing the church discussed is from when he lived in Austin (pre-theft). Lolled regardless.

1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

twisteddog Anonymous

With one of these and a shotgun, you'll have no problem with Hummers.

http://www.atomiczombie.com/gallery/b...

1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Pavel Lishin Verified

Scott: No, it was just this last weekend. I was biking down Hillcrest, just south of 635.

And I don't really want to ride a bike that requires a stepladder to climb up on.

1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Scott Doyle Verified

Perhaps you should email and inform them they're falsely advertising. Attach pics, of course.

1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

James Scott Verified

So looking at their map legend, what exactly is meant by the blue "Veloweb Recommended"? I couldn't really find anywhere on their site that they do a good job of describing what the different routes mean.

I would have a fairly hefty bike to my work (North White Rock to Addison), but I'd consider it if I could figure out the map. I'd also consider a Rail+Ride solution, especially considering the $60+ fill-up on my vehicle this morning that will be a weekly occurrence.

1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Robert Kelly Verified

Yeah, and Dallas will remain low on the list as long as the idiots down at the City Council continue to put cops on helmet duty instead of working on real crime in this city.

1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

James Scott Verified

Ok, I think I get it now. Recommended basically means that's where they think they should put the trail, but it's not there, and it's not even funded to put one there. It's part of the "Mobility 2030" plan. I'll be happy just to be able to walk in 2030, much less ride a bike - so I guess I'm effed.

The other legend item I'm confused with then is "existing - on-street facilities" - what's so special about those streets than the others as far as riding a bike goes?

1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Catherine Cuellar Verified

I biked less than two miles to the DART light rail station in my neighborhood this morning and 1 hour after locking my front door, I pressed the elevator button in my office. I could have driven in 1/3 to 1/2 the time, but this way I safely read e-mail and news for 45 minutes.

DART desperately needs bike racks at all stations. If north Texas is serious about improving the air quality from 7th-dirtiest in the U.S., people must have quick, simple alternatives. If there were a bike rack at the station nearest my home, I could lock my bike and walk a few steps to my office at the other end. As it is I risk the bike getting stolen or have to schlep it.

1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

xdavidwattsx Anonymous

I live 10 miles from work and could totally bike in but the problem for me is safety. Dallas is totally allergic to bike lanes on roads. In the northwest there are bike lanes on a majority of roads and consequently, lots of bikers use them. For me, I'd have to ride up Jupiter which is essentially a death trap. We have so much room for roads, why can't we take a portion and create bike lanes?

1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

EdWeirdness Anonymous

Better yet, pay the peons a little extra to ride their bike to work, thereby opening up some more traffic lanes and parking spaces for the corporate sales and marketing types! Who cares if the employee's smell like they slept in a cab when they get to work?

1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

EdWeirdness Anonymous

Has anyone ever noticed, at least from an aerial view, how helmeted bikers look like a line of penises?

1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Pavel Lishin Verified

Nah, I try not to fly over bikers.

1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

stu42j Anonymous

James,

Another great site for finding bike-to-work routes is bikely.com. Here is a route that would be a good start for you:

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/...

And concerning the "existing - on-street facilities", they are streets considered to be safer for bikes. Generally smaller, neighborhood streets. Ever see those blue signs with the pegasus on a bike (or something like that)? That's what those are.

1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

stu42j Anonymous

bike route signs

1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

OpusthePoet Anonymous

Well back when I had a job I used to bike 100 miles a week to work, until I was hit with a truck. Then they packed the entire office off to India where the paid the workers 1/10 of what they were paying us, less than that when you include the bennys they didn't have to provide the workers in India. Anyway now my commute is from the coffeepot in the kitchen to the computer in my bedroom, not much chance to use a bike there. I still use the bike to go to the grocery store.

1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Pavel Lishin Verified

Does that mean you telecommute? Or that you're jobless and take refuge online?

1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Clay213 Anonymous

Bike lanes? What are those? Take the lane, and don't be afraid. If they are honking and screaming at you, they see you. Which means they aren't going to hit you. Riding on the sidewalk or in the gutter is when you are going to get killed or injured.

Whopping 15 miles? At peak times, you can certainly ride faster than you could drive 15 miles.

1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Pavel Lishin Verified

Clay, I must say - I subscribe to the Zodiac school of bicycling: "If you've put yourself in a position where someone has to see you for you to be safe - to see you, and to give a [censored] - you've already blown it."

See, nobody's ever honked or screamed. So I'd rather depend on my own senses and stay on the side walk rather than depend on the blonde woman with a miniature dog in the baby carriage who's talking on her phone and sipping her latte.

1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Clay213 Anonymous

Riding on the sidewalk is the worst place to be and the best way to end up dead riding a bike.

I recommend the following: http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/tra...

http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/tra...

I've been riding a bicycle for 25 years, and the only injuries I have ever received were completely my own fault.

1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

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