Commuting

“Bicycling is a big part of the future. It has to be. There’s something wrong with a society that drives a car to workout in a gym” ~Bill Nye, The ScienceGuy

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDOlYmbGXf0[/youtube]

Being here now

It’s not so much getting there, as being here now while you’re going someplace else.

Nothing transports in a practical manner, at the same time as it elevates the spirit, like the bicycle.

Bicycle commuting is the practical form of cycling; a purposeful pastime: getting to work, going shopping, taking the kids to school, moving stuff. But, like all time spent on a bicycle, it’s time spent more in touch with your environment and yourself. Admittedly, city cycling can be trying, but nowhere is there more of an argument and need for the velo than within the increasingly gridlocked metropolis.

Riding with David Suzuki
to promote Earth-friendly
commuting, March, 2007
Photo: Oak Bay News

Some cities—Amsterdam, Portland, Oregon, Davis, California come to mind—are blessed with forward-thinking planners and boast relatively well designed cycle lanes and trails, while others have yet to emerge from the dark ages of automobile autocracy. The motor vehicle still rules supreme in cities large and small, and cyclists have a struggle to gain recognition and convince policy-makers to re-allocate a fraction of the funds used to subsidize car travel toward bicycling infrastructure.

Bicycle-friendly communities are judged by the League of American Bicyclists on the “Five Es”: Engineering, Education, Encouragement, Enforcement, and Evaluation & Planning.

In this era of environmental crisis and economic uncertainty, there has never been a better argument in favour of the development of bicycle-inclusive roads, trails and public attitudes. Many organizations have sprung to the cause, from grass-roots agitators to well-funded mainstream programs. Look for them on the commuter resources page.

Be here soon

Are you a bicycle commuter? Veloweb wants your story. Send us a brief description of your commute and what you enjoy (and what you don’t) about your commute. Send a photo too, of you and/or your commuting bike. We’ll publish it and your story, on the Readers’ Rides page.