Looking for a way to go green and get fit? Instead of reaching for your keys, grab a helmet.
Forty percent of trips take us less than two miles away from home. With increased congestion and the seemingly endless search for parking, there's a good chance that biking on these short trips will be faster than driving. Instead of sitting in a car, you will get some fresh air and a work out. Don't forget all the money you could save on gas and a gym membership, too!
If you want to get even more use out of your bike, try cycling to work a couple days a week. Half of all Americans live within five miles of their workplace and if they all cycled to work just once a week, nearly 5 million tons of pollution would be kept out of the air each year.
In the first half of the century bicycling to work or on errands was a common practice, but in the 1950s and 60s, most people put their bikes away in favor of a personal car. Since then, population has increased and development has continued to sprawl, leading to longer commutes, heavier traffic and increased air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. In attempt to ease congestion and clean up the air, the government has increased funding for bicycling and walking projects from $6 million in 1990 to $422 million in 2003. Washington D.C. and college campuses around the country have started Bike-Sharing Programs to get more people riding, and San Francisco and Denver have programs in the works.
As bike paths and bike-sharing programs begin to pop up all over the country, why not hop on?
Did you know that you could receive $20 a month just for riding your bike to work?
Passed as part of the Renewable Energy Tax Credit in 2008, the Bicycle Commuter Act gives people who bike to work at least
three times a week a tax break. An employer may reimburse bicycle commuters $20 a month for bicycle purchase, maintenance,
and other expenses. The League of American Bicyclists provide reimbursement cards to make getting your tax break easier and
can be found at http://www.bikeleague.org/resources/commuters/reimbursement_cards.php
Did you know that drivers spend over an hour on average in a car each day?
According to the National Household Transportation Survey, the average commute distance has remained constant while
average commute time has increased, due to more traffic and slower commute speeds. Bike to avoid congestion, save money on
gas, and relieve stress.
Did you know that two thirds of the American population is considered overweight?
According to the National Center for Environmental Health, 66% of the U.S. population is considered overweight. An
average sized woman biking 10 miles will burn about 300 calories and an average sized man will burn 400 calories. Thirty
minutes of moderate physical activity, such as biking, three days a week could help fight our nation's weight problem.
Did you knowthat one parking space can fit ten bikes?
According to the National Center for Environmental Health, ten bicycles can fit in the same space as one car. If more
people biked, there would be less need for expansive parking lots that pave over open spaces and wildlife habitat.
SOURCES :
Center for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Environmental Health [18 May 2009] Bike to Work: Stay Healthy, Save Money, Help the Environment, [online] Atlanta, GA. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/features/bike_week_2009.htm
Environmental Defense Fund [15 August 2007] Bicycle Commuting Enjoys a Rebirth, [online] New York, NY. Available from: http://www.edf.org/article.cfm?contentID=5483 [accessed 28 May 2009]
League of American Bicyclists [2008-2009] Bicycle Commuter Tax Provision: Frequently Asked Questions, [online] Washinton. Available from: http://www.bikeleague.org/news/100708faq.php [accessed 28 May 2009]
U.S Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration [December 2004] Summary of Travel Trends: 2001 National Household Travel Survey, [online] Washington. Available from: http://nhts.ornl.gov/2001/pub/STT.pdf [accesed 28 May 2009]
