May 14th, 2008 · No Comments

By Harriet Blake

In Columbus, Ohio, yesterday Mayor Michael Coleman and his staff biked from their homes to the Ohio Statehouse, jacking up their heart rates and kicking-off the city’s 20-year Bicentennial Bikeways Plan.

Photo: City of Columbus
 
Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman

In Boston, Mayor Thomas Menino fought a stiff wind cycling a half mile from City Hall to Post Office Square to launch Massachusett’s Bay State Bike Week.

They weren’t the only ones. Across the country bicyclists and officials making a point about pollution-free commuting are celebrating national bike month, which pedaled into high gear this week, which is designated national Bike-to-Work Week in many American cities, as well as overseas. “The soaring price of gas is helping jump start a transportation revolution in Columbus,” said Mayor Coleman, “and we are proud to promote biking as an alternative to the automobile for commuters as well as recreation.”

The city is committing $20 million by 2012 to make biking a safe and easy way to get around Columbus’ neighborhoods, jobs and downtown activities. Currently the city has about 87 miles of routes and trails; by 2012, they will add 31 miles of trails, 58 miles of bike lanes and hundreds of new bike racks.

In Seattle, Friday (May 16) is Starbucks Bike to Work Day, sponsored by the Seattle-based coffee giant and the Cascade Bicycle Club. Director Peter Verbrugge expects more than 20,000 participants at the event, which is in its 20th year.

“We have a very supportive city council, who is responsible for the ‘Complete Streets’ ordinance,’” says Verbrugge. The ordinance provides that all road projects take bike and pedestrian use into consideration. Currently, the city has a bike master plan that involves putting in 100 miles of bike paths, Verbrugge says.

In Washington, D.C., the Washington Bike Association (WABA) also is holding a Bike to Work Day on Friday (May 16). Director Eric Gilliland expects about 7,000 to come for the 30-year-old event, the oldest in the country.

“The purpose of the day,” he says, “is to make it as easy as possible to commute by bike. Our website provides cycling tips, how to choose a route and offers commuter convoys, led by experienced cycling commuters to help new commuters feel safe.”

For Sacramento commuters, Thursday (May 15) is Bike to Work Day, which will include a bike festival at the Capitol during lunchtime with everything commuters want to know about cycling. The Sacramento region biking community also offers “pedalpools,” which are groups of two or more cyclists who meet at one spot and then commute together into the city. The locations with times and days for the pedalpools are listed at the webpages of bikecommutemonth.com.

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