mindful transportation.

having recently been involved in a car accident that totalled my incredibly dependable and safe [read: visceral, personal experience] 2006 MINI Cooper, i am mindfully considering all my options for transportation in a suburban environment with woefully difficult public transport. that it would take me over 2 hours to get only 9 miles and remotely close to my job from home [even then i would have to walk a mile from any busstop to my end destination] is no exaggeration. and given my personal commitment to green, sustainable living and thrill to cycling, it makes far more sense [and would save a great deal of time] to bike the round-trip 20 miles each day to work...[this is something i did often, weather permitting before this most recent turn of events]...but when you must depend on your bike for transportation, a full awareness of some facts are important.

so naturally, in the nerdy way that i do...i have delved into all of the research regarding traffic statistics and my now necessary mode of travel. and, it is a sobering perlustration. as gas prices will undoubtedly continue to rise [despite the occasional abatement], there will be more and more people taking to the roads with alternative modes of transportation. please take a moment to survey these statistics. they are the most recent available listing of fatalities to bicyclists as compiled by NHTSA the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

as you can see...the state of Florida [my home state]...has earned quite a dubious distinction. by comparison, we suffer the greatest number of fatalities [131, statewide in 2006: 7.3 persons/millions in population]. only California registers a higher number [141, statewide in 2006], but California also registers twice the number of residents [3.87 persons/millions in population] meaning our traffic fatalities by comparison occur at double the rate. there's even a state sponsored study that concludes that because we are "the sunshine state" [read: more hours of daylight] and because we have a higher-than-average poverty rate, Floridians suffer a higher traffic vs. pedestrian and traffic vs. cyclist fatality rate. nice conclusion...now, may we all work toward a solution.

Visit the League of American Bicyclists to read more and take action. and please, please...drive mindfully and share the road.



Technorati Profile

Florida: Cyclists flocking to trains.

From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Broward County), 06.24.08:

More people are bringing bicycles along on their mass transit commutes. Brad Whidden figures he saves $65 a month on gas by riding his bike and taking the train to work in Fort Lauderdale. The 44-year-old emergency medical technician...says the exercise and environmental benefits also are good, even if leaving his car at home adds an hour and a half to his commute."

I don't have to sit in traffic; my car doesn't have to sit in the sun," said Whidden, who started riding his bike about 30 miles a week to work a few months ago.

Whidden is part of a growing number of cyclists that Tri-Rail and bus officials in Broward and Palm Beach counties have noticed coming aboard recently. Fuel costs are a big reason, Tri-Rail spokeswoman Bonnie Arnold said. "Where you used to see two to three bikes in a [rail] car, now you see six to seven," Arnold said.

Ralph Cunningham, 55, started riding his bike to work in Boca Raton years ago to stay healthy. On weekdays, Cunningham bikes eight miles and rides Tri-Rail to the church where he works in maintenance and food service.

Cunningham said the number of bike commuters on Tri-Rail jumped around the time gas prices hit $3 a gallon. "Sometimes it's hard to get on here now," he said. (Read more.)

from Paul Dorn's Bike Commute Tips Blog

want to bike in florida? want a safer commute?

visit: Florida Bicycle Association

visit: League of American Bicyclists Advocacy Center

visit: The IMBA Congressional Bike Caucus [there are 2 representatives from florida] ask your congressman to support 'Bill # H.R.5951' in order to implement a safe and complete streets program.

grateful.

20 mile bike ride along the beach with my mum and da'

+

getting soaked on the road in a summer rainstorm

+

returning home and calling my brother in denver

+

giggling through the grocers' with mum

+

cooking dinner for my folks

+

tinkering with my da' on my bike and fixing its first flat tire

+

spending the whole day with my fam

=

the most beautiful holiday

yep. it suits my congenitally bowed legs, or life in the saddle...

Lisa [via text]: What is it about cycling that you like so much?

Me [via text]: This is it precisely: it challenges me. It's practical. It's eco-responsible. It's incredibly satisfying to make the distance by my own strength that others would only make by car. It's meditative. It appeals to my nerdy, boyscout-pack lite/but be prepared sensibilities. And i can pace and race myself.

le bon mot du jour.

When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race.

- h.g. wells -

We've seen several efforts to make roadways safe, not only for motorists, but also for everyone that makes use of them. For instance, there is the bicycle traffic school in Santa Cruz, California, that teaches safe cycling practices, and the growing movement for Cyclist Memorials, which raise awareness about cycling fatalities. Now a new site--HonorTheStop.org--has been launched, with the aim of "promoting safe, courteous and respectful use of roadways" for all.
The concept is simple: those interested in promoting the cause can order red and black wristbands and pledge to "obey all roadway laws and undertake to respectfully encourage others to do the same." Anyone from individuals, to corporations, to municipalities can partake in the program. So far the town of Woodside, California, has decided to support Honor the Stop, and will be launching a safety and awareness campaign. Now that high gas prices have encouraged more people to hop on their bikes, it's especially important that safety be emphasized as neophyte cyclists hit the roads and mingle with drivers that are feeling pain at the pump.
Via: ::HonortheStop.org

4 Ways of Looking at a Bicycle.

4 Ways of Looking at a Bicycle

By Laura Vanderkam

The best thing on 2 wheels in Africa, Germany, New York City, and Paris.

AS A LIFESAVER
Health care workers in Senegal, Namibia, and other African nations usually walk miles over dusty roads to deliver food, medicine, and companionship to people with HIV/AIDS. But with the donation of 1,500 single-speed bicycles by BikeTown Africa, caregivers now visit as many as six times more people in need. The program, a partnership between Bicycling magazine, Kona Bicycle Company, and Bristol-Myers Squibb, has a broad mission: Says Steve Madden, editor-in-chief of Bicycling, "One bike at a time, we can solve big problems and change the world."

Courtesy Harald Cramer

AS A CONCEPT
We have seen the future, and it's ergonomic and carbon composite. Conceived by German industrial designer Harald Cramer, 27, the Oryx is a spare machine: Its seat is molded onto its frame, and the handlebars, fork, and stem are all of a piece. The Oryx is made for speed-theoretically, anyway, since it's still just a model. Estimated cost? $9,500.

Kevin Caplicki/JustSeeds Visual Resistence Artists Cooperative

AS A MEMORIAL
Forty-one bicycles have been chained to signposts around New York City, each painted white and emanating an otherworldly glow. These "ghost bikes" mark sites where cyclists, known or not, have died in crashes (773 cyclists lost their lives in the U.S. in 2006 alone). "We all share these streets and we have to look out for each other," says Leah Todd of New York City's Street Memorial Project, which created the ghost bike in 2005. Similar tributes have rolled out in 35 other cities worldwide.

AS COMMUNITY PROPERTY

Cyclocity, a bike-sharing program in France, christened its wheel deal in Paris last year to reduce congestion and exhaust on city streets (in Lyon, a similar scheme cut traffic by 10 percent). Swap points at 1,500 locations across town let riders borrow bicyclettes with ease. Commuters especially like the sturdy bike because of its wide rear fender-great for coats, which can drape onto the back wheel without getting entangled.

originally published in the Reader's Digest

the five o' clock whistle did blow.

waiting. waiting. waiting out the rain.

[to go home]



still,

cycling to work is such a joy.



for anyone wondering if they really could do it.

just - do it.



any inconvenience [such as rain] or legitimate worries [such as bad drivers] become just another part of your routine.

all i can say is...

...i love friends who come back to work
to pick up my bicycle-riding-stranded self
in the midst of a late-afternoon thunderstorm,
and who treat me to homemade
chickpea flour pizza before making sure
i'm delivered home safe and dry.

[i am truly a fortunate girl]

yay! bicyclist wins NYC commuter challenge!!

Transportation Alternatives held its 7th annual Commuter Challenge pitting cyclist, driver, and bus/subway rider in the ultimate showdown of which mode of travel can be quickest (and cheapest!)
In the end, the bike proved swiftest over the 4.5 mile course which began in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene and ended in Manhattan’s Union Square. Jamie Favaro rolled up in just over 16 minutes and took home the gold and a bouquet of flowers for her efforts. Driver, Emmanuel Fuentebella (22 minutes) parked his car and sprinted to a surprise second place finish. Shortly after, disappointed MTA rider April Greene came in last at 29 minutes. But, as Wiley Norvell noted at the finish line, Transportation Alternatives also measured the carbon footprint of all the the riders and Greene came in a close second behind the cyclist.

originally posted here: bike vs. car. vs. transit

[7:44:00 am to Orual via text:]

"Right now i'm thinking. What was I thinking?!"

I was about a mile from work at that point. and the truth was, it really was a beautiful! morning for my first commute by bike. In all, the nearly 9 mile route was far easier on a weekday-workaday than on a Sunday.

Even though I awoke at my usual time - 5:45 - my morning routine was entirely different. Used to timing my day by the various [and repeat] segments on NPR's Morning Edition, I quickly realized I need to develop a new rhythm. What interesting behaviors we embrace as humans. For instance: I know that unless I reach a certain intersection by a certain time, then I will catch the red light. And therefore catch a subsequent 4 red lights on my entire route to work by car. But by bike: The rhythm is entirely different.

So too are the sailor signs. You know the way you watch the skies to know what to anticipate? Here's what I've learned in the last 24 hours by bike:

The whole universe may seem mired in a still, sticky heat as complicating to movement as Jello, but when you are pedaling that last 4 mile homestretch to work by bike…don't let the stilled trees fool you. you will be riding against the wind the whole way.

In spite of this, I made it to work…and an half-an-hour early!...only moderately drenched in sweat.

I had lain awake for three hours until nearly 2 in the morning buzzing [was it an exercise euphoria from my Sunday ride?] through thoughts of what to anticipate and what to pack.

Packing for a bike commute, it's helpful to embrace your inner boy scout and consider every possibility to BE PREPARED. I am wholly a novice. And when I couldn't sleep I read through a couple chapters of The Complete Idiots Guide to Cycling to go through some of the checklists of provisions I'll need to acquire.

What I did not have to pack is:
A repair kit.
A portable pump.
New tubes.
Raingear.
Any suitable baskets or panniers.

But starting small, what I was able to do was: In one backpack and a small pocketed messenger bag I packed:

-all wrapped in plastic inside my packpack-

My current read: "Soulmates" by Thomas Moore
My journal and pen
My wallet with ID [for you, mum]
2 bananas; an apple; 2 granola bars; 2 fruit bars [no…I am not a major snacker…I have diabetes and must make every effort to consider an episode of low blood sugar…especially while exercising]
My diabetic glucometer
A injection site change for my insulin pump
My hair products and brush [to alleviate the inevitable 'helmet head']
An extra stainless steel water bottle filled with ice cold h2o

-wrapped in plastic inside the messenger bag-

A towel, washcloth and soap [for making myself presentable to my coworkers]
My deodorant
My workclothes
A change of shoes
My Second current read:"Man and his Symbols" by Carl Jung

[it should be fairly obvious by the necessary inclusion of 2 books that i'm the fairly bookish type. EVERY thing you pack is weight. And a backpack is PRIME real estate when it requires physical effort to make every mile]

By 7, I was on the road…with my messenger bag bungeed to my back rack on top of my Kryptonite U-lock.

The roads were remarkably quiet the first half of the trip with the occasional car and a few startled, sleepy dogwalkers.

I definitely need a bell/horn…not that they do any good for a clueless or aggressive driver, but a delightful ring-ring has to work better to alert a wandering sidewalker than my attempts at speaking louder than my usual soft tone by announcing my presence with an, "Excuse me…excuse me…ex-cuuuse me. Thank you!" [and smile: important].

I've also learned that garbage cans and recycling bins put out to the curb can ruin your flow when you have to screech to a halt to make it between them and a concrete lightpost.

So, by 7:30 I'm well on my way and more than half-way to work and enjoying the sounds of the morning birds…something I'd totally miss by car.

I learned the best way around the tricky roundabout and even commiserated about the already sweltering heat with a fellow velo-commuter who was riding her bike to the Tri-rail station…I imagine she was on her way to work. I think in today's economy, we are going to see more people taking public transport…provided it will still be provided in the throes of our state's budget cuts.

I practiced spinning instead of mashing…for development of those very defined calf muscles I used to have as a child [now incredibly hot as an adult].

And when I got to work, I felt exhilarated at what I'd accomplished! 10 minutes washing up in the ladies room, and nobody could've suspected I'd wheeled my way to work by the sweat of my brow [ I asked a work friend, just to be sure ]

There certainly is an exercise euphoria…release of endorphins, and all…my mum the marathoner talks about it all. the. time. Because, even though I watched the afternoon clouds roll in with some consternation, I could not wait to get back on my bike. And I did watch the skies…again…for sailor signs. The rain looked frightening…and like it was going to be around for a good, long time. But thankfully, the universe smiled on me…and though it was dark and cloudy…3 people actually called me while I was en route to make sure I wasn't riding in the rain…the roads were entirely dry by the time I rode home, and the wind and rain held out until I made it there.

The most important thing I think I've learned however is, it is so much easier to simply Do.
The hardest part is wondering if you can.

My mother. The worrier.

so mid-afternoon Sunday in the middle of my trial bike run to work i had stopped off at my friends' Laura and Leisy's for a social visit. [thanks again, Estrella, for the blueberry pancakes and iced coffee – yum!] when my phone rang. knowing it was my mum and knowing how she worries, i figured she was calling to make sure i had arrived home okay. now it's been a decade-and-a-half since i've even shared a roof with my mum and so it had been a long, long, long time since she had needed to call and check on my whereabouts. i knew it would be a tenderly amusing conversation, but i was not prepared for this:

ME: hey, mum!

HER: are you home safe? or are you still at your friend's house?

ME: i'm still here at Leisy's, mum. don't worry. i'm safe.

HER: you know…i was thinking. [here's where she traditionally lays out her worries]
…you should carry some form of ID on you.

ME: i have my driver's license with me, mum.

HER: no. i mean. some ID like emergency contact information. you should have that on you at
all times.

ME: yeah, you're right. you know.
i added you to my driver's license as my Official Emergency Contact. did you know you can do that?

HER: no….no. i didn't know that.

ME: yeah. i went to the website and added you. so…if the police find me, they will be able to contact you when they scan my driver's license.

HER: well i still think you should carry a card that says: my name is jen…and my emergency contact is so-and-so.
you should laminate it and put it in your pocket. and carry it everywhere.

ME: well…i can write it in my bike helmet. there's a place for that. i just haven't filled it out yet.

HER: [and this is the one that gave me pause]
but…but…what if someone chases you down and runs you off the road and beats you up and steals your stuff. how are the police going to find me THEN?!

ME: [after a stifled gasp and a pause]
Mom, that's reeeeally …. Disturbing.

HER: well, you know that stuff happens!



In all fairness. I have the most amazing mum in the world. And generally, she manages quite a healthy balance of keeping her devastating visions of horror to herself. But she's right. It's a scary world in which to be an independent woman. Thing is. I'd rather worry about the perils of cycling into those roadside cacti, but there are things with a far worse sting than that.

sunday. first trial run from home to work by bike.

50 minutes!
In spite of dirt, rocks, roundabouts, missing sidewalks, bumpy sidewalks, narrow sidewalks, traffic, scary intersections, other cyclists, clueless pedestrians, bad drivers, that truck that almost hit me, cactus planted at arm level along the way, the threatening sky, brutal heat and general fatigue.

now that i've practised, i'm ready to attempt a workaday run.

a personal [2 wheeled] revolution.

so.
in that quirky way the universe smiles upon you when you are simply pursuing your passions. it made me smile to recently discover that the week starting may 12 was National Bike Month.

it intrigued me, because that monday, may 12 which was the kick-off of a national event to promote the reduction of pollution and solidarity and resistance to the culture of consumption and gas prices which are currently drowning every jane Q public, was the day i brought my recent Craigslist find of a roadbike to the local bike shop to be renovated.

24 hours later [for le$$ money than i had feared] my bike was roadworthy...and i received kudos from the shop owner Stan for my find of a yokota merced hybrid for a mere $49.

my intention this year was to begin commuting by bike to work. it's approximately 10 miles one way...which isn't much of a distance, truly...i've walked that sometimes in my latenight-past-all-streetlights rambling walkabouts sometimes. but it's an altogether different scenario by light of day in this area of Great Suburbia where everyone jumps in their cars to drive to the local market for their daily bread.

i've driven the distance - my regular route - now, for the last few months planning where i would cross the major thoroughfares and avoid the worst morning rush hour. it's no small feat. i work on one of the most major intersections in my area. and the drivers in this town are NOT conditioned to be cogniscent of cyclists...or pedestrians.

i've made a few trial runs the half distance, and am somewhat surprised at how quickly it takes to make a distance of 5 or so miles. there are times now when i am driving and stuck behind some dangerously distracted slow driver that i wish i was on two wheels [even though my MINI cooper is an absolute joy].

so.
tomorrow is the first trial run that i make the distance. i figure a sunday run will give me a good idea of the path that is best. it's remarkably more visceral to pedal your way to a destination. what is a yawn of a drive by car is incredibly bumpy by bike. i am building callouses on my rump even while learning which intersections to stand and lean into.

so why commute by bike when it's virtually unheard of here in traffic-ville? and when i already drive one of the greenest cars that isn't a hybrid?

as i stated to a group of my coworkers this week:

1] it's good for the environment, and i figure since i know my co-workers love me, my inevitable stanky-ness once i get to work won't be a problem.
[they assured me i was DEAD wrong]

2] it's a practical way to get in a daily workout...calorie burning=more grilled cheese each week...until i go raw, that is. oh yeah, did i mention it was good for the environment??

and,
3] it's in keeping with my list of aspirations for the year...toward which i am well on my way.
[my plan for the year. you can see here]. many of which were in keeping with living mindful of my ecological footprint...so embracing the counterculture of cycling revolution is just one more step.

[if all goes well....monday starts my new morning routine...i figure it'll take me an hour longer to get to work, but it'll give me plenty of time to appreciate the scenery of my hometown and think about the bigger lunches i'll enjoy when i get there]