While running errands this weekend I noticed that gas prices had again increased from the last time I’d filled my tank. We are all feeling the pain at the pump and the rise in gas prices makes me miss working in Conshohocken and commuting by bike during the warmer weather.
I chose to commute by bike for a few reasons including:
1) I love to ride my bike and it was a great way to get in extra miles
2) I was sick of sitting in traffic on 422 and it took me less time by bike!
3) I saved money on gas
The majority of people are unable to commute to work due to distance or lack of safe routes (a future post is planned with tips for commuting by bike to work). However, there are a lot of things that we can do to cut down on our gas consumption by running the short errands on our bikes. According to People for Bikes 50% of trips Americans make are less than 3 miles and if we commuted 10 miles round trip by bike instead of car we would save $10 each day. Even as I type this information I know that I am guilty of making these short trips with my car. I live in an area that I can easily walk or ride to the bank, Wawa, CVS, and restaurants. So why drive? I believe that it is because we are so time crunched and are looking for the fastest, easiest way to get things done we choose to use our cars. Well one of the things I often have to “get done” is exercise. Riding my bike or walking these short distances is an excellent way to squeeze a little more exercise into the day.
But what if you can’t ride to where you want to go? Think about combining your trips. Take one or two days a week to combine as many errands as possible. If the stores you are going to are all in one shopping center why not walk? There’s no need to drive from Giant to Target to the craft store.
Recently, there have been a lot of groups on the social networking sites encouraging gas boycott days. I don’t believe that boycotting buying gas on a single day will make the gas companies realize we’ve had enough of their high prices. I believe that if we can change our driving habits and use less gas in general they will take notice. In the end we will be the real winners by saving money, helping the environment, and of course living longer through exercise!
For more information on making our community more bike friendly visit here and be sure to sign the pledge.
Also, if you are thinking of commuting by bike your local bike shop is a great resource for the proper bike or accessories. Most likely many of the employees commute by bike and will be able to help get you started.
