[Editor's Note: Capital Gains does not endorse or recommend riding bikes on sidewalks, as it's harder to see and be seen. But it's a really cool photo, right?. Read here for suggestions from the League of Michigan Bicyclists on where and how to ride.]When David Zink, 34, moved from Chicago in 2003, one of his priorities was buying a home close to
Downtown so he wouldn’t have to drive to work. And for about five years now, Zink has committed himself to biking the mile and a half to his job at the
Accident Fund in Downtown Lansing.
Rain or shine, hot or cold.
“Even the winter weather isn’t a deterrent,” he says. “I end up feeling more comfortable biking because you’re moving around doing things and generating heat. I tell myself that it’s better than being in a car.”
Commute ChallengeLansing is on its fifth year of hosting programs designed to help people find the alternative commute options that fits for them.
Smart Commute 2009 is organized by the
Mid-Michigan Environmental Action Council, starts in early May and runs to the end of the year. The program offers tools of the trade and helps folks build the skills and find the resources to keep on Smart Commuting.
One of the most popular events, in addition to the big festival on May 14, is the annual
Smart Commute Challenge.
Scheduled for June 1 through June 7, this spandex-laden week pits area companies against each other to rack up Smart Commute trips.
The firms register and track all their employees' Smart Commutes for the week—with both pride and prizes on the line. Last year's winners were the
Michigan Environmental Council (medium company) and the
MDEQ Remediation and Redevelopment Division (large company)
This year, there's a strong focus on getting people the information and first-hand experiences they need to feel comfortable trying an alternative commute. There are commuting skills classes, route-finding workshops, urban bike rides led by local commuters and lots of camaraderie.
The tools are helpful because, as Zink admits, it’s never easy cutting through a winter blizzard or a spring monsoon on a bicycle.
But he took a Smart Commute class himself last year and learned about bike racks and the best gear for peddling through the elements. “They talked about lights and equipment, and it was good to know I was on the right track,” he says.
Rain or shine, he plans ahead and packs the right gear and equipment on his bike.
Reasons to Ride Zink suggests that, as gas prices have increased, so have the number of people biking to work.
But for him, the motivation isn't the money or the environment. He simply enjoys being outside.
“I prefer to be on my bike, getting the fresh air," he says. "I like to look around and smell the roses, so to speak. I realize it has benefits in terms of my health and saving money, but those things are kind of secondary.”
East Lansing resident Karen Kligman, 53, has also noticed an increase in bikers, and she ought to know: For 12 years now, she’s been striving to ride her bike to work at least 100 days out of the year.
Depending on the route she takes to her job in Downtown Lansing, Kligman usually peddles about six to seven miles each way. The only thing that keeps her off the bike is thunder and lightning.
“I just enjoy it," she says. "I feel invigorated after I ride in. It’s a peaceful ride going through [Michigan State University's]
campus and by the
River Trail. I get to look at the heron and the deer and everything I see along the way."
While the ecological benefits aren't the main reason Kligman leaves her car at home, either, they are a factor.
“The environmental aspect is relevant to me, and hopefully I’m doing something to reduce my carbon footprint ,"she says. "The gas prices aren’t a factor; I started riding before the prices went up."
Kligman agrees that preparation plays a large part in Smart Commuting. She leaves her shoes and toiletries at work and usually carries work clothes in a garment bag, which reduces the wrinkled clothing factor. During the hottest summer days, she showers at work.
For Mike Unsworth, Smart Commuting is a lifestyle—something he's been doing since the 70s. Now 58, he bikes about 10 miles, round trip, from his home in Haslett to his job as a Michigan State University librarian. He makes the trip on a recumbent bike three times a week during the warmer months, towing a small trailer behind him so he can also make a stop at the grocery store.
“I’ve never lived more than five miles form where I work," says Unsworth. "I like the health and the economics of it. Generally, it’s more pleasant to ride a bike, and you save money.”
It's not always easy, he acknowledges. “There are challenges like road conditions, the sun in your eyes and potholes."
On the plus side, he also thinks the notion that motorists should share the road with bicyclists is gaining ground. "I got more animosity when I lived in Colorado," he says. "There, people were throwing crap at me.”
Lots of OptionsObviously, biking or walking isn’t the right option for every commuter. Lots of folks live too far away; there are health issues and other factors.
But it's nice to know there are options, and that more and more people are looking at them.
Take, for example, Emily Davis, 25, who lives in Brighton and commutes to
Ingham Regional Medical in Lansing. Davis takes part in a
vanpool, joining about eight other people who each pay a monthly flat fee to make the trip to Lansing together in one vehicle.
The hours are early—the crew meets up in a commuter lot at 6:20 a.m.—but once she’s in the van, she can read, doze off or text her friends or family. “It’s really nice to have all those options,” she says.
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Christian Czerwinski is a freelance writer for Capital Gains.
Dave Trumpie is the managing photographer for Capital Gains. He is a freelance photographer and owner of Trumpie Photography.
Photos:
David Zink commuting to Accident Fund
David Zink
Mike Unsworth on MSU campus
Vanpool loading at Ingham Regional
All Photographs © Dave Trumpie