Bike Commute Month- winding down… This is the last week of the BTA’s Bike To Work Challenge. I hope you were able to participate and experience how easy it is to do on a regular basis. Most of us live within ten miles of our work, and it can take just as much time (or less) to bike as it does to drive. I have been a life-long, year-round bike commuter. At this point in my life it’s a 17 mile ride that takes about an hour and ten minutes each way if I don’t push it too hard, mainly through neighborhoods and the eastside Springwater Trail. It is a super relaxing ‘transition zone’ between my work life and my home life, and I have become totally spoiled by having it so nice. Obviously, bike commuting takes a different approach that car commuting. When you drive, there is an emphasis on getting there as quickly as possible. When you bike, the emphasis should be on finding the quietest, safest route that still gets you there in a reasonable amount of time. For example, I live in Damascus, at the end of Foster Road. Although it is fastest to drive Foster either to Powell or to I-205 and take main streets in, there’s no way I would bike on these roads. But I can take either Sunnyside Rd (with a bike lane) to the 205 bike path, or go over Mt Scott, then wind through the neighborhoods to the Springwater Trail. The time difference between the two is driving can take anywhere between 30-50 minutes, and biking takes about 70 minutes- not much of a difference! Even if you live on the west side without obvious bike routes like the Springwater, there are plenty of options to getting into Portland. The trick is to explore as much as you can, and talk to other cyclists you see to find how they get around. I try to take as many new roads as I can, and am always looking for easier and safer routes. There is also a bike map put out by the City of Portland that is an excellent place to start. Bike commuting is a big way of life in Portland. It is easy to do, and another one of many things that makes our city so livable. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to give us a call or drop by. -Dave
Posted on: Thu, 25 Sep 2014 18:51:50 +0000
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