Could/Would you walk or bike to work if it was safer ?

First off, this is not intended to start a political debate. I'm interested in honest responses to the question.

There's been a bit of a debate in Washington, apparently, whether walking and biking paths/corridors/lanes should be part of the national transportation budget and initiatives or not.

the linked article said:

Mary Peters, previous transportation secretary, dismissed biking paths and trails as projects that "really are not transportation," saying they had no place in federal transportation policy.

In March Ray LaHood announced a policy "sea change" that gives biking and walking projects the same importance as automobiles in transportation planning and the selection of projects for federal money.

The new policy is an extension of the livability initiative, which regards the creation of alternatives to driving – buses, streetcars and trains, as well as biking and walking – as central to solving the nation's transportation woes.

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I certainly believe we need to develop alternatives to driving a personal vehicle everywhere we need to go, and I'd really enjoy more walking/jogging/biking corridors, but walking and biking are recreation and exercise, in my mind, and will never replace much in the way of powered transportation.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...llion-on-cycling-and-walking-initiatives.html

I already bike commute but I thought I'd state that I wouldn't do this if I didn't think it was safe already so I don't bike commute "regardless of safety". I bike commute because it is safe, at least as safe as it is to drive, at least in my eyes, surely everybody has his/her own idea of safety and I am lucky to be in a profession where I don't have a 9-5 job. I can make my own hours and I'm a morning person.

Been commuting by bike since 2000, had one minor incident with a car at parking lot speeds, but have not ever had any issue with drivers, the vast majority are courteous and respectful, the rest, I have a mirror and water bottle for. Most of my issues are salt/ice related and mechanical issues related to said salt/ice!

Jay

More employers need showers in my opinion. You really can't bike more than a mile or two in decent clothing and not get nasty. At least I can't

My job is about 15 miles from my house and I'd probably bike a day or two per week if they had showers.

I only drive 7 miles to work but 5 of those are a straight shot on a two lane road at 55 MPH. When the days grow short I would be riding to and from work in the dark. When there is snow on the road the shoulders are narrow.

The next issue is I'm going be be too sweaty for office wear. While I could keep a change of clothes at work and ride every other day I'd still be sweaty when I got to work.

It would be a great way to get/stay in shape and save a few bucks on fuel too.

Brilliant survey. I can't wait to see what others have to say.

Riding to Work

I used to ride my bike to work when I was in college back in the 70's.
I would like to ride to work since it is only about 6 miles but since I live in Baltimore, I'm afraid of either getting shot, beat up or getting run over by some idiot.

Mike

I won't go to an interview if the company has no facility for bicycle storage and showering. Note it can be a very nearby health club.

I commute by bicycle 2-3 days per week (1 or 2 in winter) and it's largely rather safe. I'm not sure how I'd feel in Boston, say.

I personally do not find bike paths as viable commuting corridors because they are clogged with other slower traffic* and are essentially recreational paths. On the road, I can average 18 MPH to work. If you want to include cycling in the transportation plan then it needs to be addressed at the bicycle lane on the road level, IMO.


Tim

* walkers, dogs, kids, people with iPods who can't here me yell "on your left", etc.

Jay H said:

I already bike commute but I thought I'd state that I wouldn't do this if I didn't think it was safe already so I don't bike commute "regardless of safety".

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I already walk (about a mile) to work each day, but only because I feel the risks are acceptable. On heavy traffic days (such as friday's and especially long weekends with all those folks headed to North Conway!) I feel less safe and often take the car instead.

And yes, we need to do more to encourage alternate forms of transportation.

I average about 1 day a week to bike commute. Never during the winter. It's less than two miles downhill to work, the ideal situation. Then I usually take a longer ride to get home.

I have a shower here and access to a gym but I wouldn't use the one here in my building and the gym isn't that convenient.

I've always found that I can ride at a pace where I'm not sweating and since I'm usually on the road anywhere between 6am and 6:30, I really am not in the full sun or the heat of the day. I bring a full change of clothes and can usually change in one of my computer labs or conference rooms..

Jay

I don't commute to work, but I live very close to the Minuteman Bikeway (Bedford MA to Cambridge MA)--it carries quite a bit of commuter traffic. http://www.minutemanbikeway.org/ There is a sizable bike parking area at the Alewife Subway Station (at the Cambridge end) for those who wish to transfer to the Metropolitan Boston Transport Authority (MBTA) public transport system. Several towns even plow the bike path in winter. (Destroys the XC skiing... )

A friend bike-commutes an hour each way along roads to a job and about a mile along the bike path plus roads to a second job when the weather permits. She just got a set of studded tires this winter...

Doug

I have about an 8 minute safe walk, so it's very easy for me. Sadly, I usually drive, because I need the car to run lunchtime errands, and walking home to get it eats up too much time.

I used to commute quite regularly on my bike all year round; about 15 miles each way Riding in was never a problem since I left about 5-515 in the AM. Going home at 4 was another story especially since I live in a resort area. Alot of traffic. I stopped riding to work on a regular basis when I was hit by a car (not tourist season early Nov in daylight hours) and ended up getting med evaced to a trauma center. severe concussion even with a helmet and reconstructive shoulder surgery. most of my ride is along a major road with about 2.5 miles on a bike path. Riding across the bridge into cape may can be down right scary even in the early AM. I would ride all the time if there were bike paths and bike lanes. Still too scared to ride on a regualr basis

My ride is 4-3/4 miles in, 4-1/4 miles home. I probably spend more time getting the gear on, readying the bike, and showering afterward, than I do on the actual ride, but it's worth it, especially on a nice day. I have some pretty good hills in that short distance. For the most part my roads are mellow, and generally wide. One stretch that only factors in the morning is two lanes wide but no shoulder, but in the morning has little enough traffic that they just go around me.

Why longer one way? Because in the middle there's a big honkin' hill. Up on the way in, down on the way home. The preferred road is narrow and twisty. I'm happy to come down that at 25mph, no car will want to pass me, no worries. But I won't go up it. It'd be a long spin, I'd be around 8mph, and every car would want to pass me. I don't relish the idea of that on such a narrow road. So I go around and for the cost of an extra half mile get a much wider, straight road, with a mellower hill (though ultimately still the same elevation gain).

Back in my apartment days, the ride was around 10 miles each way, plus I was riding a big ol' heavy "comfort bike" (halfway between nontechnical mountain bike and hybrid). That was much more of a ride in many ways, including several bike paths and a bunch of very suburban side streets, so I miss it, but can't complain about now taking 15 minutes instead of 44 minutes.

Rain? Nope. Winter? Nope. Would any safer road changes change this habit? Nope. I'd probably still take the lazy way around that hill.

I commute by bicycle to work in downtown Boston daily and year round. My round trip mileage is a minimum of 24 miles or more since I usually make a few stops on the way home. It's no more dangerous than driving and if you know how to properly ride in city traffic. It's perfectly safe in my opinion.

I haven't been able to cycle at all this year due to my ACL reconstructive surgery. I'm hoping to be cleared for unrestricted cycling in July. I really miss riding but I miss hiking even more. Wont be hiking until November or December.

DougPaul said:

A friend bike-commutes an hour each way along roads to a job and about a mile along the bike path plus roads to a second job when the weather permits. She just got a set of studded tires this winter...

Doug

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Nokian studded tires are cool, carbide screws, try not to ride them on pavement too much. Usually though, once the snow is up to the bottom bracket, it's probably time to ski to work.

Jay

I just rode to work. It's comfy now, but the ride home will be warm. Luckily, there is a pool party to attend

I have never wanted studded tires. I've raced cyclocross in snow and ice without needing studs (which are illegal anyway.) Of course there aren't cars on the course, but you can learn to ride in slippery conditions.


2005 CX National Championships, Roger Williams Park, Providence, RI

Tim

I've been commuting 1-3 days a week for about a month. It's 16 miles each way. My drive is 25 minutes each way and biking takes me about 55 minutes on my commuter rig, so for an extra hour per day, I get in a 32 mile ride. Of course, it's not like the 32 miles I'd be riding on my road bike with my buddies but it's still a good workout.

So far, I've been a fair-weather rider and expect I'll continue to be. I ride recreationally in crappy weather but I just don't see the point in it for commuting. The days I don't ride, I carpool with a co-worker.

I agree bike paths are poor substitutes for good roads with shoulders. I have not ridden much in places with bike lanes but the few times I have, I was often confused at intersections.

I'll throw this out there: there are a lot of lousy cyclists, too. Cyclists tend to point the finger at drivers (often deserved) but cyclists are less predictable than cars. Learn how to ride safely, don't run lights (unless very obviously safe), don't weave, use the correct lanes, etc.

I was going to write a long epistle but why bother if moderators will soon delete this note as irrelevant

[hiking-related] I used to work 2 miles from home and would walk nice days in summer. One winter I walked most days (snowshoeing if necessary) and it made my weekend hikes seem a lot easier.

Some of the sidewalks and bike paths are highly desirable and some are pure boondoggles, the advocacy groups might get more of the former if they didn't support so many of the latter.

Some issues about walking/biking to work other than safe travel:
* Not just showers at work but need for dressy clothes
* Need to routinely use vehicle during work day
* Desire to have vehicle available for emergencies
* Need to transport heavy/bulky tools and supplies
* No parking at home during workday

bikehikeskifish said:

I just rode to work. It's comfy now, but the ride home will be warm. Luckily, there is a pool party to attend

I have never wanted studded tires. I've raced cyclocross in snow and ice without needing studs (which are illegal anyway.) Of course there aren't cars on the course, but you can learn to ride in slippery conditions.

Tim

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Yeah, you can "learn" to ride ice but you are assuming you can actually see the ice. The studded tires are good for when you can't see it, ala Black Ice.

Jay

Does anybody think walking or biking could ever replace a significant need for mass/powered transportation ? The world is different now, it's no longer city-centric.

Obviously this poll has self-selected for those who bike more. I doubt a noticable percentage of the general population lives close enough to where they work to make a dent, but that's my own perception. One thing that could work would be to make more cities and industrial/commerce areas car-free. There could be commuter lots on the outskirts and better public transportation or bike/walk lanes in the denser work areas. How great would that be in a city like Concord or Burlington ?