Did you know that transportation is the largest contributor of human-caused U.S. greenhouse gas emissions per the EPA? Sadly, our cars are the primary driver of climate change today (Our World In Data). Did you also know that more than half of all daily trips in cars are less than three miles (UCLA)? This means most trips are short enough to be completed on foot, by bus, or on a bicycle. In fact, the average American produces roughly three times as much carbon dioxide pollution from transportation as the average resident of the UK, France or Germany (League of American Bicyclists). How can we get more communities to shift to greener transportation modes such as cycling? For years people have discovered, renewed participation in, and celebrated the joy of bicycling during National Bike Month, Colorado Bike Month, Bike To Work Day, and Mayor’s Rides all over the U.S. So, what is Bike Month all about and how does it help us achieve sustainability goals?
National Bike Month occurs each May across the U.S. and originated in 1956 (Wikipedia) to encourage more people to bicycle. In Colorado, Bike Month activities are largely celebrated each June since May weather can be unpredictable, and June’s fairer weather lends itself to enticing more people into the great outdoors and onto bikes. The League of American Bicyclists, our national non-profit advocating for safer and more enjoyable cycling for all, promotes this event as an opportunity for communities to celebrate the joy of bicycling, to highlight the benefits, and to entice more folks to replace car trips by bicycle. The League also shares Bike Month promotional materials and other helpful resources such as cycling data and safety tips on their website at bikeleague.org. The overarching goal of National Bike Month is to get more people to make cycling a bigger part of their everyday lives. This greener transportation choice can help us cut down on CO2 emissions in our communities.
Bike Month activities include Bike To Work Week, Bike To Work Day, Mayor’s Rides, kids bike rodeos, cycling commuter incentives, walk/roll/bike to school and bikeshare opportunities, open streets events, ride to wherever promotions, and self-guided cycling tours that retrace history of an area or allow the discovery of outdoor art sculptures, murals, and pollinator gardens, to name a few. “Whether you’re riding for fun, fitness or with family, or taking essential trips to work or shop, you are part of our movement for safer streets, connected communities, a healthier planet, and happier people” according to Bicycle Colorado. And, choosing to replace car trips with cycling just once a day can reduce the average person’s carbon emissions from transportation by 67% (UCLA).
Bike To Work Day events are typically offered as Bike Month activities and aim to encourage more people to replace the work commute by bike. Incentives and ride tracking opportunities are often part of the Bike To Work Week/Day experience. One example is the Bike To Work Breakfast event which invites businesses all over Colorado to offer breakfast stations for cyclists to make a pit stop for hot coffee and an assortment of breakfast items during morning hours enroute to the office. By offering breakfast stations to commuting cyclists, the hope is to get more people to try active transportation. Other examples of Bike To Work Day activities include incentives such as a Bike To Work or Wherever Photo Contests which entice people to cycle to work or wherever such as coffee shops, errands, rides with the family to parks, etc. Pedestrian and Cycle Manitou (PaCMan) offered this type of program in the past where residents and employees were invited to earn prizes from local shops by tagging PaCMan on their cycling trip photos. These types of incentives help turn the bike to work experience into a fun challenge that people can easily participate in on their own or while biking to the office. Getting more people cycling to work has green benefits too. AARP asserts that “if a person commuting 20 miles round-trip to work switches to public transit, biking or walking, it reduces his or her carbon footprint by at least 4,800 tons—which is equal to about 10% of all greenhouse emissions in a typical two-adult, two-car household.”
The Mayor’s Ride is another fun opportunity for the community to try bicycling in a social setting and at a leisurely pace, while helping the planet. This event is an important opportunity for not only city officials and staff to lead, by example in support of a community that cycles, but also allows participants to see our town from a different perspective. Participants can socialize with elected officials, fellow community members, and make new connections while discovering the joy of bicycling and supporting cleaner air.
In short, National Bike Month allows communities to connect at a slower pace to experience the joy, health, social and environmental benefits, as well as reduced traffic congestion, and added economic benefits of bicycling. Learn more at bikeleague.org. Look for PaCMan’s posts about Bike Month and other topics at @pacmanitou.
by Joan Stang
