Here’s the thing: I would not be doing it — commuting by bicycle — if it were difficult to do. Seriously.

Why is it not difficult? Primarily it is not difficult because I live 3/4 of a mile from my job. I live 3/4 of a mile from my job (in Springfield’s urban core) on purpose – precisely to make bicycling and walking to work (and everywhere else) easy.

And this is why I’m not a big promoter of BBWTWW. I’m not against it; I’m just not on the front lines encouraging anyone to get out there this one week and try bicycle commuting. For far too many people, it is difficult precisely because they live too far from work in car-centric neighborhoods.

Further, the iconography of such weeks are invariably sport cycling-centric. Does that spandex look, and do those racing bicycles, really make novices comfortable with the idea of bicycle commuting? I wonder.

As a promotional and educational exercise, I prefer the 1-mile Solution — the recent topic of my presentation at PechaKucha. A greater number of people, I think, can practice the 1-MS than can commute to work by bicycle. And for those who cannot commute, well, how about keeping a bicycle at work and practicing the 1-MS there? The iconography is of the 1-MS is different, too. Below are two of the photos I used in my PechKucha presentation — at the place where I talk about not making bicycle riding more difficult than it has to be.

Let’s grow participation the easy way. The commuting will come as people gain experience and confidence (and as the suburbs continue to struggle) — and as they reap the benefits of bicycling.

Technorati Tags: 1-mile Solution, bicycle advocacy, bicycle commuting, cycling, utility cycling

Whatinthehellis PechaKucha?

Technorati Tags: 1-mile Solution, bicycle advocacy

Otherwise?

Well, this.

What’s your health and well-being worth to you?

Technorati Tags: 1-mile Solution, bicycle advocacy, cycling

• Motorists works 2 hours each day to pay for a car.
• Bicyclists work 3.8 minutes each day to pay for their bicycles.

(Obviously the costs are different depending upon one’s circumstances. The well-to-do work fewer hours for their cars. The poor work more.)

Yep, getting rid of my car gave me a huge pay raise. And it got me out from behind the wheel sitting in traffic — one of the top things Americans have cited as making them unhappy. It’s also a heath issue — all that sitting and all that stress. Win-win-win for me!

I have said this before: Using a bicycle for basic transportation in Springfield is easy. So easy. OMG it is easy. If it weren’t easy, I might not have stuck with it (because I just assumed it would be hard and that I’d end up driving a lot).

One thing, however: It helps to live close to your major destinations. That’s not a requirement. But if you live in a far-flung suburb surrounded by nothing but large traffic sewers, well, it’s going to be less easy. You can still practice the 1-mile Solution.

Technorati Tags: 1-mile Solution, bicycle advocacy, bicycle commuting, bicycle culture, cycling, green transportation, utility cycling

It’s cool to do it for a week. It’s truly epic to keep it up — maybe not everyday, but maybe one or two days per week. Ease your way in. Pretty soon you’ll be selling a car and giving yourself a big $$$ raise. And losing weight. And enjoying your community. And saving the environment.

Technorati Tags: 1-mile Solution, bicycle commuting, bicycle culture, cycling