* jack *

Tom Foreman, a CNN correspondent, is doing a series on different methods of transportation, and in one episode, he focuses on bicycle commuting. Monday he drove to work, Tuesday he took the subway, and Thursday he is planning on walking his entire 11-mile commute. Wednesday, during the 11 p.m. news hour, eastern time, he will discuss bicycle commuting, its pros and cons, and how to get started. As part of his ride, he stopped by League of American Bicyclists' headquarters in Washington, D.C. and interviewed the staff.

https://www.cnn.com/2005/US/10/20/for...ing/index.html

Chasseur

Wow, he kinda slammed mass transit the previous day, but his report on bike commuting was extreeeemely positive, I was surprised.

DynamicD74

According to an email that I just received from the League of American Bicyclists, CNN is doing a special on bike commuting tonight. Unfortunately, it didn't say what time the special was coming on or on which of the CNN channels.

* jack *

I got an email too, but now I'm confused. I think it was last night...
I got the email today, but it was dated yesterday -
the headline in the email read: "CNN to Feature Bicycle Commuting Tonight (Wednesday, October 10)"
- those dates don't even mesh with reality...

I've been trying to find any info on CNN.com, but I can only find the show on mass transit.

DynamicD74

Yep, I've been looking too. I think my email said October 19th. CNN Headline News has been running a blurb about bicycle commuting becoming more popular than ever, esp. with gas prices, and they did interview someone at the League, but like you, I can't find anything else about it for tonight's (?) special.

gajohnson

It was last night (Wed)

* jack *

I thought so... do you remember the title of the episode?
The one on mass transit was called "mass transit blues"
- we should try to find a link to last night's story and post it for folks.

asfried

Well that's realistic.

RonH

I recorded the show Wednesday night. The bike commuting part started about 11:42 PM EDT, well past my bedtime.

As Chasseur said, all the comments were very positive. All of the bike commuters that were interviewed were very upbeat and had only good things to say about bike commuting; and they looked like "regular" people. Even Tom Foreman (the host) had good things to say about his one day bike commute. He made a big deal about the $$$ saving. He said if he bike commuted he would save $1000 in two months.
The only "negative" comment was about where to shower.

The show may have gotten a few fence-sitters out of their cars and on their bikes.

ItsJustMe

For people who work in cities where they have to pay for parking, I can see the money saving thing being huge. I know people who pay several thousand a year for an annual pass in a parking structure.

The same people are also probably the people for whom bicycle commuting might even be the best option, due to bikes being potentially faster through congested areas.

For me, with a 10 mile commute and just paying for gas, it's really not a good sell to push bike commuting solely on gas savings. If you can actually GET RID of a car due to bike commuting, then you're really talking. But the very idea of not having a car for every adult in the household is beyond the pale for many/most Americans.

oboeguy

Which is really funny because the idea of every adult having a car strikes me as completely #%$@ing ridiculous. Unless of course they had SmartCars (60mpg FTW!) but that will never happen here. A SmartCar hybrid would be off the hook, but again, never in the US of A.

Anyhow, you're right. Get rid of a car, find $5-7K/year in your lap. Wo0t! (and yes that's how I justify paying high Manhattan rent ).

gajohnson

I do not recall the title it was at 11:00pm (EST) on CNN. If I have a couple of minutes in betwen my work I will try to find it on the net.

CBBaron

It maybe #%$@ing ridiculous but it is the attitude of the vast majority of Americans. My wife won't even let me sell the other car even though the only time I've driven to work in the last 9 months is so I could take her car to the shop for maintence during my lunch break.
I never try to argue the cost savings for my uncongested free parking commute. However I would have a valid argument if I could get rid of the extra car.
Craig

* jack *

OK, I found the video:

I couldn't link directly to it, but it's on this > page <

Biking to work can pay off
CNN - Thu Oct 20

As gas prices rise, so does the popularity as well as the savings of this transit mode.
CNN's Tom Foreman tries it.

cabana 4 life

i found this not video but still good https://www.cnn.com/2005/US/10/20/for...ing/index.html

Longhorn

Thanks! I enjoyed watching it!

carless

https://www.emailthis.clickability.co...oID=1146234415
Direct link. Wait a few seconds for loading.

Patriot

I wish something like this was on the news everynight.

Patch29

There are three short videos linked on that page. Glad I was able to watch it.

CNN Headline News is also showing a bicycle commuting segment today, part of all the stories.

asfried

Only someone living in New York (or a similar central city district) would talk like this.

LóFarkas

^^^Which half the population of the western world does (that is, live in a sizable city).

asfried

That statistic is, of course, untrue. Even living in the near suburbs of a large city results in grocery stores, department stores, governmental offices, etc. being miles away from your home. Additionally, suburbs routinely lack extensive bus and train networks. Sure, a college student can ride back and forth to the grocery store with a Timbuk2 bag on his back, but my family of 6 (plus a dog) requires a bit more carrying capacity to survive. As do most families. It's either cars or horse drawn wagons for most of us. None of this is to say that we shouldn't limit the use of cars. I commute most days to work and my wife routinely takes the two youngest kids in the Burly on routine errands. However, it is naive or overly ideallistic to think that modern society is set up for most people to live w/o owning or having ready access to a car. (Except in New York, of course).

budster

It's probably true for Europe.

You (asfried) make a really good point though: even when it's technically true in the States, it doesn't make much difference.


Again, there's a lot of truth in what you say. Right now, most of us need a car for each adult. Which sucks. We should all work to make our towns (and our lives) more liveable without cars, or at the very least, with significantly less driving. Recent energy woes make right now a particularly good time to push for improvements. Even in my little town, greenways and sidewalks are real campaign issues in this fall's municipal elections.


It sounds as if you and your family are doing quite a lot to make things better. Do you find your friends, neigbors and relatives copying your example, curious about how you do it -- or just shaking their heads in bewilderment?

The bewildered head shake is what I usually get when I pull up the the house with 40+ lbs of groceries in my panniers/on my rack! But I'm starting to get some curiousity, too... Keep the faith.

egonlou

Not a bad segment. I almost think he might keep riding.