Roody

Most cities and towns observe Bike to Work Week sometime in April or May. Do you have any plans for advocacy during this event?

Last year I talked to several co-workers about my positive experiences bike commuting. This year I plan to be more proactive. I'm going to put up little posters at the hospital where I work, informing co-workers of the event, and also inviting them to call me if they want to chat about it.

DataJunkie

I plan on biking to work like I normally do.
So, no plans for advocacy.

genec

Well, I already plan on biking to work and I sent out a company wide email with the the local details on BTW day.

I also plan on giving a small demonstration in the company break room of how to fix a flat.

And of course I have discussed possible routes with a few folks.

Treespeed

I plan on driving as there will be less traffic.

Oh, and honking at all of the newbies and telling them to, "Get off the Road!"

genec

Now now... do it right... It's either "Get in the Bike Lane," or the other equally respective: "Get on the sidewalk."

And don't forget, the honk has to be long, annoying, and as close to the cyclist as possible, and accompanied with gas wasting engine revving. (blue smoke is a real plus)

SUVs prefered.

bbonnn

I'm going to bike to the nearest "Energizer Station" (hosted by local bike coalition, which I recently joined) for my bag of goodies and conversation with local coalition members; this will, ironically, probably double my commute distance since I don't have far to go most days.

I'm happy to say, I think I've recruited at least two coworkers, and I'm working on a couple more. They usually drive to work.

GENEC, what a great idea! I will ask around and see if any of the more hardcore bike maintenance folks here would be willing to give a demo like that. Thanks!

TRaffic Jammer

just another group of days riding to work.

Old Dirt Hill

I concur.

sbhikes

I've agreed to be a team leader for the Traffic Solutions second annual Team Bike Challenge contest. It's the whole month of June. I have to form a team of 5 and everybody gets points for substituting a trip that could have been done by car with one done by bike--any trip not just to work. Newbies get double points. The teams with the most points win prizes. It's not technically Bike to Work week but they usually start organizing for it during Bike Week.

Roughstuff

I work at home as a stock trader. I guess i'll ride my bike around in my living room.

Seriously, I have continued to train for my tour, now riding with my panniers and gear. Love the looks I get on the road...people really envy my freedom. I tell 'em I get 50 miles per gallon...of water.

roughstuff

ItsJustMe

I live in Michigan. There's no such day or week. The only way to get anywhere, even across the street, is to drive a car. All else is wrongthink. Report for reconditioning.

I plan to ride to work and back just as I do almost every other day of the year.

John E

I'll ride in style on the 1959 Capo, instead of on the usual Peugeot UO-8 beater, on San Diego's Bike to Work Day (Friday 19 May).

Roody

Well I live in Michigan too (Lansing) and we certainly do have Bike to Work here. Where do you live? I know of programs in Detroit, Ann Arbor, Jackson, Lansing and Traverse City and there are probably others too.Some of them are sponsored by the League of Michigan Bicyclists.

manual_overide

Considering I'll probably have to go to school then to work right away, I'll likely end up driving

Man, I can't wait for school to be done in a few months (Done forever! I'm graduating from college!!! WOO HOO!!!!) so I can ride my bike in

ken cummings

My plans? To have work, almost any kind of work. Preferably work that I can bike to, but work none-the-less. I have a remote chance of a part-time job in a winery tasting room. It would involve a 46 mile commute with nearly a vertical mile of climbing but who is complaining?

ItsJustMe

I live in Chelsea. Pretty close to Ann Arbor. However, I live in the country, and in my 40 minute commute, the only populated area I'm in is Dexter, for about 4 minutes. I'd have to ride about 15 miles past work to get to Ann Arbor if there was a spot there, and then ride back again.

I'm a bit discouraged because there are 700 employees where I work, and ONE of them rode ONE time to work in the 3 years since I started. Oh well, at least the guy who drives a Hummer doesn't work here anymore. I have never ever seen a cyclist on the road that I suspected of being a commuter; just a few roadies on nice afternoons, and one time a DUI looking guy, badly equipped, only saw him one morning.

Has anyone ever heard of a single person who started bike commuting on a regular basis because of bike-to-work day?

Roody

Here in Lansing they expect 250 people to try riding to work in the official Bike to Work program. I will not be surprised if a few of those 250 decide to commute more often. But another thing is that many of us individual commuters encourage others at this time, even if we're not part of the official Bike to Work program. BF members have reported a lot of "converts" here.

So, even if you don't have BTW where you live, you can at least talk to your co-workers informally and share some of your enthusiasm and experiences. In your case, I imagine many of your co-workers do come from Ann Arbor, so you might want to tell them about the Ann Arbor program (use the link in my last post for Michigan events).

A lot of employers get involved in Bike to Work also. Many communities have contests with prizes to riders in companies that have the most bike commuters. Commuters use this as an opportunity to ask their employers for amenities for bike commuters, like changing rooms, bike racks and lockers, and showers.

o-dog

here in the DC area we have Bike To Work Day which is May 19th... I'm off that day but I still plan on riding with the groups and hitting up as many of the stops as I can

here and there

The semester will be over so I won't have to get up really early if I wanted to ride my bike to work, but I'm off on our bike to work day May 19. I do plan to go out and ride that day and possibly visit some of the pit stops they have and maybe hang around there for a bit.

ItsJustMe

I've done all that. I got one person interested, she rode to work one time. Everybody else pats me on the back, tells me how great it is that I'm doing this, and won't even discuss the possibility that they might do it. It's kind of weird really. Even people who go out running on the nearby gravel roads, and live < 5 miles from work, still won't consider riding to work.

I think it may have something to do with the fact that the road that our building is on is a 55 MPH speed limit 2 lane road that's 1/2 mile from the expressway. I think the general perception is that it's suicide to step foot or bike wheel out there. In actuality I don't consider it at all dangerous, I've never had so much as a close call on it. But then again, I rode around Livonia on the access ramps and frontage roads at that big expressway intersection with industrial areas around it and I didn't really think it was dangerous either.

I think the idea of trying to navigate significant traffic is extremely intimidating to people, and it's too much of a jump.

Bekologist

....I'll be looking for the free doughnuts and water bottles.

LittleBigMan

Well, I plan to bike to work, of course.



Actually, while we're talking about promoting bicycle commuting, I thought I'd mention (once again) how much positive attention I get on my recumbent. Not only does it attract attention, people just can't help telling me things like, "I saw you yesterday on your bike, the one where you lay back," or "Hey! Bicycle man!" (I usually get that one from kids,) etc.

I'm a moving advertisement (not that I wasn't before, it's just that people seem to respond to a "gimmick.")

Laika

"I've got a Notion that you should get outta my way!"

rule

Same as usual. I'll probably make more of an effort to be extra nice to the commuting n00bs I guess.

LittleBigMan

It's an interesting feeling, commuting all year round, then spring comes and out pop all these hibernating cyclists. I feel like saying, "Welcome to my world."