DC is COCK FULL OF BICYCLE COMMUTERS


sources say...

"Washington, D.C., has the highest percentage of bicycle commuters."
www.mnn.com

well... Washington DC is not Copenhagen
but... a glance on the streets of downtown at RUSH HOUR
well... DC is something different than it was a decade ago!

it is amazing... nothing short of amazing

the commuters themselves may not have anticipated their own involvement in the bicycle commuter movement that is going on in this country

what are the factors that get people to commute by bicycle instead of driving their car or taking the bus?

I do not know... I have not done a survey... I have not taken a poll
all I know is why I ride my bicycle instead of driving my car
it makes sense

traffic sucks.
sitting in a car in traffic totally sucks.
riding a bike is faster and more efficient than driving a car
well... within certain distances

my house is not far from my work
if I were to do a measure of driving... versus walking... versus riding a bicycle
riding a bicycle would trump driving or walking
for efficiency and for peace of mind

I will admit... I enjoy driving
yes... I said it... I enjoy driving!
but... I HATE TRAFFIC
so... for the most part... I HATE DRIVING
why? because driving tends to involve traffic

when I handle pick up or drop off for my kids at school I can not stand the gridlock traffic
the inefficiency of the cars around me irks me
the behavior of the car drivers around my kids' school is bothersome
so... I park several blocks away and walk

ah... that several block walk to and from the car is an amusing thing
I walk faster than the queue of cars moves along side of me
I can recognize a handful of drivers as other parents heading to pick up or drop off
my method of parking several blocks away not only gets me there just as fast
that short walk gives me a few minutes to connect with my children

back to my commute...
driving from my house to work would be absurd
not only would it take longer than riding a bicycle
it would cost more

paying for daily parking alone would be more expensive than riding a bicycle
yes... there is initial cost for purchasing a bicycle
and yes... there is up keep of the bike
but those costs are less than the cost of a car, the cost of gas, and the cost of up keep of the car

enough on this...
I totally lost my train of thought
and really...
I just wanted some text to go along with those images