April 2002
Transportation
National Bike to Work and School Day: Join the Festivities!
by Donna Merlina
Grab your briefcase, your coffee and get ready to pedal! That’s right, Friday May 17 is National Bike to Work and School Day. Whatcom County residents will be participating in the fifth year of a well-supported, highly-attended day of clean cycling and car-free commuting! Join the fun this year and visit one of the many celebration stations between 6:30 a.m. –10:00 a.m. during your morning commute, including:
•Holly and Railroad in downtown Bellingham
•Fairhaven on 12th Street above Fairhaven Bike and Mountain Sports
•Sunnyland Elementary
•Western Washington University Red Square
•Whatcom Community College
•HUB Community Bike Shop on the South Bay Trail
•Cenex on Guide Meridian
•Lakeway and Lincoln
•Shuksan Middle School on Northwest Avenue
•Woburn at Barkley Village Gazebo
There you will find an oasis of free goodies, hot beverages, coupons, t-shirts to brag about and the companionship of your fellow cyclists. In preparation for the event, free tire repair will be offered on Saturday May 4th and 11th at the Bellingham Farmer’s Market. Let us “Pump You Up.” Affordable helmets, available through the Brain Injury Association, will also be available to order.
Whatcom County’s attendance on Bike to Work and School Day has grown exponentially each year and a whopping 1,500 participants are expected to leave the car at home for 2002! Do your part to advocate for a healthy and safer community by bicycling to work, school and everywhere you go. Join the millions of Americans who have chosen a cleaner, more efficient source of transportation by using their bicycles. Be part of the solution!
For more information on Bike to Work and School Day, call Donna Merlina at 650-0515.
The Personal Automobile Is…
•The leading cause of air and water pollution
•A high-cost expense
•A major source of personal stress and road rage
•Less convenient and necessary than you think
•A barrier between you and your community
•The #1 cause of death among children and young adults nationwide
•Not a “right” or basic human need; but an over-used privilege
•A greater cause of animal deaths (estimated 1/4 billion per year on U.S. roadways) than hunting and animal experimentation combined
•Reliant upon our foreign oil dependency and demands significant military spending
•Elitist; only eight percent of the world owns one
•Another “box” separating us from our natural environment
•Noisy, smelly, imposing and dangerous
•Not a “part of the solution”
A Bicycle Is…
•Gentle to the earth and animals
•A health club on wheels
•A pollution solution
•Reliable, simple to maintain, repair, park and store
•Free from gas consumption
•Budget friendly
•A health, time, and money saver
•For all ages to enjoy
•Neighborhood and community friendly
•A way to admire your surroundings
•The most energy-efficient source of transportation for a person and their belongings
•More convenient than you may think
•Outside the “box”
•Exhilarating and mentally uplifting
•A way to enjoy our Greenways trails during your commute to work or school
•Personal freedom
•Part of the solution
“When I see an adult on a bicycle I have hope for the human race.” – HG Wells
