Some commuters prefer pedaling to work
Victoria McAdams’ commute takes longer these days, but it costs much less.Once temperatures top 20 degrees, she bikes the 7½ miles to work in Machesney Park each day.It takes her at least 30 minutes, depending on traffic and wind. That’s 10 to 15 minutes longer than it would take her to drive.“The difference is, I’m not spending a lot of time sitting in traffic. It’s a much more pleasant way to get to work,” McAdams said. “Most trips in this country are like a mile or two, and it’s done by car. Why? A 5-minute bike ride, that’s a lot more fun.”The League of American Bicyclists is trying to get more people to commute by bike by promoting Bike-To-Work Week, which starts today.Fewer than 1 percent of Winnebago County workers bike to their job, according to 2006 U.S. census data.Promoting biking Despite gas prices approaching $4 a gallon, enthusiasts say they don’t see a lot more people biking to work yet.“There are some people who were doing a little bit but are planning to do more. But getting new people into it is a little more difficult because of our bike path and traffic situation,” said Bruce Steidinger, owner of Shosie’s Cyclery in Loves Park. “We do have some bike paths that are scattered around, but there really isn’t a continuous loop for you to hit.”But the city’s on the right track, he said, with bike racks on city buses and plans to add striped bike lanes on streets. Gary McIntyre, a planner with the Rockford Area Transportation Study, said the city plans to add bike lanes on two routes this year. One would connect Rockford College to Sinnissippi Golf Course; the other would connect the Auburn Street bridge to the area around Rockton Road and Riverside Boulevard.McIntyre bikes 3½ miles each day to work in 15 to 20 minutes, versus 10 minutes to drive, park and walk to his office. Rockford is behind big university cities (Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago), he says, but it’s ahead of comparable cities, such as Peoria or Bloomington. “For me, it’s somewhat simple because I live in such proximity to work,” he said. “You’ve got to incorporate it into your overall lifestyle. Do it once or twice a week and gradually you work your way into it.” Many reasons Todd Johnson of Rockford bikes about two miles to work and back home for lunch each day, when the weather’s good. He doesn’t save tons on gasoline — at most, it’s enough to buy a lunch every week — but he says it’s worth the effort.“I haven’t taken my car out of the garage in a few days, and when I get in it, the needle is right where I left it,” he said. “I wouldn’t consider myself green or anything like that, I just enjoy riding my bike.”Derek Shirley of Rockford bikes about seven miles each way to his job in Rockford. It takes up to 25 minutes, versus 10 minutes to drive. But he finds it a lot less stressful than driving.Shirley has a pricey Trek Portland bike, but he said others could turn cheaper bikes into commuters with the right accessories: fenders, lights, good brakes and a storage rack.His employer, CSC in Rockford, has been helpful.“They actually afforded me a small space in the mailroom, so I sometimes joke that I’m the only one with indoor parking,” Shirley said. Gas prices could help Neal Clements of Roscoe not only has a place to park his bike at work at Hamilton Sundstrand in Rockford, he also has a place to shower and change. But he needs it more than most: his commute is 20 miles each way.“I don’t know anybody who goes farther than me,” Clements said. “When I’m in optimal condition, I can do it an hour and fifteen minutes. Right now I’m at an hour and a half.”He has a 1985 Schwinn — worth $10 or $15 — and loads it up with rain gear, a pump, a saddle bag and other equipment. “It’s more of a tank than a bicycle.”While he enjoys biking to work and for errands, he also does it for environmental reasons.“As gas disappears, it’s not going to be economically viable to drive 30 miles per day, 40 miles per day much longer. I don’t think the way people live is sustainable (long term), and people are going to have to get used to doing this anyway.”
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