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Bike commuting is on the upswing

May 18 is “Minnesota Bike to Work Day” 

People who commute by bike are usually not shy about telling you why. Just ask Tim Hammond, White Bear Lake, who commutes daily by bike to downtown St. Paul.

“You can see so much more from your bike than from a car on the freeway,” Hammond enthused. “I frequently see deer, birds, rabbits, wild flowers, lakes and streams. I enjoy seeing other bikers and rollerbladers, and enjoy the camaraderie of riding with other bikers.”

In the metro area, communities are designating more space for on-street bike lanes and expanded off-street bike trails to accommodate more cyclists. All Metro Transit buses and light-rail cars offer bike racks. Many park-and-ride lots offer bike lockers.   With gas prices going up and an increase in global climate change awareness, one rider called bike commuting “the wave of the future.”

More people are commuting by bike

Commuter biking is growing at a steady clip across the region, according to statistics from the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT). In 1990, about 8,000 bikers commuted to work every day. In 2000, that number was over 10,000.

City of Minneapolis transportation engineer Don Pflaum said the Mill City has one of the highest rates of bike commuters among similar-sized cities nationwide. During the normal riding season, about 8,000 residents ride their bikes to work or school every day, which is about 2.6 percent of all commuters.

That’s pretty good. But it pales in comparison with some international cities. Copenhagen, Denmark, for example, boasts a downtown bike commuting rate of 40 percent – though it took 40 years to developing a cycling ethic, according to Mn/DOT transportation planner Bob Works.

Works said a Mn/DOT survey of bikers four years ago identified the primary obstacles to increasing bike commuting in the metro area. The worst problems were a lack of:

• Paved shoulders
• Striped bike lanes
• Bike parking
• Connectivity of bike routes

These issues are being addressed in Mn/DOT’s long-range plan to promote bike commuting.

Bike commuters agree on pros and cons

A handful of downtown workers were nearly unanimous in their assessments of the benefits of bike commuting. On the positive side, they said biking:

• Provides exercise
• Prevents pollution
  

  Mark Kotz flashes a smile just before his daily ride from downtown St. Paul back home to Woodbury.

• Saves money on gas, parking and car maintenance
• Saves money (and time) that might go for health club fees and diets
• Is energizing, fun and relaxing

Nettie Pignatello commutes about five miles from south Minneapolis to downtown Minneapolis. “Biking allows me more time outside, to connect with the season, and it’s just plain fun,” she said. “And you can always put your bike on any bus or train if the weather turns bad.”

Pete Gavin, who commutes most days from Richfield to downtown Minneapolis, said he’s “full of energy” coming in and “fully relaxed” when he gets home.

On the downside, predictably, were adverse weather and careless drivers. Gavin specifically said he’d like to see “more and wider bike trails, and more dedicated bike lanes on streets, along with better enforcement.” Gavin recommended that cities provide “more park-and-bike lots for those who live too far from work.”

Keith Pierce agreed that there could be — and should be — more bike paths and bike lanes across the city. But reflecting on his six-year experience as a bike commuter (from Lauderdale to downtown Minneapolis), he concluded that "drivers have overwhelmingly respected bikers and shared the road with them."

Said Pierce, "Most incidents or near misses stemmed from the lack of bike lanes, forcing drivers to share a narrow driving lane with bikers like me."

Sid Cornelius, who rides 11 miles from Woodbury to St. Paul, has experienced a few “bike-car incidents” on the road over the years, but remains a huge supporter of his two-wheel commute. Cornelius suggests that first-time commuters make a dry run into town on a Sunday when traffic is low, or consider using the bike rack and taking the bus in, and then riding home. “For the most part, drivers are more aware and responsible toward bikers than they used to be,” he said.