Read the article on EastBayRI.com
Pedaling to work beats gas prices
Don Rogers’ daily routine isn’t much different than any other nine-to-fiver. After leaving his Rumford home in the morning, Mr. Rogers drops his 4-year-old son Matthew off at preschool before settling into his job as a systems administrator in the sociology department at Brown University. The only difference is in the way he commutes — by bike.
He’s not the only one pedaling to Brown, as fellow employee Mark Dieterich commutes by bike from his Bristol home. Like Mr. Rogers, he uses the East Bay Bike Path as his main thoroughfare.
“It’s an hour, door to door — just over 16 miles,” said Mr. Dieterich, a systems administrator in the computer science department who takes advantage of the shower facilities at Brown.
They’re the co-founders of Bike-to-Brown, a coalition of — so far — 89 people who forgo their gas-guzzlers and use two-wheelers to get to the university. The group started four years ago and has gained momentum with the recent spike in gas prices as well as renewed concerns for the environment, according to Mr. Rogers.
“There’s been a surge in interest. We’ve definitely noticed a trend,” he said. “I think people are starting to feel the pinch, especially if they bought a mini-van or an SUV. There’s a health benefit, but also a higher consciousness about environmental issues.”
Mr. Dieterich has saved plenty by using his bike more. “I fill up my car with gas every two months. Last year, I put more miles on my bike than I did my car,” said Mr. Dieterich, who’s also noticed a proliferation of people using their bikes for more practical reasons such as commuting or shopping. “I’ve definitely seen more backpacks on the bike trail.”
Brown employees aren’t the only ones spinning their wheels, of course. Steven Church, bicycle and pedestrian coordinator at the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (DOT), regularly bikes to work from his East Providence home.
Phil Hervey, town planner for Barrington, is a recent convert to bike commuting. “I started last year, really just to experience the commute,” said Mr. Hervey, adding that cycling also helps him avoid traffic congestion along Route 114 as he makes his way to town hall.
All but one employee at Village Bicycle in Westport commutes by bike, according to owner Jim LeBelle. “One guy lives in Providence, so he drives,” said Mr. LeBelle, who lives about four miles from his shop but typically extends his route by at least 20 miles because he loves cycling so much.
He’s one of several local bike dealers who are seeing more residents use their bikes for commuting or short errands. “I’ve noticed an increase of commuters using the bike path, either going to work or the store,” said Art Leland, co-owner of Your Bike Shop in Warren and a member of the Ocean State Bike Path Association.
Mr. LeBelle said he thinks more people are using bikes to get to lower-paying jobs located not too far from their home. “If somebody’s working at the grocery store or places like that, they’re the sort of a customer who’s interested in saving money because $80 a week on gas is kind of tough,” he said.
Scott Martin, owner of Scottee’s Westport Bicycle, said many residents are staying closer to home in general because of gas prices. “Instead of going to New Hampshire for a weekend, they’re hanging out in their backyard or going for a bike ride,” he said.
Despite what you might think, however, bicycle dealers aren’t getting rich. Fewer people are purchasing high-end bikes due to the economy, said Mr. LeBelle. “More people are fixing the bikes they own and investing in more recreation-level bikes,” he said, noting that his shop used to sell bikes in the $5,000 range “once a week or every other week. It was solid.”
Instead, customers are now souping up their existing bikes to make them more suitable for commuting or running errands.
“We’re selling lots of carriers and stuff to carry clothes and things for work. They want that extra room for stuff,” said Mr. Martin.
Mr. Leland agreed. “More people are shopping locally, buying racks and stuff like that. (Gas prices are) definitely having an impact on local families,” he said.
Weather often a challenge
Biking to work may sound like fun, but occasionally there’s something that sticks in the spokes. Mother Nature is one.
“Some days you come in when it’s nice and by the time you leave there’s a thunderstorm. But I have the luxury of having a bus that goes right past my office, so I’ll take it,” he said.
Bad weather rarely stops Mr. Dieterich, who started being a serious bike commuter nearly four years ago.
“I used to have these funky rules I played by — whether I should ride when there’s this much rain — and I got sick of it,” he said, adding that he pedals when it snows or rains. “You can’t stay dry, but I stay warm.”
When he doesn’t pedal to work, it’s usually because of aches and pains. “There are days you just wake up and you’re just tired. You say, ‘Not today,’” he said.
In the cold weather, Mr. Rogers attaches an enclosed bike trailer so his son stays warm on the way to his preschool, Brown/Fox Point Early Childhood Education Center. On warm days, Matthew rides on a trailer bike — a rear extension with a wheel, seat, handlebars and pedals.
Mr. Dieterich used both types of trailers when he and his family — wife Karen, 4-year-old son Nathan and 2-year-old daughter Leah —
attended an end-of-year picnic at Little Friends Preschool in Bristol last week. Afterward, they departed the High Street location and hopped back on the bike path for their trip home.
“I’m all around town — my wife, too,” he said.
However, it’s not always easy getting around outside of a well-maintained bike path, he said. “There’s absolutely more you can do to make it easier for bikers,” said Mr. Dieterich, adding that Europe is “light years ahead” of America when it comes to providing bike lanes along road and highways.
More people — police included, he said — need to be educated on bikers’ rights of ways. “There are a lot of motorists who get upset with cyclists for being on the road,” said Mr. Dieterich.
His Brown colleague said that’s one of the reasons more people don’t take their bikes onto the roadways. “There’s a psychological barrier for some people — ’I'm out there with the crazy drivers,’” he said, adding that collisions with motor vehicles make up a very small percentage of accidents involving bicycles.
There are cyclists, however, who need to acquaint themselves with the rules of the road as well, said Mr. Dieterich. “You have to give respect to get respect,” he said, noting that too many cyclists blow through stop signs and red lights.
Shortage of bike racks
Finally, Mr. Dieterich would like to see local businesses come together and install more bike racks. “As it is now, it’s hard to convince people to ride their bikes around town when you have to get really creative to lock it up at your location,” he said.
Barrington officials are in talks with DOT and the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) in hopes of getting racks for about 20 bikes installed at the County Road connector to the East Bay Bike Path, according to Mr. Hervey.
“This would encourage people to come bike there and take the bus,” he said, noting that the Park n’ Ride near the Barrington Congregational Church on County Road fills up quickly.
“Especially with the gas prices getting higher, space is at a higher demand,” he said.
DOT officials are trying to get a better handle on the needs of bicycle riders, according to Bob Smith, the department’s acting chief of design.
“We’re trying to get information on people’s habits and tendencies,” said Mr. Smith, acknowledging that some of the paths leading into Providence are deteriorating.
Gas prices not the only reason
Mr. Dieterich occasionally gives non-cyclists a hard time about all the money they’re spending on gas. “But I don’t push it on them,” he said.
Still, he wished more people who don’t regularly put the pedal to the pavement would consider biking their way to work. It’s not all about gas prices, he said.
“Bike commuting can be very social. I regularly see the same people and have brief interactions with them. How many motorists can say the same thing?” said Mr. Dieterich. “Human beings thrive on social interaction and yet many of us deprive ourselves of this by being isolated in our cars during the commute.”
By Jim McGaw
jmcgaw@eastbaynewspapers.com
Sunday June 8