Riding My Bike to Work Instead of the Bus

Last year I wrote about the “hidden benefits” of mass transit. In it I mentioned that I don’t ride my bike much, but that has slowly been changing. I like the freedom to come and go as I please and not to have to wait for the bus. I’ve missed a lot of buses this summer and have enjoyed being able to hop on my bike and get to work in less than half the time of the bus. As I discussed in the previous post,

Especially for shorter trips, biking has proven faster than driving. In addition, it is cheaper. This is includes taking into account gas, general wear and tear, and parking. For trips downtown, parking a car can cost a dollar per hour or more in Denver (which is admittedly low compared to many cities). The bike is quicker in traffic and easily locked up in front of one’s destination. Justin’s post last year about his experiences riding to work provides further impetus for those curious about why biking may be beneficial.

If you read my recent post on being environmentally friendly vs. being cheap, you know I love the frugal option. I like being able to read on the bus, but I haven’t been to the gym in a while, so the exercise riding my bike is huge; a prime example of the all important two-fer.

It always amazes me how many people ride on the sidewalk instead of the street. The Angry Pedestrian would not approve. Riding in the street, though, is quick. It can be unnerving, but the more people that do it, and do it appropriately, the more accustom vehicular traffic will become to cohabitating.

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