Thursday, May 29, 2008

Bike To Work Month Update!

I would like to thank my employer Baldwin for helping to promote Bike To Work Month. By promoting the bicycle as a means to commute to work we are realizing the benefits such as a healthier body, improved financial means and productivity. There were 9 individuals at Baldwin who chose to use the month of May to ride their bicycles into work. Some of them starting riding into work for the very first time. Here are few comments for those who participated:

"Thanks for promoting this - it was the kick in the pants I needed to start doing it!" Thom Inglin
" It was very rewarding and a great idea! I felt great throughout the day. I didn't even experience any rude drivers and I had to cross some heavy traffic across Rte 422." Jeff Wisniewski
" I thought is was so much fun. I now would like to ride to work every casual Friday. It was an activity that encouraged exercise while helping the environment (and saving money)! I'm glad we were able to promote National Bike To Work Month!" Christian DeWald

While we had some first timers who are now committed to riding to work we also had some "long timers" who also joined in. Below is the comment from one of those commuters who has been riding into work for over 8 years:
"I ride barely 5 miles through West Lawn and Wyomissing starting at 6:00 a.m. There isn't much traffic to contend with only the still morning air and sound of my tires. Awakening and getting into your car and driving to work never sets your day up like a bike ride does. I feel more energized throughout the day and always get more accomplished at work in part because of the high I get from kicking the pedals and getting my metabolism going at a faster pace than the sedentary car ride does.
The ride home is different. I leave work and travel by the West Reading Playground and take the "rat cage bridge" across the river by RACC. I take the trail up under the Penn St and Buttonwood St bridges and follow the River Trail to Bear Park and cross over the Schuylkill Ave bridge. After crossing the Schuylkill River I take a left on Blair Ave to the beginning of the Tulpehocken Trail at Stonecliff Park. I then ride to the Red Covered Bridge or continue further up the trail to the Headwaters of the Creek at Blue Marsh Dam taking the trail up and out of the Park around Ganlys Pub then taking the roads to my home in Sinking Spring finishing off a 1 1/2 hour ride. This leaves me totally refreshed and at the same time destressed from any of the pressures of work." Dennis Stufflet

As a long time bicycle commuter Dennis is supportive of bicycle advocacy and ensuring trails are maintained. Throughout his commute he has noticed some areas of trails that could be enhanced to ensure motorized vehicles do not enter the trails and is willing to help put his ideas into reality.

I started biking to work in March of this year and it has been fun and thrilling to be able to share this experience with my co-workers and even ride along with them in the morning or after work. I am thankful I live in an area where I can access the Schuylkill River Trail to commute to work. I hope as WalkBikeBerks continues we will be able to help make other sections of Berks County a bicycle friendly environment so others have the opportunity to share in the benefits we bicycle commuters enjoy!

While we had some inclement weather on the actual Bike To Work Day, Baldwin decided to celebrate the day the following week. Please see the picture of everyone who biked to work during the month of May at Baldwin. Send a thank you to the H/R at Baldwin for helping to promote the month that not only benefits Baldwin employees but the entire county of Berks! Pictured left to right are as follows:
Thom Inglin, Dennis Stuffet, Roy White, Christian DeWald, Jeff Wisniewski, Jeremy Slonaker, Jerry Chin, Steve Chmielewski, Steve Thompson - A special thank you to our very own Board member Bob Hospidor for making the sign!

1 comment:

  1. Hi. Please join the Bicycle to Work! LinkedIn networking group. Members pledge that they will try to ride their bicycle to work or on an errand at least once a week. Although the benefits should be obvious, let me outline them here.

    Right now people in the industrialized world are facing two very grave problems: obesity and a growing scarcity of oil. Compounding this problem is the new food shortage brought about, in part, by the conversion of food cropland to bio-fuel crop production. Most people feel powerless to help, but there is one thing that we can do. Ride our bicycles to work.

    If everyone would agree to ride their bikes to work one day per week we could cut oil consumption by as much as 10-15%. No one would argue that riding a bike burns more calories than driving the car. Although popular politically right now, most bio-fuels consume more energy than they produce. We would be much better to eat those bio-crops then use our own energy to transport us around.

    So spread the word. Make it a movement! Bicycle to work one day a week and do your part to cut back obesity and the overuse of oil and precious cropland.

    Just go to my profile at http://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreylstevenson and you can click on the group to be included. While you are there, don't forget to ask to link to my network of more than 9,000,000 like-minded professionals. I accept all invitations and look forward to meeting you.

    Jeff

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