Why GRian's Don't Ride Bikes
While on my 21 mile one way trip to work today, I started to realize why Grand Rapids citizens do not commute by way of bike.
1. Most Michiganders are slightly overweight to obese.
2. Most Michiganders live 10-15 miles from their place of work.
3. Michigan lawmakers have not begun to think about the importance of bike lanes within city limits.
4. Michiganders have one of the highest dispensible incomes in the country. In other words, they can throw their money away on gas.
5. Public Transportation (the rapid) does not have enough bicycle racks for bicyclists.
As someone who loves the thrill of pedaling both on roads and trails in Michigan, it frustrates me to hear how "Green" our state is. We have received several awards for Leed Certified buildings, including the first every "Green" art museum, but city officials fail to realize one of the easiest ways to make our city healthier: bike lanes. One only has to travel through the city in a car to realize how dangerous it is for a person to commute to work on a bike. Not only are the pot holes comparible to those of a third world country, but there is no room for riders to pedal on the shoulder. The only township within GR that has bike lanes is East Grand Rapids, which lasts for approximately two miles.
When are we going to realize as a city, state and country that one way to become less dependent on oil is to simply make bicycling a priority? When are we going to realize that an average tank of gas costs $50.00? When are we going to realize that one way to combat the problem of obesity is to allow people to exercise to and from work? When are we going to realize that bulding "Green" is not the only way to make a city more enviornmentaly sound? When are we going to realize that Grand Rapids has hundreds of riders begging to get on their bike to help save our planet in one simple way?
1. Most Michiganders are slightly overweight to obese.
2. Most Michiganders live 10-15 miles from their place of work.
3. Michigan lawmakers have not begun to think about the importance of bike lanes within city limits.
4. Michiganders have one of the highest dispensible incomes in the country. In other words, they can throw their money away on gas.
5. Public Transportation (the rapid) does not have enough bicycle racks for bicyclists.
As someone who loves the thrill of pedaling both on roads and trails in Michigan, it frustrates me to hear how "Green" our state is. We have received several awards for Leed Certified buildings, including the first every "Green" art museum, but city officials fail to realize one of the easiest ways to make our city healthier: bike lanes. One only has to travel through the city in a car to realize how dangerous it is for a person to commute to work on a bike. Not only are the pot holes comparible to those of a third world country, but there is no room for riders to pedal on the shoulder. The only township within GR that has bike lanes is East Grand Rapids, which lasts for approximately two miles.
When are we going to realize as a city, state and country that one way to become less dependent on oil is to simply make bicycling a priority? When are we going to realize that an average tank of gas costs $50.00? When are we going to realize that one way to combat the problem of obesity is to allow people to exercise to and from work? When are we going to realize that bulding "Green" is not the only way to make a city more enviornmentaly sound? When are we going to realize that Grand Rapids has hundreds of riders begging to get on their bike to help save our planet in one simple way?
posted by Mac and Jer at
4:02 PM
2 Comments:
You rode 21 miles to work? That's huge. How'd you get home? Good points too, way to hammer them home.
nice thoughts jeremy, i couldn't agree more. I finally managed to get my machine out for a ride the other day.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home