Traffic Jams

According to this KBOI2 article, Boise commuters spend 16 hours a year stuck in traffic.

It's probably safe to assume that about 15 minutes per week is the time directly attributable to traffic delays - you know, sitting there and looking at somebody's bumper.  On top of the amount of time it would take to drive from Point A to Point B, assuming a free flow of traffic.

And Boise's traffic is merciful, compared with Los Angeles (61 hours) or Washington, DC (67 hours). The national average is 38 hours.

On those rare occasions when I have to drive a car in town, I find that sitting in traffic is one of the most stress-inducing things about driving. I just sit there and stew about the time and gas I'm wasting, and find myself longing to be on my trusty velocipede. In fact, if I can tell I'm going to be sitting for awhile, I'll turn the motor off. At least I'm not wasting gas for those seconds.

Boise Bike Week 2013

BBW, 2013 edition, is upon us!

I did what seemed proper for the occasion... I rode my bike to work.

The harsh reality... "bike week" can be mostly a non-event for a person who rides a bike almost every day. (When is "Boise Car Week?" Now that would be special!) So I decided I should try to do something to make a difference... to share the "gospel of bicycling" with the unwashed masses.

But what?

I have to remind myself that there's both a down-side and an up-side to more people riding bikes. I'm sometimes victimized by the down-side - for example, on a few lovely days the bike parking spots become rather scarce at the office. And more bike riders means more brain-dead bike riders. In fact, the percentage probably goes up... those who ride year-round seem more inclined to understand how it's done, follow the rules, refrain from bovine-like blocking of corridors, etc., than those who just get their bikes out on those perfect spring and autumn days.

But on the up-side, there is much evidence to suggest that as the number of cyclists increases, their safety actually goes up. And it makes sense: when the bike-riding population is dense, it compels motorists to pay more attention than when you just see one every now and then.

So... what to do, to share my enthusiasm?

I came up with a rather novel idea... I got my vintage Craigslist folding bike out of the garage, aired up the tires, dusted it off, and made sure everything still (kinda) works on it. And yesterday I loaded it on the BOB trailer and hauled it to the office. Unless somebody in a high place puts a foot down, I hope to ride it about as I take care of my in-house tech-support duties.







Our building occupies a full city block, and the farthest-away people that I support are about a block distant. I can cover the distance - safely - in half the time on the bike!

It got peoples' attention this morning, when John called because he couldn't get logged on. I almost remote-connected to his workstation... but then I said, "Wait a second - I'll be right over." 30 seconds later I pulled up in front of his cube and worked some magic, and then rode away.

(I'll have to exercise some discretion. There are some people in the workplace who have no sense of humor, and feel if you're having fun, you can't be working. And most of all, I'll have to RIDE SAFE! At my first stop, I got chastised by a fellow motorcycle buddy for not wearing my helmet.)

Seattle "business cyclists" sound off

Some things are mystifying. Like - Seattle is "bike friendlier" than Boise. (I appreciate the tolerant attitude among the residents, and perhaps they have more bike lanes ... but they have 300 cloudy days per year, and Boise has 300 sunny days per year! Go figure.)

I happened across an article in which bike-commuting business executives share their motivation for cycling as well as safety tips.

Here are some good quotes that capture their motives:

"Riding in in the morning is a great way to wake up and plan your day. Riding home is a chance to decompress." (That's from a guy who rides a 48-mile round trip, three days a week.)

"Riding your bike makes you feel like a 12-year-old... It freshens your mind."

Safety tips?

Ride more "aggressively" ... be prepared to take the lane ... be visible ... "Eyes up!"

Scenic Route

We are solidly into the "salad days" of the bicycle year in these parts, when the weather is glorious and conditions are pretty much ideal for bike transportation. (Or bike-anything.)

Due to some crazy schedule conflicts, I've been missing my cherished afternoon rides, so I get in a few miles when I can. This morning I left home early so I could take the scenic route to the office.

My ride took me over the Curtis Road overpass. (For those not familiar, underneath is I-184, a major corridor for traffic from the west, headed into downtown Boise. It serves the majority of our "bedroom communities.") Underneath me were hundreds if not thousands of cars, sparkling in the morning sun, at a complete stop in their four or five traffic lanes. Ah, the freedom that a motorcar provides!  (... NOT!)

I rode on. The cars and trucks on Curtis Road would surge ahead, and then I'd catch 'em at the next traffic signal. It must be really frustrating for drivers, when signals are timed so poorly, and traffic is so heavy, that a fat guy on a bike is not only keeping up, but getting ahead of 'em! Of course, it's a tradeoff because for the fat guy, the situation is a source of inner satisfaction!

After 10 minutes or so on Curtis, I reached my desired route - the greenbelt along the Boise River. As I left the noise of the traffic behind and rode up the winding ribbon of asphalt, sunlight sparkled on the river through the trees. It made me think of the sunlight sparkling on all those cars, a few minutes earlier. And made me glad for my choice of transportation.

The greenbelt was relatively empty. Despite temperatures in the mid-50s which is at the lower end of my "shirt-sleeve range," most of my fellow cyclists were wearing a jacket... and a few were downright bundled up! Heavy gloves, earmuffs, scarves. Wow! Must be California transplants... or they're just getting back into their cycling groove, perhaps.

It's great to be in a cycling groove.

Boise Bike Week - May 13-18

Just a heads-up - if you live in the Boise area, I hope you'll take a look at the schedule of events, and choose a few to participate in. Recommendations: I've participated in the Ride of Silence in the past, and have ridden in the Pedal Power Parade on the final day, numerous times. It looks like there are several informative presentations on "street smart cycling," bicycle maintenance, etc., that may be of value. And quite a few "social" events like picnics, group rides, etc. (A confession - I'm not really very sociable in a group, so the events that invite people to "come hang out and talk about bicycling" aren't particularly attractive to me.)

One rather novel thing I hope to do, to celebrate Boise Bike Week... a few years ago I purchased a small fold-up bicycle on the Craigslist - I hope to wipe the dust off of it, air up the tires, make sure all the critical functions are functioning... and take it to the office, to ride up and down the corridors on. If I'm extremely cautious and avoid "Bigwig Corner," maybe I can pull it off for a couple days, before getting sent to the re-education camp.

I'm also a motorcycle rider, and I noticed an oddity. The annual motorcycle "awareness ride" is this Saturday, and is sponsored by the ICMS, Idaho Coalition for Motorcycle Safety. It's supposedly to make roadway users more attentive to motorcyclists and promote safety. But strangely, helmets are optional, and are hardly even mentioned. By contrast, most of the BBW events state that a helmet is REQUIRED. (Helmets are a touchy subject in Motorcycle World. Although they are proven lifesavers in many types of mishaps, many riders feel that safety is secondary to the "freedom" of feeling the wind in your hair, those loud pipes in your eardrums, blah-blah... the only reference the ICMS website has, far as I can tell, is a recommendation that you "choose appropriate riding gear.")

Cycling like your life depends on it

In 2009, middle-aged attorney Elizabeth MacGregor's life was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

She endured a regimen of chemotherapy, but like anybody who has been stricken with cancer, was worried about its recurrence, and asked her oncologist how to improve her odds.

His immediate reply: "If you want to prevent a recurrence, you need to get your weight into a healthy range and get an hour of vigorous exercise every day."

She has an active background, and had bicycle commuted before, somewhat casually. "My return to the bicycle was accompanied by an urgency and seriousness of purpose that I’d lacked before. At the beginning, I felt as if I were starting from scratch. I rode slowly and got tired quickly. But I was patient, telling myself I was in it for the long haul."

Her twice-a-week regimen increased to three, and then four. She discovered some of the hard-to-describe side-effects of bicycle commuting, and became a true believer. Read her words HERE.

Greenbelt to Eagle Road - another update

In February, I wrote about having successfully navigated the Greenbelt downstream to Eagle Island. It was exciting to see that it might soon be a transportation corridor. A few weeks later, I wrote that perhaps I was premature - a gate and "private property" signs were blocking the way a mile or so east of Eagle Road. I was quite disappointed; any path that you ride to a dead end, and then turn around and return on, is of little value except for recreation. And it looked like maybe it was another power-grab by the "NIMBY" property owners who didn't want bike riders, with their crimes and disease and whatnot, in their neighborhood.

Since then, I've ridden to that same gate a couple times, including once with granddaughter Mackie. A bike-riding friend, Paul, suggested I take a close look... 50 yards or so before you get to the gate, there's an obscure "nature trail" that continues off the right side of the pavement.  (He hadn't traversed the trail, at least on bike, but he had noticed it.)

Last Saturday (4/20), I decided I better check out that "nature trail." And Paul was right.

I took to the trail. There are no signs, indicating "private property" or "no bicycles" or any other such restrictions. I anticipated that I might get hollered at, but I've survived hollerin's-at in the past. (But just in case, I was glad Mackie wasn't along; she doesn't take well to getting hollered at.)

Lo and behold, the "nature trail" was pretty easy to ride, even on skinny tires, and 50 yards or so behind the gate it joined up once again with the main (gravel) path. I proceeded on, quietly and cautiously, so as to minimize potential conflicts with other pathway users or difficulty in the dirt... but other than a couple folks fishing and some people off in the distance, I didn't see a soul. And, the path, although gravel and dirt, was no problem. I figure just about anybody on fat tires could do it... and 'most anybody with skinny tires and practice wouldn't have a problem, either.

MORE good news - along the way, there were 20-inch-high wooden stakes, marked with survey flags and bright orange paint and the word "EASEMENT" on them. So, I once again feel some optimism that in time it will "officially" be a path available to the public. In the meantime, I can't see any reason to NOT use it, if one is cautious and courteous. (And realizing that if you continue on Eagle Road, you'll be sharing the pavement with heavy, 55mph traffic.)

(I wrote to the City of Eagle more than a month ago, to get their take. So far, no reply.)