But the bike got there first

During Bike to Work month in May, more than one city held a friendly “race to work” between a bike, a bus-rider, and a car. In both Philadelphia and NYC, the bike won.

Very unofficially, Live Green Cincinnati had a bike vs. car race of our own last week from Mt. Adams to Downtown. After lunch, both the bicyclist and the car driver took off from Mt. Adams from the same place and the same time. We both took the same route and street bikes and cars obey similar traffic rules

By the time we hit the stoplight at the exit of Eden park at Gilbert, the car was in front. When the bicyclist made it to 8th street, the car was nowhere in sight. However, when the bicyclist rode into the alley and entered the storage room of the destination condo building, locked up, and checked the mail - it was still in the box. The car driver arrived home a full 5 minutes after the bicyclist.

We both traveled down hill. We both hit plenty of stoplights. We both covered the same distance. What was the difference? The only explanation was that the driver had to enter the parking garage and walk around the corner to get to the condo building and the bicyclist pulled right up to the building, locked up, and hopped off. There is a bus stop right in front of the building as well, so I would have to think that someone riding the Metro #1 on that route would have also made good time.

If you commute downtown, how much time do you spend finding a parking spot, paying, and walking to your final destination? That time and money could be better spent on a bicycle or a monthly bus pass.

In the case of the bike vs. the car from Mt. Adams, the only drawback of going green and taking the bike was a little sweat under the helmet. Buy hey, that counts toward my daily exercise and helps me stay energetic. Go ahead and give it a try, there is no better time than now to leave your car and gas tank behind to take a freeing spin to your next errand.