SJ Mercury News columnist looks back on five years without a car

Jenny on her Univega
photo: Richard Masoner
Cyclelicious

Last week in a Bike to Work Day column, Joe Rodriquez looked back on his five years in the Silicon Valley without owning a car. Like my experience it began when someone crashed into my car and turned me into a full time cyclist. As Joe relates in his article  "if I could find her today, I'd thank her for countless hours of pleasure over a cup of coffee, so long as the cafe is near a bike route to work."

I too have experienced many of the physical benefits of riding a bicycle daily but I would add one other as well. During my time spent on a bike I have meet numerous people (both cyclists and not) in my travels both in this country and Canada. For some reason being on a bicycle not only makes you more accessible but more approachable as well. You also begin to see your community in a new light; both the good and the bad. You notice and discover things that you had not seen before. You also notice that when you talk of certain places or location most drivers don't really see or understand those subtle differences in their neighborhoods.

As Jose further states in his column, "If everybody biked to work once or twice a week, we could reduce traffic and wouldn't need so many freeway lanes or gigantic parking garages. We could mute road rage, clean more air. The price of gas might drop. Big Oil would have a fit, but given its brazen hypocrisy, the industry would throw token public relations money into bike lanes and brag about its largesse in television commercials. As a big fan of bike lanes, I'm not that proud. I'd take the money. "

Yes imagine fewer of those ugly parking lots, imagine more people out walking and cycling. Not a bad idea Joe.

Bike to Work? Me? San Jose Mercury News