(Photo: Jeff Merkley’s office)
OK Portland, it’s National Bike to Work Day. What the heck is going on out there?
This “holiday” is always strange to me because I feel like it’s just another day at the office; but I also it’s an important day to raise awareness about biking to work. So below are a few bits from around town and around the web…
This morning, there was the annual Bike to Work Breakfast at Oregon Square in the Lloyd District; and guess who showed up? None other than U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (who, if you didn’t know, is being groomed to be the Earl Blumenauer of the Senate). Not only did Sen. Merkley ride today, he also posted that nice photo above to Twitter. Who knew he was a triathlete?!
Also, right now there’s an Employer Bike Summit going on where local business leaders are sharing their experiences and tips about creating bike-friendly workplaces.
On the web, there’s a ton of great bike reads today…
The League of American Bicyclists unleashed a new study today showing that, taken all together, the people in America who ride bikes save $4.6 billion a year by driving less.
The League also has the most viral post of the day, with this fantastic “Why I Ride” contribution by a 84-year-old Palo Alto resident Ellen Fletcher. According to our friend and fellow bike blogger Richard Masoner of Cyclelicious, Ellen has had a profound impact on bicycling in her area and has been a part of Bike To Work Day events for four decades! And she’s still going strong. “The last time I saw her a few months back, I saw her RideKick electric trailer,” says Richard, “She was embarrassed to be seen using an electric motor to get around, in spite of her advanced age and her cancer.”
NPR had a great story this morning that featured photos of people biking to work from around the country and a no-nonsense riding advice from Rivendell’s Grant Petersen (who happens to have a new book by the way)
And did you notice the nifty promo happening here on the front page? Several local businesses that advertise on this site donated their ad space to the BTA today to encourage folks to become members. When local businesses and local advocacy are strong together there’s really nothing we can’t do.
Share your Bike to Work Day thoughts and experiences in the comments. I’ll see you tonight at the gathering for Kathryn Rickson at 5:30 on the corner of SW 3rd and Madison.