Bike to Work Week: Planning Guide

Bicycle Coalition of Massachusetts
Conservation Law Foundation
EarthWorks TransportAction

Third Edition: March, 1995

Table of Contents

I. Getting There by Bicycle -- Why Do It?
II. BTWW Organizers -- How Can We Help You?
III. Organizing for Bike to Work Week
A. Building your BTWW Organizing Team
B. Choosing Your Bike to Work Week Events

Business Associations
Schools and Community Groups
Environmental Groups
Retail Businesses - Bike Shops, Book, Video Stores, Cafes, etc.
Bike Clubs
Fitness Clubs
C. A Few Events Possibilities for Any Workplace or Group
D. Organizing Your Event(s) - Step by Step
Find a Coordinator to Develop a BTWW Organizing Team
Find "Spokespeople" -- a BTWW Rep From Each Department
Set a Date, a Time, a Timeline and an Organizational Strategy
Choose a Location
Consider Giveaways and Incentives
Promote Safet
Arrange for Facilities
Make It Last
E. Publicizing Your Event(s)
Spread the Word from the Start
Promote Your Event
Keep Us Posted
IV. Advantages of Bicycle Commuting
Energy and Time Efficiency -- Personal and Corporate
Economics
The Physical and Cycle-Logical Benefits
Bike Commuting is Eco-Logical
Cycling Builds Community
It's Hip
V. Responses to Questions about Bicycle Commuting
Appendix A. Bike to Work Week Possibilities - a Checklist<
Appendix B -- Sample Newsletter Article<
Appendix C -- BTWW Registration Forms<
Appendix D--How to WIN A BICYCLE-FRIENDLY WORKPLACE<
Appendix E -- EXISTING BIKE TO WORK PROGRAMS<
Appendix F -- A Few Resources on Bicycling<
Appendix G -- BTWW Info Order Form

On behalf of the organizers of Bike to Work Week (BTWW) -- Bicycle Coalition of Massachusetts (BCOM), Conservation Law Foundation (CLF), and EarthWorks TransportAction, we thank you for interest in this important state-wide event. Bicycling is a healthy, economical, and environment-friendly transportation option that is too often overlooked by city/town planners, businesses, as well as individuals.

We appreciate your efforts to promote this event because bicycling will play an important role as Massachusetts works to comply with the Federal Clean Air Act. Bicycling will also help ease traffic congestion statewide.

This planning guide is intended to simplify your life, at least during the weeks leading up to and including BTWW. It provides you with tips and pointers to organize and promote successful BTWW events, BTWW sample materials and information on bicycle commuting.

Need a speaker? Want to host a bicycle safety seminar? Looking to make your city/town or workplace more bicycle accessible? Not sure what you can do? -- call us. We're here to answer all of your BTWW questions and serve as a resource. This guide will explain to you the kind of support we can provide.

Please keep us informed about your events. Send us your pictures, news clippings or any other pertinent materials. After each BTWW, we will put together a scrapbook that highlights all the activities that went on during the week.

Even if your resources are limited, a little creativity can go a long way. Use this guide to develop a bicycling program that suits your situation.

Good Luck and Good Cycling,

Bicycle Coalition of Massachusetts			617) 491-RIDE	
214A Broadway, Cambridge  MA 02139			mink@cfa.harvard.edu	

Conservation Law Foundation				(617) 350-0990
62 Summer St., Boston, MA  02110			members@clf.org

EarthWorks TransportAction				(617) 983-WIND		
42 Robinwood Ave., #2,  Jamaica Plain, MA  02130	billt@cfa165.harvard.edu

I. Getting There by Bicycle -- Why Do It?

Stiflingly high levels of air pollution and automobile traffic are two major and costly problems that Boston and other cities have to solve. Bicycle commuting is an important part of the solution.

Businesses, their customers, their employees, and the whole region can benefit substantially from using the bicycle as a common-sense alternative to the car. Environmental concerns and the increasing cost of purchasing, fueling, maintaining, and parking a car has resulted in many people - like your customers and employees - to take advantage of the flexible, economical, and clean bicycle. Bicyclists not only avoid the expenses that go with using a car, but also gain a healthy physical workout and have a pleasurable commuting experience. And there is a growing consumer movement to patronize businesses that share their concern for environmental or other issues. Participation in Bike to Work Week is a great way to demonstrate your interest and commitment to a cleaner Massachusetts.

(((PLACE CARTOON OF CYCLIST PULLING THE FUTURE HERE)))

Bicycles Mean Business!

Encouraging both your customers and employees to ride to your business has obvious advantages:
  • Biking is great exercise, and physical fitness means good health, fewer sick days and higher productivity for your company.
  • Bicycle-friendly companies earn themselves an environment-friendly image. Bicycling is a virtually zero-emission form of transportation, and transportation is increasingly being targeted for emissions reductions to help Massachusetts comply with the federal Clean Air Act.
  • Bicycling reduces parking and transportation hassles and costs, leaving bicyclists with more disposable income.
  • Bicyclists have time to notice and visit the shops they ride past.

    II. BTWW Organizers -- How Can We Help You?

    BCOM, CLF and EarthWorks hope to make your BTWW an enjoyable experience that you want to repeat year after year. The following are ways in which we can help you:

    Guidance

  • Help you choose an event that is suitable for your workplace or organization.
  • Offer ideas and suggestions to plan your BTWW events, and answer your questions.
  • Assist with making your workplace, city or town more bicycle-friendly by establishing Bicycle Users Group (BUG), developing bicycle parking, storage facilities and shower facilities.
  • Contacts within the bicycle community

    Resources

  • Provide fact sheets and brochures that explain BTWW, commuter safety, the environmental and economic benefits of bicycle commuting, information regarding bicycle legislation and advocacy work as well as the names of businesses that have transportation policies that encourage bicycle commuting.
  • Provide speakers and materials for bicycle safety seminars.
  • Access to on-line information on bicycling in Massachusetts - try massbike-request@cfa165.harvard.edu.
  • Serve as a clearinghouse for BTWW events in Massachusetts. Call us for a complete calendar listing.

    Promotion

  • Provide sample letters and rap sheets on how to involve business and government in BTWW. For example, we can provide you with a sample letter to secure your city/town's BTWW proclamation.
  • Recognize your efforts to participate in BTWW through our promotional efforts (such as press releases, BTWW flyer, scrapbook, calendar listing, and other appropriate media opportunities)
  • Offer fund raising ideas.
  • Assist your promotional efforts by providing sample PSA's, news articles, posters etc.

    Advocacy:

    Continued work for better bicycle facilities and access
  • Advocate for bicycle-friendly roads and development statewide
  • Educate yourself about the status of bicycle and pedestrian legislation on both the state and national level.
  • Offer support and advice as you work to make your workplace and city/town more bicycle-friendly.
  • Become a member of BCOM, CLF and/or EarthWorks and help promote bicycle advocacy in the state and region.

    III. Organizing for Bike to Work Week

    The style or approach you use might depend, to some extent, on your workplace or organization: is it a major corporation, a school, a non-profit, or a small office or shop, etc.? What you end up doing for Bike to Work Week this year may range from putting up posters and registering or tallying people who commute to work, to staging a major event or a series of events. How involved you get in BTWW will depend on how many other people you can recruit to join you.

    A. Building your BTWW Organizing Team

    Start by talking to all potentially interested people in your workplace: cyclists, runners, skaters, athletes, and health- and environment-conscious people. Include people who work on other floors or departments that could help coordinate company-wide events -- human resources, community relations, executive offices. If you're not sure who your allies are, post flyers, circulate a memo or electronic mail. What about asking nearby companies? If approaching others isn't your style, you can certainly wage a one- person campaign; there have been successful ones. Joining forces with others, though, is less time- consuming and more effective. Next, hold a meeting to discuss your needs and choose your Bike to Work Week events. At the first meeting try to determine: % what your event(s) will be % who the Bike to Work Week Team will include, and % your timeline. The sooner you can define your event or events and determine your needs, the better. People will want to help, but usually like well-defined tasks. Providing a clear list of what needs to be done is a great way for people to choose a role that is both helpful to BTWW and meaningful to the individual. The next few pages offer you and your organizing team ideas for BTWW events. A step-by-step guide to organizing and publicizing your event(s) follows in section D.

    B. Choosing Your Bike to Work Week Events

    Whether you're with an environmental group, a business association, a school or community group, a fitness group, or a bike club, you'll probably want to put a special slant on your activities. See Section C for ideas in addition to the following:
    1. Set Up a Window Display
    It's a great way to create a sense of excitement around BTWW events. It can also help you organize BTWW. Include a map of suggested routes. The display could offer safety tips or encourage people to sign up for rides, or attend your - or our - events. Or simply hang a banner welcoming bike commuters.
    2. Host a Commuter Breakfast or PM refreshments
    There are many benefits to holding a breakfast station for Bike to Work Week. A private company breakfast encourages your employees -- especially new cycle commuters -- to ride and boost morale. A public breakfast is also a great way to demonstrate corporate concern for the environment and for the community.
    Breakfast events usually run about two hours -- from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. to allow for flex time schedules. If the early hours don't work for you, consider an after-work open house with refreshments. What you serve is up to you, but remember that bicycling to and from work builds an appetite. It's rarely a problem, but check with us if you would like to ensure that your event does not conflict with other events in your area.
    3. Register or Tally Bike Commuters
    Documenting participation in BTWW can serve as an incentive to make your workplace more bicycle- friendly. These numbers will help us convince government to improve bicycling conditions. Make it fun by creating and displaying a graphic of a bicycle wheel - people can sign their names on the spokes. Or take a group photo for all the commuters to sign. We've included a sample registration form (Appendix C) in this guide, which requests information needed for matching bike commuters with each other. Check with us about a free BTWW raffle - any forms we receive by Thursday of BTWW from anywhere in Massachusetts will be entered into a drawing held on Friday afternoon!
    4. Invite Speakers
    Invite environmental heroes or seasoned commuters to speak about the wonders of cycling. Call us for suggestions.
    5. Have a Bicycle Commuting Fair
    Distribute information about bicycle commuting and about the economic, health, and environmental benefits of bicycling. Environmental groups, bicycle clubs and shops, and health foundations can be great exhibitors or sources of information. See the order form at the back of this planning guide!
    6. Hold a Bike Maintenance or Commuting Seminar
    Maybe it's a brown bag lunch or after-hours get-together to discuss the best routes to specific locations and other commuting questions.- all you need is a conference room. Or arrange for free tune-ups or advice on mechanical problems and equipment. We may be able to send someone free of charge.
    7. Offer Prizes
    Award T-shirts, bicycle equipment, books, videos, gift certificates, etc. to bicycling employees or customers who register during BTWW. Contact local businesses in your area to participate. Many businesses donate prizes to our raffle - contact us!
    8. Lead Group Rides
    Invite employees, customers and friends to join lunch-time or morning rides during Bike to Work Week. Need pointers on setting up group rides in your workplace, or info on routes or other rides in your area? Give us a call.
    9. Include BTWW in your newsletter, on bulletin boards, or have a Special Phone line
    Provide a way for bike commuters to obtain information about best routes to the work place, or facilities such as bike parking and showers.
    10. Take the Plunge - Install Bicycle Parking, Showers, Lockers, Changing Facilities; offer financial incentives
    Make your workplace or store more bicycle friendly and bicycle commuting is sure to grow! We can answer questions about racks and placement (ask for our Bicycle Parking brochure). Showers benefit lunchtime joggers and people who move heavy loads, too! We would like to showcase new bicycle- friendly businesses.

    C. Additional Possibilities for Special Groups

    Business Associations

    Cyclists are good for business because: % They are more aware of what's around them - like the shops in the area they're cycling through. % They can park closer and more conveniently. Bicycles require little parking space and, unlike motorists, rarely avoid a business district out of fear that all the spots will be taken. A post is all a cyclist needs to secure a bike. % You'd be surprised how much your cycling patrons can carry on a bike. The largest items can be delivered or picked up later Based on these facts, here are some things your Business Association might like to do:
  • Have a breakfast block party: Why not involve as many businesses as possible in sharing the organization of a bicycle commuter breakfast?
  • Scrutinize your neighborhood: Is it bicycle friendly? How many bike parking spaces are there? Is there covered parking at the subway?
  • Provide giveaways: Awards for the business members with the highest participation in BTWW

    Schools and Community Groups

    Your connection with schools and community members puts you in a great position to promote Bike to Work Week. Here are a few ideas for you:
  • Encourage schools to participate: Support teachers and staff who cycle to work. They show their concern for the environment as well as their commitment to fitness and a healthy lifestyle. What an example for budding bike commuters! Bike safety education for students can also be promoted during Bike to Work Week and would also be a great addition to a community recreation program. Looking for a speaker? Call us.
  • Organize a bike ride for the whole class one afternoon. And promote helmet use - it's the law in Massachusetts for children under 12!
  • Have students make banners and signs supporting BTWW, or create writings or art with a bicycle theme.
  • Create a media event: Get the teaching staff to work with students on a photo opportunity. Or create an event that those reporters won't be able to resist.
  • Hold a pedal-power fair: Get the teachers to assign science projects that involve pedal power. Have the students create pedal-powered butter churners, ice cream machines, cappuccino machines, batteries, computers, boats...the list goes on. Display the pedal-powered wonders at a science fair or a school event.
  • Challenge trustees or board members to bike to work: Or board members could challenge members of a neighboring community center to ride downtown.

    Environmental Groups

    Besides walking, bicycling is the most environmentally sound form of transportation. On the other hand, driving a car is the most polluting way to get around on land. Environmental groups can and should take advantage of Bike to Work Week to promote an environment-friendly way of life. Here are some ideas:
  • Welcome bike commuters to your organization: Open your doors to bike commuters for a healthy and environmentally-sound commuter breakfast, or host an open house later in the day.
  • Organize your own staff and members: Environmental groups, most of all, should be setting an example by treading lightly on the Earth as they get around. If they're not already cycling, encourage your staff and members to ride to work during BTWW.
  • Stage a pedal power media event: Set up a display of pedal power possibilities (as an alternative to fossil fuels or other destructive energy sources) like pedal powered computers, light bulbs, butter churners, ice cream machines, capuccino machines, etc...then call the media.
  • Hold a press conference: You may want to get together with other environmental groups to make a public and media statement about the disadvantages of car commuting and the fossil fuels involved.
  • Assess environmental impact: Do an environmental impact assessment of cars in your immediate neighborhood.
  • Link up: Talk to other environmental groups about holding a conference on bicycles or on reducing car use. Staff a table at our events - call us!
  • Research: Let us help disseminate information you might have on bicycle commuting. You may want to be our "official pollution abatement resource."

    Retail Businesses - Bike Shops, Book, Video Stores, Cafes, etc.

    Bike to Work Week is a great way to celebrate the spring season at your store, and bring in new customers. In addition to displays and donating raffle prizes, a few specific things you could do include:
  • Do something special for your cycling clientele. Have a sale on certain items, or provide us with discount coupons for distribution at our events. If you're a bike shop, make sure that your customers are equipped and ready for Bike to Work Week by offering special savings on "must have" safety items like helmets, lights, pumps, tool kits, gloves and bells. Or you could offer special savings on tune-ups. Cycling books, videos, and food are also good promotions. Start your sale the week before Bike to Work Week.
  • Include BTWW listings in your mailings. Contact us for an up-to-date listing
  • Adopt a BTWW Event. Take a leadership role in making Bike to Work Week a successful public event in your area. Your generosity will be acknowledged in our promotional material.
  • Video Stores: Why not list the all-time favorite bicycle videos?. Breaking Away, The Bicycle Thief, American Flyers, ....
  • Book Stores: How about running a special on bike maintenance, safety, or travel books?

    Bike Clubs

    BTWW is an event made for you and your members. Here is a real opportunity for your organization to attract attention and numbers. You could:
  • Take the lead: Be an official group leader during Bike to Work Week. Help new and novice cyclists become familiar with the finer points of cycling by guiding them through downtown traffic. Set a meeting place and time and ride as a group to a BTWW breakfast. Also, pass along some of your know- how by having your members provide safe cycling tips before the ride gets underway. Contact us about ways you can plug into other rides and events, including safety seminars at workplaces
  • Stage a media event: Stage an event to let members of the media know that bicycle commuting is a healthy, non-polluting way to get around, and to highlight the effects of auto emissions on air quality.
  • Challenge your members to ride to work: Offer special year-end awards, or profile a commuter member in your club newsletter.

    Fitness Clubs

    Promoting health is one thing bike commuting can do -- no problem. Commuting to work or to the club is a great warm-up for a more specific fitness routine bike commuters will do there. And imagine, if employees who used to think turning on their computer was exercise start riding their bikes to work, it may trip off a whole series of reactions, like getting even more fit at your club. To help you promote bike commuting during Bike to Work Week, we've come up with a few specific ideas:
  • Welcome bike commuters to your club: Open your doors to bike commuters. Allow them to use your facilities to shower and change before work. You'll not only encourage bike commuting, but you'll be able to publicize benefits of membership in your club.
  • Organize your members: Show your club's commitment to a healthy lifestyle by inviting cyclists to drop by a breakfast station on their way to work. Or sponsor a group ride with your members.
  • Wire your stationary bikes for power: To show how efficient and environmentally sound bike commuting is, get one of your electronically oriented members to wire the stationary bikes to generate electricity that will power a light bulb or a small computer. .c.

    D. Organizing Your Event(s) - Step by Step

    Find a Coordinator to Develop a BTWW Organizing Team:

    The coordinator gets the ball rolling. She or he will gather existing bike commuters and others interested in promoting bicycling to start planning for BTWW. Talk to someone in human resources, community relations, or executive offices for ideas on how to spread the word. The coordinator could be you.

    Find "Spokespeople" -- a BTWW Rep From Each Department:

    If possible, each department should have a representative attending Bike to Work team meetings. The role of department rep doesn't require much time or energy, although the more the better. The minimum requirement would be spreading the word throughout the department and identifying participants. We'll leave the limit on the maximum amount of commitment to you. The department "spokespeople" help the BTWW team coordinate the event(s). Good, resourceful, committed spokespeople are the key to a successful event.

    The idea behind BTWW is to make cycling to work less threatening. Spokespeople could leave a bicycle fact sheet or two on someone's desk, hold "trial run" or "warm-up" group rides or safety seminars. BTWW reps should let everyone know what Bike to Work Week is, and that during Bike to Work Week at least, cycling is being encouraged and celebrated by management and co-workers.

    One of the best ways that department representatives can convince people that cycling is not only a viable, but a pleasurable option, is to cycle in to work and not hide the fact. Sharing your positive cycling experiences, or just making it obvious that you're cycling to work and loving it makes the thought of trying it -- just once -- intriguing. And chances are that "just once" will mark the beginning of one of the most constuctive habits around...

    What's more, when the boss or a coworker is riding her bike to work, or when someone you've been meaning to get to know comes in and plops his helmet on his desk, the motivation factor increases tenfold, especially when your route just "happens" to coincide with theirs. Of course there are many variations on this theme, like making yourself indispensable to the budding bicycle culture in your department by reading up on the commuting literature and being a wealth of information on the safest and most scenic routes from point A to point B (see bibliography at the back of this guide).

    Set a Date, a Time, a Timeline and an Organizational Strategy

    Start planning now. With the input you receive from your BTWW reps, decide on the activities you will organize for BTWW. Create a timeline so others can help. The most important part of planning is getting the word out to your coworkers (or customers) right away.

    Bike to Work reps should meet only as often as needed to keep their activities coordinated. Begin informing your co-workers in March. In April or one month before your event, begin an intensive publicity campaign. But don't worry if you're short on time - just do whatever you can to get the word out, and consider a bigger event next year. Still not sure what type of event to host? Give us a call!

    Choose a Location

    Depending on your event, try to select a pleasant area that can be restricted to those who arrive by bicycle. This area should be adaptable for different group sizes. If it's outside, make shelter available.

    Consider Giveaways and Incentives

    Never underestimate the impact that T-shirts, magnets, and mugs can have on an event. Work with the human resources department , vendors within your company, and BTW team members, to brainstorm ideas for incentives. Get your organizing team thinking about obtaining donated raffle items. Your human resources dept. may have money set aside for special events. You might try getting your squash partner who happens to be on the building and property committee to arrange for special parking facilities. Or talk with your local bike shop to arrange for discounts or deals on bike commuting accessories for your co-workers in exchange for mention in the company newsletter, and the resulting business this brings. Hold a raffle for BTWW participants. On a more flamboyant note, your friend the travel agent might be able to arrange for a deal on an incentive weekend to Vermont for the most ardent commuter. Or the winners of an interdepartmental challenge might share the prizes. The list goes on... All you need to do is use your imagination and your connections.

    Promote Safety

    One of the most important ways to help people transcend lingering cycle commuter phobia is to deal realistically with safety issues. When people feel that they know how to ride safely, and that the route they've chosen is safe, they will be much more likely to overcome other barriers. Make available the How to Ride in Traffic pamphlet and Street Smarts booklet (from us or Rodale Press; call/write or see Appendix G for prices). Remember that our speakers bureau will send someone free of charge to your workplace. Call for details.

    Encourage people to test-ride their intended route during quiet hours on a weekend day so that they can learn about potential trouble spots, such as pot holes and storm drains, without having to be as concerned about the traffic.

    And encourage people to use good judgement. Information and safety materials cannot replace individual responsibility when it comes to rider safety.

    Arrange for Facilities

    It is very important during Bike to Work Week, and every week, to remove all possible barriers to going places by bike, such as lack of facilities. After all, a 1990 Harris poll found that 17% of people would sometimes commute by bike if secure parking and showers were available at work!

    The best parking is in a well-lit, sheltered, public area. Temporary parking can be made available by using barricades or by clearing out a room for bike storage (all employees should bring their own locks). Contact us if you need a list of bike rack manufacturers, or to brainstorm about extra bike parking.

    Shower and changing facilities are essential in many work environments. If your company has a fitness center with changing rooms and shower facilities, make them available to bicycle commuters. No fitness center? How about making arrangements with an office nearby that does, or contact a local fitness center about using their changing facility. During BTWW, a number of Boston area fitness centers will be providing free showers for bicyclists.

    Is your company remodeling or trying to become more bicycle-friendly by adding permanent facilities? Let us know - we would like to showcase your efforts during and after BTWW.

    Make It Last

    One of the main reasons to dedicate a week to cycling is to focus on an activity that could well become a habit -- for your co-workers and for the region. Getting everybody geared up at the same time sets the stage for a larger wave of ongoing cycling commuting activity. If you're thinking about setting up a Bike User Group (BUG), but don't know where to start, check Appendices D and E for more ideas and contacts with whom to discuss them, or call us to find out what some other companies are doing to keep the spirit going. Your Bike to Work Week gang may simply grow into a solid group of people who like to ride and socialize together. Or, who knows, your company might become the first to have all its employees ride to work, or to have a group of people who ride every day of the year. With some bicycles and a little imagination, who knows what might happen... A 1990 Harris poll suggested that 18% of commuters would sometimes bike if they were offered financial incentives. Many employers promote auto use by subsidizing car parking. Has your employer considered including bicycle commuters for transportation allowances? For a listing of companies that already do, see Appendices D and E.

    E. Publicizing Your Event(s)

    Spread the Word from the Start:

    The more widely and more effectively you can spread the word, the better, both for organizing help and for participation. Ask people in public relations, human resources, community affairs, and wellness programs to get involved. Post signs announcing and asking for help with BTWW.

    Promote Your Event

    Do it any way you can (that's legal and ethical). While your workplace has established ways to communicate, never underestimate the effectiveness of less formal communication channels - bulletin boards, gossip networks, memos, meetings, window or lobby displays, etc. Use them for Bike to Work Week. Also, you may discover other communication channels. For example, a memo from the president supporting the event carries particular weight. Or, a bicycling oriented electronic bulletin board can provide information about cycling events and safety tips. Try including Bike to Work flyers in your payroll envelopes, or, if your payroll program has space for printed messages on the paycheck stub, you can print Bike to Work Messages on the stub. Cafeterias and lunch rooms are ideal places to set up information kiosks or tables. You might want to display a map to recruit group ride leaders or to help novice riders to find bicycle buddies. Have commuters mark their starting points and routes -- especially fun for those who venture to commute from off the map. The map is a great attention-getter which gets people to find their own commuting routes, and see who else goes that way. A message board as part of the display can also help cyclists find commuting buddies. A running tally of the number of cyclists who want to participate in the event also helps build interest. You could provide entertainment to promote the event. This doesn't have to be extravagant. Any speakers or high profile personalities (from inside or outside your organization) who cycle to work could welcome employees and offer encouragement. The Bike to Work team should decide whether to include music or other entertainment and arrange the technology accordingly. We can provide flyers that you can reproduce for handouts and bulletin boards, and a calendar of BTWW events we know about.

    Keep Us Posted

    The more we know about your event, the better we can publicize it and help you with the suggestions and assistance you might need. We're keeping and distributing a complete listing of events on an ongoing basis, so keep us posted with your plans and your questions.

    IV. Advantages of Bicycle Commuting

    For Individuals and Corporations

  • Efficient - Burns food rather than gas - and the vehicle is much lighter than a car
  • Fast - In commuter races in Boston and elsewhere, the bike almost always wins over cars and transit
  • Economical - Tune-ups are cheap, cyclist's fuel (food) and bike cost less than gas and car
  • Healthy - You get a workout every morning and evening, at your own pace
  • Ecological - No exhaust fumes, oil spills, leaking fuel storage tanks - a truly green machine!
  • Friendly - Builds community, restores neighborliness, helps local business
  • Hip - Bicycles are where it's at... Everywhere. Tres cycli-chic!

    Energy and Time Efficiency -- Personal and Corporate

    Time is money, and when you ride to work, you are saving both. According to Scientific American, the bicycle is the most efficient way of moving through space. It uses three to five times less energy than walking, and the energy it does use is human power -- completely renewable. For commuting distances that are less than three miles, commuting by bike usually takes less time door to door than driving or public transit. Using human power also means increasing efficiency at work. Physically fit employees who do not spend time caught in traffic jams are more alert, ready to start work in the morning and tend to suffer less illness and fewer job-related injuries.

    Economics

    The bicycle is the most economical vehicle. A person who commutes by bike eliminates gasoline, parking and car insurance costs. Many persons commuting by bike would significantly reduce public expenditures on gasoline subsidies, road maintenance, parking lot construction and maintenance, insurance claims, health care for accident victims and environmental clean-ups. Employees commuting by bike avoid the time and expense of auto maintenance and repair, and help reduce the costs to provide parking spaces and other facilities. The cost of one auto parking space is at least ten times the cost of a secure bike locker, and at least twenty times the cost of secure bike racks. Bicycles are space-efficient. Twelve bikes fit into one car parking space.

    The Physical and Cycle-Logical Benefits

    Bicycling is one of the best ways to improve cardiovascular fitness, and is much less stressful on knees and feet than jogging. It can contribute to stress reduction, improve muscle tone, create a more positive mental attitude, and excess weight loss. Older people in studies have improved lung capacity as much as 76% through cycling and other aerobic training. There is no better way to wind down at the end of a stressful day -- you'll recharge your batteries for the next day.

    Bike Commuting is Eco-Logical

    Cars and other motor vehicles create more air pollution than ANY other human activity - 70% of the carbon monoxide, 40% of nitrogen oxides, and 30% of VOC's according to the Massachusetts DEP. Every day that you ride to work you have saved the atmosphere from the carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and particulates that you would have emitted had you taken a car. Bikes also waste far fewer materials than cars. It has been estimated that each year over 2 million automobile tires are discarded into our landfills. One hundred bicycles can be built with the resources needed to build one automobile. Bicycle commuting makes you feel good.

    Cycling Builds Community

    When you're not surrounded by a ton of metal and glass, it's a lot easier to relate to your environment and with the people in it. While on a bike, you can actually talk to or wave to your fellow bike commuters, and with a bike it's much easier to stop, park, and chat or do errands than with a cumbersome car.

    Bicycles are great for neighborhood and business development because they are far more flexible and maneuverable than cars. Bikes do not pose nearly as big a hazard to pedestrians as do autos; imagine you and your kids being able to safely walk down the street.

    It's Hip

    Bicycling is one of the fastest growing means of transportation in the U.S. There is a reason for this. And there is also support for this. Recently the media has turned its attention to environmental issues in general and to bicycling in particular. Promoting bicycle commuting as an environmental initiative and as a vehicle to a healthier lifestyle might well bring you media encounters of the positive kind. Or if your company isn't really in search of media coverage, you may just want to use snapshots of our event in your next annual report to boost your corporate image. Increasing the number of cyclists increases the demand for cycling facilities as well as for a stronger voice for the cycling community. So the more fashionable cycling gets, the more fashionable it gets...

    V. Responses to Questions about Bicycle Commuting

    Almost anyone can commute by bicycle, even if they think otherwise. After all, bicycling takes even less energy per mile than walking. Below are some of the most commonly-perceived barriers and a few of the many creative ways around them.

    I'm Not Fit Enough.

    Don't let the fact that you haven't done a marathon lately deter you. A modern bicycle with a wide gear range makes it easy for anyone to ride uphill, even people who are out of shape. Just go at your own pace. Do a trial run on the weekend. If your commute is long, try bicycling to or from public transportation or a carpool. Cycling part way to work is a great way to ease your way into reasonable shape if you're not quite Wonder Woman or Arnold Schwarzenegger. Soon the ride may begin to seem too short, and you'll find yourself riding further or all the way.

    It just doesn't go with my wardrobe.

    Don't let your fashion sense deter you either. Think of it as a creative challenge. For example, how might you co-ordinate spandex with your colorful jacket? And how might you arrange to cycle and dress for success? One way is to leave your suit clothes at the office. Another way is to wear permanent-press clothing while you ride, or carefully fold your permanent-press pants or skirt into your pannier bag for a quick change when you get to the office. Panniers are now available that are specifically made to accomodate dress clothes - ask at your local bike shop!

    What about the weather?

    Get a rainjacket and some rainproof pants and you're all set. Just in case, you may want to bring a set of dry clothes (especially socks), add fenders on both wheels, and of course carefully wrap any important papers in your pannier bag. Many cyclists -- you've probably seen them -- ride every day of the year. Besides, there's nothing more refreshing than a spring rain while you ride -- especially if you're prepared for it. And when the sun shines -- just enjoy!

    I'd have to freshen up.

    Don't worry too much about having to freshen up when you get to work. Think of how un-fresh you are after screaming at the guy who cut you off on Storrow Drive. A stress-free cycle to work pales in comparison. Seriously, there are two options: ride at a pace just under the sweat level in all but the hottest weather, or find a place to freshen up. Your company may have showers. If not, suggest that they install one; it may be that no one ever considered the idea. You can also try to convince the nearest fitness club or business with showers into letting you use their facilities. However, youUll usually find that the washroom basin is adequate.

    My bike is too old/I don't have a bike.

    If you don't have a fancy bike (or donUt want to use it), don't worry. In fact, sturdy old clunkers are preferable when it comes to commuting. You can carry your briefcase in the basket, the wider tires absorb road shock, it probably has fenders for those damp days, and you don't have to worry so much about getting it stolen. Just make sure it's roadworthy by taking it in to your nearest bike shop, or by giving it an overhaul yourself.

    If you don't have a bike at all, you can get one inexpensively: Go to a police auction, watch for sales, check the classifieds in your newspaper or a classified AD magazine. You can even check your local transfer station, or keep your eyes open on trash day. People often throw away perfectly useful bicycles. When considering the price of a bicycle, think of how much you spend per year on other forms of transportation!

    There's nowhere to park.

    If bike parking is a concern because you do happen to have a fancy bike, talk to your company or to the owner of the building about securing parking. It may be the beginning of a beautiful, ongoing relationship. Building managers and staff can usually find space in the basement, in a utility closet, or in some other underutilized storage space. Be creative and ask around. Call us for information on what weUre doing to find public parking near your workplace. We have a bicycle parking brochure listing manufacturers and installation hints.

    What about traffic?

    The health benefits of bicycling far outweigh the accident risk, according to the British Medical Assoc. (see Cycling towards Health and Safety published by Oxford University Press). Furthermore, only 18% of serious bike accidents involve motor vehicles. There are further ways to make your commute far safer statistically than the everyday car ride. Regular bicycle users have an accident rate 5 times lower than that of casual riders. If you use your bicycle regularly and learn traffic and bicycle handling skills, you can avoid accidents, including those that involve motor vehicles. Contact us to obtain the publications Street Smarts and How to Ride in Boston Traffic - or Anywhere listed in the back of this Guide.

    If you are already a recreational cyclist or a racer, you should adapt fairly quickly to commuter cycling. If you're a little less experienced, try your commute in non-rush hour time on the weekend, or ride with a buddy. We will be providing safety information and riding tips for your transportation fairs or lunch time seminars, and with enough notice we could send a speaker free of charge. Boston's Bike Map indicates routes that are especially suited to safer commuting, and experienced commuters are often glad to lead novice cyclists. In fact, we're organizing group rides throughout greater Boston, and businesses and transportation management agencies are doing the same around the state. We'll also be talking to motorists about sharing the roads during Bike to Work Week.

    It's really important, during Bike to Work Week and every week, that people go at their own pace. While we want to promote cycling, we also want to make sure people feel confident on two wheels, because confidence is the first pre-requisite for safe cycling.

    Admittedly, if a colleague hasn't ridden a bike in years, they may be hesitant about attempting commuter cycling. Perhaps their role in Bike to Work Week should be to try recreational cycling as a first step to becoming a successful bike commuter...sometime down the road. It's never too late -- Leo Tolstoy didn't learn to ride a bicycle until he was 67 years old.

    Appendix A -- Bike to Work Week Possibilities - a Checklist

    The following list includes simple promotional activities that you can start right away, leading up to and including your Bike to Work Week main event(s), as well as ongoing programs to make bike commuting last. This list is here to offer options, not to bowl you over. A step by step outline on how to organize the event(s) or activities you choose is found in Chapter III.

    Be an Example:

  • Leave your helmet and reflective vest on your desk or otherwise prominently displayed in the spirit that commuting by bike is contagious
  • Leave bike magazines in the employee lounge or lunch room
  • Attend Bike to Work Week events put on by us and others.

    Offer encouragement:

  • Convince your CEO and/or board members to ride to work (with or without the cellular phone)
  • Talk about the ease and beauty of bicycling
  • Host a bike commuter breakfast
  • Offer a bike commuting and/or bike maintenance seminar, including safety information
  • Arrange for prizes, give-aways, free tune-ups for bike commuters
  • Have a trial commute with colleagues in your area
  • Provide expertise: lead lunch time warm-up rides before, or group rides during Bike to Work Week
  • Run a bicycle commuter focus group, which may become an ongoing Bicycle Users Group or BUG
  • Throw a party, picnic, or a cycle murder mystery evening, and invite your spouse, kids and friends to ride there
  • Stage a bicycle commuting fashion show
  • Organize a bicycle singing group or chorus - this is already done in Toronto!
  • Hold a bike art auction, with local artists decorating bikes, & contributing the proceeds to a charity or bicycle advocacy effort
  • Send us registration forms filled out by participants to enter into our free Friday raffle

    Get the word out:

  • Put up posters in the parking garage, in the restrooms, and on bulletin boards
  • Set up an information booth in your lobby
  • Spread the word through:
    -inter-office memos
    -company newsletters
    -word of mouth
    -association newsletters or communication channels
    -electronic computer bulletin boards and mailing lists
    -brochure inserts in company paychecks
  • Create a cafeteria display
  • Display a tasteful sign outside your building or in your lobby, showing your participation in and support for Bike to Work Week
  • Invite a celebrity who bikes to wear Spandex to your office and sign autographs
  • Invite speakers to pontificate about bicycle commuting
  • Show bike commuting videos
  • Shoot your own video
  • Try your hand at some theatrical action -- stage a street theatre media event
  • Write a position paper on cycling, your company and the environment
  • Let bicycles work their way into your company's ad campaigns
  • Use your external and mainstream media channels to promote your company's role in Bike to Work Week

    Eliminate barriers and make it last:

  • Arrange for parking facilities for employees and cycling clients or customers
  • Arrange for shower facilities for cycle commuter employees (on-site or at a nearby business or health club)
  • Promote safety
  • Use Bike to Work Week as the perfect opportunity to initiate an on-going bike commuting program
  • Form your own BUG (Bike User Group) within your company
  • Offer transportation allowances for employees to pay the costs of their commuting choice and/or keep.
  • Set up a bike buddy (pedal pal, cycling chum) program to match bike commuters.

    Appendix B -- Sample Newsletter Article

    Why Not Become a Bicycle Commuter?

    Many people in the U.S. are beginning to catch on to something Europeans have known for years: bicycle transportation is one of the sanest solutions to city traffic woes. In fact, thousands of Bostonians regularly cycle to work or school.

    Bicycle commuting makes good sense -- here are six good reasons to consider oiling up your old faithful and getting out onto the street:

    1. Bikes are Efficient
    For short trips, bicycles are actually quicker than cars. People are sometimes surprised to find that, even riding slowly, they get to work earlier on a bike than they would driving or by subway. Once at work, bikes can be especially helpful for that quick trip to the post office, the lunch meeting, or the photocopy center. Even co-workers who are intimidated by the thought of a thirty mile bicycle commute might enjoy having a bike to use at work. Almost everyone makes short trips for which bikes are ideal.
    2. Bikes are Healthy
    If you're riding four miles three days a week, you're maintaining minimum fitness levels. Of course, you may feel apprehensive about the kind of health risk that goes along with cycling -- the kind with four wheels and fenders. Studies show that bicycling reduces risks of heart disease, cancer, and that experienced cyclists face no more risk of injury or death than do motorists. You can greatly reduce the possibilities of injury on a bike by taking a few precautions: Obey the Rules. Your bike is like any other vehicle; know and obey all the rules of the road. Running lights and stop signs may shorten both your ride and your life! Be seen. Don't surprise drivers with unexpected moves. Signal your intentions, and claim the safe space you need. At night, wear bright or reflective clothing and use headlights and tail lights. Tune your bike. Keep your bicycle in good working order. WEAR A HELMET! It's better to wear a helmet you don't need than to need a helmet you're not wearing.
    3. Bikes are economical
    No gas, free parking, negligible upkeep, how can you beat it? The cost of buying and maintaining a roadworthy bike in Boston is less than the cost of using public transit.
    4. Bikes are environmentally friendly
    What other vehicle emits no noxious fumes, uses up none of the earth's non-renewable resources and creates no loud, unpleasant noise? Well, yes, a rickshaw. But cyclists also deserve to feel good about themselves, environmentally speaking.
    5. Bikes Are Good for the Region
    Regional Planners all over North America are starting to regret that they didn't plan for bicycles earlier in the century. Nowadays, cities and suburbs are beginning to take the needs of cyclists into consideration. The more bike riders, the less parking problems, traffic snarl-ups and smog.
    6. Bikes Are Fun
    It needs little elaboration; there's nothing like the feeling of coasting down a gentle hill with a warm breeze on your face, watching the rest of the world from behind the handlebars of your bike.

    Appendix C -- BTWW Registration Forms/Prize Draw Tickets

    REPRODUCE AND DISTRIBUTE TO HELP US GATHER INFORMATION TO IMPROVE BICYCLING! These forms can also be used to start a Bike Buddy or Pedal Pal bike commuter matching service at your workplace.

    Bike to Work Week Registration, Survey, Raffle Ticket


    PLEASE READ CAREFULLY AND FILL OUT COMPLETELY - YOU ARE THE FUTURE OF BETTER BICYCLING!!

    I hereby assume all the risks inherent in any bicycling activity and release and hold harmless any Bike to Work Week organizers, any of the cities or towns through which my route will pass, and any sponsors, fiscal agents or employees of any and all claims and liabilities arising from participation in BTWW events this week. I have full knowledge of the risks involved, and I am fit to participate.

    __Please don't put me on your mailing list
    
    Signature___________________________________________	Today's date______________
    Name______________________________________________	Company/Org_________________________
    Street______________________________________________	Address_____________________________
    City_____________________ State___ Zip________________	Work hours___________________________
    Nearest major street to home__________________Phone - Eve.:__________________      Day:_________________
    Days I'm riding this week:  Su  M  T  W  Th  F  Sa		How many miles is your commute?______
    How do you get to work when you're not biking?_____________How many days/wk do you normally bike in? ______
    What keeps you from riding (circle all that apply):
    Rain		Snow		Cold		Distance	Childcare	Need Car	Presentability
    __ I'd like to see these bicycling improvements:____________________________________(continue on other side)
    __ I'd like to be a Bike Buddy (__help a new commuter get started   __have a companion to ride with)   
    __ I'd like to get involved in a local bicycle committee
    __ I'd like to help pass pro-bicycle legislation
    

    Bike to Work Week Registration, Survey, Raffle Ticket PLEASE READ CAREFULLY AND FILL OUT COMPLETELY - YOU ARE THE FUTURE OF BETTER BICYCLING!!

    I hereby assume all the risks inherent in any bicycling activity and release and hold harmless any Bike to Work Week organizers, any of the cities or towns through which my route will pass, and any sponsors, fiscal agents or employees of any and all claims and liabilities arising from participation in BTWW events this week. I have full knowledge of the risks involved, and I am fit to participate.

    __ Please don't put me on your mailing list
    Signature___________________________________________	Today's date______________
    Name______________________________________________	Company/Org_________________________
    Street______________________________________________	Address_____________________________
    City_____________________ State___ Zip________________	Work hours___________________________
    Nearest major street to home__________________Phone - Eve.:__________________      Day:_________________
    Days I'm riding this week:  Su  M  T  W  Th  F  Sa		How many miles is your commute?______
    How do you get to work when you're not biking?_____________How many days/wk do you normally bike in? ______
    What keeps you from riding (circle all that apply):
    Rain		Snow		Cold		Distance	Childcare	Need Car	Presentability
    __ I'd like to see these bicycling improvements:____________________________________(continue on other side)
    __ I'd like to be a Bike Buddy (__help a new commuter get started   __have a companion to ride with)   
    __ I'd like to get involved in a local bicycle committee
    __ I'd like to help pass pro-bicycle legislation
    
    Forms received by Thurs. of BTWW will be entered into our grand finale raffle! Send copies of completed forms, or a summary of your results, to: EarthWorks TransportAction, 42 Robinwood Ave., #2, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 617-983-WIND

    Appendix D--How to Win a Bicycle-Friendly Workplace

    Portions have been adapted from Transportation Alternatives, New York

    Play detective. Discover what you're up against by talking to building personnel. Are bikes allowed in the building? In the elevator? If not, why? Can cyclists use the freight elevator? Who sets policy? Was there an incident involving a bicycle? What are the objections to bikes? This will prepare you to meet resistance with logic. Opposition to bike access is often based on misperception, not a reasonable weighing of problems and benefits. As for incentives, what incentives does your company offer motorists (e.g., free parking)? Transit users (free transit passes?)

    Set Up A Bicycle Users Group (BUG), a network of cyclists who work together to improve bicycle facilities.

    Start by talking to all potentially interested people in your workplace: cyclists, runners, skaters, athletes, and health- and environment- conscious people. Talk to people who work on other floors or for other companies nearby; approach anyone locking a bike in front of your workplace. If you're not sure who your allies are, post flyers, circulate a memo or electronic mail.

    Next, hold a meeting to discuss your needs. Is it secure bike storage? Showers and changing facilities? Financial incentives similar to those transit users and/or drivers get (a transportation allowance to be used for car parking, transit, or bicycle maintenance)? Maybe a group of you simply want to ride or do other events together. If approaching others isn't your style, you can certianly wage a one-person campaign; there have been successful ones. But joining forces with others is usually most effective.

    Make your case. Tom Fortmann of BBN advises bicyclists to go to building management (the person or people who set policy; forget the maintenance person). This may involve finding a high-ranking person from your company to negotiate access with management. Offer a reasonable plan that doesn't cost too much. Do some homework first; find someone who knows the physical set-up and rules. Locate where bikes could go without upsetting anyone. Then use the list of people who already ride, plus those who say they might do so if the facilities were better. Get them to write letters, cc the city or town Transportation or Public Works department, and follow up letters with phone calls.

    Be prepared to explain the benefits of bicycling: bicyclists don't get caught in traffic so are more punctual, not to mention healthy and productive, that bicycling reduces employees' travel expenses, and that it's good community relations - cleaner air and less traffic in the neighboring area. Every bike ridden reduces the area needed for parking cars (although that argument is weak in this climate, a number of bicycle commuters - about a fifth - ride all year). Point out that the company gets brownie points from various state and federal agencies for encouraging environmentally friendly modes of transport. Increasingly, companies will be required to implement Clean Air Act requirements, which call for reduced car commuting. And remember, companies like BBN have been doing this for years; they even highlight bike parking and showers in their recruiting literature! Contact EarthWorks TransportAction for a copy of our pamphlet explaining the benefits of bike commuting to employers.

    Once you've convinced them of the benefits of bicycle commuting, use reason and logic. For example, point out the faulty logic behind permitting hand trucks while prohibiting bikes in the freight elevator. If it's showers or changing areas you're after, here's where joggers, skaters, and even people who get sweaty lifting heavy loads during the day can help. At many companies, non-cyclists use the showers much more than cyclists! Cultivate these potential users as allies.

    Be constructive: Make it clear that you don't want to create problems. If you can't get in the front door, offer to use a freight elevator. Tell them you'd be satisfied with a policy that requires cyclists to wait for an empty elevator -- or whatever it takes to get a program started. Tell them about the many companies that welcome bike commuters; see below.

    Keep us posted: We want to report your success stories, and know about problems. This will help others gain access.

    Ride anyway: A nearby garage or building may offer bike parking, even if yours doesn't respond positively (we have a list).

    Appendix E -- Existing Bike to Work Programs

    As the construction on the Central Artery and Tunnel Project begins and the congestion on roadways statewide grows ever worse, many companies are looking to join the ranks of Boston-area employers who already promote bicycling as part of a comprehensive transportation plan. As many as 5,000 people bike to work in Cambridge alone, according to the state's Central Transportation Planning Staff. The companies and organizations below excel both in numbers of bike commuters and in encouragement.

    Boston Region Programs

    Longwood Medical and Academic Area (LMAA), Boston:

    Employees and students of the Longwood Medical and Academic Area (LMAA) have enjoyed the physical and economical benefits of bicycle commuting for a number of years, due to the encouragement and support provided by their employers. With over thirty bike racks and cages available throughout the area, and showers and lockers provided by the individual institutions, commuters certainly find bicycling an easy and viable means of getting to work.

    MASCO (Medical, Academic, and Scientific Community Organization), established by the fifteen institutions in the LMAA, oversees the CommuteWorks program, which helps students and employees plan their commute by informing them on mass transit options, ride sharing, walking and bicycling. To promote bicycling as an alternative to driving, MASCO organized a bike fair in September, 1993, with several hundred participants. Numerous bike shops and cyclist organizations provided workshops on bike safety and information on bike maintenance. Employees new to the area are informed of the full range of transportation possibilities in orientations presented monthly by MASCO at their place of employment. As a result of this encouragement, 1,000 (5%) of the 20,000 LMA employees bike to work. Contact: Adrienne Hall, 617-623-2310

    Mass. General Hospital:

    MGH/Commuter Services reports that 300 out of the 6,000 daytime employees bike to work (5%) in good weather, and a strong corps of 50 ride all winter. The hospital provides bike racks in a cage protected from the weather, next to the parking lot attendant. In 1993, they had the showers redone and clothes lockers added. The bike cage is conveniently located next to the showers. Researchers tend to bike more than the doctors and nurses. At present, only employees have access to the cage, and others (as well as some employees) lock to any signs or poles they can find, often blocking handicapped access ramps. As a result, MGH plans to provide visitor/patient bike parking. They are implementing a "Bike Buddy" matching service. Contact: Albert Bull or Fred Ames, 617-724-6588.

    South End Hospitals:

    Boston City Hospital and Boston University Medical Center also provides commuting assistance to students and employees through the Inter-Institutional Transportation Management Association (ITMA) in Boston's South End. The public/private organization which oversees commuter services formed a bike advisory committee in the spring of 1993 to address the needs of the over 170 cyclists helping ITMA reach its objective of reducing single occupant vehicle traffic. Contact: Maureen Flaherty, 617-638-7430.

    Bolt Beranek and Newman (BBN):

    In the mid-'70s, management asked several bike commuters how to get them to stop parking bikes in offices. The commuters helped design and the company erected a simple wooden shed against a concrete block wall in the parking lot behind the Moulton Street, Cambridge complex with a locked door accessible only to cyclists (see photo, right). There was some moaning and groaning about losing half a dozen car parking places, but that passed. Inside are 25-30 bike-root racks.

    At that time the shower facilities were primitive, but a new building included lockers and exercise rooms. When BBN acquired the building at 70 Fawcett Street, Cambridge with some indoor parking, a wire cage was provided for bikes, as well as locker/excercise facilities. Currently BBN bicyclists are working to improve the bike parking at the 150 CambridgePark Drive building, right next to Alewife Station at the end of the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway. Because current bike racks and lockers have caused problems, the solution of choice is another shed arrangement.

    BBN highlights bike parking and showers in its recruiting literature. For more info: Tom Fortmann, Vice President, BBN Systems and Technologies, 10 Moulton Street, Cambridge, MA 02138. Phone: (617)873-3521, Fax: (617)873-2794, Email: fortmann@bbn.com

    Optical Vision: Economic Incentives:

    As environmentally conscious as many people are, it is often the financial incentives which persuade many to leave their cars at home and take to the roads on bikes. At Optical Vision in Cambridge, employees are provided a transportation allowance of $125 per month, which is the monthly cost of parking at the company. Of twenty employees, only four choose to drive to work. Those employees who use alternatives have the benefit of saving the difference between their commuting cost and their transportation allowance, not to mention the costs associated with auto maintenance. It is hoped that larger employers will follow Optical Vision's example, or develop a voucher system that includes biking and walking. Contact: Dan Geer 617-374-3700.

    Outside the Boston Area

    Fleetwood Enterprises, Inc. in Riverside (Los Angeles area), has a bicycle commute incentive program that's hard to believe. Fleetwood supplies bicycle lockers, showers and clothes lockers. Employees who ride at least three days a week receive a helmet, headlamp, mirror and reflective vest. The company has a fleet of bicycles employees may borrow for up to 60 days to try bicycle commuting, and then may buy the bicycle at a discounted price. Fleetwood has also arranged for a 10% discount at a local bicycle shop for their bike commuters. The company will send a vehicle to pick up a bicyclist (with the bicycle) who's stranded because of a mechanical problem, and Fleetwood's own bicycle repair service will fix "minor" problems. The company bicycle club offers a matching service similar to car and van pool matching to match bicyclists up who might like to ride together, and especially to escort novice riders in to work. This is done simply, with a master map of everyone's route which new commuters can check to find a co-worker with a similar route. As a result of these programs, 11% of Fleetwood's 600 employees are registered to bike to work. Fleetwood's Transportation Coordinator is Roberta Holden, phone 909/351-3987 or FAX 909/351-3776.

    Ride matching for bicyclists: Sacramento RideShare includes a Buddy Bicyclist matching service. Contact for more info is Jeff Roenspie, bicycle specialist, at 916-327-0733. Mass. General Hospital also started a service during BTWW 1994 (see above).

    Appendix F -- A Few Resources on Bicycling

    A short reading list - check your bookstore for other titles.
  • Street Smarts - Bicycling's Traffic Survival Guide, by John Allen, Rodale Press, 1988. 39 pages. Available from the BTWW organizers or Rodale Press, Emmaus, PA 18098. Quantity discounts available. Good introduction to effective cycling techniques.
  • Effective Cycling, by John Forester, MIT Press, 1992. 344 pages. Available at bookstores; MIT Press bookstore, by Kendall T stop in Cmabridge, MA, often has discounted copies. Excellent detailed discussion.
  • Bicycle Touring Manual, Van der Plas, National Book Network, 1993. The author has written several other books on repair, mountain biking, etc.
  • Glenn's New Complete Bicycle Manual by Glenn, Coles, and Allen, Crown Press, 1986. Revised and edited by the Bicycle Coalition of Massachusetts' own John Allen. Focuses on repair, but has a good section on effective cycling techniques.
  • Anybody's Bike Book: An Original Manual of Bicycle Repairs, by Tom Cuthbertson, 10 Speed Press, 1984.
  • Short Bike Rides in Greater Boston and Central Massachusetts, by Howard Stone, Pequot Press, 1986. Over 100 recreational loops in rural, urban, and suburban Massachusetts.
  • Mountain Biker's Guide to Southern New England, by Paul Angiolilo, Falcon Press, 1993. 1-800-582-2665. 58 rides in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, companion to a book covering Northern New England rides.
  • Road Kill: How Solo Driving Runs Down the Economy, by Stephen H. Burrington, Conservation Law Foundation, May, 1994

    Electronic Resources

  • 1. On the World Wide Web, you can find Massachusetts bicycle information (including this Planning Guide) at URL http://tdc-www.harvard.edu/bicycle/massbike.html
  • MASSBIKE is an electronic mailing list for bicycle issues in Massachusetts - transportation, recreation, advocacy. To subscribe, send email to: massbike-request@cfa165.harvard.edu

    Appendix G -- BTWW Info Order Form

    Credits

    Bicycle Coalition of Massachusetts

    214A Broadway, Cambridge MA 02139, (617) 491-RIDE

    Conservation Law Foundation

    62 Summer St., Boston, MA 02110, (617) 350-0990

    EarthWorks TransportAction

    42 Robinwood Ave., Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, (617) 983-WIND

    Third Edition: March, 1995

    Layout: Kate Miller

    Written and Edited by: Bill Taylor, Bridget Chase, Toronto City Cycling Committee, Louise Bergeron, Jonathan Magaziner, Doug Mink, Alana Dudley, Jennifer Petzen, Terry O'Brien, Scott Banville, John Allen, Mark O'Sullivan, Annette Ramos, Liane Allen, Andrew Nicholson [Bike to Work Week 1995]