Today is National Bike to Work Day, and as you can see I did that. Bike to Work Week, like work itself, is very strange in this year of the pandemic. Today the City of Cedar Rapids announced that Bike to Work Week festivities are postponed until September 21-27. I hope that can actually occur! I know that my employer, Coe College, is considering a variety of exigencies for fall semester, and it's really difficult to plan in this contagious and unpredictable time.
Meanwhile, some larger cities, including Minneapolis and St. Paul, have experimented during the pandemic with closing some streets to cars to allow more room for cyclists and pedestrians. West River Parkway has seen a 44% increase in those activities this year! And it's not just about fun, as Chuck Marohn of Strong Towns advises:
The quickest way to free up private capital within the community is to make it possible for individuals and families to not have to own and operate a motor vehicle. A family that can shift from two vehicles to one saves thousands each year, money they can redirect to more urgent needs.
(See also his "The Strong Towns Approach to Public Investment" which commends "little bets" in public improvements, which often can include cycling and pedestrian infrastructure.)
Here in Cedar Rapids this morning,I'm alone with my work and my memories.... of past Bike to Work Weeks!
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| 2019: Mayor Hart reads the official proclamation in front of Jimmy Z's |
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| 2018: In Washington, D.C. which only celebrates for one day |
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| 2017: Nikki Northrop Davidson leads "Bike to Work 101" at the CR Metro Economic Alliance |
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| 2016: Tony Burnett adjusts my brakes at a pit stop by Red Ball Printing |
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| 2015: Snacks and swag at the 1st Avenue pit stop |
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| 2014: Wrap Up Party at Brick's Bar and Grill |
LAST YEAR'S POST: "Bike to Work Week Diary 2019," 13 May 2019... includes links to previous posts. [NOTE: If anyone has or can take a picture of the special commemorative bikeshare shirt, I would be grateful!]
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