National Bike to Work Week

This week is national bike to work week and we're encouraging residents to bike to work , and let us know their bike commuting destinations, their mileage, and their experiences. Below is what we've heard from area bike commuters. Total mileage for the week was 363 miles. Please send in your bike commuting info and stories. Food for thought: for every gallon of gasoline that is consumed, approximately 24 pounds of global warming pollutants are released into the air. By biking 363 miles and not driving, we released approximately 430 less pounds of global warming pollutants into the air (assuming gas mileage of 20 mpg).

Bike-Ped Alliance member Alan Mann
"I live in Princeton and work at the university. Although my round trip distance is only 8 miles, I try to do this every day, winter and summer regardless of the weather. I calculate that in a given year, my commuting mileage is about 1600 miles, but if I factor in the use of my bicycle for shopping and other short trips, the yearly total is closer to 2200 miles. In the approximately five years I have lived in the Princeton area and commuted by bike, I have been involved in very few dangerous situations. For me, the most serious problem is being 'doored' by drivers opening their doors directly in front of me. This is especially true on Nassau street where it is necessary to ride close to the parked cars."

Bike-Ped Alliance member Sylvia Ascarelli.
"I biked five days, 10 miles roundtrip, so 50 miles. It was also the first time I've been cut off by a schoolbus (impatient to make a right turn -- as if we don'thave to slow down and stop for them!). And if anyonereading the blog has any influence with Amtrak orMiddlesex County, it would be great if they could clear the crud off the Amtrak bridge on Schalks Crossing (Co. Rd. 683) and then repave it properly.(I've called Plainsboro and haven't had any luck getting someone from Middlesex County roads on thep hone)"

West Windsor resident Kevin Townsend
"I usually ride 50 to 70 round trip (1.5-2 hrs each way) 3 days a week ( e.g. 130, 27 or the canal towpath), 150-200 commuting each week. I have adapted using trucking routes with wide and continuous shoulders as safer and faster than less traveled roads which tend to have no or less than 2 ft shoulders. I also take back roads occaisionally for longer rides, but usually researve those for the weekends.

Bike-Ped Alliance Member- Ken Naglak
Ken has an 11 mile commute to his work in Jamesburg. On Tuesday he took the long way and biked 35 miles (to get in extra training miles for the Anchor House Ride for Runaways). Ken often bikes to work.

Bike-Ped Alliance Member- Dan Rappaport
Dan lives in Princeton and works at Forrestal, a 5.5 mile commute. For the week, Dan biked 23 miles in ntotal, including getting caught in a bad rainstorm on Wednesday (weather being one of those hard to control variables of bike commuting- always an adventure!).

Bike-Ped Alliance Trustee-Daryl McMillan
Daryl bike commutes to his work in Plainsboro, a round trip of 10 miles, and he's aiming for bike commuting twice a week. He's got one day in this week so far. He's training for the Anchor House Ride for the Runaways, and is trying to put on as many miles as he can.

Bike-Ped Alliance Vice-President Chris Scherer
Chris rides from his home in Lambertville to his work on Rt. 571 in East Windsor, a distance of 25 miles. He bikes through West Windsor of course, on his route, and was up to last year, a resident of Millstone Road so he knows the local roads very well. Like Kevin above, Chris is a hard core bike commuter, making multiple trips a week, and rides throughout the winter. Chris biked 35 miles on Monday to work and part of the way back, but unfortunately is not feeling well which curtailed his riding.

Bike-Ped Alliance President Ken Carlson
I work at BMS in Pennington and usually bike 2 days a week to work although this year I am trying for 3 days a week. This week I have biked Monday and Tuesday. It's 15 miles each way, and takes about an hour. I cross Route 1 at Washington Road, which is ironically the safest way to cross Route 1 in town. The best part of my ride is biking on Pretty Brook Road in Princeton and Bayberry Road in Hopewell. The worst part is biking on Pennington Rocky Hill road near work where there is no shoulder and the cars are traveling at 40-50mph. This early in the season, I could clearly feel that I wasn't as fresh on day two (climbing hills especially) as I was on day one!