Wisconsin residents start pedaling

From the Beloit Daily News (Wisconsin), 05.26.07:

Pedalers finding way to pass up gas pumps
As the gas prices keep climbing, some rebels are pulling out their bicycles or mopeds in revolt. Despite the occasional bug splat, freedom from the pump has never tasted sweeter.

Tony Cerniglia, a 28-year-old paraeducator at Merrill Elementary School, had a bike sitting around, but wasn't riding it much. With prices going up towards the $4 a gallon mark, Cerniglia said it was time to get on the bike.

The first time Cerniglia boarded his bike, it took him 25 minutes to get from South Beloit to Merrill Elementary School

"It was nice hearing the sounds of the morning like the chatter of birds or cars moving around," Cerniglia said. "I took a little side route, by Beloit College--places you can't go with a car."

When he sailed in the school playground, the kids came screaming. "They all think it's so cool," Cerniglia said. (Read more.)

This article interviews a pair of local bicyclists, and also a scooter convert. Gas prices seem to be the motivation du jour, and fuel prices are very unlikely to decline over the next decade.

Image: OldOnliner. Bicyclist near Rock River in Beloit, Wisconsin.
Visit: Paul Dorn's Bike Commuting Tips Site