From The Montgomery County Sentinel (Maryland), 06.29.07:More county residents commuting by bicycleA generally favorable article from suburban D.C., illustrating how improved facilities are a great encouragement to prospective bike commuters.
As fuel prices rise and more accommodations and resources are available to Prince George's cyclists, those in the cycling world say that more people in the area are commuting by bicycle.
"When gas prices first went up two years ago, people who already owned bikes were digging them out of the garage," said Jill Dimauro of Proteus Bicycles in College Park. "This year we've noticed people buying bikes that didn't own them before with the intent of commuting."
"There is definitely a big pressure to create more walk-able and bike-able communities. It is getting better," said George Branyan, pedestrian program coordinator with the D.C. Department of Transportation.
"It amazes me when I pass cars stuck into the traffic jam," said Branyan, who sees bicycling to work as a great way to save money and get exercise. He sold his family's second car when he started commuting by bicycling. "We should all be riding bikes. It's amazing how much it would save and help people's health." (Read more.)
Image: Ken Fletcher/Montgomery County Sentinel. Maryland bike commuter Julie Wolf.
Visit: Paul Dorn's Bike Commuting Tips Site
Sounds great, but we're nowhere near The Netherlands yet. Also, the image doesn't help. The impression is that to bike commute you need a high-performance road bike, lots of gear, and a shower at work. Nobody rides city bikes in regular clothes, it's quite sad.
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