Chattanooga: Pedaling away from octane ouch

From the Chattanooga Free Press, 05.26.08:

Anthony Green’s 13-mile commute from northern Hamilton County to the federal building downtown takes about an hour one way every morning.

No, he hasn’t found some awful stretch of road with horrible traffic. The 47-year-old federal probation officer rides a bicycle to work to save money, improve his health and protect the environment, he said. “I’ve been doing this for about seven and a half years,” Mr. Green said. “I haven’t bought gas on a regular basis in so long, I don’t even realize how much I’m saving.”

Mr. Green is part of a larger movement to abandon cars, or at least to use them less often, as the price of gas rises toward $4 a gallon. Bike riders say they’re parking their cars to reduce some of the pain at the gas pump, but the appeal of improved health doesn’t hurt.

Mr. Green said he got his start before anyone offered such classes. He saw a neighbor commuting to work on a bicycle and became curious. Now, he can’t see himself going back to commuting in a car, he said.

“You get to enjoy all the things you can’t experience in your car,” Mr. Green said. “This time of year you can smell all the honeysuckle."

Then there are the birds. “You don’t realize all you are missing in your car.” (Read more.)

Another great article and video, acknowledging the economic and environmental benefits of bike commuting, but with a great emphasis on the joy of it. Try bike commuting for the fuel savings; persist for the sheer fun of it.

Image: Andy Singer.
Visit: A Bicycle Friendly City: Q&A with Outdoor Chattanooga, Chattarati
Visit: Bike Chattanooga.
Visit: Paul Dorn's Bike Commuting Tips Site