Shreveport: The sign says to bike!

From the Shreveport Times, 06.07.08:

More ways than cars to get around town
Cars and trucks and SUVs aren't the only options of transport in a time when my weekly gas budget is more expensive than my grocery budget. Carpooling with friends, riding the painted Sportran buses or riding a bike are several alternate forms of transportation to use that could cut down on the number of trips by car.

I'm not alone in finding other ways to save on gas. Ian Webb, owner of River City Cycling & Fitness, and Gene Eddy, general manager of SporTran, both told me the number of people riding bikes and buses has increased. Eddy said ridership on the buses has increased by seven percent this year, and Webb said May was his best month ever, selling 95 bicycles, one-third of those commuter bikes...

So if you don't want to decide between paying for groceries, prescriptions or gas, take the bus or a bike. (Read more.)

There's a very interesting nugget in this op-ed by a Louisiana Tech intern. A bike shop owner in Shreveport is selling signs--presumably like the one pictured here--to send a message to "Share the Road."

The bike industry might take a cue from this. Mass distributed yard signs promoting bicycling at this gas price crunch might do far more than a 100 full-page ads in Bicycling Magazine to get people to consider using a bike for more of their travel needs. Billboards along congested roads might be even better.

In terms of visibility, bicycle commuters ourselves have always been the best communication to gas-strapped motorists--providing inspiration, encouragement, and example.

Image: Shreveport Times. Ian Webb, owner of River City Cycling & Fitness.
Visit: Bicycling against car culture, Bike Commute Tips Blog
Visit: Paul Dorn's Bike Commuting Tips Site