Two Wheeling

Who's Gonna Be Second?

I'm pleased to announce that my law firm, Calfee, Halter & Griswold, is the first CBus company to adopt the Eco-Buck Program. Starting tomorrow we'll pay employees $1 for each day they bike, walk, bus, blade or unicycle (I'd love to see that) to work.......this will help us and the environment get healthy at the same time.......it will also begin to heal and reconnect our community. Pioneered by the Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee, this little program will help us change the world.

Calfee also has adopted the "2 by 2012" BHAG ("big hairy audacious (or ass, depending on your temperment) goal").......that is, each of my Calfee colleagues will be aiming to bike, walk or transit to work 2 days per month, thereby doing his or her part to help us attain a 10% "mode shift" in the way we commute as a community. This will move us ahead of Portland, Oregon which, at a 7% mode shift, leads the country in green commuting. Columbus is currently at less than 1/2%  (many cities in Europe have a 20%-50% mode shift.) I hope to be able to report to Mayor Coleman by the end of this year that Cafee has reached or exceeded 2X2012, well ahead of schedule.

I am urging all central Ohio companies and organizations to follow our lead.......if we can do this, Columbus will be one of the greenest, most progressive cities in the US and you won't believe how young people, and companies, will flock here...........so, who's gonna be second?

You're Not Living, Unless You're Redlining!

I hate to say it 'cause I know it'll jinx me, but so far this has been a pretty wimpy winter.....although today wasn't wimpy............5 degrees when I left home, -10 with the wind chill. By the time I hit the University District, I was warm and toasty (other than my right thumb which always gets cold).........by the time I hit downtown I was downright hot and the cold breeze across my face provided welcome relief.

The human body is an amazing "machine"...........the specs are pretty incredible, really. It is certainly built to perform in conditions like we had this morning, but in our climate-controlled environment, not many of us have the chance to put our machines to the test, stomping the "pedal to the metal" and pushing the redline. On mornings like this, you definitely feel ALIVE!

I received the OK from Cleveland today for my office to adopt the Ecobuck program.......created by Ken Leinbach, the executive director of the Unrban Ecology Center in Milwaukee, this program pays an employee $1 for each day he/she bikes, walks or transits to work........carpooling nets an employee $.50. To my knowledge, we will be the first company in Columbus to have a program like this, but I'm hoping it catches on..........please let me know if your company is interested and I'll send you the materials.....it's really quite simple. Ecobucks can help us achieve our "2 by 2012" mode shift goal.

Take a Journey with me along High Street

When Beth and I grew up in Clintonville back in the 1960's few families had more than one car......hence the preponderance of one-car garages in our neighborhood. Not many moms worked outside the home and dads either took the car to work or rode the ubiquitous High Street #2 bus downtown or to the University. Every 2-3 miles along High Street there was a "village", i.e. a cluster of stores providing the essential goods and services that our families needed to get by..........a small grocery, hardware store, drugstore, post office, library, beauty shop, barber shop, movie theatre, tavern and restaurant, church, and occasionally a jewelry store and funeral home. Importantly, these shops were within walking distance of most of their patrons and our moms did.......walk.

These days, in the winter, I often use High Street to ride to and from my downtown office......unlike the bike path, HIgh Street is usually clear of snow and ice and is well lighted after dark. Although most of the shops of my childhood are long gone, superceded by the everyday low prices offered at the big box superstores, a few vestiges remain...........somehow hanging on.

And the "bones" of the villages are still there.........the buildings and structures......many have been adapted to other uses............dollar stores, coffee shops, plasma centers and antique shops.

Over the next several months, I'm going to take you for a journey along High Street and introduce you to some of the old and new shops and proprietors there..........and some of the memories. I hope to have photos to share with you, too. There are stories along HIgh Street that need to be shared and passed down.........stories of a community that was once connected. And there are new stories being created along High Street...........stories of the new immigrants to our community, stories of reinvention. As a community, I think we need to know these stories............and, in some ways, we need to go backwards before we can go forward.

Look for the first High Street story in the next week or so.   

A Curious Caravan

Riding this week has been wet, but warm......60 degrees on February 5 ain't bad. I've been nursing a pulled groin (it's been nagging me since my spill on black ice back in December)......I seem to keep reinjuring it........so Monday I decided to take it easy and ride nice and slow (which is hard for me, Mr. Type A).

I hate to admit that I was enjoying the leisurely pace when I stopped for the light at Hudson and High. A beat-up van pulled up next to me and a mid-Eastern woman rolled down the window and, in broken English, asked, "Where is 1795 South High Street?" Have you ever tried to explain the difference between NORTH High Street and SOUTH High Street to someone who doesn't speak English?........it's so simple a concept that it's virtually impossible to explain.......you laugh, but try to do it. I sure couldn't......certainly not in the 10-15 seconds before the light turned green. "Can I follow you?" the confused woman asked. I didn't know what to say so I just shrugged and said, "Sure."

So there I was, biking down HIgh Street with a beat up van driven by a mid-Eastern woman who couldn't speak English tailing no more than 10 feet behind.......an odd caravan, indeed. Despite my intentions, I sped up to my normal cruising speed of 20-22 mph so as not to hold the van back too much.......I could feel my groin beginning to ache.

When we passed Broad and High I pointed to the street numbers on the buildings, hoping that she would notice that they were starting to go up instead of down. I slowed down, pointed down South High Street and yelled, "Keep going! It'll be waaaay down this road on your right."

I guess I'll start my rehab rides tomorrow.

Man Down!

The ride in this morning was very pleasant......moderate temp, light drizzle.......the only slippery spots were the bridges and overpasses and then only if I got up on my pedals, leaned forward (taking the weight off the back wheel), and pushed too hard. When I got downtown I did witness a pedestrian take a nasty fall stepping off the curb onto the brick crosswalk at Gay and High......for some reason those bricks freeze first and thaw last and were slicker than snot....this woman went down really HARD! I crossed 5 lanes of traffic just as the light was changing to help her up (none of the "boxes" stopped to help her......it's very easy to ignore your fellow citizens in need when you're in a box, but not when you're on a bike)........she was shook up and will be bruised tomorrow, but will be OK.

Remember, 5 pm at the McKinley Statute tonight.......we'll leave at 5:10 sharp.....if you miss us (or are in a box today), we should be at PJ's Irish pub by 5:30 (for those not familiar with it, PJ's is on High Street,  just north of Dodridge and just south of the White Castle at Arcadia.) Hope to see you there!

Group Ride Home Starts This Friday

Starting this Friday, all bike commuters that work downtown and live up north (Short North, Victorian Village, Campus, Clintonville, Beechwold, Upper Arlington, Grandview, Worthington, Cleveland) are invited to join us each Friday at 5 pm in front of the State House for a group ride home. We'll meet at 5 pm at the McKinley Statute and leave at 5:10 sharp. We'll ride en masse up High Street and folks can peel off as we reach their neighborhood or turn off. Those interested and of legal age will likely detour through a neighborhood bar.

By doing this we will accomplish several things:

         1. Have some fun and fellowship (is that a chauvinistic word?....."peopleship" doesn't sound right).

         2. Publicize bicycle commuting along one of Columbus' main streets.

         3. Start changing the consciousness of our community.

Please try to join us........I imagine the group will be pretty small now, but will grow as the weather gets warmer. I hope to see you Friday!

It's a Balmy 26 Degrees on January 27

I'm headed to the office for a few hours this Sunday morning...........I told Beth I'd try to make it to church but probably not choir (sorry, Len). Coming off a week of riding in 6 degrees, the 26 degrees this morning feels like a heat wave. Only item of note on the ride in..........long line of mostly African American citizens waiting for the plasma bank to open at Hudson and High........on Sunday morning (if you could see me, I'm shaking my head).

I've come to embrace winter riding, the colder the better (just no ice)..........I love it when I start riding and the cold takes my breath away, my teeth hurt and the tears freeze in the corners of my eyes.........it only lasts a moment until the "heater" warms everything up and it becomes nice and toasty in my insulated suit.

Being out in the climate, day in and day out, makes me feel connected to the environment.........I feel like I'm part of the weather.......I don't judge it and it doesn't give a damn about me.

What exactly is "good" weather? Is it 72 degrees and sunny skies........with no rain or snow? Apparently that's what the majority of Americans believe, flocking to Florida, Arizonia and southern California to play golf and lay on the beach that replenishes our acquifers and makes the winter wheat grow (without irrigation) and in which the greatest hardwood forests of world sprout and grow without human intervention.  I vote for the latter and would submit that San Diego, Phoenix and Las Vegas can only "dream" about having weather this perfect.....without irrigation and air conditioning they would return to arid deserts. The weather doesn't exist for our comfort and pleasure..........it's part of an amazing cycle that is wondrous and magical to behold. Come twowheeling with me and you'll begin to understand.   

Riding in a Winter Wonderland!

It looks like we're in for some real winter weather over the next few days.........just the ticket for an ICE BIKER! I decided to trade the road bike for the trusty old hybrid this morning.......it has wider tires with a bit more tread and, most important, I don't clip in......that way, if I hit a patch of ice, I have a chance to get a foot down in time.

Temp when I left home was 22 degrees.....with windchill it was closer to 10.........and the wind was right in my face the whole way. You'll think I'm nuts when I tell you that it was a very pleasant ride.....thanks to Beth and the kids, I have the right clothes that keep me just as warm as my friends are in their "boxes".

There was about an inch of snow on the bike path, but I didn't have any problem with traction......and I could see from the tire tracks that there were at least a dozen other intrepid riders who were braving the weather to ride to work today. I overtook another rider near the University......."Ah, another nut out today, eh?" I called to him, "Where're you headed?" "Battelle," he replied, "I'm a project manager there." We had a nice conversation that went like this:

Me: "Where do you commute from?"    Brian: "Near Antrim Lake."

Me: "How long have you been riding?"  Brian: "Three years."

Me: "Notice any difference?"                Brian: "Which one?"

Me: "Ha, how about your health."         Brian: "The first year I rode, I lost 17 pounds. The second year I got busy at work and couldn't ride and put all the weight back on. I started riding again right before the holidays and the weight's starting to come off again."

Me: "How many days do you ride per week?"  Brian: "I average 2-3 days per week."

Brian: "Here's where I head off."            Me: "Nice to meet you.....hope to see you again."

I had another surprise on my ride in today.......when I reached the Confluence Restaurant and looked down at the river I saw 3 pairs of hooded mergansers...........I had seen one pair in the same location last winter, but had not seen them since. They are beautiful birds.....I will try to find a photo to post for you.

When I rode through the downtown, I observed all the pedestrians huddled against the cold wind. I was warm as toast and felt great. Am I crazy for thinking that the start of my day is awesome when I can twowheel to work?

      

Bicentennial Bikeway Goal: "2 by 2012"

Last year Mayor Coleman held a press conference to announce his support for biking and his plan for expanding and improving Columbus' bikeway system. He also vowed to create "complete streets" that are safe for biking. The City retained Alta, the top bikeway consulting firm in the U.S. to create the plan and last month the 238-page Draft Plan was released for comment. Alta is incorporating the feedback and will be releasing the Final Plan this spring (in fact, we're hoping to deliver the plan to City Hall via bike). The Mayor has pledged to include funding ($50 million) for the Bicentennial Bikeway Plan in the Bicentennial Bond package (Note to biking community: we MUST be vigilent to ensure that the Mayor makes good on his promise.)

The Bicentennial Bikeway Plan will also include a goal: that by 2012 ten percent of the commutes in Columbus will be by bike, walking or other alternate transportation, i.e. something other than an automobile. Currently, commutes by alternate transportation are less than 1%. This is an incredibly bold goal for a city in the heart of the Rustbelt where it's citizens have had a long, torrid love affair with their cars. Our city has been built on the premise that every citizen over the age of 15 would use an automobile for everyday transportation........to the point where we don't even build sidewalks any more. We now have more automobiles than licensed drivers and more Columbus citizens live outside the 270 outerbelt than inside the outerbelt. Changing this will not be fast or easy, but for the sake of our environment, our health and our community we must.

How, in practical terms, do we reach this 10% goal? Well, if you figure there are 20 working days in a month, it means you have to ride a bike to work 2 days per month. "Is that all?", my non-biking friends ask........"I think I can do that."  I have several friends, including bankers, lawyers and judges, who plan to begin bike commuting 2 days per week in the spring. You can do it, too!! The Bicentennial Bikeway Plan will ensure that you have a safe way to ride to work and we are beginning to educate employers on what they can do to accomodate and encourage bicycle commuting. Once you begin to bike to work you will get hooked and want to do it everyday. The tipping point is a lot closer than we think.

I realize there are many hurdles and impediments to accomplishing this bold goal........but isn't that true of any goal that effects real change? That's why we'll start with "baby steps"......"2 by 2012". You don't have to ride every day, you don't have to ride in bad weather...........just ride 2 days per month.......and we'll see where it takes us. I GUARANTEE it will be to a better place. Let's go!!!!!! You'll be hearing a lot more about this in the months ahead. Power to the pedal!

Everyday's a Bad Hair Day

Wow!.........who'd believe 65 degrees on January 7? It's surreal to be riding down the bikepath in early January with your senses registering like it's late spring or early fall. There were lots of riders out today.......on the other side of OSU I came up on fellow commuter and good friend, Anker Bell. Anker is a partner at the Vorys law firm and bike commutes regularly from his home in Worthington, about a 30 mile round trip. Anker was one of the folks who convinced me 6 years ago that it WAS INDEED POSSIBLE to commute using a twowheeler.

Anker and I talked and rode the last few miles together.........with the warm weather the path was wet and muddy. At one point I got behind Anker and the mud flying off his rear wheel hit me in the face......I quickly changed position.