It’s as Easy as Riding a Bike!

We all want a cleaner, greener planet, sometimes we just aren’t sure how to do our part to achieve it.

We hear about recycling, planting trees, or considering switching over to solar energy. I’m here to tell you that we can all help save the planet and it is as easy as riding a bike! No, seriously, riding bikes can help make big strides in our efforts to combat climate change!

Clear the Air

Riding a bike instead of driving a car or taking the bus can reduce the amount of pollution in the air. Cars emit high levels of carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming.

High traffic areas can also be filled with noise, riding a bike can reduce some of the noise we hear in busier areas of our communities. I’m sure mothers living near high traffic areas with brand new babies would certainly appreciate our efforts to keep the noise at a minimum!

Cleaner air means a healthier planet for us and the wildlife we love!

A Healthier You Equals a Healthier Planet

Riding a bike can help lower your risk of cardiovascular disease, help with depression, arthritis and correct balance and posture.

Choosing to bike over driving can help improve our heart and lung circulation, helping us get into better shape and breathe a whole lot easier!

Exploring Our Own Backyard

Riding a bike can also help you become more familiar with your hometown!

Biking through trails, on sidewalks, in parks, and around the neighborhood can help you discover hidden jewels you never knew existed. The next time you want to hop in the car and go around the corner, opt for a bike instead, you never know what adventure awaits in you!

A Good Source of Family Fun

Need something fun and entertaining to do with the family on a budget? A bike ride across town is free and gives you the opportunity to have some bonding time without the distraction of debating which songs to listen to on the radio.

full bike rack
Students ride bikes to and from school. Credit: Oregon Department of Transportation

It’s also an excellent opportunity to teach children traffic rules, bike safety, and navigation. Check out this blog from the National Wildlife Federation from a father in Virginia who wanted to start a bike rack program and ended up teaching children how bike riding can be a safe, fun adventure for all!

Electric Bikes Help, Too

The city of Rialto, California was recently awarded $1 million dollars to launch an electric bike sharing program under an innovative new statewide program aimed at making it cleaner, easier, healthier and cheaper for Californians to get from point A to point B.

The Clean Mobility Options Voucher Pilot Program (CMO) is a statewide initiative that provides funding for zero-emission shared mobility options to under-resourced communities in California. CMO is available throughout California to eligible disadvantaged communities, as well as eligible low-income tribal and affordable-housing communities, to increase access to safe, reliable, convenient, and affordable transportation options.

The program will help the City meet its clean air goals, provide an affordable and accessible form of transportation and make it easier for residents to access public transportation.

“We’re honored to receive this funding and to be able now to aggressively implement our bike share program,” said Mayor Deborah Robertson, who is also a member of the African American Mayors Association. “Using bicycles as a means of transportation has grown in popularity as communities try to create more balanced and sustainable transportation systems. Our bike share program represents a giant step forward in eliminating mobility barriers and creating greater equity throughout the City.”

So the next time you wonder how you can do your part to help the planet, remember it’s as easy as riding a bike!