Putting the pedals to the pavement
by Ryn Gargulinski on Apr. 10, 2008, under Body, Local, SpecialTucsonans encouraged to bike to work Friday
The Mares family rides on North Tucson Boulevard near East Speedway Boulevard on Wednesday. The family commutes to school and work together once a week. From left are dad Marty Mares, with son Max, 3, and daughter Brodie, 8 months (in tow in the cart); son Marcus, 6; and Marty's wife, Christine. Marty rides his bike to work daily.
Jennifer Psillas, 38, hadn’t been on a bicycle in 20 years.
Mimi Zoll, 39, just started biking to work last week.
Marty Mares, 42, vowed to bike to work every day this year. He’s only missed three days so far.
These Tucsonans will join hundreds of other pedal pushers who will cruise to work Friday on two wheels instead of four.
They will be participating in the annual Bike 2 Work Day, part of Tucson’s Clean Air Days and Bike Fest, which includes two Friday morning bicycle fairs and discounts at nine area bike shops through April 19.
The fairs run from 7 to 9 a.m. in two locations: downtown in front of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library and on the East Side at the Bristol Coffeebus, 5601 E. Broadway.
Bicycle-friendly regional improvements, free safety classes, high gas prices, getting in shape and improving a polluted environment are all reasons to hop on a bicycle rather than get behind the wheel of a car.
But is it safe?
Tucson police statistics and Citizen archives show two bicycle fatalities within city limits this year, and one each in 2006 and 2007.
In unincorporated Pima County, there have been no bicycle fatalities this year and there was one in 2007, archives show.
Statewide, 29 people died and 1,514 were injured in bicycle accidents in 2006, the most recent year for which Arizona Department of Transportation statistics are available.
Mares saw one of those fatalities firsthand several years ago, when his friend was sideswiped by a car while they were bicycling in Flagstaff.
“The car hit him and killed him instantly,” he said. “He died right in my arms, essentially.”
Yet Mares keeps on biking daily, and with his wife and three small children at least once a week.
He said being extra cautious, and wearing bright clothing, a helmet and protective eye gear, are musts. He also gives cars plenty of space and never plugs into an MP3 player so he can hear what’s going on around him.
“Don’t be afraid of the statistics,” he said. “If we all stayed home under the covers, we’d all be safe, but we wouldn’t be living.”
Mares’ strong urge to bicycle in Tucson started as an act of defiance.
He got a job in Tucson and moved here without a car, and with his parents warning that he’d never survive without one.
“I was going to prove a point to my parents,” he said. “I was going to prove I could do it.”
He lived his first seven years in Tucson with a bicycle as his only transportation.
Mares’ said his triathlete lifestyle, which includes running every morning and swimming every day at noon, would not be complete unless he biked the 10 miles to work every day.
“I think my kids think I ride a bicycle for a living,” he said. “They are very enthusiastic about walking and biking. They think everybody does it.”
Even though they have three small children, the family has always owned only one car.
Zoll started biking to work eight days ago after being hounded by her husband and son.
Her husband is Matt Zoll, manager of the Pima County Bicycle and Pedestrian Program, and her son may be the only 16-year-old in Tucson who is urging his family to sell its second car, rather than trying to borrow it for the weekend.
“I finally gave in,” Zoll said of her husband’s and son’s urging. Her son, Charles, who is a student at Tucson High Magnet School where she teaches Spanish, bikes the four miles with her every morning.
“I was convinced by the high price of gas,” she said, “and the fact that my husband and son convinced me it was safe, it would be easy, and took me on the route beforehand.”
For those who do not have a family full of bicycle enthusiasts, a Pima County program offers “bicycle ambassadors” who will help map out a safe route to work or school.
It’s too late to get a route planned for Friday, but appointments can be set up by calling 243-BIKE or attending one of the county’s free bicycle commuting classes.
More bicycle routes also will be available because of the $2.1 billion Regional Transportation Authority plan voters approved in 2006.
An additional 550 miles of bike lanes, paths and signed bike routes will be added to the Tucson region over the next 20 years, said senior transportation planner Gabe Thum.
A total of $20 million was targeted for shared-use paths and $20 million for on-street bike lanes that include closing those gaps where bike lanes disappear, then then start up again.
In addition, Thum said, other roadway improvement projects under the plan will incorporate bike paths.
Some roadways that already offer good bicycling include Third Street, Mountain Avenue and along Barraza-Aviation Parkway, said Tom Thivner, Tucson’s bicycle and pedestrian coordinator.
Roadways weren’t what persuaded Psillas to hop on a bike after two decades. Getting off her couch did.
“I’m trying to get in shape,” she said. “I’m also an eco-conscious person and any amount I can reduce pollution and help my pocketbook, the better.”
She did a practice ride for the five miles she’s going to bike to work Friday and was exhilarated.
“It was fun,” she said. “I felt like a kid again. I haven’t ridden a bike in a long time and I didn’t crash. I was more fit than I thought I was.”
For those who are still not inclined to hop on a bike, Jan McDonald offers one more solution.
McDonald, 55, started riding five miles to work about 2 1/2 years ago. After about six months, her knees started giving her problems.
She bought an electric bicycle for about $1,000, or about as much as some high-end road bikes. She still gets her exercise, but without straining her joints because she can use the electric power to supplement her pedaling.
“If I don’t pedal, I don’t move,” she said.
Electric-powered bicycles have the same road rules as standard bicycles as long as the bicycles can also be self-propelled and travel at speeds less than 20 mph.
“I’m surprised at how few of these bikes I see,” McDonald said. “It’s a good answer for those who want to bike but may otherwise be unable.”
Her electric bike also shaves off the last of her excuses.
“If I had weight to carry, I’d be more inclined to take the car. If it was windy . . . if I wasn’t feeling up to it, I’d be more inclined to take the car.”
Now she’s more inclined to bike. And her knees haven’t bothered her one bit.
'Don't be afraid of the statistics. If we all stayed home under the covers, we'd all be safe, but we wouldn't be living.'
MARTY MARES,
shown bicycling with (from left) son Marcus, 6, and his wife, Christine. Mares has son Max, 3, and daughter Brodie, 8 months, in tow.
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COMMUTERS BY THE NUMBERS:
3: percent of Tucsonans who bike to work
15: percent of residents of Japan who bike to work
50: percent of residents of the Netherlands who bike to work
77: percent of residents of China who bike to work
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BY THE NUMBERS
The Tucson region has:
7.5 miles of bike/bus lanes
72 miles of shared-use paths
100 miles of signed bike routes
520 miles of on-street bikeways
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CALORIES BURNED
While biking, per hour, with a body weight of 150:
270
At less than 10 mph
408
At 10-11.9 mph
544
At 12-13.9 mph
680
At 14-15.9 mph
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CLASSES
Free safety classes, which come with a free helmet and other safety gear, are offered by Pima County’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Program. For more information or a schedule, visit the Web Site www.bikeped.pima.gov or call 243-BIKE.
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ON THE WEB
City of Tucson’s Department of Transportation Bicycle and Pedestrian Program
http://dot.ci.tucson.az.us/bicycle
Clean Air Days 2008
Bike Fest 2008
http://dot.tucsonaz.gov/bikefest
Pima County Bicycle and Pedestrian Program
