Caltrans issued the following press release:
Bishop – The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), US Forest Service, Northern Inyo Hospital and Inyo County have joined forces to support National Bike-To-Work week to be held on May 13th – 18th, 2013. With biking being an affordable form of transportation, fun and easy way to achieve better health; Bike to Work Week has become an event that the four agencies have struck up a friendly competition challenging their employees to ride their bicycles to work.
Bicycling can be used for commuting, shopping, errands, or recreation. Nearly 50 percent of all trips are less than three miles, 40 percent are less than two miles, and 28 percent are less than one mile. The average commute distance is 11 miles. Instead of using a car for these trips, why not try bicycling?
Last year, more than 13% of the employees of the participating agencies registered and participated in the annual event. Organizer Rick Franz with Caltrans is challenging everyone to get involved and take home the coveted perpetual trophy for the most percentage of employee participation. The event will kick off on Friday, May 10th at 10:00 with a bike tune up at the Caltrans district office located at 500 S. Main Street here in Bishop. During the week of May 13th, participants will log their bike miles and will turn in their totals on Friday, May 17 th at the Bishop City Park during the noon hour.
Studies have shown that of those who tried commuting by bicycle for the first time during “May is Bike Month,” 32 percent continued to do so six months later. Bicycling provides many benefits such as: improving individual physical and mental health, decreasing the amount of pollutants added to the environment per trip, decreasing commute costs, and decreasing traffic congestion. Bicycling can be a pleasant, safe, efficient, and healthy commute option.
Sponsors of this event are Arrowhead Cycle, Value Sports, Bishop Trophy & Engraving and Bishop Chamber of Commerce.
If you would like to get involved, call Rick Franz with Caltrans at 760-872-5203, Erin Noesser with US Forest Service at 760-873-2545, Cheryl Underhill with Northern Inyo Hospital at 760-873-2153 or Karen Kong with Inyo County at 760-872-0900.
I think you guys need to relax and live a little. You’re more likely to get in a car accident driving your car to work then you are riding your bike to work. Having lived in the OV my whole life, I heard of countless car accidents, but I can… Read more »
Mark…I was thinking the same thing….Riding a bike or a motorcycle on HWY.395 is literally an accident waiting to happen.
The way people drive their vehicles I would never put my life in their hands by riding my bike anywhere near them.
No thanks, I’ll stick to the dirt trails.