I’d like to be healthier and burn less gasoline by riding my bike to work, but our roads are not bicycle friendly. Most of the roads in Southeast Virginia have little or no shoulder and they’re edged with gravel dust that can pitch your bike into the ditch and you into the path of a truck. Furthermore, some drivers are downright mean to bicyclists. This tyranny of the automobile fleeces us of the benefits of physical and mental health, environmental and economic improvement, and good strategy in the “war on terror”. It’s downright un-American not to share the road.
Whenever politicians address the American obesity epidemic, they mostly discuss junk food in school cafeterias, which is important. However, much more needs to be done to address the sedentary citizenry. In Virginia the only physical education requirement for the entire 4 years of high school is 2 PE credits. With standards so low, cars to take us everywhere, and more entertainment at the touch of a button than ever, we are compromised yet we don’t realize it.
Imagine if kids had safe bike lanes and pedestrian greenways to school. That would take a bite out of obesity. As it is, our local schools don’t provide bike racks for locking up, because they don’t want to encourage the dangerous behavior of kids actually riding their bikes to school. Frankly, I’m glad because it is too dangerous.
This is unfortunate because we’re missing out on some major benefits. Physical activity improves one’s mood, reduces risk of chronic disease, improves sleep, and strengthens your heart and lungs.
Physical activity is also mentally healthful, in that it improves executive brain function. Linked to the frontal cortex, executive brain function guides complex behavior, decision-making and response control. Regular exercise is also associated with fewer incidences of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Whenever politicians address the American obesity epidemic, they mostly discuss junk food in school cafeterias, which is important. However, much more needs to be done to address the sedentary citizenry. In Virginia the only physical education requirement for the entire 4 years of high school is 2 PE credits. With standards so low, cars to take us everywhere, and more entertainment at the touch of a button than ever, we are compromised yet we don’t realize it.
Imagine if kids had safe bike lanes and pedestrian greenways to school. That would take a bite out of obesity. As it is, our local schools don’t provide bike racks for locking up, because they don’t want to encourage the dangerous behavior of kids actually riding their bikes to school. Frankly, I’m glad because it is too dangerous.
This is unfortunate because we’re missing out on some major benefits. Physical activity improves one’s mood, reduces risk of chronic disease, improves sleep, and strengthens your heart and lungs.
Physical activity is also mentally healthful, in that it improves executive brain function. Linked to the frontal cortex, executive brain function guides complex behavior, decision-making and response control. Regular exercise is also associated with fewer incidences of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Exercise enhances social health as well. There’s camaraderie among bicyclists. Whenever I ride a trail, fellow bicyclists are usually cordial, since we’re all outside together and not de-personalized in our cars. Probably the endorphins help also.
Besides, Mother Earth would breathe a huge sigh of relief if we decided to ride bikes more. How many billions of gallons less gas? My conservative back of the envelope calculation yields 39 billion gallons per year, or about 778 billion pounds of carbon dioxide per year.
Besides, Mother Earth would breathe a huge sigh of relief if we decided to ride bikes more. How many billions of gallons less gas? My conservative back of the envelope calculation yields 39 billion gallons per year, or about 778 billion pounds of carbon dioxide per year.
Car exhaust is nasty. Not only does it contain a lot of poisonous carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, but it’s also full of corrosive NOX gases that rain as acid, kill trees, and dissolve ancient statues.
Recently, there was an editorial from the associated press where health and environmental issues were connected. They analyzed the benefits of Americans walking to work. Here’s an excerpt:
“Health experts and climate scientists propose that we can fix the obesity epidemic and cut carbon emissions at the same time if all Americans walk for half an hour a day instead of drive. The payoffs, they note, are huge, but they concede they are unlikely to happen.”
Speaking of payoffs, if we rode our bikes to work and school it would make good strategic sense in the war on terror. Pedestrian access could reduce our dependence on foreign oil, which would hit our enemies in their pocket books. More importantly, our increased mental, societal, physical and environmental well being would strengthen us in the face of our shadowy foe.
Speaking of pocket books, check out the one on this guy. Oil rich Prince Walid bin Talal of Saudi Arabia just paid $300 million for a brand new Airbus for him and his entourage.
Recently, there was an editorial from the associated press where health and environmental issues were connected. They analyzed the benefits of Americans walking to work. Here’s an excerpt:
“Health experts and climate scientists propose that we can fix the obesity epidemic and cut carbon emissions at the same time if all Americans walk for half an hour a day instead of drive. The payoffs, they note, are huge, but they concede they are unlikely to happen.”
Speaking of payoffs, if we rode our bikes to work and school it would make good strategic sense in the war on terror. Pedestrian access could reduce our dependence on foreign oil, which would hit our enemies in their pocket books. More importantly, our increased mental, societal, physical and environmental well being would strengthen us in the face of our shadowy foe.
Speaking of pocket books, check out the one on this guy. Oil rich Prince Walid bin Talal of Saudi Arabia just paid $300 million for a brand new Airbus for him and his entourage.
The bicycle is the new “smart bomb”. This project needs money, and more importantly, the awareness and willpower of society. The politicians won’t do it for us. They just squabble over how to pay for yet another lane on the interstate.
Here’s a chance to save ourselves, save the environment, save the economy, and win the war on terror. Practically, it’s a no-brainer. Realistically, it will be hard.
We’ve overcome bigger obstacles in our short history as a nation, and we can overcome this. I only hope that we don’t have to degenerate too much before we realized the new “smart bomb” is right in the garage. We just need the pedestrian friendly infrastructure to implement it.
Capitol Trail http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/newcaptrail_faq.asp
Biking in Virginia http://www.virginiadot.org/programs/bk-default.asp
Here’s a chance to save ourselves, save the environment, save the economy, and win the war on terror. Practically, it’s a no-brainer. Realistically, it will be hard.
We’ve overcome bigger obstacles in our short history as a nation, and we can overcome this. I only hope that we don’t have to degenerate too much before we realized the new “smart bomb” is right in the garage. We just need the pedestrian friendly infrastructure to implement it.
Capitol Trail http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/newcaptrail_faq.asp
Biking in Virginia http://www.virginiadot.org/programs/bk-default.asp
4 comments:
Nice blog, Paul. What are some things we could do to advocate better bike and pedestrian access here in Hampton Roads?
James,
Good question; more projects like the Capitol Trail and integration of pedestrian access in all future road improvements would be a good start. The biggest hurdle will be to convince the public how important this is. It’s going to take really expensive gasoline, complete gridlock, a health conscious society or some combination of these with a healthy dose of outrage to create a pedestrian friendly society. It might seem insurmountable, but I think eventually, we’ll have it. We’re a young nation and times are a changing.
Great post, you made a ton of great points. I'm from Virginia, but I'm out here in Los Angeles now and we've got a surprisingly strong bike scene. I know VA does need help though with getting bike lanes and advocacy in general. Check out Portland if you ever get the chance! Bike City USA! 15% of commuters are on bicycles!
Sally,
Thanks for your comments! I know how much more bike friendly it is out west and I'd like to visit sometime again, soon. Meanwhile, I’ll push on our conservative leadership here and hopefully, make this place a little better for our kids. Best wishes and happy pedaling!
Post a Comment