It's Bike to Work Week!

Posted by:
Maya Mohan, Department of Public Health

Maya is the Physical Activity Coordinator for DPH and wants to be a bicycle commuter! 

I need your help.  Today marks the first day of Bike to Work Week. And, I would love to participate.  In fact, I would love to be a full fledged bicycle commuter.  But, there’s a small problem:  I can’t ride my bike to work (downtown Boston) from where I live (East Boston).  It’s only one T stop from where I live to where I work (Maverick Square to Aquarium) so one would think that riding my bike to work would be a feasible, healthy alternative.  Now, the only ways into Boston are through the tunnel or the scary evacuation route that has potholes the size of small SUVs and is about as safe (and scenic) as the setting of a murder-mystery.  Needless to say, I find neither option suitable or appealing.  So, how am I (and all the other residents of East Boston, Chelsea and surrounding communities that are separated from Boston by the lovely harbor) supposed to use my bike as a means of active transportation?  It doesn't seem fair that the only times I can ride my bike in Boston proper are after work or on weekends. 

You know, interestingly enough, those same populations - East Boston, Chelsea, etc - bear a disproportionate burden of overweight, obesity and other related chronic conditions.  Is this a coincidence?  I’m not so sure.  

I applaud the MBTA for adding bike racks to some of their bus lines and for setting up polices so that you can bring your bike on the T, but, to my knowledge, those bus lines don’t go from East Boston to Boston proper and those MBTA policies are limited to bringing bikes on the T during non-rush hour times only. On the surface, that makes sense because as the trains currently exist, there is really no space for bikes when the subway cars are already crammed with people rushing to work.  But, I’m not willing to resign myself to that “reality.”  There has to be another solution! 

Please help me figure out how I can ride my bike to work!  If you have any ideas, I’d love to hear them.   

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Comments

[Chris Ditunno]

Maya:

The Boston Collaborative for Food and Fitness (Fitness Committee)and MassBike are working with the community(ies) in East Boston on these issues you raise... if you want to learn more (and/or become involved with the Fitness Committee of BCFF), please let me know!

Chris D.
Co-chair of Fitness Committee, Boston Collaborative for Food and Fitness

[Maya]

Thanks, Jaya - this is a great idea. I'll have to try it out and let you know if Google gives me something better than the scary evacuation route! Thanks

[Jaya]

Something that might be helpful is the new option on Google maps to find bicycling directions (in addition to directions via walking, car, or public transit). When you go to maps.google.com, input your starting location and your destination and choose the "bicycling" option! Be aware, though, that these directions are in beta and may not be entirely accurate. It's still a step in the right direction, though!