When was the last time you chose to walk, bike or bus somewhere instead of drive?
The average walking speed for humans is between 3 and 6 mph, which means that on average it will take between 10 and 20minutes to walk a mile. The average bicyclist travels between 12 and 19 mph which would take you between 3 and 5 minutes to travel one mile. Try taking these new numbers into consideration next time you are considering how you are going to travel somewhere. How much less intimidating is it when you think of walking a mile as walking for 10 to 20 minutes? Do you have any idea how many great destinations are within one mile of Bellevue College main campus or also probably your home? With the help of WalkScore.com it is incredibly easy to find these locations.
Now for the challenge…
- Pick a destination that you would normally drive to
- Allow for the slightly longer travel time
- Then walk, bike or bus there!
It’s really just that simple, but the results are worth much more. Ever heard of the phrase, stopping to smell the flowers? How well can you really appreciate your surroundings when you are driving and focusing on the other vehicles? The sun is FINALLY out, there is no better time than now to get out there and enjoy your surroundings. There are also so many more advantages to these alternate modes of transportation. Not only is it great for your health but it is also great for your wallet! 20% of the average American’s income strictly goes towards transportation costs; what could you do with an extra $50+ a week? Not to mention the repairs on your vehicle that you won’t have to perform as often.
Cities are now taking into consideration all of the overall benefits of having bicycling as a main mode of transportation. In Portland Oregon they are going through great lengths and great investments to improve their biking systems to make it easier and faster for commuters to make the transition. In Portland they feel that the money they are investing will help to save them millions in healthcare costs. The group Transportation for Washington is working towards implementing a similar system here in Washington. If you are already an alternate commuter and would like to see improvements or if you feel like there just aren’t options available for you, like their Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/TransportationForWashington, and help give them the support they need to get things rolling!
Last Updated November 19, 2013