Cycling, one pedal at a time

By Patrick Burton, Central NM Transportation chair

As gas prices continue to rise, the cost savings of biking become more apparent.

In fact, some e-bikes can be purchased for the equivalent of about five trips to the gas station to fill up a pickup truck. Trek, an e-bike company, determined that their manufacturing emissions are offset after using one of its products to replace 430 miles of car travel. Cost and emissions savings add up quickly!

If your regular route isn’t easily bikable, don’t assume that biking won’t work at all. A vicious cycle keeps people from biking: There aren’t enough safe streets for people to ride on, so they drive more, inducing demand for more streets, which don’t have safety features because there aren’t enough people riding bikes. Help break the pattern by biking somewhere, anywhere you are comfortable doing so. Ride to complete a nearby errand, or if you don’t have any nearby errands, explore your neighborhood and find a new favorite. Make your patronage by bike noticeable to the business and other customers too!

Of course, not all destinations are within easy range of a relaxed bike ride (about 3 miles, or about 6 miles on an e-bike). Fortunately, Albuquerque has extended the Zero Fares pilot for another year! A bus and a bike are a great way to extend the reach of low-carbon transportation. Each bus has bumper-mounted racks, or interior racks on the ART routes. Internal racks would be nice, of course, but as an alternative, scooters and folding bikes are a great last-mile option and compact enough to carry on board.

Micromobility options such as scooters, folding bikes, and other one-person transporters are also a way to offset some car travel. Try combining errands by parking in a central location and biking to each place on your weekend to-do list.

Low-carbon, active transportation unfortunately isn’t the easy default option it should be. Don’t give up — find safe options that work for you, and keep asking your municipal planners for improvements.

Link – Albuquerque bicycling maps

Featured image from Visit Albuquerque