Last updated: 14th July 2000

INTRODUCTION

1. Have you noticed how the parking situation here at MU is an analogy for anything that's wrong or screwed up? There's a reason for this. 35,000 cars are vying for 20,000 spaces. Everyday people arrive in campus from as little as a mile away –alone - in their cars - spiraling up and down in the parking cathedrals here on the MU campus. Are you one of these people? According to statistics compiled by MU parking and transportation office almost 7 out of 10 of you are.
2. All chastising aside, what I'd like to do is to show you how to escape the hassle and gridlock of parking here (and everywhere for that matter), get yourself some exercise, and do something good for the environment. This something I'm talking about is Bicycle Commuting.

BODY

1. According to a survey I took of this class, 72% of you own bicycles.
2. According to an online survey conducted by the parking and transportation office in the fall semester of 1998:
   1. 27% of you rode at least 3 times a week
   2. 8% of you rode less than 3 times a week.
   3. and 65% of you didn't ride at all.
   65% of respondents did not ride at all! That is a staggering figure. (1)

3. Well some may say, "I live too far away", or "I don't feel safe on the roads".
   1. Well as far as the argument of living too far, the further you ride the better shape you'll end up in.
4. The safety issue is being addressed by federal, state, and university transportation authorities through funding and construction of multi use or inter-modal transportation networks. I will detail these later in this presentation.
5. In a federal Department of Transportation case study conducted in 1995, trends in transportation were noticed that showed:
   1. significant increases in the use of bicycles by adults especially for transportation and fitness
   2. increased concern for energy conservation and air quality
   3. increased concern for traffic congestion
   4. increased concern for bicyclist safety
   5. increased activity by bicycle advocates, such as Critical Mass advocacy group.
   6. increased participation by transportation professionals and elected officials and,
   7. increased allocation of transportation funds for facilities and routes to accommodate bicycles. (2)
6. An example of how this increased awareness and demand for better and safer bicycle facilities are seen in the cities of Boulder, Tucson, and Madison Wisconsin. These cities along with federal and state transportation agencies have aggressively approached inter-modal transportation development to combat the tremendous traffic congestion, and air quality issues that each experiences.(3) If you notice a trend, each of these cities is a "college town." In our little college town, there's a lot going on in the development of inter-modal transportation networks. The state, city and university are all ggressively developing safe and efficient bicycle routes for citizens and students to use.
7. Maybe you all have seen this little insert in the not too distant past. This is the university master plan. In it is a vast wealth of information of concern to both student and citizen alike. In this master plan is information on existing, in progress, and near future planned bike paths connecting the MU campus with the City of Columbia through street "bicycle routes" and the MKT trail.
8. Students, faculty, and employees living on the west and south of town will be able to connect to the MKT trail from Scott Blvd., Forum Blvd., Stadium just below Schnucks or off the frontage road next to the reactor fields, riding a trail up from the Hinkson Recreation area to the Hearns center and proceed under Stadium. One could also continue down the MKT trail to Stewart and with minimal exposure to traffic, rrive on campus invigorated, awake and ready for maximum knowledge absorption. For those who live in town like I do, there are numerous options as far as streets to ride and avoid traffic. Broadway, Ash, West, Stewart, Worley…just to name a few, are all routes that are designated bike routes with wide lanes and signage to accommodate riders.
9. And when you arrive, you'll be able to lock your bike up on any of the numerous new racks that have been installed in numerous campus locations, right next to the building that you have your class in, not 3 or 4 blocks away, or in the Hearnes lot. According to Jim Joy, the director of parking and transportation, the last 4 years has seen the expenditure of approximately $200,000 (a mere fraction of what is spent for parking structures) to install these racks and develop the trail system to accommodate cyclists. (4) If current trends continue, it is very possible that the next millennium will see Columbia, if not America, join European and Asian countries in increased reliance on self propelled, non-polluting, non-fossil fuel consuming transportation.
10. If the truth be told, for every limitation you could come up with for not riding, I could counter with 2 or 3 reasons why you should. (Speaking of 2-3 reasons my next segment should appeal to most of you in the audience. Let's talk about the fitness and health benefits of bicycle commuting.)
11. The health benefits of cycling are twofold. First you get an aerobic workout and Secondly, you aren't polluting the air with exhaust, affecting the health and well being of others. It is no secret that replacing motor vehicle travel, even in a periodic sense, with a bicycle ride, would significantly improve overall air quality in most of America, especially in larger cities. I don't know if any of you have lived in a city where you were told by government officials that you should stay indoors if you can because of ozone and particulate pollution. To me that's ludicrous and very avoidable. Before I digress further, let's look at the facts on cycling and fitness.
12. According to a Louis Harris poll, commissioned by Rosedale Press in 1990 & 1991, fitness, recreation, and health were the key reasons why individuals began bicycling programs and stayed with them. (5)
    1. The cardio vascular benefits and consequent weight loss are just two of the benefits of bicycle commuting.
    2. A cyclist travelling at an average speed of 13 MPH will burn 11 CPM. A 20 minute ride will burn 220 calories.(6) Just enough to justify that Whopper you'll get at Brady after we leave here. But more than likely, the residual metabolism boost that will continue through day will deter you from eating that whopper, opting for something more healthy like a grilled chicken breast sandwich or some fresh fruit and juice.
    3. A Japanese study in 1987 conducted by the Bicycle Association of Japan found that bicycling is one of the most efficient aerobic exercises. It has proven effective for persons with High Blood Pressure, it activates insulin production in diabetics, strengthens the lungs and heart, prevents age oriented ailments, and strengthens the immune system rendering colds and other maladies light and short lived. (7)
    4. And the health benefits don't end there. Health means more than just the physical. The mental health benefits when on embarks on a fitness program are enormous.
    5. Exercise brings about a reduction in depression and anxiety.
    6. It also creates an enhanced sense of well being.
13. A British Transport and Research Board survey established that individuals enjoyed cycling because it gave them a sense of health, independence, enjoyment, and a means of transportation in spite of the inherent dangers of riding on the road. Words they used to describe cycling were economy, cleanliness, freedom, and "doing your own thing." (8)
14. Basically, a person who cycles as a commuter consistently can expect, according to a report released in the American Journal of Public Health,
    1. to live longer than those who don't
    2. be less likely to develop coronary heart disease
    3. have lower incidences of stroke and colon cancer.
    4. have a reduced likelihood of back injuries
    5. will maintain a higher level of functional independence in old age. (9)
15. It maybe a cliché, but you really can't put a price on good health. Quality of life is so important to so many. Bicycle commuting gives you an opportunity to have a great one. (Not to be forgotten, is the toll that is environmentally paid when one opts to drive instead of ride. Let's look at the impact; the true nature of car commuting and why bicycle commuting is so much better for everyone and everything involved.)
16. Promoting cycling as a means of transportation is more than "just a good thing to do." The potential environmental, economic, and social benefits are quite large.
    1. Bicycle commuting saved the United States 17 million barrels of oil in 1990. If the recommendations of the 1980 Department of Transportation report "Bicycle Transportation for Energy Conservation" had been implemented, as many as 200 million barrels of oil would have been conserved during the 1980's. That's enough oil to keep the entire United States driving to work for a month at the cost of millions of dollars in imported oil. (10)
    2. Bicycling is a realistic solution to today's pollution problems. Every new car complying with every federal emission standard, emits over 100 pounds of pollutants every year. Just switching from a car to bicycle can save up to 2gms. of hydrocarbons, 20 gms. of carbon monoxide, and 1.6 gms. of nitrogen oxides for every mile traveled. (11)
17. Just how realistic is bicycle commuting for most people? According to a study on the environmental benefits of bicycle commuting conducted by the Federal Department Of Energy;
    1. More than 50% of the working population in the U.S. lives within 5 miles of the place they work.
    2. This commute would require less than a 30 minutes of bicycling.
    3. Some individuals live within 1 or 2 miles.
    4. In addition, millions more live within easy riding distance of efficient bus and train systems.
    5. If just 2% of the U.S. workforce living within 2 miles of a transit route and commuting the full distance to work were to bicycle to a mass transit facility, 120 million gallons of gasoline could be saved every year. (12)
    6. That's 2%, 2 miles, 120 million gallons. Absolutely amazing.
18. What these figures tell me is that bicycle commuting needs to get real for a lot more people.
19. (I guess I'll wrap this up and recap the high points)

CONCLUSION

1. Let me close by saying that I know what it's like to not have enough quarters or a dollar bill crisp enough for a parking meters. But what I'm proposing makes that issue moot. I think we pay enough money to attend school without paying more for the privilege of combat parking.
2. The safety issue is a legitimate concern and you can see that that issue is being aggressively addressed by transportation authorities on all levels. I also would like to add, that with more miles in the saddle comes the confidence in your riding ability, and with that confidence comes the skill necessary to keep you out of harms way. I know it may not look like it now, but I have ridden literally thousands of miles, almost 3.000 in a single trip and in all those miles through urban Philadelphia, suburban Denver, and mountain and rural highways across America, I have had only one incident of any consequence while riding. The beauty I've beheld while seated in my saddle made 4 months of pain I suffered well worth it.
3. The health issue is one that all in this room is more than well aquainted with. If you have an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone-DO IT! Get to where you need to go and get healthy in the process, Makes sense to me.
4. And finally the environment, the good old environment. Its always been there, seems to be doing all right to me. Well that maybe so for now. But everyday, when people drive unnecessarily, the environment is degraded a little bit more. This degradation is cumulative and before long those poor air quality reports aren't just going to be limited to large cities. Is this the legacy we want to pass on to the next generation? I believe not, and according to my survey of you, my audience, 100% of you don't either. So what can we do? It's never been more simple. GET OFF YOUR BUTT AND GET ON YOUR BIKE! Thank you very much.

1. University of Missouri-Columbia, Parking and Transportation Department, ,Online Bicycle Use Survey, Columbia, MO. Fall of 1998.
2. U.S. Department of Transportation, Bicycle Transportation for Energy Conservation, Washington, D.C., 1995
3. U.S. Department of Transportation, Bicycle Transportation for Energy Conservation, Washington, D.C., 1995
4. University of Missouri-Columbia, Master Plan 2000, Columbia, MO. Fall of 1998.
5. Louis Harris and Associates, Commuting by Bicycle, Rosedale Press, Emmaus, PA. 1990
6. British Medical Association. Cycling: Towards Health and Safety, New York, Oxford University Press, 1992, p 10
7. British Medical Association. Cycling: Towards Health and Safety, New York, Oxford University Press, 1992, p 23
8. British Medical Association. Cycling: Towards Health and Safety, New York, Oxford University Press, 1992, p 44
9. Leon, A.S., Connett, J. Jacobs, D.R. et al. "Leisure-Time Physical Activity Levels and Risk of Coranary Disease and Other Illnesses. American Journal of Public Health, 1986
10. U.S. Department of Transportation, Bicycle Transportation for Energy Conservation, Washington, D.C., 1995
11. Clarke, A. "Pedal Power: A Pollution Solution." Bicycle Reference Book, 1991-1992 Edition, Washington D.C., Bicycle Institute of America, 1992, p 20-21
12. U.S. Department of Transportation, Bicycle Transportation for Energy Conservation, Washington, D.C., 1995