Last updated: 7th April 2006

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"WHEELS ON THE BUS" CONTEST

Dates of event: May 6-13, 2006

"Your Bike is your Ticket During Bike, Walk and Wheel Week"

Anyone utilizing bike racks on Columbia Transit buses during Bike, Walk and Wheel Week (space available only, you cannot take your bike inside the bus) rides for free to any destination on the city bus routes. You'll get more out of your bike ride and visit more of beautiful Columbia in the same time.

"Wheels on the Bus" Expedition/Contest

If you're seeking adventure and enjoy traveling by bicycle, wheelchair, skateboard, unicycle - then enter the "Wheels on the Bus" Expedition/Contest during Bike, Walk and Wheel Week (May 6-13, 2006).

  1. Sign up during the Bike, Walk & Wheel Week Kickoff on Saturday, May 6 at the Flat Branch (first 40 to sign up receive a free packet of useful stuff) or at any time at Wabash Station, 126 N. Tenth St.
  2. Plan your route, pack your stuff and hit the road (or trail)! As you travel by bike, bus, or whatever, document your trip by photo, trip log, souvenirs along the way, etc.
  3. Turn in your documentation at Wabash Station by noon Saturday, May 13.
  4. Find out if you won at the Closing Event at Twin Lakes Park!
Categories include: Full details at http://www.GoColumbiaMo.com (GoWord: GoWheels) or ask the friendly staff at Wabash Station, 126 N Tenth St., 874-7282.

Examples of Journeys You Might Take by "Bike and Bus:"

  1. You live near the intersection of Prathersville and Oakland Gravel Roads, and work on the MU campus. You could bike down Oakland Gravel Road to Blue Ridge Rd. (about 2 miles), and catch the Green East bus. This will take you to Wabash Station, where you can bike the last half-mile to campus.
  2. You live by Columbia Regional Hospital and crave some kosher corned beef from Schnucks. You could catch the Red East bus along Keene Street and take it across Highway 63 to the West Boulevard stop. Bike down to Westwinds Drive, turn right and head to the pedestrian/bicyclist crossing at Stadium (just over a mile, total). Schnucks is right across the street. Fill your bike bags and backtrack to Broadway and West Boulevard to catch the bus home. Don't forget the brown mustard and rye bread. (Note: you'll have to take your bags off the bike while on the bus.)
  3. You live on West Green Meadows Road and you need to renew your driver's license. Bike to the Forum Trailhead and take the MKT to Flat Branch Park (about 3 miles). Bike a few more blocks on pavement to Wabash Station at Tenth and Ash. Catch the Orange North and ride it to the stop opposite the Missouri Resource Center (home of the Dept. of Revenue). Take perverse pleasure in renewing your driver's license without driving!
The Benefits of "Bike and Bus" by Lee Radtke, Columbia Transit

All right, I admit it. I’m a wimp when it comes to riding my bicycle in cold weather. Riding on wet pavement also gives me the willies. In the summer, I don’t want to have to freshen up and change into business clothes after riding to work. And I’ve been caught on my bike in a sudden hailstorm. I don’t recommend the experience.

I like life to be easy and comfortable – but I still want to bike to work on cool mornings and bike the trail home in summer. Fortunately for me, I live close to two city bus routes. On frigid mornings I can cruise the three blocks to the stop, put my bicycle on the bike rack on the front of the bus, ride to work and still feel my fingers when I get there. By the time I’m off work, the world has warmed up and I bike home.

A quick disclaimer here: I do marketing for Columbia Transit. But I was car-free for over a year before taking that job and I learned early to use the bike racks. They extended my biking range when I was a novice rider still learning how far was too far (I’m still learning that!). They also took me past scary stretches of road like Broadway at Highway 63.

Now I take my bike with me when before, I might have just taken the bus and missed a chance to ride. Often in summer, thunderstorms roll through in the afternoons; that’s no reason for me to skip riding to work in the morning. Sometimes I have business meetings in the mornings; I can change clothes after work and wind my way home on the bike. I love biking down to Flat Branch Park after work and picking up the MKT trailhead. Sometimes, my commute turns into a 20-30 minute meditation on cadence and katydids, and by the time I arrive home, I’ve shed work as slickly as a snakeskin.

If you’re on the lookout for ways to squeeze in more time on the bike, consider adding the buses to your list of possibilities. During Bike, Walk & Wheel Week, your bike is your ticket on the bus, so it’s a great chance to try out the bike racks. For a little adventure, enter the Wheels on the Bus Expedition/Contest during BWWW. Information is available on the Columbia Transit Web site, www.GoColumbiaMO.com (GoWord:GoWheels). There’s even a photographic tutorial showing how to use the bike racks. Even if you’re not the wimp I am, buses can be a useful option for your commute.

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