Probably because most every day is a car-free challenge in Preutopia as we have only one car and can barely afford the gas for that mug.
Nevertheless, it is KC Bike Week and one of many, many events making up KC Bike Week is the Car-Free Challenge. I haven’t logged in too many miles simply because I have a short commute to work (6.1 mi one way) and if I go anywhere else the wife and kids are with. But the point isn’t to log as many miles as you can. The point is to try to avoid using a car when and where you can. And you can avoid using the car more often than you think, I guarantee. For me, cycling isn’t about being “green”, though it’s nice. It’s not about staying fit, though that’s a big part of it – regulating the diabetes. When it’s all said and done, cycling allows me to breathe fresh air, sometimes get rained on, sometimes get dirty – cycle provides this body some very visceral moments – which can be few and far between working in a cube farm and living in a comfortable home.
So, yesterday when the Star asked me about Funkhouser’s speech about making KC more bike friendly, I smiled and said I was hopeful and encouraged but quite honestly, for all I love cycling, I don’t see bike/ped/lightrail as a very pressing issue for the metro. Not to say I’m not behind making things easier for us bike commuters…but it did leave a sour taste in my mouth to hear the Mayor say something about a $50 million dollar multi-modal bridge. There are other problems in our community that we should probably spend our money and time on first, no?
UPDATE
Bit of video coverage from yesterday.