Alyson is originally from New Hampshire. She currently lives in Allston and will graduate from Boston University in May with a bachelor's
degree in print journalism. This article was written as part of her senior
magazine journalism project where she worked on a team to produce a
"green"-themed magazine. Alyson gets around mostly using her bicycle.
If you want to save the environment, you do not need a million-dollar
charity in your name. You do not need to grow out your hair and chain
yourself to a tree. You do not need to be a hippy or a former vice
president of the US to save the earth. The great thing about saving the
environment is that we can all contribute by doing something small to
make a big difference.
That’s the idea behind the Green Streets Initiative, a non-profit organization based in Cambridge, MA. Its members ask local residents to leave the car at home just one day every month and use alternative transportation to get to work.
These are what Green Streets calls its Walk/Ride Days, encouraging people to walk, ride a bike, take public transit, or use some other kind of alternative transportation to get to work on the last Friday of every month. As a fun twist, Green Streets also asks participants to wear green, prompting the slogan “Go, and Wear Green.”
“Part of Green Streets’ success has been in being a small, but repeating commitment,” according to the website. “Even if people don’t participate the first month, often they do the next.” Green Streets was founded in 2006 by a group of parents in Cambridge who wanted to make their streets quieter, cleaner and safer for their children to play and get to school. It began by focusing on the schools in their city; now all public and private schools in Cambridge participate in the monthly event. Soon the idea spread to neighboring Somerville and Medford and is starting to make its way into Boston. There is even a chapter in Portland, Maine and one starting as far as the United Kingdom.
Janie Katz-Christy, director of the Green Streets Initiative, says the organization is concerned not just with environmental health, but also with public health and the benefits to the community that widespread use of alternative transportation can bring. Biking and walking can lead to healthier lifestyles—“More active commutes means less time in the gym,” she says—and can encourage people to shop at distinctive local places instead of huge box stores outside the city. “That’s not necessarily a green issue, but it’s an important issue.” One of the founding purposes of Green Streets was also to make the streets safer for people on foot or bike. “The more cyclists there are, the safer each one is,” Katz-Christy says.
To participate in Walk/Ride days, people can sign up on the Green Streets website. This enters them in a monthly raffle and makes them eligible for discounts at participating local sponsors. Sponsors include everything from bike and sports equipment stores to local restaurants to yoga lessons or tax preparation services.
The members of the Cambridge City Council, as well as Cambridge Mayor E. Denise Simmons, participate in Walk/Ride days. Mayor Simmons also called for “Nine in ’09,” challenging the residents in her city to participate in nine Walk/Ride days in 2009. Katz-Christy suggests companies encourage their employees to join by offering them incentives; some companies distribute prizes like free movie tickets or enter their employees in raffles for free bicycles if they use alternative transportation. Senior members of management are encouraged to lead the way and set an example. “We’re all pretty impressionable,” Katz-Christy says. “If we see effective, successful people do it, we might do it ourselves.”
Katz-Christy sees the future of Green Streets in the expansion of
Walk/Ride days within her own local areas as well as farther afield.
She estimates that presently thousands of people participate in
Walk/Ride days. She encourages people to use them as a stepping stone
to increase their use of alternative transportation. For those who want
to do more, information is available on the Green Streets website about
how to start a chapter in their own communities.
Learn more at www.gogreenstreets.org
Get On Your Bike
“Bicycling is a fantastic way to get around,” says Janie Katz-Christy. But many people don’t consider it for their commute. “ A big reason why is perceived safety. Biking in the city can indeed be intimidating, but once you know the basics you’ll be cruising like a pro. Most importantly, sidewalks are for walking. Riding a bike on the sidewalk is unsafe for pedestrians who are slower than bikers and have no way to predict their movements. The road is the safest place for a bicyclist.
“Bicycles are vehicles and belong on the road,” according to the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition. You have the same right to be on the road as a car. You are also required to follow the same traffic laws, such as stopping at stop signs and red lights, yielding to pedestrians and signaling all turns. You must also follow the flow of traffic, including using appropriate lanes at intersections. Riding against traffic is the single largest cause of collisions between bikes and cars. All bicycles should also have a white light on the front and a red light or reflector on the back when riding after dark.
Ride with authority and take up a lane of traffic if you need to. “Make sure to always take up as much space as you need for safety, and don’t let other traffic push you into the gutter,” says MassBike. “Motorists may act impatient but they aren’t likely to pass unsafely.” In fact, trying to stay out of the way of cars is usually less safe than maintaining your rightful place in traffic.
Here are some other tips from MassBike for riding a bike in traffic:
- Ride at least four feet from parked cars, out of the “door zone.”
- Move in a predictable straight line and avoid swerving.
- Yield to pedestrians, and when passing from behind announce your presence.
- When city busses stop to pick up and drop off passangers, pass on the left.
- Always wear a helmet. Brain injuries are the leading type of fatal and disabling injuries to bicyclists.
- When parking your bike, lock every removable part you can (including wheels) and take any you can’t with you.
- Register your bike at your local police station.
- Check with your local mass transit provider for ways to bring your bike onto public transit.
- If you are still nervous, consider taking a class. Ask about classes at your local bike shop.
