A Castro Commuter

By Elizabeth Sullivan

On mornings when I take off for work on my bike, I’ve given myself a little present of an extra 15 minutes—time I won’t have to spend searching for parking or waiting in traffic. Usually I stop for a coffee and I arrive for work energized. It feels like I’ve already accomplished something.

As a mom of young kids, I think a lot about the way the world might be when my boys are grown up: I am hopeful that by then there will be a major shift in the way we manage our environment.

We all know driving hurts the earth. And bicycling is the smartest form of transportation there is — an elegant and humane way to travel. And with Market Street adding new improvements for bikers and other bike improvements around town, there has never been a better spring to try biking.

This Bike to Work Day (Thursday, May 13th ), I hope my Castro neighbors will join me on your bikes and enjoy a blissful morning when the streets fill with what seems like more bikes than cars.

If you want some company on your commute, join your neighbors and the SF Bicycle Coalition for the Castro Commuter Convoy. Takeoff time is at 7:45 a.m. from Peet’s Coffee (2257 Market St.) on May 11 and 13. Along your commute, keep an eye out for one of the SF Bicycle Coalition’s Energizer stations where volunteers will be handing free goodies and snacks to fuel you the right way for your day.

Visit sfbike.org for more information.

Copyright 2010 Castro Courier