Commuters embrace new fiscal 'cycle'

Whether it's a greater concern for health or for the health of the environment, workers across the area are considering bikes as a work-commuting alternative. On the morning of May 21, local cyclists will descend on City Dock to join the Annapolis Regional Transportation Management Association, the Annapolis Department of Transportation and the Baltimore Metropolitan Council for Bike to Work Day.

ARTMA Executive Director Heather McColl said the event is in tune with National Bike Month and Clean Air Month. The goal of the campaign is to promote the two-wheeled mode of transportation as a solution to pollution and traffic congestion in the Baltimore-Washington corridor.

McColl said bikes aren't just a passing fad. When she began her involvement in the local Bike to Work Day six years ago, there were just 12 participants. Last year 250 cyclists came out for the event.

"One of the things we really advocate for is getting people motivated who have never tried it," she said. "We try to let employers know that by encouraging bike use, it's a great advantage for them. They have healthier employees, and those employees don't need a parking space so that could also save an employer money."

For Thibodeau the decision to become a bike commuter was a natural progression. What started as just a way to train for a bicycle race has become a stress reliever, a money saver, a carbon reducer and a regular exercise routine.

"I enjoy it, it's a nice way to decompress," Thibodeau said. "I don't do it every day - if I have clients (at work) that day, then I have to dress nice - but my goal is to do it twice a week."

Shortly after she began, Thibodeau's boss, Dan Powell, took notice of his employee's fervor for commuting by bike. Recognizing he had just a one-mile ride from his own house to the office, he began to do it, too.

Now three members of the staff are regular bike commuters. That may not seem like a crowd, but it's half of Take One's entire workforce.

Having the support of the boss helped solidify some of the staff's commitment to bike commuting, Thibodeau said. When it got to the point that several bikes were leaning up against interior walls of the lobby, Powell decided to invest in a bike rack. Bike Doctor of Annapolis installed one not long after.

That show of support spirited their commitment to cycling, Thibodeau said.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey conducted three years ago, a little less than half of a percentage point of workers nationwide - or just more than 650,000 people - used a bike as transportation. However, many bike sellers and associations believe that number has since grown due to the economic downturn and bouts of sky-high gas prices.

Some entrepreneurs are so convinced that bike commuting is on the rise, they're hoping to build a business centered on it.

Geoff Elliott opened Green Pedals on McGuckian Street in Annapolis almost a year ago. He sells electric bicycles, and they can cost a customer about $1,500 to $3,000 apiece.

These vehicles, which can be pedaled while offering a little bit of electrical power assistance, can run on lithium-ion batteries for about 30 miles between recharges. Because of current laws, the bikes are capped to not exceed 20 mph.

An electric bike's target market may very well be the work-commuting cohort. Without having to grunt through the difficult legwork, a rider could potentially arrive at the office armpit-stain free. In other countries where electric bikes are more popular, this already seems to be the case.

Business isn't booming yet, Elliott said, but it's steady. He's optimistic that the trend will grow with time.

According to Electric Bikes Worldwide Reports, industry officials believe sales nationwide could double this year to about 300,000 units.

Elliott also sells kits to convert a regular bicycle into an electric bicycle at about $1,700 a pop, which he installs for customers at his shop.

"They're not flying off the shelves, but there's plenty of room for growth," Elliott said. "The bicycles I sell aren't as powerful as, say, a motorcycle - they aren't intended for wheelies or really riding in an Evel Knievel way - but they don't make noise, and they don't create pollution, and that's more environmentally conscientious."

While more workers today may embrace the greener virtues of the electric and even the plain vanilla variety of bikes, Thibodeau said sometimes the new trend at her workplace can lead to a comical misconception.

"Oh yeah, sometimes our parking lot looks pretty empty," she said with a laugh. "We've had some of our clients pull up and wait in their cars trying to figure out if we're open."