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Athletes compete in the Virginia Triple Iron Triathlon at Lake Anna State Park. BikeWalk Virginia organizes cross-state biking events.
FILE/ROBERT A. MARTIN/THE FREE LANCE-STAR
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THE GOOD NEW DAYS: RIDING BICYCLES AND WALKING SOLVE TRAFFIC, POLLUTION, AND HEALTH PROBLEMS
Join Us in the Move Toward Alternative Transportation
Date published: 3/2/2008
WILLIAMSBURG-- Motor-vehicle traffic congestion in the Fredericksburg area is not unique in the commonwealth. However, given the region's location on the southern edge of Northern Virginia, it is among the most critically in need of attention to alternatives.
Planners and concerned citizens know that getting people to walk or ride a bike, especially for short trips of two miles or less, can reduce the number of vehicles clogging the roads, decrease pollution of air and waterways, and address the population's need for exercise to combat weight-related health conditions. It would seem that walking or biking is an easy solution that addresses some of the most difficult problems facing Virginians and the world.
But it is a challenge in an area that has rapidly changed from rural to urban to get people to change their way of thinking. In Fredericksburg's surrounding counties, many older citizens still remember walking long distances to school and to stores. When the automobile came on the scene, they welcomed the opportunity to get back and forth quickly. The distances didn't seem as long when traveled at 25, 55, and even 75 miles per hour.
Roads now link people in subdivisions to their jobs and shopping, cutting across former footpaths and fields. A generation has grown up without knowing the pleasure and freedom of walking to a friend's house or to the corner store.
NO TURNING BACK
We can't go back to the good ol' days, but we must think about how we go forward. At BikeWalk Virginia, we look forward to addressing the concerns of non-motorized transportation users--primarily bicyclists and pedestrians--by promoting safety and access to roads and trails for recreation and transportation. Although the BikeWalk's founders started as organizers of a fun, multi-day cross-state biking event, the staff has evolved to meet today's more urgent needs to educate and advocate for bike lanes, sidewalks, and alternatives to car-centric planning.
Lately, interest in the BikeWalk Virginia organization has mushroomed because of concerns about matters in addition to traffic congestion and safety. BikeWalk Virginia's expertise is being tapped by the healthcare community. The Centers for Disease Control ranks a "shift in auto trips to walking and biking" as the No. 1 strategy to reduce diseases related to inactivity and weight gain, such as heart disease and diabetes.
Sara E. Lewis is director of communication with BikeWalk Virginia. |
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Date published: 3/2/2008
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