Archive: Around Town

On May 17th, the Way2Go program from Cornell Cooperative Extension held Bike to Work/School Day. Over 400 county residents participated, far surpassing numbers from last year. Children as young as 2 and senior citizens rolled to their respective destinations, stopping along the way at 10 breakfast stations throughout the City, and at Cornell and Ithaca College.

While the majority of participants commuted locally from within Ithaca, several bikers came from as far as Danby, Lansing, and Caroline. Biking wasn’t the only method of transportation used; several people traveled by foot, with one participant even completing part of his journey by canoe! The event, which was part of a larger effort to encourage people to bike more often, promotes healthier and more sustainable lifestyles.

Over 200 participants filled out a survey at the breakfast stations, which gives some indication of their take on biking in the County. 46% of respondents reported using their bikes for their daily commutes. While this year’s Bike to Work/School Day had the largest turnout to date, survey results show there is still room for improvement. More than half of survey respondents indicated that they would bike more often if the roads were safer.

A majority indicated the same for designated bike lanes. Ithaca’s notoriously inclement weather and abundance of hills were also identified as barriers to biking. One individual suggested creating a bike path through the town of Ithaca, as well as its lake and market paths, to encourage biking in the area.

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