Don't forget! Monday is the 32nd Annual Ride To Work Day. This year’s worldwide event may be one of the largest-ever, according to Ride to Work, the non-profit organization coordinating this annual event. Certainly it is one of the most important as the world returns to work and is on the road for the first time in two years.
“People do not realize the societally positive value of ordinary riding for useful transportation, and also don't know real societal harms are caused by nearly everyone defaulting to using autos — influences which transcend an obviously larger environmental-footprint burden," states founder Andy Goldfine. "Cars are wonderful machines, but the reasons to ride go well beyond carbon footprints."
Each year on this day more of America’s 8,000,000 + motorcycles and scooters are ridden for practical and useful transportation, according to Goldfine. Estimates put the global number of additional motorcyclists on the road at 1,000,000 or more. Putting these numbers into context, across equal distances, motorcycle riders typically reach their destinations up to 20% more quickly than those using automobiles, especially in traffic-congested areas.
Motorcycles and scooters also use fewer resources per person, per mile, take up less space on roads and in parking areas, and leave their riders happier, more focused and more energized when they arrive compared to automobile drivers. Ride to Work Day is about increasing public, business and government awareness. Winston Churchill famously said: "We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.” This idea also applies to technologies beyond homes and buildings.
This day is about promoting a broader understanding of -- and tolerance for -- those who ride, and for providing additional recognition and encouragement for those who ride. On Ride to Work Day some riders are commuting, some riders are shopping or doing errands, and some riders are simply riding to enjoy the experience.
The Ride to Work website includes merchandise, information, and free promotional support materials:
https://www.ridetowork.org