Consider Biking is Central Ohio’s Bicycle Advocacy Organization. The mission is simple – to get more people bicycling. Our vision is for the joy of bicycling to be experienced by all and that bicycling become integrated into our environment.

With rising concerns around the sustainability of our health, environment, and transportation systems, Consider Biking has enjoyed some great accomplishments in the past few years. We were the driving force behind Columbus’ investment in a comprehensive Bikeways Master Plan, which now sets the foundation for development of 500 miles of bikeways in Columbus. We’ve helped to create the long-awaited Bike Users Map for Central Ohio, which is a valuable tool for anyone wanting to determine the best routes for their ability level. The maps are free at local bike shops, libraries, and recreation centers. They are also available online at MORPC and can be found from our website at www.considerbiking.org.

We represented the League of American Bicyclists in presenting Mayor Coleman and Columbus with the Bicycle Friendly Community Award. Columbus is the first city in Ohio to receive this designation. The designation demonstrates the importance of the Bikeways Master Plan as the foundation for future development, and will help hold our city’s leaders accountable to continue implementing the Plan.

Perhaps the most interesting campaign of Consider Biking revolves around an audacious goal to encourage “mode shift” – moving people away from single occupancy car trips. Did you know that 85% of our trips in the US are five miles or less? Or that 42% of trips are two miles or less? Wow! It makes sense to make more of those trips via bicycle!

“2 x 2012” Consider Biking and other supporters of biking and alternate transportation aspire for each Central Ohioan to be using alternate transportation (biking, walking, riding the bus) to get to work 2 days per month by the City’s bicentennial in 2012—hence, 2 X 2012. This goal would equate to a 10% “mode shift” (in transportation engineer lingo) and Columbus would surpass Portland, Oregon as the greenest transportation city in the U.S. It should be noted that many cities in Europe have achieved a 20-50% mode shift.

Why do we think this is important? There are several reasons:

Personal Health. There is an obesity epidemic raging in the U.S. which, according to Dr. Richard Carmona, former surgeon general, will cause the failure of the health care system if we don’t reverse it. According to studies by Children’s Hospital, 25% of the children in Franklin County are clinically obese. According to a recent benchmarking study commissioned by the Columbus Partnership, the adult obesity rate in central Ohio has increased in the last 2 years from 25.6% to 30%, making us the most obese city of the 16 cities studied. As a nation, we have been exercising and dieting for more than 40 years and it’s not made a dent in this problem. We believe that alternate transportation can be a big part of the solution.

Environmental Health. “People powered” transportation is the greenest form of transportation. Replacing a short automobile trip to work or school with biking or walking eliminates 15 pounds of car exhaust. Reduced driving in Portland, Oregon saves 400,000 gallons of gasoline per day. Portland has achieved mode shift just shy of 10%, with 3.8% by bike.  

Community Health. Alternate transportation better connects citizens to one another and helps build and sustain community relationships. It’s difficult for citizens to interact when everyone is travelling 35-65 mph in their own automobiles.  We believe that if everyone lived within biking or walking distance of where they work, go to school, etc., our community would not be as “disconnected” as it is today.

Cost Savings. A family can save $8,000 to $10,000 per year for each car that they “downsize.” We recently passed a milestone in the U.S.—we now have more vehicles than we have licensed drivers. Utilizing alternate transportation for many short trips should enable families to eliminate 1 or more automobiles, achieving significant cost savings. Reduced automobile traffic would also reduce wear and tear on highways and bridges and lead to cost savings on repairs.

Reduced Dependence on Foreign Oil. Congressman Blumauer, chairman of the Congressional Transportation Committee, aspires to achieve a 10% mode shift across the U.S. which would eliminate the need to import any foreign oil.

Good for Business. Studies show that employees who bike and walk to work are healthier, miss less work, and are more productive. Companies that accommodate and facilitate alternate transportation by employees have lower health care costs and are viewed as being progressive and “green,” giving them a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining quality employees. We believe that this can also be an economic development driver for central Ohio. Studies confirm that young professionals are attracted to cities that promote and facilitate alternate transportation. If Columbus can achieve “2 X 2012,” we believe young people and companies will flock here.

Consider Biking has developed a Corporate Cycling Caucus and created a “Two-Wheeling Toolkit.” The toolkit explains why facilitating alternate transportation is good for a company’s bottom line and provides simple, low cost “tools” to help a company adopt an alternate transportation program.

“2 X 2012” is our audacious goal for central Ohio which currently has less than 1% mode shift. Although ambitious, it is palatable and achievable if everyone would think of the 10% commitment as “2 days per month.” We hope you’ll make the commitment to “2 x 2012!”

For great information about what is happening in the local world of cycling, tips, and much more, visit us at www.considerbiking.org. Sign up for our email newsletter (free) or join Consider Biking ($30, $15 student/senior).