Putting the Pedal Where His Mouth Is
Tuesday, May 31, 2011– Moncks Corner, SC: How long was your commute to work today? Was it four hours roundtrip? Did you pedal there? Probably not but, that is exactly what Wofford Stribling, an Engineer at Berkeley County Water and Sanitation did earlier this month. His four hour roundtrip bicycle commute from downtown Charleston was in honor of National Bike to Work Month which is sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists.
National Bike to Work Month is comprised of two main events: National Bike to Work Week (May 16 -20) and National Bike to Work Day, May 20. The goal behind this event is to raise awareness about the health, environmental and economical benefits of commuting to work via bicycle. It also addresses the lack of knowledge and incentives that hinders many people from commuting by bike. The latter was the driving force behind Stribling’s decision to “cyclo-commute” to work.
“I rode in hopes of bringing awareness to a couple of cycling/pedestrian advocacy groups and organizations in the low-country. There are lot of great people coming together to make South Carolina a better place to ride a bike,” says Stribling. He suggests that people check out Charleston Moves (www.charlestonmoves.org) and Safe Streets Save Lives (www.safestreetssavelives.org) to learn more about how to safely utilize cycling as a means of transportation.
Wondering what a four hour roundtrip commute to Moncks Corner from downtown Charleston involves? “A lot of planning,” says Stribling. “It definitely took some time to find a route I felt comfortable riding.” On his way to work, he decided to take Rutledge Avenue to Spruill Avenue, to Park Circle then to Virginia Avenue. From there, he took North Rhett to the pedi-path on Redbank Road. At that point, he took Bushy Park Road to Cypress Gardens Road before hitting Old Highway 52. Once he reached there, he hit Oakley Road to BCWS. On his commute home, he took a more direct route, through Goose Creek. “I wanted to take advantage of their nice multi-use path that fronts their municipal buildings,” says Stribling.
To anyone thinking of “cyclo-commuting” or just riding their bike more, Stribling offers the following advice. “I encourage other Berkeley County employees to give it a try, but I cannot emphasize safety enough. Remember to plan a safe route, know the rules, be highly visible, and ride within your comfort zone.”
