It’s Bike to Work Day, and those who take the train to Philadelphia may not necessarily have a choice after the recent train derailment.
Biking to class can be beneficial, too, with the many red bikes on the North Central campus. People bike to work on a daily basis, especially in cities like Chicago, where parking is scarce. Parking is so scarce because many in real estate development are building units that do not have parking to keep up with the city living trend.
In Philadelphia this week, those celebrating National Bike to Work Week may have just been partaking in the only alternative available to them on short notice, after the derailment following the train “drifting” around a sharp turn at 106 mph. Carpooling may have also been an alternative option that was used for citizens to get around this week. As North Central commuters know, sometimes it is just too far to bike.
Sustainable transportation is supported on campus, but not all students do enough, while many, including myself, would clamor for more parking on campus. Perhaps the solution involves communication and trust. What if there was a carpooling network on campus? If commuters do their part to be sustainable, perhaps we won’t even need more parking on campus. Foreseeable obstacles to carpooling, however, include reliability issues, compensating drivers and aligning class schedules. This is an extreme and, ultimately, unrealistic example, although it is worth talking about because of the large student population that does not bike around campus.
For those who do bike to work, I salute you. For those who don’t, it is more than understandable, especially since a recent study out this March showing that jobs are getting further away from home, ultimately leading to more driving.
Stressing efficiency once in a while isn’t a bad thing. So, to quote the rock band Queen, “Get on your bikes and ride.”
