Green workplace: Green the commute!

This week's eco-topic: Green workplace

Biking Simple way of greening your worklife: Get out of the car and bike, walk, or take public transportation instead. Everyone's doing it! And bicycling newbies can find all the simple details about commuting by bike in "Biking to Work," another new pocket-sized, short booklet from Chelsea Green Publishing.

These quick 96 pages cover the whats, whys and hows: Why you should bike (stay in shape, live longer, save money), what type of bike to buy and where to get one that fits your budget, what gear to invest in, and how to pick a bike route. The guide even gives some basic bike maintenance tips!

Though I've had my bike for a while, reading "Biking to Work made me think maybe I should invest in some new gear -- namely gloves to keep my hands from freezing and to protect them if I fall. Right now, I'm listening to the rain and wind outside and wondering why I haven't gotten them already! The booklet also suggests getting a reflective vest, though I'm not quite convinced by the author's argument that these super-bright vests are considered a "fashion accessory" now. I think I'm just sticking to good bike lights.

Getting a bike could save you more than just gas money; your work might pay you for de-car-ing! If your If your workplace has 50+ employees AND subsidizes leased parking said employees, then you're entitled to a cash allowance in lieu of a parking space, thanks to California Health and Safety Code Sections 43845.

So get a bike and get used to riding it before the next Bike to Work Week; the next one should be coming up around May. Already have a bike? Then get involved in bike advocacy. Attend the L.A. Bicycle Master Plan meetings that are happening now, or the Santa Monica Transportation workshop on March 1.

With cyclists speaking out, fun stuff could happen. As Robert Gottlieb recounts in the SF Chronicle, bikers even got the city to close off the Pasadena freeway to cars for a few hours in 2003. Cyclists rode freely down the 8.5-mile stretch of the freeway corridor, going faster than usual rush hour commute speed. (h/t Larry).

Earlier: De-car-ing week: Bike me!