End of Bike Month, Beginning of Bike Summer!

PNA staff just enjoyed a month-long Commute Challenge to make as many commute trips by alternative modes as possible. Between 22 staff who participated, we recorded 206 round trips by walking, biking, riding transit, or carpooling during the month of May. We also learned the adults love stickers too. Way to go PNA staff!

Our challenge coincided with the popular Group Health Commute Challenge to encourage biking during bike month, and for the first time, the PNA fielded a team of 6 people, who biked half of their commute trips, for a total of 60 trips and 227.5 miles. We competed against Team Bard Seattle from 74th Street Productions, who kicked our butts in every category. On Bike-to-Work Day, on May 20th, we counted over 200 cyclists who came by our station in Heart of Phinney Park. Way to go Phinney-Greenwood!

The PNA Staff Commute Challenge and Bike Month activities were part of our larger campaign, the Green Planet Travel Agency, which encourages alternative transportation in our neighborhood and especially to PNA events. Besides the purely practical (the PNA has a large parking lot that sometimes overflows to the neighborhood street), we promote alternatives because we have a commitment to sustainability, and we think it betters the neighborhood and builds community.

This summer, the Green Planet Travel Agency recommends these events to try alternatives:

Farmer’s Markets
What’s better than a nice relaxing walk or bike ride on a Friday afternoon? One that stops at the Phinney Farmer’s Market along the way! Make sure to have a strategy for carrying your purchases home—walkers can bring sturdy, reusable bags or baskets, and bikers can try baskets, panniers, backpacks, or even a milk crate or produce box bungeed to a rear rack.

PNA Home & Garden Tour
The homes are close, and parking can be a challenge, so why not walk or bike the tour? You can carpool or bus to the Phinney Center to get started, and take off from there on foot.

Summer Beer Taste
As you may know, 10 “tastes” is a lot of beer, so make sure you have a plan for getting home safely after this event. Get together with some friends to carpool, because designated drivers get a reduced ticket price. Walking and transit are both great choices. Biking under the influence is not a safe alternative, so if you bike, make sure you are doing so safely. Plus, If you walk, bike, ride, or carpool, you’ll get a chance to show off (hint: what’s colorful and sticky?).