Over 400 Subscribers, nearly 90,000 miles logged

May was the last month we had a female raffle winner, so we are thrilled to announce that another woman steps to the Car Free Calculator podium to claim her prize. Woman are particularly important to bicycle advocacy. When a city has a high percentage of women who bike for transportation it’s a pretty good indication of how well a city is doing at being bike friendly. A city with a high percentage of female bike commuters is doing a good job.

In Pittsburgh we still have plenty to accomplish, but it’s easy to take for granted all of the respectable bike connections that are in place. Just last week a lady who was visiting Pittsburgh from Seattle stopped me on Liberty Avenue for directions to a bike shop. She enjoyed riding her bike in Pittsburgh and was particularly ecstatic over the “bike highway” that ran between two real highways. She was referring to the Eliza Furnace Trail, the trail Meghan Moore takes to work.

It’s particularly upsetting to report then that Meghan fell off her bike about seven weeks ago and fractured her knee cap. She stopped by the to the office to claim her prize her first day without a brace. According to Meghan, she “approached a car that was too close to the curb for [her] to pass on 2nd Avenue [after exiting the trail].” That’s when she did something she regretted. She made a sudden decision thinking she could make it, and then changed her mind at the last second. According to Meghan, that’s when she panicked, slammed on her brakes, and pitched forward, landing on her knee. Since her incident Meghan has been much more aware and supportive of BikePGH, and became a member. Meghan confessed, “I feel it was selfish of me to wait for my own accident to jar me into action,” adding, “I hope that one day, you’ll be able to work with the city to [make 2nd Avenue more bike friendly].”

BikePGH has brought safety concerns about this tricky trail connection to the City in the past. It is a complicated, according to BikePGH’s executive director, Scott Bricker, “There’s no silver bullet solution given the current infrastructure.” The issue is how to best connect the Eliza Furnace Trail to the Panther Hollow Trail. It seems any solution would require a significant investment. It is something that may be best addressed when another project along the route, like maintenance to the railroad bridge, is in the planning stages. It is definitely on city planners and BikePGH’s radar.

A Sweet Tweet

Meghan follows BikePGH on Twitter where she first learned about the Car Free Calculator. She knows that by entering her distances traveled she gives us a boost in our advocacy efforts. It’s been fun for her to see  the calories that she’s burned and CO2e that she hasn’t. Meghan was so enthused she retroactively entered all of her totals since January. That’s an extraordinary level of commitment.

OTB will have another visit from a Car Free Fridays raffle winner thanks to their generous donation of a gift certificate. Like other winners, Meghan was surprised and psyched for some OTB bucks. She will likely be joined by her husband who works in Carnegie and regularly uses the bus-mounted bike racks for his multi-modal commute.

Meghan tells us she can’t wait to get back on her bike. She loves how peaceful her ride can be. As she says, “It’s great to start the day taking in the sunrise and humming to myself as I go.” She also appreciates using her own steam to transport herself. When she’s in a car stuck in traffic, she’s at the mercy of her surroundings; but on her bike she just goes; a sense of freedom that resonates with so many bike commuters.

Speaking of freedom, if you haven’t signed up for the Car Free Calculator you’re free to join the fun and see if your car free commute takes you to the winner’s circle!

Closing in on our goals for 2011

BikePGH set two goals for the Calculator in it’s first year. 500 Subscribers, 100,000 miles. We need less than 15,000 miles and just under 100 subscribers to help us meet the goal. At 425 subscribers the next raffle prize will be announced. After each of the primary goals are met a prize will also be drawn. After both goals are met, the prize will be grand. Subscribe. Login. Log often.

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Start tracking the miles you bike and walk to commute, run errands, and shop. The Calculator is another form of advocacy to show that better conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists are an important matter for people in our region. As we reach certain milestones you have a chance to win raffle prizes from local businesses. The more  you track your miles the better your chances of winning. For more info, check out: www.carfreecalculator.org