A couple of days ago my wife and I were discussing two advertisements for respective causes - the first was "jeans for genes day" and the second was "ride to work day". Although we occasionally disagree, we did agree that jeans for genes day, is amongst other things, so easy to do... most Australians seem to love the chance to be informal, and wearing jeans to work under the guise of fund raising for a worthy cause, fits the bill. even the most conservative of employers doesn't want to look mean spirited by denying staff the right to wear jeans for one day to help raise money for genetic research. (we did also wonder if genetic research isn't already well funded enough... but that's a different issue, on a different blog, from a different blogger)
October 13 is "ride to work" day in Melbourne.
More often than not I ride to work. Not because it's a special day, but because it's the quickest and easiest way to get from home to work. and back again.
However, sometimes it's not the easiest or most convenient, and so, despite loving my bicycle, I choose to walk instead.
What's my point??
Ultimately, while I think that there is some value in ride to work day, I don't think that it is going to be the event, policy or exercise that gets more people loving (riding) their bicycles on a daily basis. People like the ease and convenience of the car... and why not? (obviously there are many answers to that question) The urban sprawl makes driving to work - as opposed to riding to work - in Melbourne, for most people, the easiest thing to do.
Once a year novelty value is great.
But how about local governments, planners, bicycle victoria and others, focus on making cycling the easiest thing to do, for more people more of the time...
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