Prior to our commuting, we practiced stopping our bikes before the sidewalk, not going into traffic, and waiting until I was in the street for Asa to cross. We worked on communication skills while on our bikes. Since we use the same route every day, we know the tricky parts . . . like the one alley that has a steep exit onto a street; we break before the slope and coast down slowly, me in front.
As a parent, there are many benefits to this seemingly little ride. I have more time, with fewer distractions, to enjoy the company of my kids. A big one for me is the slower pace, a pace that is connected, and dependent totally on my own energy. For some, a big pro would be that it is one fewer time that I am using a car for something that is totally within the reasonable range for a bike.
The overall goal of our commute works into the philosophy that the
Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) promotes:
biking is safe, and that the more people who bike and understand it, the safer it will be for everyone. Portland is just coming into its consciousness of what it means to be a biking city. As an American city of its size, it is doing well. However, we cannot forget that Portland is still in the infancy of bikiness.
I have an hour to jump on my bike and go shopping before I pick up Asa for his commute. A minor commute, sure. But it is Asa's place of work and he is part of the self-propelled people of Portland.
There are
free bike tune ups for kids throughout February.
The BTA has a full list of
programs for kids interested in biking or bringing bike programs to school, including Safe Routes to School. Sign up for their newsletter to hear about Family Biking Workshops in the spring.