Yay for everyone who participated in Bike to Work Day on June 25 by either biking or walking to work. The number of participants and mileage are impressive. We had 9 branches, over 40 participants and put in over 130 miles one-way!! Thanks again and we look forward to doing it again next year! :)
Donna , Gay-Lynn and Maureen on their way to work on Bike to Work Day!
With gas prices so high, what can smart driving do to improve your gas mileage and save you some money at the pump?
Drive Sensibly--
Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town.
Drive the Speed Limit--
Gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds over 60 mph!
Use Cruise Control--
Using cruise control on the highway helps you maintain a constant speed and, in most cases, will save gas. (Exception--driving through hills/mountains).
Remove Excessive Weight--
Avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your MPG by up to 2%.
Avoid Excessive Idling--
Idling gets 0 miles per gallon. Cars with larger engines typically waste more gas at idle than do cars with smaller engines.
Keep Your Car in Shape--
Keep your engine tuned, check/replace filters regularly, keep tires inflated, use the recommended grade of motor oil. All these factors affect your gas mileage!!
Take the test...calculate your MPG driving how you normally drive. Now try doing a few small things such as focusing on accelerating gradually, anticipating stops and coasting where possible to minimize braking. You could even go as far as recalculating your route to and from work to avoid too much stop and go, with less traffic, less stoplights/stop signs, less left-hand turns, etc.
Post any other tips you have for improving your gas mileage!
Sources: fueleconomy.gov
Are you getting frustrated with the high price of gas and heavy traffic on the roads? Have you been wondering how you can fit more exercise into your day?
Bike to Work Day is the answer to all these problems, and a lot of fun to boot. Wednesday, June 25, is this year's Bike to Work Day, mark your calendar!
Bike to Work Day is an annual event that encourages people to try a different way of commuting. If you've never commuted by bike before, it's the perfect time to try: there's lots of support available for you on Bike to Work Day! After trying just once, you may decide to make it a regular routine, once a week or a few times a month. About 20,000 people throughout the metro area got on their bikes last year, and more are expected in 2008.
Great things you'll get when you register for Bike to Work Day:
-Automatic entry into a drawing for lots of great prizes
-Free breakfast at any one of about 100 bike stops throughout the region on the morning of the event
-Fresh air and exercise while you get to work
You can register under ALD and find all the information and resources for biking to work (routes, tips, etc) here: http://www.drcog.org/btwd2008/index.cfm
Bike to Work Day is organized locally by the Denver Regional Council of Governments, a nonprofit organization of more than 50 local cities and counties working together to solve regional problems such as traffic congestion.
