Happy family! Photo Credit: San Francisco Bicycle Coalition
“It’s better by bike!”, that seems to be the mantra these days when getting around the Bay Area and here are three articles that prove it!
First up, the Bay Citizen reports on a growing number of families that are passing on the car and transit and instead hopping on bikes:
“Fed up with cars, traffic, parking and Muni, some parents are using their bicycles as minivans, hauling their children around the hilly streets. They use an array of devices for their rides: child seats attached to the frame, two-wheeled enclosed trailers, extended bikes with room for passengers on the back, trail-a-bikes that let kids ride along behind and ‘bathtub’ bikes. “
Featured in the article is an inspiring video of a mother that shares her experience as she took the plunge and decided to try dropping off her two kids by bike– only to find out it has put her in the best shape of her life and made her able to connect with her kids better than ever. Check out the video below
Video credit: CIRvideos
Next, SF Gate suggests leaving the car and instead taking bikes to Angel Island:
“Leave the car in the driveway. Instead of a “Sunday Drive,” call this the “Sunday Ride” and take off on your bike. From across the Bay Area, many paths – and trains, BART and ferries – lead to San Francisco and Angel Island. From home, start this trip with a ride to your local transit agency. Board with your bike and head to San Francisco, and from there, ride to Pier 41 for the ferry to Angel Island State Park.”
The article gives directions for getting there by bike from all regions of the Bay Area– Marin, East Bay, Peninsula and SF. (Just be sure to plan your trip on a day when the weather is nice!)
Lastly, again via SF Gate, is an article that reports on the new bikeway connections that are helping San Francisco residents reach parks by bike:
Roy Crisman
” Three neighborhoods in southeast San Francisco – Bayview, Hunters Point and the Dogpatch – have been bursting with new bike lanes in the past six months, opening up great new rides for anyone looking to explore more of the city on two wheels.
Among the two biggest improvements linking these neighborhoods are the buffered bike lanes – those with a large painted buffer along eastern Cesar Chavez Street and the bikeway on Cargo Way protected by fencing.
The lanes allow riders to explore some of the best waterfront parks and viewing areas in the city. And, because most tourists congregate along the north end of the city’s waterfront, riders might have these spots all to themselves.
Explore the lanes individually, or link them together for a longer waterfront ride. ”
Getting to school, parks, or a day vacation seem like trips primed for bicycling– do you know any other trips that are great for two wheels?
