Maybe you've heard about the whole "Bike to Work Day" thing happening May 17, which is just what it sounds like.
And maybe you're thinking about trying it out, but there is a part of your route to work that is... treacherous. Not really bikeable. Or maybe just up a really big hill.
Don't give up and grab your car keys just yet. The region's transit authorities have a solution.
This Friday as you bike to work, you can ride free of charge on buses run by the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky, the Butler County Regional Transit Authority and the Clermont Transportation Connection.
All of SORTA's Metro buses have a two-bike rack on the front of the bus, as do TANK and BCRTA buses. Many CTC vehicles also have a place to put your bike. Bikes won't be allowed on board the buses, however. You can watch a short video about how to use the racks from Metro here and from TANK here.
SORTA says the promotion is its way of demonstrating how easy it is to use bicycles and buses together as part of a daily commute.
Promoting cycling as a viable commuting option is the point of Bike to Work Day, organizers say.
"While bicycling for recreation is growing by leaps and bounds, there is still a lot of work to be done to empower our region's residents to choose bicycling as a mode of transportation for work and play," Queen City Bike's President Katie Vogel said in a news release about Bike to Work Day. "The health benefits are real, but so are the cost savings. The average annual cost of owning a standard sedan, including insurance, parking, maintenance and gas is anywhere from $5,000-$9,000. In three years, that's a downpayment on a house or a significant chunk of student loan debt."
