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Beat the Traffic: Bike to work to beat the traffic

by Katherine Whaley / 11 News

khou.com

Posted on June 8, 2010 at 8:40 AM

Updated Tuesday, Jun 8 at 3:08 PM

If you are tired of sitting in traffic jams, have you ever thought about ditching your car? Thousands of Houstonians beat the traffic by biking to work.  Now, Metro is helping commuters make pedaling to work a more feasible option.

Hao Le works in downtown Houston as a lawyer.  He bikes 15 miles to work every day, and uses Metro to help him complete his route.  Walk into Hao's office, and you will likely see his bike propped up against cabinets full of supplies, including sunscreen, handle bar tape, and toiletries for freshening up.  "I kind of use this as my locker," Le said of his office file cabinets.  "I've really enjoyed riding my bike more than driving an suv," Le said.  In fact, a few months ago, he donated his SUV to charity.  He says biking to work has helped him save money, stay in shape, and help the environment.

Metro is encouraging bikers like Le.  Metro started the Metro Bike Program in 2007 to provide greater mobility for Houstonians.  As part of the effort, all local Metro buses have bike racks, and bikers are now permitted to use MetroRail.  Additionally, Metro has opened additional bike lanes since the program started.  The bike program saw its largest growth over the last year.  Bike boarding on Metro buses increased 94% from April of 2009 to April of 2010.  "More people are starting to take advantage of it," Metro Solutions Spokesperson Margaret O'Brien Molina said.

"There are a lot of Houstonians who ride, and you really don't see that until you ride the same route," Le said.

 For more information on Metro's bike program, click the link below:

www.ridemetro.org/Services/Rail/BikeGuide.aspx

 

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