Share the road

Don Hunter biked 12 miles from his subdivision on South Harrells Ferry to work downtown 42 times last year. That was before an accident in July 2012 (Friday the 13th, actually) when he flipped his bike on bad pavement, breaking his collarbone and cracking two ribs. Now, after months of recuperation, he bikes about 11 miles, instead.

That new, slightly modified route was at the request of his wife, who wanted him “to avoid becoming road kill” on the stretch of Sherwood Boulevard he took out of his neighborhood. He now drives his truck to a church on Goodwood Boulevard, where there are marked bike lanes, and bikes the rest of the way to work through low-traffic areas. He’s one of three employees at his office who often commute to work by bicycle.

With Bike to Work Week starting today, many of us tend to ask ourselves if we could feasibly bike to work. I’ve often wondered how hard it would be for me—going from downtown to 225‘s offices on Jefferson Highway near Drusilla Lane—always falling back on the conclusion, “That would be insane!” But having seen Hunter’s route, which would use roadways I could potentially use and is only 1.5 miles longer than my projected route, I realized I’m a wimp with no excuse.

Granted, I’d have to navigate the crosswalk-free Jefferson/Drusilla intersection, which elicits this reaction from me. But otherwise, the only thing stopping me would be bad weather and the lack of a shower at the office.

Want some perspective on biking to work every day? I plotted Hunter’s route on Google Maps below (marked in red is his new starting point):

View Don Hunter’s Route in a larger map

So now that we’re all feeling like wimps, I asked Hunter if he thinks similar routes could be feasible for other Baton Rougeans. “For me, commuting by bicycle entails a lot more planning than just jumping in your motor vehicle and heading to the office,” Hunter says. “You must consider how you are going to get your lunch to work. What about a change of clothes? Bad weather? Are your lights charged and ready for the pre-dawn or post-sunset legs of your commute? Is your bike in good working order and do you have the tools to make necessary repairs?”

Hunter says you also need your employer’s support—offering a place to store your bike and facilities to clean up and look presentable. But even with those considerations, Hunter says the rewards are greater. “You feel so much better physically and mentally after each leg of the commute. … You don’t have to pay for a gym to get a good cardiovascular workout. You save money on gas (for me it’s $5 a day). … By commuting by bike during the day, you have that time usually spent trying to “get in some miles” [exercising] to spend with the family or walk the Jack Russell.”

As for the relationship between motorists and cyclists, Hunter says, “I find that if you become a part of traffic and don’t significantly slow down the pace of that traffic, most motorists will tolerate you. … Very few motorists that I have encountered are openly hostile, though there are a few out there; we’ve all had to deal with these people at times. I feel that the more cyclists that are out there riding would make motorists in Baton Rouge more aware of our presence and more willing to accept us.”

Bike to Work Week includes daily group rides from Goodwood Park near Jefferson Highway (7 a.m.) and City Park (7:30 a.m.) to downtown. Friday is the official Bike to Work Day and locals are encouraged to bike to Live After 5, which will feature a bike corral and a social to follow. Head to Bike to Work Week’s Facebook page for more info.

I’ll have another post later this week recapping Better Block BR, which featured as its centerpiece a bright green bike lane that was heavily used by plenty of local cyclists on Saturday. So, stay tuned!

Don Hunter pictured above in a photo courtesy of him.