Donning shorts, a safety helmet, and a grim look of determination, Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon peddled through downtown early Monday to promote bicycling to work.
“We?re now on our way to making Baltimore a more bike-friendly city,” she said standing outside the Inner Harbor visitor center and vowing to ride her bike to City Hall at least once a week. “We need to encourage city residents to bike to work.”
Joining the mayor on her early morning jaunt were members of her cabinet, city employees and a police motorcade.
“Downtown is surrounded by hills,” said Doug McCoach, the city planning director who frequently bikes to work. “You can ride down hill to work, and take a shower when you get home.”
Dixon?s early morning excursion was part of the “National Bike-to-Work Week,” which ends Friday. The League of American Bicyclists is promoting the week-long national event as part of an effort to reduce traffic congestion and promote bicycle commuting.
City officials said a few hundred workers actually commute to work on a bike.
“Baltimore has a long way to go,” said Eva Choury the city?s bicycle coordinator.
As part of the initiative, Dixon announced bikes will now be allowed on the Inner Harbor promenade from 6- 10 a.m., Monday through Saturday, and 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. Sundays.
The city also is spending $2.5 million for bike safety signs and bike paths, part of the first phase of a new master plan designed to make the city more cycle friendly.
Dixon said more residents biking to work would make the city cleaner – and leaner.
“A 20 minute bike ride burns 250 calories,” she said. “Sitting in your car for 20 minutes burns only 20.”
