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Biking to Work a Hot Trend

Nearly 1 million Americans travel to work by bike regularly

Lamont Burt rides his bike to work at the Library Service Center as often as he can. Photo by Bryan Roth.
Lamont Burt rides his bike to work at the Library Service Center as often as he can. Photo by Bryan Roth.

Along with thousands of others across the country, Lamont Burt is part of one of the biggest trends in commuting.

This spring, Burt marks his first anniversary of biking to work, making a six-mile round trip each day from his Durham home on Elizabeth Street to work at Duke’s Library Service Center on Anson Street. While he hasn’t biked every day since he started in March 2015 – he likes temperatures to be above freezing – he embraces the commute as a way to stay healthy and minimize his impact on the environment through non-motorized travel.

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According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Burt is one of more than 900,000 bike commuters in the United States. The most recent numbers show that nearly 905,000 bikers commuted to work regularly in 2014, up 62 percent from 2000.

“If you don’t have to drive far, there are all types of ways you can get to work without a car,” said Burt, a library assistant at the service center. “It was great when gas prices were high, but even now it’s just so easy. It’s fun to enjoy the ride and some fresh air.”

With National Bike Month in May and Bike to Work Week running May 16 to 20, it’s a great time to be a bike commuter. On campus, the number of registered bike commuters has increased by more than 700 in the past five years to almost 1,100 to start 2016.

In recent years, the League of American Bicyclists has recognized Duke and Durham as a Bicycle Friendly University and Community. Last year, Duke received a “Golden Modes” award from GoSmart as “Employer Commute Champion” for providing employees top-tier commuter benefits and facilities.

“As Durham and other local cities continue to grow, we’ll only see more traffic congestion and more time spent waiting in our cars,” said Alison Carpenter, manager of Duke’s transportation demand management program. “Slowly, we’ve seen greater interest from faculty, staff and students who want a more convenient way to get to and from campus.”

Faculty and staff who commute by bike can sign up for the Bicycle Commuter Benefits program, which offers prizes and discounts at local businesses. Registered bike commuters at Duke also receive:

  • Two free daily parking passes per month for a preferred lot
  • Access to Triangle Transit’s Emergency Ride Home program
  • Use of eight shower locations before 9 a.m.

Wear Your Helmet 

Each year, an average of 20 bicyclists are killed while bicycling in North Carolina, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation. 

Even though bike riders 16 and up aren’t required to wear a helmet by law in North Carolina, Louise Goldstein, a clinical care coordinator at Duke HomeCare & Hospice has seen first-hand what happens without one.

“I’ve seen people with brain damage, spinal cord injuries and that needed halo neck braces because of bicycle accidents,” said Goldstein, who rides recreationally and always wears a helmet. “If you don’t wear a helmet, you’re begging for trouble.”

Do you bike to work or want to learn more about it? Join Duke community members for these special events to celebrate Bike to Work Week. You can also take a virtual bike ride through campus with this video: