Stressed out? Ride your bike to work!

Can biking lead to a healthier lifestyle and a more resilient city?

Let’s face it, being an architect is not the healthiest career choice. The travel. The hours. The stress. And the sitting. There’s a lot of sitting. Until very recently, my typical commute was one hour by car, mostly sitting in traffic, followed by 10-12 hours sitting at my desk, then back in the car to sit in traffic. That’s about 14 hours of sitting each day. And, though there are some success stories on the traffic front (LA’s air quality has improved dramatically in the last 20 years), average commute times continue to increase. And, no shock here: LA’s traffic continues to be the worst in the nation. Like I said, I used to drive to work.

Several years ago, LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa got behind Measure R, which imposed a sales tax on purchases in LA County to fund transit improvements over the next 30 years. Since then, LA Metro (our transit authority) has been aggressively building systems which optimize the road infrastructure we have and expand alternatives to the automobile. These include new light rail lines, articulated bus systems (those are the ones with the accordion hinge between cabs), smart signalization systems for transit and expanded bike networks. Several years after Measure R was put into effect, Los Angeles now has one of the most extensive bike and light rail train network in North America. And it’s only getting bigger.

This sort of success story shows how planning and urban design are critical to the future resiliency of our cities. We need streets that can accommodate more than just cars. We need trains and buses that accommodate lots of people moving lots of places. Walkable, bikeable connections from each station to destinations need to be safe and easy to navigate. At those destinations, we also need storage and shower facilities. The potential of all this forward planning is that as traffic continues to worsen, the alternatives to getting around get better, easier and more viable.

There are some very encouraging signs that we’ve reached a tipping point and people have begun to change their habits. Public transportation in Los Angeles County has increased consistently by 8% per year. And I’m proof it’s working. Living in Venice, I’m about 18 miles from the office. Last year, the Expo Line (a light rail line that serves the West Side) opened and cut the commute time to downtown to about 30 minutes. My station is served by a dedicated bike trail that starts near my house. Now, by commuting by bike, I get more than 90 minutes of cardio per day, and my overall commute time is about the same as by car. That, combined with a shower and bike storage in the office (thank you RTKL), has made public transit a viable alternative for me and many others.

My blood pressure is now the lowest it’s been in years, and my Audi A5 is looking a little forlorn in my garage, but this is a much better way to get to work.

Image via Esirgen 

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CallisonRTKL

For more than five decades, Callison and RTKL have created some of the world’s most memorable and successful environments for developers, retailers, investors, institutions and public entities. In 2015, our two practices came together under the Arcadis umbrella, expanding our sphere of influence and the depth and breadth of our resources. Our team is comprised of nearly 2,000 creative, innovative professionals throughout the world who are committed to advancing our client’s businesses and enhancing quality of life.

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