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Inspiration and a Sorry Lack of Follow-Through
Back in the first week of May, I saw the Million Mile May thing and started to write something for this blog. I rallied everyone to start biking and to register. We all kicked up our riding, we purchased a couple of indoor bike racks, Vanessa found a replacement for her stolen bike. Then work took some crazy turns; we kept riding, but several of us forgot to register individually. I never got around to posting anything on our blog and, even worse, registering LJUrban with Million Mile May. Every other day or so, I’d remember my negligence and then, at some point, (probably to assuage my guilt), I got it in my mind that it was probably too late.

Its Not Too Late!!
Then, yesterday, I run into our architect on B Street West, Craig Stradley, who commutes via bike from Carmichael, several times a week. I mention my embarrassment at missing the registration sign-up opportunity, and he quickly chimes in “Its not too late. Do It! We need all the support we can get to show there is political power behind this!”

A Million Miles are Within Reach
This morning, in my inbox, Craig sent this e-mail which he got this morning, clearly indicating we’re not alone in our lateness.

We need your help to make Million Mile May successful. You can still register and log your commute, errand and recreational bicycling miles.
If you have not already, please register on www.bikecommutemonth.com Registration will go quickly because you’re already in Commuter Club.
At our current rate, we anticipate getting very close to a Million Miles bicycled in May - close enough that we should we should really go for it.
Let’s make a big push this three-day weekend to bicycle with friends and family and help everyone log those miles. A good ride on our incredible American River Bike Trail can net you 16 or 22 miles, and you feel great afterwards.
We have weekly computerized random winners of bike socks, $25 bike shop gift cards, or RiverCats tickets to the June 14th game after the Million Mile May Finale at RiverWalk in West Sacramento.
I hope to see you out bicycling this holiday weekend!
Thank you,
Marilyn Bryant,
2007 Bike Commute Week Steering Committee Chair
Executive Director
Sacramento TMA/Commuter Club
ph: (916) 737-1513
The Sacramento Transportation Management Association is an independent, non-profit association, helping its members’ employees find commute alternatives since 1989.

Follow-Through, Finally
As of now, we are registered. Which, even more embarrassingly, took all of 1 minute… We listed our team with SABA. I logged 12 miles, which is nothing even remotely close to Steve’s 124 miles which is also nothing close to the current high posted by C. Casillas who is only 128 miles from his pledge of 1,900 miles (which equates to 61.3 miles per day). Wow. We just bought an iBert child carrier for my toddler, so I’m hoping to log some recreational miles before the month ends.

The Point of it All
However, the point is just to pledge something and do something. More people biking translates into healthier lives for everyone (not just the bikers) and stronger advocacy for better city planning to support alternative modes of transportation, which is simply a must-do for cities to move closer to their full potential as “the greenest technology we have available.”

A Timely Publication from SACOG
Speaking of biking for both transportation and recreation, SACOG has published a Regional Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Trails Master Plan. They are opening up the plan for public comments which you can submit online until June 20th, 2007.

Keep cranking!

Jason