News
Napa County Bike to Work and School Day
04/27/2022
Mark your calendars – Napa County Bike to Work and School Day is coming up on Friday, May 20th! If you’re planning on commuting to work or school on two wheels that day, take the Napa County Bicycle Coalition’s Pledge to Ride, committing to riding a bike on May 20th, and you’ll be entered into weekly prize giveaways leading up to the event. Prizes include Sportago gift certificates, Ortlieb bike bags, and a Burley Honey Bee bike trailer!
Why Celebrate Bike Month?
by Napa County Bicycle Coalition
Biking is great for your physical and mental health:
- Physical activity is crucial for our health – according to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, kids ages 6 through 17 should do 60 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily. Adults should do at least 150 minutes to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week.
- However, according to the CDC’s most recent data (2019), only about 55% of California adults are achieving the weekly minimum of 150 minutes of aerobic physical activity. Only about 20% of students in grades 9-12 achieve their 60 minutes of physical activity daily.
- Biking is listed by the ODPHP as a moderate-to-vigorous aerobic activity for kids and adults and can help them achieve the recommended physical activity level. Biking for transportation (work, school, errands, etc.) is an easy and fun way to build this exercise into everyday life.
- Improved cardiovascular fitness, increased muscle strength, and decreased stress levels are just a few of the several health benefits provided by biking.
Biking saves money:
Biking for transportation is good for the planet:
- The transportation sector is the largest single source of California’s greenhouse gas emissions at nearly 40% of the state’s total emissions. Almost 90% of transportation emissions in California derived from on road sources.
- “Emissions from cycling can be more than 30 times lower for each trip than driving a fossil fuel car, and about ten times lower than driving an electric one.”
- 31% of vehicle trips in Napa County are less than 2 miles, and 63% are less than 5 miles. If Napa County residents shifted just some of their short trips to biking, we would make noticeable progress toward meeting environmental goals and cleaner air.
Biking benefits Business:
Biking benefits Schools:
And finally, biking is fun! Who couldn’t use a little extra fun these days?