Fewer people pledged to bike or walk to work this year, but the number attending the breakfast outside of the Connecticut’s Old State House Friday morning remained respectable, especially considering the dreary drizzle.
The weather did not modify plans in Hartford, but the National Bike to Work Day event was postponed elsewhere. Buffalo has delayed its event because of heavy rain and San Diego because of the damage to air quality by recent wildfires. Locally, the Farmington event has been postponed until Monday.
With cyclists and pedestrians huddled under a canopy, State Senator Beth Bye ribbed Mayor Segarra for failing to meet her challenge this year. Thomas Deller, Director of Development Services, spoke on behalf of the mayor.
The League of American Bicyclists says that “more than half of the U.S. population lives within five miles of their workplace,” which should, in theory, make cycling a viable option. Bike to Work Day and other National Bike Month events are intended to increase bicycle commuting by easing riders into habit through a fun, communal activity.
Bike Walk Connecticut coordinated the event. Towns and cities with the greatest number of pledges to participate included West Hartford, Waterbury, and Hartford, in that order.