Cycling commuters have opened our eyes

For those who drive to work, it may not be surprising that the Chicago area clocks in some of the highest average travel times to work in the nation. In a 2005 ranking of large cities, Chicagoans spent an average of 33.2 minutes, second only to New York.

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that 3 million workers in the country face "extreme" commutes to work of 90 or more minutes a day. A recent study reported that time spent at work is the single biggest determinant of how much sleep Americans got -- or don't get -- on a typical day. But travel time, including time sitting in traffic on the way to work, comes in second place, according to the study in the Sept. 1 issue of the journal Sleep.

So, today, on Labor Day, we salute those who are trying to cut down on that time wasted in the car by combining exercise with commuting.

In a Daily Herald story Sunday, staff writer Sara Faiwell reports that the quest to be healthier, to support the environment and to battle high gasoline prices have led more commuters in the Chicago area to take to their bicycles for their daily trip to work.

"I feel this is one of the few things I can do to protest the high price of gas: reduce my driving," said Ruth Buffalo of Wood Dale, who bikes to her job at Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village.

Said Debbie Snyder, 48, of Sugar Grove, who cycles about 22 miles to her job in Naperville: "It is extremely peaceful in the morning and lot less stressful than driving."

"As the gas prices creep, people are thinking of alternative ways to get around," said Wayne Mikes, who owns Mikes Bike Shop in Palatine. "People are starting to be more accepting of bicycles as transportation."

"My sense is that people have always had a tendency to want to become healthier and more fit," Rob Sadowsky, the executive director of the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, told the Daily Herald. "When you combine it with the economic incentive to save money, it makes it much easier." Some bicyclists, however, report aggressive drivers trying to intimidate them off the road. That's why it's important for communities to continue the recent trends of adding lanes and routes for cyclists. Suburbs like Naperville and Schaumburg have been cited as becoming more "bike-friendly" in recent years.

And a proposed law called the Bicycle Commuter Act would provide tax benefits to employers who offer cash reimbursements to employees who bike to work. We think that's a good idea and urge its passage.

Biking to work is not for everybody. But for those who choose it, it's a positive development that should be encouraged.