Courtesy of Richmond.com
It’s a six-mile commute from Michael Town’s western Henrico home to the downtown Richmond offices of the Sierra Club of Virginia.
Most days, however, the father of three skips the seat belt. Instead, he opts for a helmet and hops a bike to wheel down Morningside Drive to Fitzhugh, then along Grace, Hamilton, Monument, Park and Franklin to his Sixth Street destination.
“It only takes me 10 minutes longer by bike than it does by car,” says Town. “And it’s much less stressful.”
With gasoline prices $2.30 a gallon and climbing, it’s natural to assume that concern for the family budget is the motivation behind Town’s bicycle commute. But the director of Virginia’s chapter of the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots environmental group views the money savings as more of a fringe benefit.