This is the kind of rush-hour traffic we want to see on July 16. Photo by Henny Ray Abrahms.
If your motorcycle usually sits in the garage during the week, it's time to make its debut at the office on the 12th annual Ride to Work Day, July 16.
The objectives of RTW Day are:
1. Draw attention to the fact that motorcycles can have positive effects on traffic and parking congestion.
2. Remind the public and politicians that there are a lot of us out there (which is why all motorcyclists need to ride).
3. Point out that motorcycling isn't just a frivolous weekend diversion but also effective transportation.
4. Demonstrate that motorcyclists come from all walks, strata, occupational, ethnic, and political parts of American life.
5. Get out of that boring, gas-guzzling, hard-to-park car, and have some fun on your commute!
The Ride to Work Day concept originated in England. This is its 12th year of observation in the United States. It is conducted annually on the third Wednesday in July.
Ride to Work, Inc. distributed this release the week before Ride to Work Day:
RIDERS REV UP TO LEAD THE 12TH ANNUAL RIDE-TO-WORK DAY.
Break out and ride on Wednesday.
This year's annual Ride to Work Day event takes place on Wednesday, July 16th. Motorcycle riding participants include tens of thousands of employees and workers at companies, government agencies and hundreds of motorcycle rider groups. Riding to work on this day demonstrates to the public and to all officials that motorcycling is more than a stimulating and invigorating recreation. For many people, riding is a socially responsible form of personal transportation that saves energy, reduces congestion, adds parking spaces, helps the environment and provides a broad range of other public benefits.
Ride to Work Day dramatically shows that motorcyclists come from all walks of life, work in all occupations, and range in age from teenagers to grandparents. The American Motorcyclist Association and many other worldwide rider organizations have actively encouraged all motorcyclists to ride their cycles to work on the third Wednesday in July each year to show that motorcycling is a social good. Global participation in the yearly demonstration is estimated to be several million riders.
Today there are over two hundred and twenty million cars and light trucks crowding American roads and seven million registered motorcycles. If more motorcycles become a regular part of the transportation mix, it will help make urban parking easier and traffic will flow better, according to Ride to Work, a non-profit advocacy organization. Studies have shown that urban motorcyclists reach their destinations faster and are more invigorated and refreshed upon arrival than those using automobiles. In advanced countries like Japan, Germany, and England the advantages of motorcycling for transportation are widely appreciated. In the United States, a smaller percentage of the seven million registered cycles are used for everyday transportation and commuting.
On the year's 12th annual Ride to Work Day, motorcyclists worldwide seek:
- Employer recognition and support for motorcycling
- Greater public and government awareness of the beneficial values of motorcycling
For more information, visit the Ride to Work site. The organization offers free posters, a newsletter and materials for your local media outlets.