Tote Your Bike on the DTA
Friday, May 20th is Twin Ports Bike to Work Day. If you’ve stopped short of riding your bike around Duluth because of the prospect of riding back up it, the DTA (Duluth Transit Authority) can help with that.
A growing trend
You’ve probably seen the DTA driving around the Twin Ports with bikes mounted to the front of its buses for a while now, but did you know the DTA has been providing that service to its riders since 1994? In 2009, with input from local bike riders and sustainability groups, the DTA made the decision to keep the bike racks on their buses all year round, a move which has helped to increase the number of bikes the DTA transports yearly from 0.48% of its total passenger trips in 2006 to 0.72% in 2010.
Now, 0.72% may not seem like a big deal, but it represents nearly 23,000 bikes being bused around the Twin Ports on an annual basis, and that’s an impressive number when you consider the challenging terrain, inclement weather and unfriendly temperatures we often encounter around these parts! Yet, it’s those very conditions which make DTA bike racks worth celebrating.
Best of all, your bike rides for free. Using a DTA bus to transport your bike doesn’t cost anything more than the price of your bus fare. More information about routes, fares and schedules is available at the DTA website.
Options, Options, Options
We at the MIC are all about improving your transportations options here in Duluth and Superior. If you’re looking for alternatives to high gas prices and driving your car, here are five choices for you to consider right now. And you can add the DTA’s bus-mounted bike racks to your list of alternatives for local travel this season.
Considering that May is National Bike Month, why not participate and use the DTA’s bus-mounted bike racks as a way to support your commute?