Last Friday morning, May 19, was cloudy and cool, another typical Puget Sound spring morning. It was also a pretty good morning to try another means of commuting.
Community Transit and Everett Transit co-sponsored the sixth annual Snohomish County 2006 Bike to Work. For the first time, a celebration ride came to the Mill Creek area.
“Mill Creek is designed, in a lot of ways, as a bike-friendly community, with the North Creek Trail, Village Green Drive, and the bike lanes on Bothell-Everett Highway,” said Community Transit’s Kristin Kinnamon, who includes cycling as part of her regular daily commute. “It’s nice to be able to recognize that.”
Eight people, including Kinnamon, Mill Creek Mayor Donna Michelson, Bothell City Councilman Patrick Ewing, and yours truly, hopped on bicycles and rode from Mill Creek City Hall to the McCollum Park Park-and-Ride, a distance of roughly 2.5 miles. The route was along Main Street through Town Center, then over to the North Creek Trail once we reached L.A. Fitness’ courtyard.
The city’s part of the North Creek Trail is paved and perfect for cycling, in-line skating or walking (several people we passed were walking their dogs.) It’s fairly level, and there are a couple of places along the way to stop and check out wetlands.
For Michelson, the ride came on the 26th anniversary of what she said was the last time she was on a bike: The day of the major eruption of Mount St. Helens. She borrowed a helmet from her daughter for the occasion, and despite some jitters, she easily hid behind her constant smile. Michelson, an avid runner and fixture on Village Green Drive’s sidewalks, had no trouble on the ride.
Once our group arrived at the McCollum Park-and-Ride lot, we stopped at a table Community Transit and Everett Transit had set up with refreshments and information about cycling in Snohomish and King counties. Detailed maps were available showing routes and how much traffic cyclists can expect to encounter.
The effort is also part of the Bike Commute Challenge, which is going on now through June 16. People taking part in the program are committing to ride a bike to work once a week through June 16.
Kinnamon, a former Mill Creek Enterprise editor, said three things could work in favor of making cycling a more valid commuting option. One is high gas prices, another is a desire to get in shape, and a third is with increasing traffic congestion, riding a bike can sometimes be faster than driving. The last one is something she said she’s noticed on her commute to and from her home in Marysville.
Organizers were also pleased with the turnout for the event. By shortly after 8 a.m., 51 cyclists had signed in at the information desk.
If you’re interested in joining those cyclists and would like a map of Snohomish County bike routes, call Community Transit at 425-353-RIDE (7433).
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