At Monday night's City Council meeting, the mayor and council president read a proclamation celebrating national bike week. I thank them for this.
However, I haven't seen the paper of record, the Daily News, follow-up with a story. Maybe one is planned.
Earlier this month, the Daily News reported on the rising cost of gas, then at $3.60, and how businesses such as Port Taxi, Volpone Towing Service, and Pizza Factory II are feeling the pinch.
One sentence in the article stands alone:
Be it car pooling, riding a bicycle, walking or taking another form of transportation, many drivers are conserving.Despite being the second sentence in the article, this notion of a consumer's choice to not drive a car but ride a bike, walk, or use public transit is not elaborated.
What's the point of the sentence?
Last October, the Daily News published this article about the initial erection of three bike racks downtown in an effort to cut down on the number of cars in the downtown district and increase the number of bicycles.
I don't recall subsequent stories on whether more people are riding their bikes downtown. Granted, the weather is only getting warm so maybe a story is planned.
Officials hope the racks will encourage people to ride bikes to the city rather than drive their vehicles, wrote reporter Stephen Tait in the above article. There are many benefits, they say, including helping to decrease emissions of greenhouse gases and helping to fix the parking and traffic congestion problems downtown.
I've seen subsequent stories on parking and traffic congestion, but not anything on whether more people are riding their bikes to the city. I know of many people who ride their bikes from their homes to downtown locations and would be more than willing to talk about it.
In an effort to give the DN an idea of the type of story I'd like to see, take a look at this article in today's issue of The News Tribune in Tacoma, Washington, about the benefits of bicycle commuters.
I'll soon join the bandwagon, as I filled my tank yesterday at $3.67 for regular unleaded gas. My bike is in the shop for a tune-up; and I anticipate 2-wheeling around the area more than 4-wheeling.
3 comments:
The point of the sentence is that it contrasts with the next one and thus the real point of the story, that people who need to use gas while at work are feeling the growing problem of high gas prices and can't conserve.
Ari,
Didn't Tom have something on his blog from Andy Sidford about riding your bike for the day instead of driving a couple of weeks ago? I did not see any follow-up on that, either, in the DN. I know it rained the day he planned to do it, but I believe the rain date was the next day ... it would have been a great story, about how many people actually participated.
Would have been. Don't hold your breath, though.
I'll be talking to Andy, or at least someone at his office, about another matter within the next day. I'll find out and fill you in.
Anonymous: I understood the point of the story from the headline, "Deliverers, truckers struggle to pay costs" so again that second sentence is an anomaly. Your suggestion of providing contrast seems like filler to me, and isn't necessary.
Here are some easy suggestions that businesses can follow to avoid the high(er) gas prices:
* Based upon concentric circles and the number of miles from the pizza shop to the destination, don't use a car but use a bike with a rack; this is what Redbones, a Somerville BBQ joint, does for up to 2-3 miles. All of their local deliveries are by bike and the cost of gas is cut down.
* The use of biofuel is a proven alternative to straight diesel; with very minor engine adjustment and perhaps only the installation of a new filter, a truck can use n 80% diesel / 20% bio mixture with equivalent if not superior performance. And the cost of diesel is cut down.
* Taxi companies in New York and other larger metropolitan areas are trading in their old Buicks and Fords for more energy-efficient vehicles. Port Taxi, for instance, should consider purchasing a Toyota Prius or any other hybrid car. Maybe they can get one used. Maybe one of the drivers is interested in one for home use and a business arrangement can be made.
* Are all of these businesses using fluorescent or LED light bulbs, or are they still using energy-sucking incandescent bulbs?
The point is there are many inventive and easy ways to maneuver around the higher gas prices. The fact that other businesses have done such is proof Newburyport businesses can do it. I don't need "contrast" saying consumers are feeling the energy pinch for a business story; I'd rather see contrast in the form of what other businesses are doing or what Newburyport businesses should be doing.
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