Stress Less; Pedal More

Silicon Valley Bike Commuters Push Pedaling for Improved Health

by Peg Champion, GreenTown Los Altos Correspondent

While most Silicon Valley commuters dread their daily drive in stop-and-go traffic, Suzanne Ambiel looks forward to her ride to work. “My 15-minute commute is one of the most relaxing parts of my day.” A marketing manager at VMware in Palo Alto, Ambiel is one of many Los Altos residents who commute to work by bicycle.

Reasons to Ride
Besides avoiding the hassles of a car, you have plenty of reasons for taking a ride: personal health, environmental responsibility and that old stand-buy, money. Jim Thurber, fourth-grade teacher at Gardner Bullis Elementary, who commutes daily, says, “I’m a cheapskate. I hate to buy gasoline. I’d also like to put my cardiologist out of business.” Deb Kilpatrick, a senior vice president at a genomic diagnostics company in Palo Alto, agrees, “I like looking at my bike and car odometers in December each year. On average, my bike mileage is about two times that of my car. It’s great to see how much bike commuting lowers my carbon footprint – 15 to 20 percent annually. And it saves on car insurance, too.”

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