On Monday, June 20th, AMCA members participated in the 31st annual Motorcycle and Scooter Ride to Work Day. (Some people participated on June 21st when they returned to work – Monday was a holiday, after all.) The mission of Ride to Work Day is to “advocate and support the use of motorcycles and scooters for transportation, and providing information about everyday utility riding to the public.”
From the website www.ridetowork.org, dedicated to the non-profit organization behind this annual event:
Every year more than a million two wheeled moto-commuters demonstrate riding as a fun and practical form of utility transportation and highlight the benefits of riding, including: reduced road congestion, shorter commute times, more parking spaces and less fuel consumption.
“Motorcycles and scooters take up less space in parking areas and on roads. And there’s a lower footprint. Riders seek recognition for this form of personal mobility, and government and public awareness of the many benefits,” states Andy Goldfine, an event organizer. Over 100 American cities formally recognize Ride to Work Day by proclamation, and rider’s clubs around the world encourage their members to participate in this annual demonstration.
For hundreds of thousands of US workers, riding is a socially beneficial form of transportation which provides a broad range of other public benefits. According to the United States Census Bureau and the Department of Transportation, over eighty million cars and light trucks are used every day for commuting, and only about 200,000 motorcycles and scooters are a regular part of this mix. On June 20th, the practical side of motorcycling and scootering becomes more visible as a higher percentage of America’s 8,000,000 cycles and scooters replace automobiles.
Ride to Work Day was inspired by “Work to Ride – Ride to Work‘” marketing materials created between 1989 and 1991 by the Aero Design and Manufacturing Company, a Minnesota based manufacturer of motorcycle riders clothing. In 1992 these items inspired motorcycle magazine editor Fred Rau to write an editorial calling for a national ride to work day.