Transportation
Biking and Walking: At Home in Our World
Nine ways for Rhode Islanders to get around without polluting
- Look for times in your day and week when you can walk or bike instead of driving
- When you do drive, make room for pedestrians and bikers
- Ask your city and town councillors for better walking, wheeling and biking infrastructure
- Start a “walking school bus” for children in your neighborhood or town
- Start or contribute to a city/town bikeshare program
- If you’re an employer, institute a Bike to Work Day
- Weigh in on Rhode Island’s Bicycle Mobility Plan
- Support city/town ordinances that reduce racial profiling of pedestrians and cyclists
- Ask your auto insurance provider about pay-per-mile car insurance
Biking and walking have almost no greenhouse gas emissions. Both options also benefit our physical and mental health and our acquaintance with other people.
Household action: Replace recreational activities that you must drive to with activities that you can walk or bike to. You may be able to give up your gym membership, if you have one, and be outside more often. See the “Exercise and Exploration” section for ideas.
Rhode Island has a history of walkable cities and towns, and we can renew that walkability for our own century. City improvements that serve pedestrians also often serve people with disabilities and elderly people. Both groups are highly vulnerable to the shortages and interrupted services that climate change may cause, so working with them now is important. If racial profiling is prohibited in your town, residents of color will feel more comfortable walking or biking. Rhode Island’s Bicycle Mobility Plan also offers a chance to make your voice heard.
Community action: Pay-per-mile auto insurance means that whenever you walk or bike instead of driving, you save money. Sign up if your provider offers it: here’s a site where you can check. Bring this option up next time you and a friend or co-worker are griping about your car insurance—and if your company isn’t on that list, write and ask about this service.