Healthy Choices, Reducing Pollution

There just never seems to be any less traffic in the town of Barnstable, or across Cape Cod for that matter.

Well, some folks think they might have an answer to some of those fuel-guzzling, smog-emitting bottlenecks all of us seem to be shaking our collective fists at these days.

The Cape Cod Commission will join today (Monday, May 14 through Friday, May 18) regional and state-wide efforts to promote the use of bicycles as a transportation alternative to driving single-occupant vehicles during Bay State Bike Week.

Local and regional activities are planned. The Commission-sponsored events include:Outer Cape Bike Social, Thursday, May 17, 2012, from 5:00-7:00 p.m., Crown & Anchor, 247 Commercial Street, Provincetown. The event is being sponsored by the Cape Cod Commission, the Provincetown Bike Committee, and Other Local Bicycle Committees. Come and meet other bike enthusiasts from the Outer Cape Cod area. Bike Week t-shirts and giveaways will be distributed (while supplies last).

Maps will also be available. Contact: Planner Martha Hevenor, Cape Cod Commission, 508-362-2838.

There will be a Hyannis Biker Breakfast on Friday, May 18, 2012 from 8:00-8:45 a.m., Hyannis Transportation Center, Sponsored by the Cape Cod Commission, the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority, and MassBike.

Bike Commuters to Hyannis – start your day off right! Maps, schedules, and light refreshments/coffee will be available. Contact: Senior Transportation Engineer Lev Malakhoff, Cape Cod Commission, 508-744-1229A calendar, announcements, and information about this and other Cape Cod Commission bicycle and pedestrian planning initiatives are also available on the web site: www.capecodcommission.org/initiatives/bikeped.

From that website, interested persons can link to an online questionnaire about related issues on Cape Cod; answers will help the Commission develop a Cape Cod Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan that facilitates the creation, expansion, and maintenance of a safe, comprehensive, and integrated bicycle and pedestrian system that serves recreational and transportation purposes.

With the addition of safe and convenient facilities connecting to downtowns, beaches, work places, schools, transit, and other destinations, more people — Cape Cod residents and visitors alike — will be able to bike or walk to their destinations and leave the cars behind. An expanded bicycle/pedestrian network will also promote recognition of bicycles and walking as an essential component of the Cape's multimodal transportation system and a means to reduce reliance on automobiles. Participating in the Commission's Bay State Bike Week events is one way to show support for these initiatives.Additional Bike Week events being held on the Cape by other organizations are also posted on the Bay State Bike Week online calendar (www.baystatebikeweek.org/events).

A drop-down menu on that website pinpoints events in specific areas of Massachusetts. Bay State Bike Week is supported in part by the Federal Highway Administration, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, and MassBike.

The Cape Cod Commission is the regional land use planning, economic development, and regulatory agency created in 1990 to serve the citizens and 15 towns that comprise Barnstable County, Massachusetts, better known as Cape Cod. The Commission works toward maintaining a healthy balance between economic progress and environmental vitality. "Keeping a special place special" describes the agency's mission to protect the region's unique qualities. The 19-member volunteer Cape Cod Commission board represents a wide spectrum of the community and provides oversight for a staff of 40 professionals. The Commission is responsible for regional planning, policy, and regulations to help manage growth, and the agency supports the Cape's 15 towns with cost-effective planning and technical services. For more information, visit: www.capecodcommission.org