"Can You Bike There?" at T-Horse

When you want to increase the range of your transportation choices, sometimes it's hard to break long-established habits. Using the car is ingrained in all of us, and stopping to think, "is the car the best tool for this job?" isn't always easy.

At the City Repair / T-Horse gathering yesterday, I saw a terrific example of an easy way to ask that question. Right next to the ignition was a sign, "Can you bike there?" It's a reminder that for short trips to the grocery store or other errands, for socializing, and for some workplaces, the bike is often as good or better than the car. It makes the choice of a car intentional and active, rather than the default, passive choice of habit. Sometimes a car might be the best choice. But not always.

The event was quite sociable. Painting, hula-hooping, chalk art, leisurely conversation over tea. Over at Salemites, Lisa Anne has a nice post about her impressions. There's talk of more on the horizon!

Update - sweet pix of the chalk drawing at Salem Daily Photo Diary.