Did you know that this Friday is National Road Trip Day? To the adventurers who want to see it all, but also reduce their carbon footprint while doing so, this one’s for you. Here’s 3 ways to make your summer road trip more eco-friendly!
Travel Together with Friends
You know how we love our carpools. Road tripping with friends is like a carpool and vacation in one! Instead of driving separate cars and meeting at locations, driving together can make a big impact when it comes to the number of vehicles on the road. Being on a road trip with a group makes it way more fun, too! You can take turns driving, split the cost of gas, and enjoy the open road together in the process.
Leave Nothing Behind but Tire Tracks
It goes without saying, but litterbugs are a no-go on road trips. As you stop at rest areas, scenic overlooks, and destinations along the way, be sure to pick up after yourself. Did you know that in a two-year period, the Washington State Department of Transportation disposed of 6,075 tons of litter from roadsides across the state? While traveling, we like to follow this mantra: Be kind. Leave nothing behind!
Bring Your Bike!
A road trip is equal parts about the journey and the destination. Stopping at local parks, historical markers, national forests, and beaches brings a great opportunity to soak in the world around you. Bringing your bicycle can be the perfect way to get some physical activity in between long stretches of driving. If you don’t have a bike, a trusty pair of hiking boots or walking shoes will get you moving, too.
Let's Hit the Road
Above all, road trips are a lot less impactful than taking a plane ride and, in many circumstances, will save you a ton of money. Just be sure to be mindful on your trip, plan ahead, and drive safely!
It’s been one year of working from home for many Americans. You may be asking yourself, How do people do this year-round? It’s true, some jobs are fully remote. This tells us one thing that may shock you: Being productive at your home office is totally possible!
We want to share some tips on how to work together with your team in a work-from-home small business setting.
Find a Collaborative Planning Platform that Works for You
Keeping your projects, schedules, and deadlines in one place with your team makes a huge difference with productivity and organization. Instead of jotting things down in a planner or notebook, get into the virtual world of planning. This ensures that you and your team members are on the same page with responsibilities and tasks. One of our favorites is Microsoft Teams Tasks by Planner. It’s adaptable to your team’s work needs and connects you all in a super organized way—and it even has a mobile app!
Check in with Each Other
We know one of the most difficult parts of working from home is the feeling of isolation during your workday. Conference room meetings, lunch breaks with coworkers, and being down the hall from your team are things we will surely never take for granted again once we transition back into the office. Even in a virtual setting, spending time with your team can still be a normal part of your daily schedule. A Zoom lunch break or coffee hour can be a good way to catch up without having to talk about work.
Be Understanding
For many people, our home is not our ideal office. Life and work blending together often isn’t conducive to a productive work environment. A good way to overcome this challenge with your team members is to be open and understanding with one another. We all have our own lives to work around, with factors like kids, dogs, or roommates. Even thinking of each other’s workloads outside of team collaborations helps to not put unrealistic expectations on one another. Being there for each other is a huge part of being a team.
You've Got This!
When working from home, having a team in your small business makes it feel like you have people on your side. Find routines that work for your group. Until you can return to the office, do your best to make teleworking work for you.
The biking industry is getting in the electric swing of things with E-Bikes on the rise. Already extremely popular in countries around Asia and Europe, the electric bicycle craze is finally hitting the United States. Just imagine if your bicycle had a battery and motor to propel you up hills and allow you to ride longer distances. Well, consider this dream a reality with the emergence of electric bikes!
Here are three of the top reasons that E-Bikes are making a massive impact on the cycling world and transportation industry:
Getting People Out of Cars
E-Bikes are motivating people to see cycling as a real commute option in a way that traditional bicycles may have been missing. People with long commutes felt cycling to work was a non-option, but E-Bikes allow people to ride longer distances more easily. This has been a big positive change in the transportation industry, which is the biggest contributor of carbon emissions in the United States. E-Bikes take a lot of pressure off of cars and are leading to even more positive outcomes than electric cars could.
Taking Barriers Away from Cycling
There have always been silent prerequisites to being a cyclist. These factors would unknowingly place barriers in front of people with health concerns and adults of an older age. E-Bikes are chipping away at these obstacles by making riding more manageable for people not of perfect physical health. Riding up hills and over terrain more easily is opening doors and creating a more accessible world of biking.
The Transit Industry's Electric-Bound Momentum
While electric cars are on the rise, E-Bikes and electric public transit are still substantially better for the environment when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions. Creating even more electric transportation options is a huge strength of the E-Bike industry. They are surely much less expensive than buying an electric car, and are even beginning to replace the notion of purchasing a second car for families and working professionals.
We’re feeling good about the E-Bike industry, and seeing it continue to grow is promising. Watching a green transportation mode climb in popularity as quickly as electric bikes is exactly what we need to continue making the future greener and cleaner!
The biking industry is getting in the electric swing of things with E-Bikes on the rise. Already extremely popular in countries around Asia and Europe, the electric bicycle craze is finally hitting the United States. Just imagine if your bicycle had a battery and motor to propel you up hills and allow you to ride longer distances. Well, consider this dream a reality with the emergence of electric bikes!
Here are three of the top reasons that E-Bikes are making a massive impact on the cycling world and transportation industry:
Getting People Out of Cars
E-Bikes are motivating people to see cycling as a real commute option in a way that traditional bicycles may have been missing. People with long commutes felt cycling to work was a non-option, but E-Bikes allow people to ride longer distances more easily. This has been a big positive change in the transportation industry, which is the biggest contributor of carbon emissions in the United States. E-Bikes take a lot of pressure off of cars and are leading to even more positive outcomes than electric cars could.
Taking Barriers Away from Cycling
There have always been silent prerequisites to being a cyclist. These factors would unknowingly place barriers in front of people with health concerns and adults of an older age. E-Bikes are chipping away at these obstacles by making riding more manageable for people not of perfect physical health. Riding up hills and over terrain more easily is opening doors and creating a more accessible world of biking.
The Transit Industry's Electric-Bound Momentum
While electric cars are on the rise, E-Bikes and electric public transit are still substantially better for the environment when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions. Creating even more electric transportation options is a huge strength of the E-Bike industry. They are surely much less expensive than buying an electric car, and are even beginning to replace the notion of purchasing a second car for families and working professionals.
We’re feeling good about the E-Bike industry, and seeing it continue to grow is promising. Watching a green transportation mode climb in popularity as quickly as electric bikes is exactly what we need to continue making the future greener and cleaner!
May is National Bike Month! Are you ready to pump some air into your tires and get riding? We want to kick off this annual event promoted by the League of American Bicyclists to discuss an initiative that we find exceptionally important: Bicycle Friendly America. The League lays out what it takes to create a bike-friendly nation in what they call The 5 E’s.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
A Bicycle Friendly America for everyone can only begin to be achieved if bicycling is safe, comfortable, and accessible to all, no matter who you are or where you live. This means people of all races, religions, and communities need to be free to move on the streets without fear of violence, racial profiling, or danger. Read more about the League’s commitment to equity and inclusion here.
Engineering
The second E, Engineering, means creating safe and convenient places to ride and park bicycles. Bike-friendly infrastructure is the most visible evidence of a welcoming environment for bicyclists. Without safe bike lanes, shared-use trails, and bike-protectant policies, riding isn’t as safe and accessible as it needs to be to create a Bicycle Friendly America.
Education
Education on bicycling gives people of all ages and abilities the skills and confidence to ride. Communities can start with bicycle-safety education in elementary school physical education classes, or training opportunities for adults looking to improve bike skills.
Encouragement
Businesses, communities, and universities have a critical role in encouraging people to ride bikes. Giving people opportunities to ride bikes can help to create a bike culture that welcomes and celebrates bicycling. Cities around the country are seeing positive shifts in bike-share usage due to their convenience and cost-effectiveness. We are seeing many communities moving in the right direction!
Evaluation and Planning
There is more to getting people motivated to ride a bicycle than community encouragement. The funding and organizational support is the foundation of a successful bicycling community. Planning for bicycling as a safe and viable transportation option must come from a network of professionals to make a Bicycle Friendly America a reality.
Read more about National Bike Month here. Ride on!
