Laws of Motion: Edinburg encourages residents to bike, walk to work and school

The bicycles started out as a fun way to get a little more exercise.

When University of Texas-Pan American professors Linda Matthews and John Sargent purchased the custom-made bicycles in Austin, they never imagined how important the bicycles would become in their lives.

The bikes, outfitted with all the required safety gear and panniers on the back to carry work materials, became their primary means of transportation, said Matthews, an associate professor of management at UTPA. Matthews and her husband, Sargent, pedal the three miles from their home near Trenton Road to the university almost every day.

The bikes - also used to make trips to the gym, the grocery store and other routine stops - are so ingrained into their daily lives that Matthews forgets to change the motor oil in her pickup truck that sits unused in their driveway.

"I enjoyed it as a bit of exercise but the bike has become more than that," Matthews said. "It's my vehicle now."

Members of an environmental advisory board for the city of Edinburg believe a day of activities this Friday could lead others to take
up an alternate means of transportation.

The city issued a proclamation recognizing Friday as National Walk to Work Day and declaring next week as Walk or Bike to Work or School Week in the city.

The events, planned in conjunction with Friday's Healthy Living Festival, show residents that walking and bicycling is healthy and helps protect the environment by reducing the number of vehicles on the road, said Mark Peña, a member of the city's environment advisory board. The city encouraged residents to walk or bike on their commute or lunch breaks to develop a healthy, environmentally friendly habit.

The events could introduce a new group of people to the benefits of walking or biking, said Matthews, a fitness fanatic who never knew how much she and Sargent would enjoy commuting to work on a bicycle.

The 15-minute commute is as quick as it takes to drive to the university, she said. She saves on gasoline purchases, gets to enjoy her mornings outside and parks her bike right outside her office, a few benefits others have expressed interest in to her.
"People sometimes come up to me and say, ‘Wow, I would like to do that,'" Matthews said. "I'm not somebody to usually give advice but I tell them, ‘Get out and try it.'"

Jared Janes covers Hidalgo County government, Edinburg and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4424.

HEALTHY LIVING FESTIVAL

>> The event highlights pedestrian and bicycling facilities in the city and provides information from both public and private organizations dedicated to supporting healthy living

>> 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, April 3

>> Edinburg City Hall Plaza, 415 W. University, Edinburg