HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – Base environmental officials encourage members of Team Hanscom to use human-powered, two-wheeled transportation during National Bike to Work Day here May 17.
National Bike to Work Day promotes the bicycle as a healthy and safe alternative for commuting to work.
“Biking promotes good health and offers an environmentally-friendly alternative to getting to where you need to go,” said Robert Spelfogel, 66th Civil Engineering Division environmental engineer.
The Hanscom Environmental Office will also host a five-mile bike tour of Hanscom AFB that will begin at Building 1825 on Friday, May 17 at 10 a.m. For further information, contact Andy Gould, event planner, at 781-225-3949.
The National Bike to Work Day coincides with Bay State Bike Week, scheduled May 11 through 19, as well as the MassCommute Bicycle Challenge.
The MassCommute Bicycle Challenge is an annual free and friendly competition to log the most miles among Massachusetts businesses, educational institutions and municipalities.
“Last year Hanscom placed fifth among businesses with 5,000 or more employees,” said John Tamvaklis, CE Transportation Program coordinator.
To log miles, participants must register and complete an online form. To register for the challenge, visit http://masscommutebicyclechallenge.org. When registering, be sure the Hanscom AFB team receives proper credit on the leaderboard by entering "Hanscom AFB" under the "Business" tab.
“Whether you ride a bicycle as a form of commuting or for recreation, we encourage all members of Team Hanscom to log their miles through the Mass Commuter Challenge website,” said Spelfogel.
According to the MCBC website, last year Massachusetts riders logged more than 120,000 miles. Officials estimate that riders collectively saved more than $15,000 in gasoline and reduced more than 112,000 pounds of carbon dioxide, a gas produced from burning fossil fuel.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory finished first among all businesses, logging 7,962.15 miles.
Throughout Bay State Bike Week, MIT Lincoln Laboratory will also host events that Hanscom personnel may join in.
The Laboratory will host a five-mile ride on local trails on Wednesday, May 15, beginning at 5:15 p.m. Anyone interested in participating is asked to meet at the MIT LL flagpole.
As a reminder, according to Hanscom’s Safety Office, bicyclists must wear a properly fitted helmet with a secure head strap fastened when cycling on base.
For more information on bike week events offered at Hanscom or throughout the state, visit http://masscommutebicyclechallenge.org/events/ or www.BayStateBikeWeek.org.
Other local bicycling information is available at https://www.massbike.org/.
Those who ride the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority, or MBTA, may also visit https://www.mbta.com/bikes to learn more about riding with a bicycle.
Hanscom personnel who ride a bicycle to work at least twice a week are eligible for a locker at the Fitness and Sports Center. Lockers are available from April to October.
For further information about this, contact the Fitness and Sports Center at 781-225-6630.
For further information, contact Tamvaklis at 781-225-6151.