Left: Professor George Simmons, 69, commutes by bike from his Blacksburg home to Virginia Tech. Top: Simmons in his office on campus.
on gear, and instructional videos. Ride Solutions, sponsored by the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission and the New River Valley Planning District Commission, also offers a Guaranteed Ride Home program for registered bike commuters. If they have an emergency or encounter bad weather, the program pays for a free ride home up to four times a year.
Civic and Corporate Backing All types of bicycling are taking off in southwest Virginia —recreational biking on weekends, commuting, and racing. Mirroring a national trend, the region is seeing an increase in bike lanes and a growth in public awareness of bicycling. There is an interplay between supply and demand, Holmes says.
Clifford Nottingham III, M.D.
“A certain mass of people triggers the justification to put the infrastructure in,” he says. “Then, when you put that bike lane in, more people feel safe and come out and use it.” Gas prices are also seen as a motivator. According to GasBuddy.com, local gasoline prices have more than doubled since the fall of 2008. The city of Roanoke in particular has taken steps to become more bicycle-friendly by creating new greenways and other amenities. Roanoke was recently recognized as a Bicycle Friendly Community at the bronze level by the League of American Bicyclists. This year it will apply for a higher level of recognition, says Clifford Nottingham III, M.D., of Carilion Clinic. Dr. Nottingham, an avid bicyclist
CarilionClinic.org | Spring 2012
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