We’re back with our annual tradition of Bike Nights, where we ride bikes through Bright Nights in Springfield’s Forest Park just before it opens to cars.
For the first time this year, we put out the call to our friends to join us, and Chris, Andrea, and their pup Harvey took us up on the offer. To be honest, we were a bit disappointed that more people didn’t join in. It’s a shame that bike culture in Springfield is completely nonexistent. Regardless, we had fun with our friends, but my hope for the future is that each year the party gets a little bit bigger.
Every year over 40,000 cars idle in a long line on Sumner Ave and then crawl through Forest Park for Bright Nights. The EPA tells me the average passenger car emits 400g of CO2 per mile, which would equate to 48,000kg of carbon dioxide produced annually on account of the three mile Bright Night circuit – which doesn’t include the time spent idling in line waiting to get in.
I’ll be honest, I have no idea what these numbers mean in a practical sense, but I would love for the city to actually allow pedestrians and bikes through the park officially. Currently what we did is not actually allowed a small act of civil disobedience, and we ended up getting harassed by some workers.
Additionally, none of the environmental impact figures account for the more practical point of vehicle ownership being a classist prerequisite to participate in society. The solution to all of this seems so easy, but the city makes it so hard for people to be on foot or two wheels.