Biking & Walking Saves You Money

Most people who drive alone to work every day spend nearly $10k per year on vehicle related expenses, including gas, oil changes, insurance and other regular maintenance. Now imagine how much money you could save by reducing or maybe even eliminating those driving vehicle trips entirely.

Now, biking and or walking to work might not be for everyone. If you live close enough to the place of your employment, you should definitely consider it!

Biking & Walking are Good for your Health

Now, we’re not here to tell you that you need regular exercise… but you do need regular exercise. So consider this! Biking can burn anywhere from 300 – 500 calories in just 30 minutes of pedaling. It also has very low impact on your joints, which is a common deterrent from high-intensity exercise. Did you know? 10,000 steps of walking (which equals approximately 5 miles) daily can help to reduce and treat chronic illnesses. Biking and walking can also help build muscle, improve mental health and increase life expectancy!

Guaranteed Ride Home

Let’s face it, many of us are completely reliant on our cars (almost as much as we are on our phones). We (here at SFCS) understand that it is a big step to leave your car behind and commute by bike or foot. What if something happens and you need to get home quickly? What if your bike is damaged or it is unsafe to bike or walk home? That’s why we offer the Guaranteed Ride Home Program.

The government (FDOT) will pay for your Lyft or taxicab ride home. By walking or biking at least 3 times to work each week, you are entitled to receive 6 of these “guaranteed ride home” trips each year. Simply register here to take advantage of this free and awesome benefit provided by our program.

Biking & Walking Helps Save the Environment

Many people think they can’t make much of a difference, but the numbers tell a different story. Here’s a quick rundown of the carbon dioxide emissions produced by commuting just 10 miles (one way), five days per week for one year:

By walking or biking just a few days each week, you can help reduce the impacts our cars have on our environment. Walking and biking reduces the number of cars on the road. Fewer cars means less emissions going into the air. As a measurable example, if only 5% of New York City’s drive-alone vehicle trips were eliminated each year, this would save about 75,000 tons of carbon emissions from entering and harming our environment. This is roughly equivalent to planting 30 square miles of forest.