Power to the Pedals, MABA pays cyclists to bike to work

When Jeff Rice, a volunteer for the Montrose Area Bicycle Alliance, looks into the future he envisions a place that has embraced his preferred mode of transportation and leaned away from catering to ever more automobiles clogging the local roadways and polluting the environment.

"As Montrose grows and continues to grow and there's more cars on the street, it’d be pretty slick if there were more bikes on the street instead of cars," Rice mused recently.

Throughout the year, MABA works towards this bike-centric vision, encouraging people to ride their bikes more and drive less, but in the summer months the effort really kicks into high gear, aimed at increasing utilitarian biking.

"It's good for people, it's good for the environment and it's good for community," said Kevin Davis, a fellow MABA volunteer.

Paid to pedal

A while back, MABA launched a novel program in which people living in the city of Montrose were paid $2 per day each day they biked to work.

"We did this two years ago, in 2021, and that was the peak of the pandemic," Rice recalled. "It was kind of an odd time to do it, but it went well."

That year, a total of 907 bike commute trips were logged as part of MABA's Bucks for Biking program. The total miles amounted to 4,378, while a total of 94 people — split evenly between male and female — participated. A majority of participants biked to work for more than half of the month, with top cyclist logging 220 miles in 22 days.

The Bucks for Biking program is making a return this year, with the month of June designated as the window of money-making opportunity. Just as last time, participants will receive $2 for each day they bike to work; additionally, employers can sign up to match MABA's payment, meaning the participant makes $4 per day.

"That's pretty good cash in the pocket for a healthy lifestyle," said Rice.

"We’ve got a lot of employers participating, including the hospital and the county," Davis said.

MABA pays for this program through grants and donations. The non-profit considers it as furthering its mission of increasing bike ridership.

"This is kind of our mission, to engage more utilitarian biking," Rice said. "To be honest, some people don't even take their payment."

Bike to work

In addition to offering participants the chance to earn money by biking to work throughout the month of June, MABA is also hosting three Bike to Work events throughout the warmer months.

The first event is slated for Wednesday, May 31, from 7 to 9 a.m. in downtown Montrose's Centennial Plaza. The city of Montrose will be providing complimentary breakfast burritos and San Juan Brews is providing coffee.

Next, on June 28, MABA will host a second event to coincide with Colorado Bike to Work Day. Details for this event are still being determined. Then, on July 19, a third Bike to Work event is being planned.

What is utilitarian biking anyways?

While MABA encourages all types of biking, these bike to work events is meant to increase awareness of and participating in utilitarian biking. But what exactly does that mean?

"Not pure recreation," explained Rice. "You’re not going out to get your exercise, you’re using the bike as your transportation."

When Rice talks to people about biking around Montrose, using the city's streetscape to travel about their day, he hears a lot about Townsend Avenue.

"A common thing is, ‘I don't want to bike on Townsend.’ Well, Idon't wanna bike on Townsend either," he laughed, explaining how Montrose has "great auxillary streets." "Whenever I see someone biking on Townsend, I kind of cringe."

If cyclist need help in figuring out the best bike routes around town, MABA has them covered. The organization has produced helpful maps outlining various bike routes around the urban landscape; the maps are available on MABA's website.

"It's an incredible resource," Rice said. "It's something very few communities have."

Once people start traversing Montrose's cityscape more regularly, learning the best bike routes around town, Davis said he thinks the city is a pretty easy sell when it comes to trying to increase the number of people on their bikes each day.

"I think it develops a lot people's appreciation and awareness about how bikeable Montrose is," he said.

To learn more about MABA's Bike to Work days this summer, visit https://montrosebicycle.org/ Or to sign up for the Bucks for Biking program, visit https://montrosebicycle.org/bucks-for-biking

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