Intrepid Business Travelers Are Finding Another Way to the Airport: Bike

Intrepid(inˈtrepid) Business Travelers Are Finding Another Way to the Airport: Bike(bīk)

By Amy(āmi) Zipkin

Travelers have a bunch of choices on how to get to the airport. They can drive and pay to park. They can take a taxi(ˈtaksē) or car service, or, perhaps, a bus or train. But whatever way they choose, travelers usually face delays(dəˈlā) in traffic(ˈtrafik) or as they arrive(əˈrīv) at the terminal(ˈtərmənl).

That’s where a new option comes in, at least at some airports: the bicycle(ˈbīsək(ə)l).

Conor Semler(sa), a transportation(ˌtranspərˈtāSHən) planner(ˈplanər) for a private(ˈprīvit) firm who lives in Somerville(ˈsəmərˌvil), Mass(mas)., north of Boston(ˈbôstən), rides(rīd) his bicycle to Boston Logan(ˈlōgən) International(ˌintərˈnaSHənl) Airport when he travels for work, about twice a month.

“I prefer not to be in a car,” he said.

He said the seven-mile(mīl) trip(trip) to the airport takes about 45 minutes compared with 25 minutes by car. And it has obstacles(ˈäbstəkəl), including rutted(rət) streets through an industrial(inˈdəstrēəl) area(ˈe(ə)rēə). If it snows, cycling(ˈsīk(ə)liNG) is out. And once, he said, he was flagged(flag) for a pat(pat)-down by airport security(siˈkyo͝oritē) after the initial(iˈniSHəl) scanner screening picked up an anomaly(əˈnäməlē) — perspiration(ˌpərspəˈrāSHən). Still, the trip and parking are free, and he has a choice of seven bike rack(rak) locations at the airport.

Other airports around the country have also become bicycle accessible, among them Baltimore(ˈbôlt(ə)mər,ˈbôltəˌmôr)-Washington(ˈwäSH-,ˈwôSHiNGtən) and the airports in San Diego(ˌsan dēˈāɡō) and Portland(ˈpôrtlənd), Ore(ôr). Of course, some airports were built far from residential(ˌrezəˈdenCHəl) neighborhoods(ˈnābərˌho͝od) or, like Newark(ˈn(y)o͞oˌärk) Liberty(ˈlibərtē) International Airport in New Jersey(ˈjərzē), are accessible only from highways that restrict(riˈstrikt) bicycles.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/26/business/business-travel-airport-bike.html