Arkansas First Gentleman Bryan Sanders wound through the streets of Little Rock Friday morning in celebration of National Bike to Work Day.
Among those joining him were Dr. Bruce Murphy, CEO of Arkansas Heart Hospital; Kathrine Andrews, director of the Office of Outdoor Recreation; and Casey Covington, executive director of Metroplan.
At a press conference before hitting the road, Sanders said commuting via bike helps everyone.
"Not only is it good for clean air and clean water, which of course, everybody wants, but it's also good to keep traffic off the road, for health and fitness, and most importantly it’s fun," Sanders said.
Speaking of the personal benefits of biking to work, Murphy cited a study published in the British Medical Journal that surveyed about 150,000 people over five years, which uncovered plenty of health benefits for ditching the car keys for your daily commute.
“What they found at the end of five years was that all-cause mortality decreased 43%," said Murphy. "Heart attacks down 35%, cancer down 40%, even accidental deaths were down 35%.”
After the press conference, Sanders and company made a loop around the grounds of the Governor’s Mansion before biking up to the State Capitol building.
After the ride, Covington said more people biking can help everyone breathe better.
"Working at Metroplan, we are concerned about things like air quality, and during the summer we have challenges with high ozone levels that form at the ground level, and activities like biking to work or commuting are things that residents can do to ensure that we're able to maintain the best air quality in Arkansas,” said Covington.
Covington said there are plenty of infrastructure projects underway to improve the biking experience in central Arkansas, such as the Southwest Trail connecting Pulaski and Saline counties, and the Old River Bridge rehab in Benton.
"The Powerline Trail in Sherwood is one that we anticipate kicking off this year that will connect residents, businesses and schools," added Covington. "Cabot's another area that is working on a trail to extend throughout the city of Cabot onto Austin and Ward.”
National Bike to Work Day is an annual holiday that encourages everyone to hang up their car keys and pedal to work.
