Active Commuting Changed My Life 

Three years ago, I was frustrated that I was stuck chauffeuring my three daughters around by car daily. That time spent in the car didn’t offer any of us physical benefits, it didn’t get us outside, and it meant that using the car for everything was the norm no matter how nearby a destination may be to my home. Between work and parenting responsibilities, I couldn’t find the time to regularly work out or get to the gym. I then discovered a transportation option that is popular in many parts of Europe and is starting to become more prevalent in the United States: Family Cargo Bikes.  

It is hard to overstate how transformative purchasing a single cargo bike was for my family. Since receiving it in November of 2022, my family has put over 5,000 miles on the bike and it has completely removed the need to get all the kids in our car any time we need to go somewhere within a few miles of our home. Trips to and from schools, camps, work, grocery stores, libraries, restaurants, stores, train stations, recycling centers, doctors, playgrounds, sporting events, and just about anything else we can reach within 10 miles of our house are now accomplished on our cargo bike. It has served as a complete car replacement, and while cargo bike prices may seem expensive at first glance, nearly all of them cost less than just the optional features, like heated seats and a heads-up display, on a new car or truck alone.  

We use our cargo bike during all varieties of weather because I can easily put up or down the cover over the cargo section of the bike – keeping my daughters warm during the winter and dry when it is raining. My girls love riding in the bike, being outside, and waving to people as we travel, and my spouse and I love how it gets us outside and gives us an opportunity to stay in shape by incorporating our working out into the daily routine of responsibilities and errands we need to accomplish. 

The Benefits of Active Commuting 

Commuting via biking, walking, public transit, or using other micromobility options provide numerous benefits. For starters, it helps people stay in better shape. A study in the United Kingdom found that men and women who commute by active modes, or public transportation, have significantly lower body mass index and percentage of body fat compared to their counterparts who used a personal motor vehicle. A U.S.-based study found that driving more than 10 miles to and from work is associated with higher blood pressure and higher cholesterol.  

Beyond health reasons, there are environmental reasons to consider commuting outside of a personal vehicle. In the United States, 75% of all carbon monoxide pollution comes from motor vehicles. Transportation accounts for the largest portion of the total U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Light duty vehicles account for 57% of transportation emissions with medium and heavy trucks adding another 26% (combining to account for 83% of the transportation emissions). By comparison, planes produce 8% of the transportation emissions and rail produces 2%. While the growing adoption of electric vehicles will offset some of these emissions, this innovation alone is not enough to result in the United States reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.  

In addition to the health and environmental reasons that favor a commute by walking, biking, or scootering, you may be surprised by how differently you interact with your own neighborhood and neighbors you pass on your commute when you choose an alternative to driving. I have met more of my neighbors since I personally started to commute to work by bike, and I have found parks, restaurants, and pathways that I didn’t know existed until I stepped out of my car and experienced my commute from an entirely new perspective.  

For those of us with children, enabling them to get to and from school by active means has documented benefits, which often carry forward into adulthood. Two of my Kindergarten-aged daughters walk to school every day, traveling a distance of 0.7 miles (1.1 km) one-way each morning before I pick them up on the cargo bike in the afternoon. My older elementary school aged child takes the school bus in the morning but then bikes herself 2 miles (3.2 km) back home after school. In my experience, finding ways to weave active commuting into your family’s lifestyle is worth the time and energy it takes to do so. As a result of this of this lifestyle choice, I’ve found my children are happier emotionally and physically, and there are studies that demonstrate this impact over time. 

What To Do When Driving Is Your Only Option 

In some cases, commuting by car may be the only viable option since many American neighborhoods are not designed in a way that makes other commute options (e.g., mass transit, bike lanes or bike-friendly roads) accessible. However you choose to commute to work, to complete errands, or to get around, I recommend considering advocating for more inclusive infrastructure in your community. Inclusive infrastructure is the idea that if roads and trails are designed to be safer for all users and ages, it benefits everyone. Personal motor vehicle drivers benefit because they have less traffic to contend with (because fewer people will need to drive everywhere if they feel safe to travel without the use of their car) and clearer boundaries between different road users make everyone safer and create more reliable connections between communities. Utilizing inclusive infrastructure effectively is why the famously bike-friendly Netherlands regularly ranks first in the world in car driver satisfaction. Safety is a concern for all road users; it’s estimated 40,990 people were killed during 2023, and another 2.38 million people were injured in motor vehicle crashes during 2022, the most recent year recorded, in the United States alone. On average, 112 people are killed every day on America’s roads. Imagine if 112 people died every day on planes or public transit. It would be a national scandal covered on the front page of every major news organization.  

The suburban-sprawl pattern of development, that has been common in the United States for the last 70 years, has left many Americans isolated in communities where it is not possible to walk or bike to anything around them. So, it may very well be impossible for you to bike or walk from your home to your work or to just about anything around you. If that frustrates you, I recommend considering joining an organization like Strong Towns, which advocates for making communities throughout the United States safer, more livable, and financially resilient.  

For those of you who can bike to work, but maybe haven’t taken the leap to try it yet, I hope this blog helps inspire you to take a chance on trying something new. If you are in the Washington D.C. area, consider joining thousands of others for Bike to Work Day on Thursday, May 15, 2025.  

Have you had success commuting to work by bike, scooter, or foot? What are some tips you have found to be helpful in your own experience? If your community doesn’t prioritize the maintenance of bike lanes and paths, speak with your local representatives, and let them know how you feel about the issue. Share your thoughts with us on LinkedIn! 

Justin Fuhrmann joined FMP in April 2015 and works with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency on policy analysis and formulation, employee benefits, benchmarking and interviewing. Justin is from Bergen County, NJ and now lives in Arlington, VA with his wife and three daughters. Outside of work you can find him skiing, hiking, or exploring the DC monuments.