New Web Site Helps Bicycle Commuters Find Others To Ride To Work With

Here’s a way for you to get exercise without having to stop at the gym: ride your bike to work! Not only will you get in shape, but you will also save money on gas and parking, and help reduce air pollution.

Because some bicyclists feel more comfortable riding with others, the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) is offering a free, online service to match bicycle commuters who follow similar routes to and from work. Called OhioBikeBuddies, the Web site allows bicyclists seeking others who commute to work by bicycle to log on and enter their starting point and destination, their gender preference for bicycling partners, and the days and times they work. The site then produces a map showing a suggested route from the beginning location to work, as well as the approximate locations of other bicycle commuters.

The online service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Because the new feature has just been added, it may take awhile before matches are available. “As bicyclists register for the service online and the database grows, the greater the likelihood riders have of finding a bike buddy,” says Colleen Donnelly, the OhioBikeBuddies coordinator at the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA).

Potential bicycling buddies contact each other directly by e-mail, so their personal information remains confidential until they decide to reveal it. “They decide how much information to release and when,” says Donnelly. “Potential buddies can trade e-mails or decide to meet at a set location to discuss schedules, routes and commuting needs before giving out more specific information.”

OhioBikeBuddies is an addition to the OhioRideshare matching program, which matches carpool partners. Visitors to the Web site can register for just OhioBikeBuddies, just OhioRideshare, or both.

“The BikeBuddies component is a natural extension of the Rideshare program,” says Howard R. Maier, NOACA executive director. “We encourage carpooling and bicycling because it not only saves people money, but it also reduces traffic congestion and air pollution.”

To register for the free service or for more information about OhioBikeBuddies, visit OhioBikeBuddies.com or call 1-800-825-RIDE. As bicyclists register and the database grows, the greater the likelihood riders will have of finding a bike buddy. So please check back frequently.

For more information, call Gayle L. Godek, Communications Specialist, at 216-241-2414, ext. 283; or Steve Jones, Associate Director of Divisional Services, at ext. 352.