Keeping Us Safe With Fall Colors

Written by Judy Bortman


There’s something about fall that grabs our attention and stimulates our senses. Is it the aroma of pumpkin spice lattes? The taste of fresh-picked apples? Or the evolving palette of orange we see while walking, biking or driving?

As nature transforms trees in the fall, they morph from a not-being-noticed shade of green to varying shades of red and orange, beckoning us to stop and stare. The trees shout “look at me” before shedding their leaves and, like us, hunkering down for the winter.

Ever since I can remember, I’ve associated orange with fall, pumpkins, and most recently as a safety advocate, a color that helps you stand out and be seen. Orange wasn’t my favorite color in the big box of crayons, but it always got a workout around Halloween.

Besides being a visually beautiful time of year, fall is when daylight hours start to dwindle. It gets dark earlier (groan) making it harder for motorists to see people walking and biking. During fall, we would be wise to take a cue from Mother Nature and don bright-colored clothing so that we, too, are noticed.

It’s hard not to notice the trees and their changing colors, each transitioning at their own pace. In my neighborhood (pictured above), maple trees are leading the fall color parade and adorn the path where I like to walk. It’s as if I’ve gone from watching a black and white movie to a free colorized version overnight.

Oscar Wilde has said that “Life imitates art...” Like fall leaves, orange and bright neon colors are popping up in many products and cultural phenomenon. Of course, thanks to the recent television hit, we all know “Orange is the New Black.”

Walk into any store that sells athletic shoes or apparel. It’s obvious that reflective and neon colors have made their way into merchandising. Just like the bright colors of fall trees, they stand out and for a good reason. They help keep us safe.

A recent and innovative way that life and Mother Nature are imitating art is a company called Glowing Plant. This San Francisco start-up is using genetic engineering to create plants that literally glow.

The goal of Glowing Plants is to provide a sustainable light source and in the process provide a new way that color can help keep us safe. Imagine walking, biking or driving down a dark road that’s illuminated by trees!

The first glowing or bioluminescent plant was made in 1986. Changes in genetic engineering and funding from a recent Kickstarter campaign have quite literally “lit” the way to a brighter future.

According to Glowing Plant, there is potential in using nature as a sustainable energy source that can illuminate and replace expensive street lights.

Take a cue from Mother Nature and Glowing Trees; wear bright or reflective clothing. It will help you be noticed while walking and biking especially now as daylight hours are dwindling. Being seen helps you stay safe.

And there's good reason for all of these oranges and yellows! As we continue to be blanketed in orange thanks to the changing leaves, pumpkins and mums, we remember that as kids we learned that orange comes from mixing red and yellow; so does its meaning.

It's no accident that our signage, signals and emergency vehicles use a variety or reds, yellows and oranges in their color schemes.

Colors have their own meanings and evoke specific feelings and responses without us even knowing it. Traffic lights are an example of color association. We see green and think “go,” see yellow and start to “slow down, approach with caution and prepare to stop” and know that red means “stop.”

This color signal system first started for railways and was then implemented on roads.

Remember that wearing bright or reflective colors helps you to be seen and stay safe. Enjoy being outside during fall and marvel at Mother Nature’s color palette as it evolves during the next few weeks. It’s the best free show in town!

Why Biking To Work Is Kid-Friendly

Written by Laura Cerutti

Part 2 of 2. Read part 1 here.

Last week we talked about making biking to work with a child more convenient and less difficult, but we understand that there are some safety concerns when it comes to riding with your little ones. After all, it is your natural instinct as a parent to protect your kids. One of the of the dads from the Bike to Work Challenge recommends going slow, making sure your bike is in working order, and ensuring that all of the connections to your child's ride-along apparatus are tight and secure. It is also imperative that your child is wearing a properly-fitted helmet at all times! Now that you know why you should bike to work with your kids, here's how you can get started:

Get the right equipment

Before they are old enough to ride confidently on their own, there are plenty of options for bike seats, trailers and cargo bikes to tow your little one.

REI ($299)

REI (179.95)

The dads from the Bike to Work Challenge both chose to use trailers. One father made arrangements to leave his daughter's bike trailer at her school before continuing his 10 mile trip to work. He then swings by the school to pick up the empty trailer on his ride home. He later informed us that he eventually ungraded to a Weehoo igo trailer that allows his daughter to become an active rider and pedal along with him to propel them forward.

If you have multiple kids, you don't have to pick favorites on who gets to ride with you! It is possible to attach multiple kids to one bike, just check out how this mom from Portland rides with six kids. (Yes! You read that correctly. Six kids, one bike!).

Six kids is no deterrent for this Portland mom.

Plan your route

On a weekend or a day off, ride alone to your child’s school and then ride by work. Time yourself and take note of bike lanes and hazardous intersections. After you are comfortable with your ride, bring your son or daughter along so they can get also get used to the ride and you can get used to them being hitched up to your bike. Once you are both comfortable, get ready to bike to school and work together!

Why Biking To Work Is Kid-Friendly

Written by Laura Cerutti
Part 1 of 2 

Most of us know the countless benefits of biking to work. It is known to relieve stress, elevate mood, and increase work productivity. It is also a major money saver and healthier alternative (for you and the environment) to sitting alone in traffic. Riding to work doesn’t have to stop, or fail to start, because you have a family or young children to take to school. If we know commuting by bike is good for us, why not instill these benefits in our children and take them along as we ride to work?

When confronted with the idea of riding a bike to work and bringing the kids along, most parents jump to the conclusion that it is inconvenient, unsafe and way too difficult. When reaching out to riders for our annual Bike to Work Challenge, we often met interested parents who would love to ride to the office but declined to register, feeling it would be near impossible to get their kids to school and make it to work on time.

This year's Bike to Work Challenge turned out to be a milestone year for TransOptions in many ways, but one of the most significant accomplishment came from two dads who submitted photos of them biking to work with their son and daughter.

These parents showed us that with the right equipment, some preparation, and the right attitude, having your kids ride along with you to work is actually teaching them a valuable lesson. Not only are you spending quality time with them outside the car, but you are also teaching them the importance of a gasoline-free, healthy, and inexpensive way to get to around.

The most important thing you need to do as a bike riding parent, is set a good example by riding responsibly. Studies on teen driving show that your kids start learning how to drive when they are in the car seat. Kids are like sponges, they observe everything, take it all in, and mimic what mom and dad do. If you are an aggressive driver that forgets turn signals, speeds, or talks on the phone while driving, chances are your kids will grow up to display the same unsafe behaviors behind the wheel. 

The same goes for bike riding. While your kids are hitched on to your bicycle, they are watching your every move. Obeying traffic laws, scanning for safety, using proper hand signals, and being friendly to drivers and pedestrians will shape your children’s future bicycling habits. Teaching your kids the valuable lesson of sharing the road will carry over to when they are ready to ride to school on their own, or even better, as adults riding to work.

Check back next Monday for Part 2. We'll show you how you can get started on sharing your bike to work trip with your kids.