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Bikes, Buses & Scooters: Alternatives To Driving

By Edgar Linares, NewsRadio 830 WCCO

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The average price for a gallon of gas on Tuesday in the Twin Cities is $3.87, that's more than $0.30 higher than a month ago. The rising price of gas has some commuters looking for alternative ways to get to work.

Todd Peterson decided to dust off his small metal Razor scooter.

"I go about a mile-and-half in 11 minutes," said Peterson.

You can spot him swerving through crowded sidewalks during the morning commute. He no longer has to deal with gas prices and parking.

"It's very fast you just have to try not to crash," said Peterson.

Peterson says he's only crashed once in last six years, but he still wears a helmet. He says his scooter is three times faster than walking.

One person you won't find on a scooter is Molly McNeil.

"If you're over 15, you should stay off a scooter," said McNeil sitting on a bike and laughing.

McNeil along with thousands of others prefer the use of a bike to get around.

"I started riding last week and before I started I began seeing a lot more people out on bikes," said McNeil who lives in south Minneapolis -- about four miles away from downtown.

One year ago, Minneapolis dethroned Portland, Ore. as the most bike-friendly city in the nation. According to Bicycling magazine in 2010, the city had 43 miles of on-street bike lanes and 84 miles of off-street trails.

"The trails are great to come to work on," said McNeil. "I come to work about halfway on the trail and halfway on the street."

The combination of warm weather and high gas prices has many using bike lanes more often.

"With gas prices so high it's not really cost effective to drive downtown anymore," said Will Colclough.

Colclough commutes from St. Paul. He jumps on a bus and then on his bike.

"I'm just trying to make the commute into downtown a little bit more enjoyable and little bit cheaper for me," he said.

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