From left to right: Thomas Champagne, Scott Martindale, Trisha Wooten, Kevin O'Connell and Gerald Cleveland
From left to right: Thomas Champagne, Scott Martindale, Trisha Wooten, Kevin O'Connell and Gerald Cleveland

Many employees ditched their cars and pushed their pedals to work during UTMB’s first Bike-to-Work day on July 3.

Sponsored by UTMB’s Health Promotion and Wellness team, all faculty, staff and students were invited to connect with other cyclists and commute to work from meeting locations at 99th, 45th and 25th streets on Galveston Island.

The ride to campus ended at the Alumni Field House, where bike commuters were able to use the showers, pool and other amenities for the day, free of charge. Water and fresh fruit were also available to the sweaty, but smiling riders.

“Biking to work is about so much more than just getting to and from the office,” said UTMB’s Health Promotion and Wellness Director Gerald Cleveland, who also rode his bike into work. “There are so many benefits, from bringing people together and building on our culture of health at UTMB, to preserving the environment and saving money at the gas pump. We had a small but energetic crowd of riders today. We hope to build on the momentum and get more bicyclists on the road more often.”

The event attracted new riders and seasoned cyclists alike, including Kevin O’Connell, who works in the Clinical Data Management Department, and bikes from 99th and Stewart streets, about eight miles each way, almost every day.

“Today was social and a lot of fun,” said O’Connell. “Usually the morning commute is just me riding along with the cars, taking in the sunrise. I ride for a couple of different reasons — I don’t like driving to work and commuting by bike is an efficient way to maintain or increase my fitness level."

Cornelis Elferink, a professor in the Department of Pharmacology, added that in addition to reducing his carbon footprint and saving money on car maintenance, riding to work from Campeche Cove earns him “beer credits.”

Annie Linebarger and Damian Antonio
Annie Linebarger and Damian Antonio

First-year family medicine resident Annie Linebarger recently moved to Galveston and bought a bike. July’s event was the first time she put her new mode of transportation to the test.

“I rode from 73rd and Seawall, which is about six miles,” said Linebarger. “It took about 30 minutes to get here and it was a great ride and a beautiful morning. I hope to make it a more regular occurrence!”

Some riders pedaled longer distances, like Trisha Wooten, a compliance training manager, who biked 17 miles one-way from Jamaica Beach. Others who live in Santa Fe and League City drove across the Causeway and parked their vehicles at the meeting spots, then rode their bikes the rest of the way in.

Cleveland said he hopes to add more locations for meet-ups as more people decide to commute by bike.

UTMB-sponsored Bike-to-Work Days will be held the first Friday of every month on the Galveston Campus, so get pumped to ride on Sept. 4! There has also been discussion regarding expanding the initiative to other campuses in the future. For more information, email hr.wellnessforlife@utmb.edu.