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Why I Ride #5: Who Needs a Rental Car, When You’ve Got a Bike?
Dave Bennick is the founder/owner of RE-USE Consulting, based in Bellingham, Washington.
- Dave (far left) at a de-construction site – with his bicycle
Commuting by bicycle is second nature to me. I’ve enjoyed riding and racing since I was a kid. Unfortunately, riding my bike to work is a bit more difficult these days since my consulting business, RE-USE Consulting, currently has clients in 41 states and three Canadian provinces.
I travel to consult on disassembling buildings instead of demolishing them in an effort to create jobs, assist lower-income homeowners, help the environment, and promote the use of reclaimed and historic building materials. My clients provide a rental car while I am in town, but I want to get back on the bike!
Whenever possible we buy a bicycle instead, usually for less than the cost of a rental car. The bike is purchased from a local bike shop to keep the money circulating in the community. I use the bike to get to and from the job site and around town for errands. When the job is completed, the bike is donated to a local family in need or charity chosen by the client.
In Youngstown, Ohio, we were told about Calvin Scott. He’s a high school student at Chaney H.S. and works part-time for the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation. Calvin stands out because of his hard work and interests in farming and vacant land management. When not at school, he maintains vacant properties in his community, plays baseball, and even maintains his own hoop-house garden next to his home. Even though he’s still in high school, he is well on his way to improving the community he lives in.
Now, he has a (nearly!) new bike to get around.
- Dave and Calvin
The ‘Completing the Cycle’ program is a sustainable business practice that helps people and the environment at the same time. Who doesn’t love a win-win scenario like that?
May is National Bike Month and this year’s theme is One Ride, Many Reasons. To highlight and celebrate the many benefits of bicycling, throughout May we’ll bring you the personal reflections and inspirations of a diverse collections of bicyclists from coast to coast with our daily 31 Days, 31 Reasons blog feature.