Musings: Ditching gas for pedal power

Beginning in my 20s, I lived in Germany for almost 10 years. I learned to dispel many American biases, one of which was that adult cycling as transportation was only for poor people.

In Munich, cycling was not only sensible for most but even fashionable, with chic business people commuting on two wheels.

When my husband and I moved back to my hometown of Sayville, in 2023, we wanted to try living car-free in what is typically considered a car-dependent area.

We imported our cargo bike from Germany to transport our two young children between home, school, the library and playgrounds. We also walk and take the train a great deal. We are fortunate to fill in necessary gaps — doctor’s appointments, Saturday German school in Stony Brook, etc. — by having access to a relative’s car.

There are serious infrastructure challenges, especially outside Sayville, which is as close as you can get to a 15-minute community in Suffolk County. Nationally, a 15-minute city is a concept in which daily necessities and services — such as work, shopping, education, healthcare and leisure — can be accessed within about a 15-minute walk.

I often wonder, though, if cargo bikes could be an attractive and economical option for families, even just to help a two-car household drop down to one car. Cargo bikes can easily be amortized within one year of ownership and be a joy for parents and kids alike.

— Julie MacDonell, Sayville