Bike commuting in Lawrence

"It's an efficient way to get my exercise in," Weinaug says, before pulling his bicycle into a stairwell in the basement of the Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Mass. "I can spend 15 minutes in the car or 25 minutes on my bike. And for those 10 minutes I get 25 minutes of exercise out of the way. . . .

He likes the idea of leaving a parking space open, so that another county employee or taxpayer can find a place to park. And public streets face less wear and tear if he's losing weight and riding a bike, rather than retaining pounds while reclining in his car.