High gas prices and torn-up streets work in favor of alternative commuting methods such as bicycling, but Bike to Work Week organizers say employers play an important role in the movement.

“If most people took the effort and got the employers excited, I think they would be supportive,” said Angela Dalton, who has helped with this year’s Bike to Work Week program, which started May 14 and continues through May 20.

Dalton works in downtown Des Moines as an assistant ombudsman in the state Citizens’ Aide Ombudsman office. She makes her 4.5-mile ride into work two to five days each week.

“The health benefits of biking to work are a major reason why businesses should support it,” she said. “I get to work in the morning with my blood pumping and my energy is high. Because I exercise regularly, my health is better, and that relates back to work with less sick days.”

Dalton said her supervisors have supported her decision to commute on her bike, and have even made some accommodations to make it easier for her.

“My employer has an armoire that I can hang clothes in,” she said. “I have a business suit in there during (the legislative) session in case I need to go to the Capitol. I have bike parking right outside my window with a security camera right there, and I could bring my bike in if it rained as well.”

Julie Hugo, a bike commuter from Ankeny, said her employer, EMC Insurance Group Inc., has bike racks positioned in front of the building in sight of the receptionist, which makes her feel safe about storing her bike on the street during the workday. Beaverdale bicycle commuter Sherry Halter works for Principal Financial Group Inc., which also provides bike racks in a high-traffic area. Hugo and Halter’s companies’ both have on-site wellness centers with locker rooms, which make it easy to change from biking gear into work clothes and vice versa.

The Web site www.bikeiowa.com, a cycling news and event Web site maintained by local rider Scott Sumpter, includes a section called Employer’s Bike to Work Guide, which highlights reasons employers should encourage workers to commute via bicycles instead of driving and suggestions for promoting it. In addition to helping employees stay healthy, as Dalton mentioned, the Web site notes other benefits for employers, such as improved worker morale, good corporate citizenship and saving money on parking spaces.

The third annual Bike to Work event was extended this year from one day to an entire week through additional volunteer efforts and sponsors

“It’s a small segment of people right now who ride bikes to and from work, but there is a big push in Des Moines right now to talk about biking as a commuting option, with more work being done on trails and discussions of bike lanes,” said Amanda Carstens Steward, the Downtown Community Alliance’s director of transportation and access. “We are right on the cusp of seeming more people riding in.”

Don McLaughlin, development manager for the Des Moines Parks and Recreation Department, said his department’s Bicycle and Recreational Trails Advisory Committee has been investigating how to improve what the city offers cyclists and bike commuters in terms of safety and convenience. New bike route signs and bike route maps are in the planning process, he said. As for bike lanes on city streets, or “complete streets” designed for cyclists and pedestrians in addition to cars, that’s going to take a little longer.

“When you widen a road to accommodate a five-foot bike lane on either side, now you could be talking about moving stormwater systems, moving a curb, eliminating some parking. It gets incredibly complicated,” McLaughlin said. “We’ve learned is that most of the roads we have are not wide enough to lend themselves to doing this But as new streets are built, that’s where we hope to make progress.”

Although bike lanes are a bit down the road for Des Moines, another improvement for cyclists will soon take shape. Last month, the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s board of directors voted to add bicycle racks to city buses, a decision applauded by cyclists. Sheri Kyras, assistant general manager for the MTA, said the racks will likely be in place by October, after private-party matching funds are secured from for the purchase and installation of the racks and for the production of accompanying educational materials.

“Having the racks means it’s one less barrier for people, and I would see it really benefiting people who live in the suburbs and want to bike home.” Dalton said. “Bike commuting is a lot of fun, and you feel like you’re doing the right thing for your health, the environment and the community.”