Thursday Marks 20th Anniversary of Bike to Work Day

Dozens of events scheduled throughout the region in celebration of Bike Month; Bike Commuters of the Year Announced

OAKLAND, CA — The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) encourages commuters to try a healthy commute this Thursday, May 8, by participating in the 20th annual regional Bike to Work Day. Bike to Work Day — the largest of many Bay Area Bike Month events — gives residents the opportunity to choose a healthier commute and experience the benefits of cycling firsthand. Complete event information is available at youcanbikethere.com.

Major Bike Month Events*

May 1–31 — Team Bike Challenge & Company Bike Challenge competitions
May 5–9 — Bike to Work Week
May 7 — Last Day to register for Team Bike Challenge & Company Bike Challenge
May 8 — Bike to Work Day
- 5:30–9:30 a.m. — Bike to Work Day Super Energizer Station at Golden Gate Bridge Vista Point
- 7 a.m. — Bike to Work Day Pancake Breakfast at Oakland City Hall
- 8:30 a.m. — Bike to Work Day Press Conference at San Francisco City Hall
- 5:30–9:30 a.m. — Morning Bike to Work Day Energizer Stations
- 4–7 p.m. — Evening Bike to Work Day Energizer Stations
- 5–8:30 p.m. — Bike East Bay’s Bike Happy Hour, Old Oakland
- 6–8 p.m. — Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition’s Bike Away from Work Bash, San José City Hall Rotunda
May 11 — Last day to purchase Bike Month $5 day passes for Bay Area Bike Share.

* A complete calendar of events is available at youcanbikethere.com/calendar.

“Your commute can be your gym,” said MTC Chair and Orinda Council member Amy Rein Worth. “Not only can you get your daily exercise in, but you can help improve air quality in your community and reduce traffic congestion throughout the region.”

For the past 20 years, Bike to Work Day has put more people on the road to bicycle commuting than any other event in the Bay Area. Over 300 energizer stations in the nine Bay Area counties will be ready to greet bicycle commuters with free beverages, snacks, giveaways and encouragement. Located along popular local bike commute routes and at many transit stations, energizer stations will be open during morning commute hours and some will reopen during the evening commute. A full list of stations is available at youcanbikethere.com/energizer. To plan your bike route, call 511 or visit bicycling.511.org.

Participants are encouraged to pledge to ride on Bike to Work Day by registering at youcanbikethere.com/user/register. Registered participants will be entered into a free drawing for a new bike from Public Bike. This year, registered participants can also win a boxed set of maps commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the San Francisco Bay Trail. These 25 map cards are the key to discovering the San Francisco Bay Trail — with over 330 miles in place, there’s a ride, stroll or hike for everyone, from the long-time local to the first-time tourist. The set also includes a large fold-out map of the entire trail with recommended walks, bike rides and destinations along the shoreline. To learn more about the San Francisco Bay Trail, visit baytrail.org.

If you do not have a bicycle, Bay Area Bike Share is offering limited edition $5 day passes to help celebrate Bike to Work Day and National Bike Month. Bay Area Bike Share provides a last-mile connection between transit and the work place. Purchase a $5 pass at bayareabikeshare.com/store. The pass must be purchased by May 11 and can be used any time through May 31, 2014.

2014 Bike Commuter of the Year Winners Announced

The Bike Commuter of the Year Award recognizes a resident from each of the nine Bay Area counties for their dedication to riding their bike for everyday transportation. They are a testament to the many benefits of bicycle commuting: from improving their health to bringing families together. Nominations were accepted, evaluated and awarded by each county’s Bike to Work Day representative. The 2014 Bike Commuter of the Year Award winners are:

Rachel Donovan - Alameda County

Ray Pixton - Contra Costa County

Rich Steele - Marin County

Paul Schapiro - Napa County

Bao-Tran Ausman - San Francisco City & County

Lori Burns - San Mateo County

Michele Rowic - Santa Clara County

James Oliver - Solano County

Liz Klaproth - Sonoma County

The awards for the Alameda County and Contra Costa County winners will be presented at Bike East Bay’s Bike Happy Hour, and the awards for the San Mateo County and Santa Clara County winners will be presented at the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition’s Bike Away from Work Bash. For additional information about the winners and the Bike Commuter of the Year Awards, visit youcanbikethere.com/bcoy2014.

About Team Bike Challenge/Company Bike Challenge

The Team Bike Challenge and Company Bike Challenge competitions are in full swing, but there’s still time to form a team with friends, neighbors or coworkers and join thousands of Bay Area residents in competing for prizes and bragging rights. Bicycle teams of two to five riders earn points for their team by traveling via two wheels throughout the month of May; the teams with the most points win in various categories.

Last year, nearly 3,500 riders competed in the Team & Company Bike Challenges, forming over 1,000 teams and including over 350 companies. Apple Inc. took the top spot in the Company Bike Challenge, followed by Tesla Motors in second and Caltrans District 4 in third place. A total of 1.1 million miles was biked during the Challenge in May 2013, far outriding 2012’s total distance of 701,710 miles, resulting in an estimated savings of 568 tons of CO2 and burning over 69 million total calories. To register for Team Bike Challenge, visit teambikechallenge.com. May 7 is the last day to log your miles for the first week of competition.

The 2014 Bike to Work program is presented by MTC, 511 and Kaiser Permanente. Additional support is provided by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system, Beyond Pix, Clear Channel, Typekit, Adobe, Canary Challenge, Revolights, REI, Clif Bar and the Bay Area Bicycle Coalition (BABC). The event is made possible through the cooperation of hundreds of volunteers, MTC, county congestion management agencies, local jurisdictions, local bicycling coalitions and BABC.

MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.

Contact:

Mai Le, Bay Area Bicycle Coalition: (415) 787-2893

Leslie Lara, MTC: (510) 817-5813