Bike to Wherever Days start May 1; Bike to Work Day 30th
Anniversary Celebrated May
16
SAN
FRANCISCO, March 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Bike to
Work Day and the San Francisco Bay
Area is celebrating Bike Month throughout the month of May
with Bike to Wherever Days pledges, challenges, events and prizes.
Seasoned and novice cyclists in all nine counties — Alameda, Contra
Costa, Marin, Napa, San
Francisco, San Mateo,
Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma — are encouraged to pledge to bike in
May to make a better Bay Area. Participants will enjoy special
benefits on Bike to Work Day, scheduled for Thursday, May 16.
More than one million Bay Area residents live within five miles
or less of their workplaces, an ideal distance for bicycling. With
many residents continuing to work both from home and at the office,
the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and all its Bike
to Wherever Day partners encourage people to bike to shop, for
errands, or bike to school with their children as a way to
celebrate Bike Month.
Bike Champion of the Year
In anticipation for the month, each Bay Area county will crown
its own Bike Champion of the Year. Anyone can nominate a Bike
Champion — these are residents dedicated to promoting
bicycling as a primary mode of transportation and who inspire
others in their communities.
"Bike Champions of the Year allow people in each of the nine Bay
Area counties to lift up cyclists who are making their county a
better place to live and a better place to bike," said MTC
Executive Director Andrew
Fremier.
Past winners have included dedicated cyclists,
policymakers, educators and bike advocates. Winners will receive
prizes and Bay Area-wide recognition. Nominations close
March 29, 2024 and the winners will
be announced in April.
Pledge to Ride
To mark the 30th anniversary of Bike to Work Day, MTC
and the Bay Area's bicycle coalitions urge participants to Pledge
to Ride during Bike Month and take advantage of the benefits to
individual health and the health of our communities, and of the
opportunity to create healthier, safer, and more inclusive streets.
"Every age and skill level is welcome and every trip makes a
difference. Plus, you may be eligible for prizes from local bicycle
coalitions on or around Bay Area Bike to Work Day, Thursday, May 16," stated Silicon Valley Bike
Coalition Executive Director Clarrissa
Cabansagan. The form to pledge can be found here.
This year, the nine counties are working to make Bike to
Wherever Days even more connected and coordinated across the
region. "We're excited to offer, for the first time, a regional map
and a way to see all events across the Bay Area in one place," said
Marcella Aranda, MTC Public
Information Officer and Bike to Wherever Days project manager.
"This is a sneak peek. The nine counties will be adding events and
Energizer Stations all month long, so keep checking back," Aranda
added.
Bay Area Bike Challenge
To commemorate the 30th anniversary of Bike to Work
Day, MTC and its county partners are bringing back a re-imagined
Bay Area Bike Challenge. Throughout the month of May, residents of
all nine Bay Area counties are encouraged to log their cycling
miles using Ride with GPS. "The goal is to log 30,000 miles in
honor of the 30th anniversary of Bike to Work Day,"
stated Bike to Wherever Days Program Manager Ilyse Magy. "Whether you're commuting to work,
running errands, or simply enjoying a leisurely ride, every mile
counts toward our goal," she added.
How to Participate
- Nominate a Bike Champion
- Pledge to Ride
- Join the Bay Area Bike Challenge
More details about Bike to Wherever Days are available
at BayAreaBiketoWork.com.
Follow Bike to Wherever Days on Facebook at @biketoworkday, on X
(formerly Twitter) @BikeToWorkSFBay, and Instagram
@biketoworkday_bayarea.
About Bay Area Bike to Wherever Days
Bay Area Bike to Wherever Days is presented by MTC (the
transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the
nine-county San Francisco Bay
Area), 511 (the region's traveler information system)
and Amazon. BTWD 2024 also receives regional support from
the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD)
and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), as well as from many
sponsors at the local level. Prizes for the Bike Champion of the
Year winners are donated by MTC-ABAG, Mike's Bikes
and Sports Basement.
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SOURCE Metropolitan Transportation Commission