Bike to Work Day: May 8, 2014

Bike to Work Day is right around the corner and this year marks the 20th anniversary of the regional event. On Thursday, May 8, opt for a healthy commute and join tens of thousands of your fellow Bay Area residents in biking to work. Bike to Work Day is the region’s premier event to encourage commuters in the nine Bay Area counties to try bike commuting for the first time or to recommit to increasing time spent on the saddle. There are dozens of bicycling events scheduled around the region in celebration of National Bike Month — Bike to Work Day being the largest of all. Visit youcanbikethere.com for complete details on Bike to Work Day and other Bike Month activities.

With over 300 Energizer Stations located throughout the nine Bay Area counties, there is sure to be a station near you. Volunteers are ready to cheer on bike commuters and offer complimentary snacks, official reusable Bike to Work Day canvas bags, bicycle information and other great giveaways. To find the Energizer Station nearest your home or work, visit youcanbikethere.com/energizer. Pledge to commute by bike on Bike to Work Day and be entered into a drawing to win fabulous prizes. To pledge, visit youcanbikethere.com/user/register.

This year, MTC partnered with the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and the San Francisco Bay Trail Project to give away Bay Trail map boxed sets to 500 lucky bike commuters who pledge to ride or visit a Bike to Work Day Energizer Station on May 8. The 25 map cards commemorating the 25th anniversary of the San Francisco Bay Trail are the key to discovering the Bay Trail. The set 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.

Don’t have a bike to participate in Bike to Work Day?

In celebration of Bike to Work Day and Bike Month, Bay Area Bike Share is offering limited edition day passes for just $5! The pass must be purchased by May 11 and can be used any time through May 31, 2014. Purchase a $5 pass at bayareabikeshare.com/store.

Who Bikes?

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Bike to Work Day in the Bay Area, MTC partnered with the Bay Area Bicycle Coalition to profile Bay Area residents who choose the bicycle as their preferred mode of travel. Read their stories. Get inspired.

20 Years of Bike to Work Day

Ken Eichstaedt has always biked to work — even when “work” meant simple arithmetic problems and playground games of kickball. Read more.

New Bike Commuter Shares Her Story

When after school instructor Emily Brotman rolls into the schoolyard on her bike each afternoon, her curious fourth grade students swarm around her. Read more.

Biking is Constant

It’s been a year of transitions for Aparna Jain. She left her job at Zynga to work at the Fox Network and moved with her husband from Mountain View to the Bay Meadows. Read more.

SF2G

“It's the closest thing to flying that I can experience on a daily basis.” Read More.

Bike Commuting in Oakland

Almost one year after graduating from college, Ali Aronstam is beginning to figure it out. Read more.

The Changing Face of Biking in SF

When Lorraine Goodwin moved to San Francisco in 2004, she made a conscious decision to ride her refurbished 1980s-era Piaggio to BART and bike to her job. Read more.

Bike to Work Day Volunteer

Jean Kao is a longtime San Francisco Bicycle Coalition member and volunteer. Read more.

Bike Commuters of the Year Announced

In April, nominations opened to select a bike commuter from each of the nine Bay Area counties to be Bike Commuter of the Year. The awards recognize their dedication to riding a bicycle for everyday transportation. Nominations were evaluated and awarded by each county’s Bike to Work Day representative. This year’s winners are a testament to the many benefits of bicycle commuting: from improving their health and the environment, to bringing families and communities together.

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 and Contra Costa County winners will be presented at Bike East Bay’s Bike Happy Hour, and the awards for the San Mateo 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 Bike Commuter of the Year Awards and a complete profile of the winners, visit youcanbikethere.com/bcoy2014.

Team Bike Challenge

The competition has begun, but there is still time to register your team. 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. Register your team atteambikechallenge.com. The last day to log your miles for the first week of the competition is May 7.