Sun Shines on Bike to Work Day 2011

Among the 304 Energizer Stations passing out freebies and refreshments around the nine-county San Francisco region on Bike to Work Day yesterday morning, which one was the best? MTC Planner Susan Heinrich, our in-house coordinator for the annual regional event, could nominate a couple in the South Bay, where she arrived on bike just after dawn yesterday after catching the 5 a.m. Caltrain from San Francisco. Her top pick would be the one at San Jose State University Library, where volunteers at the Energizer Station were giving out free bicycle helmets, and fitting them to cyclists' heads. And a close runner up would be the Energizer Station at the Google campus in Mountain View, where they were offering free breakfast burritos and massages to employees who pedaled to work.

Leading the way on the San Jose tour was MTC Commissioner Sam Liccardo, who is also a San Jose City Councilman as well as an avid cyclist who commutes to work on two-wheels two to three times a week — usually in a business suit. MTC Commissioner Amy Rein Worth also got into the spirit, helping to hand out Bike to Work Day messenger bags and other goodies at the Energizer Station in Orinda, where she serves on the City Council. And in San Francisco, MTC Commissioner and city Supervisor David Campos participated in a group ride and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition press conference with fellow supervisors and the mayor. Meanwhile, MTC planner Heinrich was making a bicycling statement of her own, trading her normal flat shoes for high heels, and wearing a stylish business suit with trousers for her ride — just to make the point that you don’t need to invest in Spandex or switch clothes to pedal to work.

Bike to Work Day officially got under way before dawn at the Golden Gate Bridge vista point, where Diana Rohini LaVigne, who orchestrates Bike to Work Day events (under contract to MTC) and also serves as executive director of the Bay Area Bicycle Coalition, briefed the media on the day’s activities and goals. On the scene with her was veteran TV reporter Mark Jones, who filed astory for MTC (also see Jones’ Bike to Work Daypreview story from San Jose earlier this week, with MTC Commissioner Liccardo demonstrating the art of cycling in a business suit).

Blue skies made for optimal conditions for Bike to Work Day, with many Energizer Stations doing a brisk business. LaVigne estimates that some 1,400 people around the region volunteered to man the Energizers Stations yesterday. One of their tasks was to conduct rider counts: So far, Alameda County has reported an uptick of 4.5 percent over last year’s Bike to Work Day, while Santa Clara County has reported a 13 percent increase. We deployed photographers to capture scenes around the region, and are posting their shots on the 511 site.

Team Bike Challenge continues through the end of May. As of early this week, 2,400 people and 618 teams had registered for the friendly competition. You can track their progress online. Currently in first place is Sangamo Cyclers, representing Sangamo BioSciences in the city of Alameda. So far they’ve logged 205 points and 1,117 miles.

Bike to Work Day is presented by MTC, MTC’s 511 project and Kaiser Permanente.

— Brenda Kahn, with a field report from Susan Heinrich