Bike to Work Day: The Scene in Oakland

In Oakland, Bike to Work Day meant more than men in suits. Women in bicycle jerseys, families with kids, couples on tandems and public officials all showed up for a breakfast bash outside City Hall. Commuters on two wheels were treated to free pancakes, valet bike parking and a Bike to Work Day canvas bag with all the associated goodies. Each bicyclist also received an “I Bike Oakland” sticker, entitling them to one raffle ticket, and bragging rights.

Though the event started early at 7 a.m., a celebratory atmosphere prevailed from the beginning, with people enjoying deejayed tunes, including Reggae, Salsa and Motown. People also gathered around pop-up booths to learn about organizations including the San Francisco Bay Trail, Spare the Air, City Car Share, Bike East Bay and Cycles of Change. The Oakland Public Library also brought its Bookmobicyle, encouraging bicyclists to borrow books. Two Bay Area Bike Share bikes were also on display, whetting appetites for Bike Share’s East Bay roll-out, recently approved by MTC.

MTC Commissioner Jean Quan, who is Oakland’s mayor, said she’d seen more people on the streets this year than ever before, noting that Oakland is one of the top 10 bicycling cities in the U.S. She and Councilmembers Dan Kalb, Rebecca Kaplan, Libby Schaaf and Lynette Gibson McElhaney vowed to make Oakland the “most bicycle-iest city in America” before long. “We’re just a little behind New York and Boston,” Gibson McElhany admitted. “But not for long. We’ve got better weather, and better community.” New dedicated bicycle lanes and free, secure bike parking above 19th Street BART are among the planned improvements. Renee Rivera of Bike East Bay also thanked BART Board Members Robert Rayburn and Rebecca Saltzman for working to accommodate bikes on BART. 

— Chelsea Wurms