My bike to Work Day began at 6:45 am (not my finest hour), when I boarded a vacant northbound Caltrain to Mountain View. It was pretty early, and I suppose most people riding the rails at that hour opted for the baby bullet that departed a few minutes earlier, so I was all alone in the bike car. No worries about getting bumped, at least!
Press coverage of Bike to Work Day was phenomenal this year - from general coverage to personal stories, the media was happy to report on this huge, healthy, Bay-Area-wide event. SVBC managed to get quite a few nods, too. Here are some highlights:
Joe Rodriguez talked about his own conversion to bike commuting in the Mercury News:
Hopefully, you're all getting prepared to bike to work on Thursday. That's great! I assume you've gone through the ABC Quick Check and gone over some bicycling safety tips. Well done!
SVBC is determined to add 200 new members to our ranks during the month of May! Increase our clout: a strong membership gives us the influence we need to convince decision makers to fund bike infrastructure and education programs. As a Bike Month special, we're slashing our normal $35 membership fee to just $20!
Ian Emmons commutes exclusively by bicycle. Rain or shine, he always makes his ten-mile round-trip commute by bike. In addition, he embraces the car-free lifestyle by using pedal power to get around no matter what his errands require. He even makes runs to Costco using a bike trailer! Says Ian: “I'm not too sure I'm unique in this. Last time I was at Costco with my bike, I saw three other bike commuters there shopping as well.
Join SVBC for our annual Bike Away From Work Bash, held this year in the beauty and splendor of our People-Powered Art Exhibition. This is a members-only party, so discounted memberships will be available at the door. Music, food, art, and fun will make this a great night for fans of self-powered freedom.
Our 2012 Bike to Work Day poster is ready to be seen and help spread the word about Bike to Work Day! Download a copy and hang it in your cubicle wall, above the water cooler, in the break room, around campus, at a parking lot, in the elevator, over the sink, or on your living room wall… anywhere and everywhere will do. Be creative. And feel free to post pictures if you're proud of your display.
We had a room packed full of amazing volunteers last night as we stuffed envelopes full of Bike to Work Day information for employers. I blinked and before I knew it, they were all done; they were finished in record time! A great time was had by all, thanks to an ample supply of burritos and candy. We hope to see everyone again, and more, at our Bike to Work Day bag stuffing party on May 5 at Sports Basement in Sunnyvale. Get all the details by clicking here.
It's Bike to Work Day! Get out of that car, throw a leg over that 21-speed mountain bike you used to get to class in college, and join tens of thousands of Bay Area residents as they pedal to work!
Get all the information you need at http://bikesiliconvalley.org/btwd
We have been receiving a lot of great support from the local business community for the biggest bicycle celebration in the Bay Area!
“Cycle tracks will abound in Utopia.” – H.G. Wells
“To see that wheel turning was very soothing, very comforting. I liked the idea of having a bicycle wheel in my studio.” – Marcel Duchamp
Since its invention, the bicycle has served as transportation, inspiration, and tool for revolution. In a modern world facing global warming, oil wars, and economic crisis, the bicycle and other self-powered modes of transportation are increasingly important as means of keeping society healthy, safe, and connected. More than toys or transportation, the bicycle and its motor-less brethren can soothe, inspire, and provoke.
I went to a regional Bike to Work Day Marketing Committee meeting up in Oakland this week. It was attended by representatives from the other Bay Area bike coalitions. The main meeting agenda was to review the design concepts for this year's BTWD event. The graphic designer presented three ideas to the group and the vote was close to unanimous on one of the designs. The graphic designer will go back to the drawing board and provide us with a couple more renditions of the concept we agreed on. Once approved by the group it will be sent off to be printed on the bags.
A pair of local leaders - Silicon Valley Leadership Group CEO Carl Guardino and Santa Clara County Supervisor Ken Yeager - were featured in a recent article in Eucalyptus Magazine, in which they discussed their great daily bike commutes on Santa Clara County trails. Regarding his car-free commute, Guardino says "It is a great and healthy way to start and end each day—burning carbs rather than carbon, getting some exercise, and enjoying the beauty of the Los Gatos Creek Trail."
Beautiful weather and a ramped-up outreach campaign drove this year’s Bike to Work Day numbers up some 14% on Thursday, May 12, in Santa Clara County. Volunteers at 69 “Energizer Stations” located around the county counted bicyclists that stopped for treats and encouragement as well as those that rode past. Event organizer Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition (SVBC) says the increase is welcome, but they expected nothing less. “Bicycling has been increasing in popularity for years,” said SVBC Executive Director Corinne Winter.
