If high gas prices have you thinking of making a switch in your commute, consider that May is Bike to Work Month. Shifting from driving alone to bicycling to work is healthy for you, your gas bill and the planet.
National Bike to Work Day is Friday, May 20. Celebration stations will be set up throughout the Puget Sound region that morning. The 2011 Bike Commute Challenge, presented by BIKES Club of Snohomish County, runs May 16 through June 17.
Snohomish County Bike to Work events give first-time bike commuters, die-hard regulars and fair-weather cyclists a chance to ride and celebrate together.
The goal of the monthlong Bike Commute Challenge is to leave your car at home at least once a week and give healthy commuting a try. Organize a team of co-workers or friends and pedal your way to great prizes. Team captains earn a Snohomish County Bike to Work T-shirt and the satisfaction of encouraging others.
In 2010, 700 people stopped by Snohomish County’s celebration stations on Bike to Work Day and 148 teams took the Bike Commute Challenge. Participants logged 85,691 miles for the month.
“Bike to Work Day gives me a chance to get my bike out of the garage and relive that childhood feeling of freedom,” said Community Transit chief executive Joyce Eleanor, an annual participant. “Bikes are also a great way to get to transit.”
Last year, 37 percent of Bike to Work Day participants said they occasionally or regularly combine bike-bus commuting.
Snohomish County Bike to Work events are supported by community partners and by Community Transit and Everett Transit as part of the agencies’ commitment to helping businesses reduce employee drive-alone trips to work.
BIKES Club of Snohomish County began in Everett more than 30 years ago and sponsors weekly recreational rides, the annual McClinchy Mile bike event and local bike advocacy and education efforts. Learn more at www.bikesclub.org.
Bike to Work events
;bull& Bike to Work kick-off, 3 to 6 p.m. April 28 at Everett Station, 3201 Smith Ave., Everett. Learn about the Bike Commute Challenge and how you can form a team. Stop by for a snack, check out the commuter bike display, practice with a bus bike rack and pick up Bike to Work brochures and posters to educate and encourage your co-workers, neighbors and friends.
;bull& Bike Commuting 101, 7 p.m. May 12 at Snohomish County PUD, 2320 California St., Everett. Get some advice on how to get started as a new bicycle commuter at this session hosted by BIKES Club of Snohomish County. Presenters will discuss clothing, routes, bikes and gear, traffic laws and techniques, plus you can practice putting your bike on a bus bike rack and learn how to fix a flat tire (or how to avoid fixing one).
;bull& Bike to Work Day, , 6 to 9 a.m. May 20. Celebration stations throughout the region. Stop by for healthy snacks, a Snohomish County bike map and other goodies including a chance to win a new commuter bicycle courtesy of Harvy’s Bike Shop.
;bull& Snohomish County Bike Commute Challenge, May 16 through June 17, presented by BIKES Club of Snohomish County. Teams of four to 10 members compete for prizes and bragging rights. Register before June 3 at www.communitytransit.org/biketowork.
;bull& Brunswick Majestic Lanes Bike & Bowl, 2:30 to 5 p.m. June 11. Bike to Brunswick Majestic Lanes, 1222 164th St. SW, Lynnwood, and get two games and shoe rental for $10 per person. Space is limited and first-come first-served.
Learn more about Snohomish County Bike to Work events at www.communitytransit.org/biketowork.
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