Sun Shines on Bike to Work Day 2011

Blue skies and mild weather made for perfect conditions for the Bay Area’s 17th annual Bike to Work Day, which fell on Thursday, May 12, 2011. Commuters came out in droves for the event, pushing up overall participation around the region compared to last year.

The biggest jump in traffic compared to 2010 figures came in Contra Costa County, where volunteers manning Energizer Stations noted a combined 20 percent increase in bicyclists passing by or stopping for refreshments and giveaways during the morning and evening commutes. And Santa Clara County reported a 13 percent increase in morning bicycle traffic compared to last year’s counts. Next up was Alameda County, with a combined 4.5 percent increase in morning and evening traffic. The 304 Energizer Stations around the region did a brisk business, handing out 30,000 bicycle messenger bags imprinted with the Bike to Work Day logo. The bags went fast, said Diana Rohini LaVigne, executive director of the Bay Area Bicycle Coalition (BABC).

Some lucky bicycle commuters in San Jose got something above and beyond the messenger bags — free, brand new bicycle helmets, along with a personalized fitting. And at the Energizer Station at Google’s offices in Mountain View, free massages and free breakfast burritos were the order of the day. Over in Oakland City Center, bike commuters were treated to a gratis pancake breakfast.

The annual event is presented by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) in conjunction with the BABC, Kaiser Permanente, local bicycle coalitions, cities and a host of other sponsors. Not only is MTC the largest single funder, but also, the agency’s staff and commissioners got into the Bike to Work Day spirit in a personal way. MTC Commissioner Sam Liccardo, who sits on the Commission by virtue of his role as a San Jose City Councilmember, starred in a Bike to Work Day promotional video in which he demonstrated the art of pedaling while wearing a business suit and tie — the message being that you don’t have to invest in Spandex to cycle to work.

MTC’s Bike to Work Day coordinator, Susan Heinrich, underscored that message by trading her normal workaday slacks and flat shoes for a dressy business suit and high heels on Bike to Work Day, just to prove that any day can be a bike-to-work day.

Participation in Team Bike Challenge was also up this year compared to last year. A total of 2,768 people spread across 687 teams registered for the friendly competition to log the most miles by bike — and by extension, the most points — during the month of May. By comparison, last year there were 2,276 participants and 530 teams. For some people, one day of Bike to Work Day just isn’t enough, and that’s why we created Team Bike Challenge six years ago, to keep the momentum going all month long, MTC’s Heinrich explained.