Volunteers needed for Bike To Work Day

Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition seeks Bike To Work Day volunteers

The Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition is stepping up its efforts in preparation for Bike to Work Day, and they need your help. On the BTWD Volunteering page you will find a list of positions, including pre-event opportunities that you can do right now! Get creative and help create art and prose that will get the word out about biking to work this May!

Applying for a volunteer position is easy, just fill out the online form and the SVBC will provide you with all the information you need to get started. They are looking for business outreach, writers and reporters, videographers, photosgraphers, graphic artists, poster distributors, Energizer Station leaders, clean up crews, a band for the after-work party, party organizers, and more. For more information on volunteering for Bike to Work Day please visit svbcbikes.org/btwd/volunteer.

Bike To Work Day website

James created a Bike To Work Week clickable world map showing the locations of Bike To Work Day and Bike to Work Week events around the world.

2008 Bike To Work Day events 2008

National Bike To Work Day is scheduled for Friday, May 16 in the United States. Here's the official site at the League of American Bicyclists.

San Francisco Bay Area does Bike To Work Day on Thursday, May 15, 2008.

Santa Cruz County Bike To Work Day is also scheduled for May 15, with another Bike To Work event scheduled in the Autumn, also. Ditto for San Benito and Monterey Counties.

Colorado Bike To Work Day is Wednesday, June 25, 2008.

Go ahead and leave your comments: "Every day is Bike To Work Day for .... "

Photo: Summer rides her bike in San Jose, California during Bike To Work Day 2007. Photo by me.

Colorado Bike to Work Day news

My old friends in Colorado report tremendous participation in the 2007 Bike To Work Day in the Centennial State. In the Denver region, a record 23,000 cyclists rode their bikes to work today, an increase of 12% over last year. "It was exhilarating to see so many riders out today," said Denver County Judge Ray Satter, a hardcore bike commuter who rides to work year-round, even in the rain, snow or ice. Colorado Governor Bill Ritter is a enthusiastic recreational cyclist; he also participated in the event.

CBS4 Video: Thousands pedal to work in Front Range featuring Denver Mayor Hickenlooper and Governor Ritter.

Longmont Times-Call: Bikes, pancakes abound. "As of 8 a.m., about 100 people had stopped by for a bite to eat, said city associate civil engineer Len Marques. “I can tell by the number of sausages, actually,” said Marques, who helped organize city efforts to mark the alternative transportation day. (Len is a personal friend of mine and fantastic guy).

Boulder Daily Camera: Fitness, free food fuel ride to work features profiles of a wide range of bike commuters in Boulder.

Fort Collins Coloradoan: Biking, breakfast highlight Bike To Work Day.

9 News Video: Thousands participate with video of morning anchor Susie Wargin's 28 mile commute. I seem to recall another 9News reporter who's a hard core cyclist who was fired after she appeared nude in a magazine or website somewhere... What was her name?

Shame on the news sources in Pueblo, Colorado Springs, and Grand Junction who make no mention of Bike To Work festivities in those cities! Even the Greeley Tribune in Weld County at least publicized Bike To Work Day in a positive way.

Bike to work testimonial

By Gillian Zaharias of Mountain View, California.

Roundtrip miles biked each weekday: 14.

Commute time, including 13 traffic lights: 30 minutes each way.

Days I've driven a car to work in the past five years: fewer than 10.

Accidents involving cars or pedestrians: Zero.

Patience level being in a car during commute hours: Very low.

Satisfaction level zipping past a long line of backed-up cars: High.

CO2 saved from entering the atmosphere each year: 2.6 tons (yes, tons).

Gas money saved each year, at current prices: $900.

Frequency of decadent dessert consumption: Daily.

Body Mass Index: Low.

Guilt over eating said sweets: None.

Cost of high-quality bicycle: $800.

Amount I would have spent to purchase a car and insurance if not biking: A lot more than $800.

Cycling gear and maintenance costs during the past five years: under $230.

Flat tires since installing Mr. Tuffy liners a year and a half ago: Zero.

Bike theft insurance per month, covering complete replacement: $2.

Living a low-carbon lifestyle and practicing what I'd preach if I were the preaching type: Priceless.

Remember, June is Colorado Bike Month. Colorado Bike To Work Day is Wednesday, June 27, 2007.

San Francisco: More bicycles than cars on Bike To Work Day

0085 Kate and tribe
Originally uploaded by sfbike.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency reported that traffic counts showed more bicycles than cars on Bike To Work Day yesterday. Bicyclists made up 54% of the traffic on eastbound Market Street at Van Ness, compared to 42% for personal automobiles. The 647 cyclists counted at this location represents at 27% increase over last year. This is also double the normal number of cyclists at this location. Read more at the San Francisco Bike Coaltion.

Even Mayor Gavin Newson borrowed a bike from the local rental outfit and rode his bike for a photo op. "You should see the potholes in this town," the mayor said.

Useless ride stats

My muse today is Fixed Gear Cycling, who titles most of his posts "Useless Ride Stats" and then writes about interesting parts of his ride.

Today was Bike to Work Day in the San Francisco Bay Area and I did not keep close track of the statistics of my morning bicycle commute. In round figures, though:

• Miles: 25, give or take. In metric that's 40 km.
  
• Time: 2 hours, more or less. That's about 8.2 in metric "centidays."
  
• Breakfast stations visited: 7.
  • City officials met: 3. One in Sunnyvale and two in Palo Alto.
    
  • Coffee cake consumed: 3 pieces.
• Cyclists seen: Well into the hundreds. Perhaps even 1000.
  • Extracycles: 2.
    
  • Bike Fridays: 2.
    
  • Ordinaries / Boneshakers / Highwheelers: 1.
    
  • Art Bikes: 1.
• Cheapest gas price I saw: $3.49 for regular unleaded.

Photos will be posted later tonight, I hope. I bought a new camera and it takes some micro-USB connector that I don't have handy.