Bike Week / Bike to Work Day 2011

[tangentgirl]

Hello - it's that time of year - many cities have Bike to Work Day sometime in May. In LA, it's May 19.

This year, I'm trying to coordinate something with my company. Has anyone done this before? Any tips?

[jordanpattern]

Here in San Francisco, it's May 12. Sadly, I missed it last year because I didn't have a bike. I am excited to take part this year!

[paiger81]

Houston's is May 20 :-)

[Tri Girl]

I'm the librarian at an elementary school, so I'm going to do Bike To School Day on Bike to Work Day (after all, a student's full time job is school). All students who bike or walk to school on that day will be given a ticket and entered into a drawing to win prizes (blinky lights for backpacks, drawstring backpack type bags that I have leftover from International Bike and Walk to School Day back in October). I'll also raffle off some leftover posters from the Book Fair and bookmarks.

If any teachers Bike to Work (or walk to work), I will have a raffle with cooler prizes. I'm thinking of offering a "free recess duty ticket" where I'll take one of their duties for them, also offer some other things they may want (like a spa basket).

It'll be the first time I'm doing anything for the school on Bike to Work Day, so we'll see how it goes... ;)

[tangentgirl]

I like that, Tri Girl. I wonder if my work will pitch in with something.

[Crankin]

Tri Girl, I offered several activities at my school, the last year I taught (when I was doing a long term sub in 2008) for Bike to Work Week. The only one that had any takers was an 8 mile ride I led for about 5 teachers who signed up.
But, at least I raised awareness...

[Tri Girl]

Tri Girl, I offered several activities at my school, the last year I taught (when I was doing a long term sub in 2008) for Bike to Work Week. The only one that had any takers was an 8 mile ride I led for about 5 teachers who signed up.
But, at least I raised awareness...

I might try that (an organized ride). I just honestly can't imagine any of them taking me up on it, but I will certainly try. I know the free recess duty will give them incentive- everyone hates duty! That sounds like fun!!!! Thanks! :)

[susan.wells]

Michiana Bike to Work (http://michianabiketowork.org/index.php) has a corporate challenge. My company has a team and we've won the corporate challenge the last 4 years. You could contact the coordinators (http://michianabiketowork.org/contact/index.php) of this organization for suggestions.

[CommuterChick]

Ours is June 22, give people a chance to rev up (April is still one of our snowier months. We did have a winter Bike to Work day here in Boulder, in January). Anyway, BTW day is huge, it's regional, it's organized in the Denver-Boulder area by the Denver Regional Council of Governments and various local entities, like our Go Boulder office, see http://www3.drcog.org/biketowork There are competitions among businesses to see who has the most riders, who fields the best free breakfast station, of course a prize for the longest commute, all kinds of events throughout the week like free tuneups, and even during the month, like the always popular Boulder 360 which is a ride that links up paths in town circumnavigating the city (there's a 180 too). There are various silly contests as well, sometimes involving costumes. Last year's Boulder page is http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8845&Itemid=3253

Oh yes, our week includes bus commuters too. As long as you don't drive you get a free breakfast. I work from home now, but it's a rolling party on BTW Day, so I ride my bike the 9 miles into Boulder, past my old office, to my favorite breakfast station, our community radio station -- not only do they always have homemade blueberry cobbler, but they also have a bike mechanic!

[Melalvai]

We're doing a Bike & Walk Commuters' Day on April 29. We called it Commuters' Day instead of Bike to Work day because one of the breakfast stations is near the university and one is near the public school campus. Bike & Walk to Work & School Day seemed awkward. We picked April 29 as the Friday before graduation weekend, so that students will still be around.

This is our first ever event of this kind and I'm basing it on what PedNet has been doing in Columbia for 10 years. Anyone who arrives at a breakfast station under their own power gets free breakfast.

I hope next year, our grant will have come through and we'll have paid staff to organize it. This year, I'm organizing it with a lot of other volunteers--this during the same month that I have 4 grant deadlines. :eek: I admit it is a seriously rough month.

Good luck!

[tangentgirl]

Thanks everyone, this is all great stuff. I'll let you know what we come up with.

[Trek420]

Silly question but is there a site that has all the different dates/events? I'm trying to get some coworkers involved and it's a pretty far flung group. :rolleyes:

[tangentgirl]

Trek, the LA site is http://www.metro.net/around/bikes/bike-to-work/, but I haven't seen any place that has comprehensive dates for different cities.

[Biciclista]

OUr bike to work month is May (and bike to work day is in May too) I have had a team every year since 2006. Lucky for us we have the largest bike club in the world right here in Seattle so they do all the organizing.

[Melalvai]

Here's my report on our Bike & Walk Commuters' Day (more pictures here (http://www.ka-motion.org/education/2011/05/01/bike-walk-commuters-day-report)):
About 100 people visited one of three breakfast stations on Friday at Brashear Park, Courthouse Lawn, and Baptist Student Union. Most of the visitors to Brashear Park were students on their way to school. Science teacher Mrs. Keck offered extra credit for students who visited the breakfast station. Hundreds of students and parents driving past on Cottage Grove stared hungrily out the car and bus windows!

Baptist Student Union had the highest turnout. Many of the Truman students had heard about the stations through facebook or word of mouth. Courthouse Lawn saw the lowest turnout, with about 20 visitors. Local musicians provided entertainment for visitors.

Mocha Hut and Downtown Grocery Stores donated gourmet coffee and free-trade coffee. Volunteers baked low-sugar muffins and cookies, and Sweet Espressions provided pastries. Donations from the Possibility Alliance and volunteers bought bananas and oranges. Other supporters included Sodexho, Grace Community Bible Church, Baptist Student Union, Steve's Garden Deli, ATSU, ECO, the Kirksville Bike Co-op, and the City of Kirksville.
http://www.ka-motion.org/sites/default/files/images/bike%20brigade3.jpg
A half-dozen boys bike to school almost every day. They're middle school age. I called them the Bike Brigade.

[Tri Girl]

Mel- THAT. IS. AWESOME!!! What cool kids!!! :D

[Tri Girl]

OK- so I have to whine/vent for a minute here:

I want to organize another bike/walk to school day during Bike to Work Week. We organized something on International Bike to School day last October. Most of our kids live too far to walk or bike to school (we are not a neighborhood school) so in the fall I had parents drop off the kids a block away and they walked and that counted. I want to do it again. So I found a safer way that doesn't involve crossing streets (principal was concerned about safety). Apparently that's still too worrisome (it's probably less than .2 of a mile, around the corner on the same block and I have enough teachers out there to monitor). Grrr... organizing this is so much more trouble than it's worth. I don't know that the kids even get anything out of it. I TOTALLY understand her concerns for safety, I really do. I don't want anything to happen, either. It's just in this day and age you have to be so careful to CYA. I'm just disappointed I can't do all the things I want to do because we are such a litigious society now and you have to be so careful. I miss the days of our childhood when we didn't worry so much. ;)

And then, to encourage our very unhealthy staff to get out and move, I said that any teacher that gets to school under their own power on Friday will get a free breakfast in the teacher's lounge (complete with prize baskets that I'm putting together). I will make them breakfast (pancakes and omlettes). I gave them the option of parking at one teachers house (.5 mile away), the principal's house (less than 2 miles away) or my house (2.7 miles away) and either biking or walking to work. You should have seen the looks. Some of them with kids were like "how will I get my kids to school?" Ummm... I don't know- WALK the .5 mile with them. Even the preschoolers can walk for 10 min- they do it all the time when you take them to WalMart. So far I don't think anyone is going to participate. I overheard someone talking and they didn't like my idea very much.

Just frustrated. People just cannot see any other way than getting in their car and driving. Not even for one day a year. :rolleyes: I realize not everyone wants to ride their bike or walk to school/work everyday, but it's just one day a year.

Sorry- vent over.

[tulip]

Richmond's is May 20th. It's pretty small, but the city is making great progress.

[radacrider]

@ Tri Girl : So sorry, I can understand your frustrations. My son's school is having a Walk&Bike to school month. He was already and excited, because he either walks (from the ex' which is 1/2 mile away) or bikes (from our house which is 4.5 miles). He then gave up because they don't record miles so they won't be competing in the total miles for each school category. Sometimes the school is the problem.

Last year, the teacher cars were pretty full the whole time, so much for modeling, huh?

So, my son and I just enjoy our biking and he knows his total for each month is pretty cool (108 miles combined walking and biking). Good enough for him.

[Melalvai]

Tri Girl, the adults are the hardest to change. The kids, especially 8-10 yr olds, are the "low hanging fruit". I found this concept very frustrating because it excludes everyone else. But I also saw it work. And on a personal level it worked too--if you have some easy successes it strengthens you to go after the more difficult ones. So I'd advise either dropping the attempt to get other teachers moving for now, or go ahead with it but expect it to be a complete flop--and don't let that prevent you from trying it again and again and again.

As far as the other, be persistent. Someone told me a story about one school in Columbia, MO that was particularly resistant to a Walking School Bus even after it had taken off like wildfire in the other schools. They kept asking for over 5 years and finally the principal said yes. What changed her mind is that the coordinator met with the principal personally and was able to address all her concerns. Her major concern was one particular intersection and one particular very busy street. They came up with routes that avoid those spots and she gave permission.

I can tell that you've had direct conversations with her, but it still probably comes down to communication somehow or other. There may be some concern she has that for some reason she is just not articulating and you have to puzzle out what the real problem is. Or she needs time (months or even years) to get used to the idea. Or evidence that it has worked in other schools. Don't give up!

I have a selfish reason that I really want you to keep trying. I've been feeling very annoyed lately with some people who claim that "People around here just aren't interested in biking or walking" because they made one or two attempts and they didn't work out. Now if they said "I've tried every year for 20 years, and here's all the things I tried, and here's the data on each year", then I might be convinced that people really don't want to participate in that particular activity. But I won't be convince that people here are so much different than people elsewhere. Anyway, so I want your (eventual) success story to throw back in their faces--er, I mean, I want to use your success story to tactfully and respectfully win them over to trying again!

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!

[Tri Girl]

Thanks, Mel! I, too, want success-and to get kids to walk to school or ride regularly. If I didn't have to be at school 30 min. before the kids I would start and lead the walking school bus myself. I won't give up (thanks to your encouragement). I will research other schools in our district (or nearby) that have had success with walking school buses. I will do that over the summer. I *SO* want the kids to get involved (because when they get hooked on something they bug their parents to death until they give in and then a revolution happens). ;)

Thanks for the encouragement!!!

[shootingstar]

Tri Girl, the adults are the hardest to change. The kids, especially 8-10 yr olds, are the "low hanging fruit". I found this concept very frustrating because it excludes everyone else. But I also saw it work. And on a personal level it worked too--if you have some easy successes it strengthens you to go after the more difficult ones. So I'd advise either dropping the attempt to get other teachers moving for now, or go ahead with it but expect it to be a complete flop--and don't let that prevent you from trying it again and again and again..................................................................................................

I have a selfish reason that I really want you to keep trying. I've been feeling very annoyed lately with some people who claim that "People around here just aren't interested in biking or walking" because they made one or two attempts and they didn't work out. Now if they said "I've tried every year for 20 years, and here's all the things I tried, and here's the data on each year", then I might be convinced that people really don't want to participate in that particular activity. But I won't be convince that people here are so much different than people elsewhere. Anyway, so I want your (eventual) success story to throw back in their faces--er, I mean, I want to use your success story to tactfully and respectfully win them over to trying again!

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!

Sometimes one can't help but think that for some people they need a friend or another person to walk along, to divert the initial "difficulty" of walking to school or using alternate transportation.

But of course, that's not always possible.

[shootingstar]

Dearie wrote this up a few days ago:

http://thirdwavecyclingblog.wordpress.com/2011/05/08/bike-to-work-events-what-are-they-for/

I'm almost afraid to show link to the local group in Calgary.... anyway. Lessons learned from how to make such an event better in future. Hopefully.

I am aware in Vancouver, the local cycling advocacy group works with a few choice schools where it is the teachers they develop approaches, etc. on bike to school week. It tends to be the occasional school here and there where there are naturally just a few lead teachers who are regular cyclists themselves. But a few high school students with such a program , have been pulled in to volunteer for the large signature event where several thousand cyclists show up for a free BBQ near a bike path in the downtown area. Yes downtown, VAncouver can cyclable in this way if you know the network of bike routes.