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 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 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...45&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. 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.

[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):
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.

A half-dozen boys bike to school almost every day. They're middle school age. I called them the Bike Brigade.