PRESENTED BY 511.ORG AND KAISER PERMANENTE AND CAMELBAK
May is National Bike Month, and Thursday, May 13th marks Sonoma County’s 16th annual Bike to Work Day, a celebration of bicycling as a healthy, fun and viable form of everyday transportation.
“Whether you want to save money, improve your health, or protect the environment,” says Sandra Lupien, Bike to Work Coordinator at Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition, “biking to work is a great way to do it. Almost everyone can bike to work at least some of the time, and Bike to Work Day is the perfect time to get started.”
Biking to work is an ideal opportunity to get the recommended 30-60 minutes of daily physical activity we all need to stay healthy. The July 13, 2009 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine reported that men who got to work by active commuting, such as biking or walking, cut their risk of obesity in half and significantly reduced triglyceride levels, blood pressure, and insulin levels compared with driving to work.
Employers also benefit by encouraging their employees to bike to work. Biking to work is fun, builds morale, and controls costs by reducing demand for parking spaces, which cost an average of $750 per space per year. More physically active employees are more alert, healthy and productive.
On May 13th, volunteers at 29 Energizer Stations throughout Sonoma County will provide Bike to Work Day participants with complimentary treats, a reusable canvas bag, bicycle information, and great company!
For a complete list of energizer stations and to register for our free raffle for a chance to win a new bike and other great prizes, visit the Bike to Work Day website at 511.org.
Bike to Work Day festivities kick off with the nominations for Bike Commuter of the Year. Congratulations to Geoffrey Skinner, the Sonoma County 2010 Bike Commuter of the Year. Geoffrey has been a bike commuter for more than 20 years. Each day, rain or shine, he pedals from Sebastopol, to work in Downtown Santa Rosa at the Sonoma County Public Library. He totes his French Horn on days when he has practice for the SRJC Orchestra. “The less time I spend in a car” Skinner says, “the happier I am. No congestion, no fossil fuel used (except in producing/cooking the extra food for to fuel me!), and a chance to be outside. Skinner’s 10 year-old son is also a committed bike commuter. Galen vowed to bike commute every day of the 2009-2010 school year, and has only missed 2 times so far – and those were trips home only, one of which because he had to go to the emergency room (not for a bike-related reason!). Read more about Geoffrey and Galen at www.youcanbikethere.com/bcoy2010.
Are you ready to make everyday Bike to Work Day? Join the Team Bike Challenge and compete to commute by bike as often as possible through the month of May. Log your trips online or with our new iBikeChallenge iPhone app to earn points. Get the most points in your county to win prizes for everyone on your team.
Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition has events planned throughout National Bike Month:
May 13th: “Bike to Work Day Energizer Stations” 6am-9am, Countywide
May 13th: “Bike Home From Work Celebrations”
May 15th: “Bikes are For Everyone” Entry in the Luther Burbank Rose Parade, Santa Rosa
May 23rd: Bike-in Movie: “E.T.” Railroad Square, Santa Rosa
Sonoma County Bike to Work Day 2010 is presented by 511.org, Kaiser Permanente, and Camelbak and organized by the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition and the Bay Area Bicycle Coalition in collaboration with hundreds of local organizational, government and individual partners.
For more information, visit 511.org or call 511 and say “bicycling.” Or, visit www.BikeSonoma.org/Bike2Work.
