May gray weather might not be ideal for beach outings, but it’s perfect for a bicycle outing or two.
This month is officially “Bike to Work” month, the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition proclaimed Monday.
The announcement comes with several perks for those who ditch their cars for the healthy option of biking to work.
Click here to find a biking route on iCommute’s interactive map.
The official bike-to-work day is May 18, but the coalition advocated for an entire month to celebrate the activity.
“I don’t understand why we don’t just call it bike-to-work-year, and have everybody just ride their bikes all the time,” said County Supervisor Greg Cox at a press conference to announce the month on Monday morning.
In addition to the physical and environmental benefits of biking to work during the month or on the day, participants can also score a free t-shirt and snacks on May 18 along several pit stops around the county. Registering for Bike to Work Day will enter participants in a contest for prizes. The grand prize is a new bike.
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Click here for some other events and activities throughout Bike Month.
Monday’s announcement heralds the opening of several new bike paths in the area, including a pedestrian and bicycle bridge in Mission Bay, which opened on Friday. Bicyclists may have more bridges and paths such as that one in the years to come as well. SANDAG is currently looking for bids for $8.8 million in grant funds to pay for bicycle and pedestrian improvements throughout the region.
Those funds will likely go toward projects such as high visibility crosswalks, bicycle lane striping and sidewalk improvements, according to a SANDAG press release.
“Forty percent of all vehicle trips are two miles or less,” said Councilmember Todd Gloria at Monday’s press conference. “Can you imagine what we could accomplish if we traded many of those trips for bicycle trips instead?”
The speakers at Monday’s press conference took a ceremonial ride to mark the start of bike month.
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