REGIONAL (BCN) — Tens of thousands of Bay Area commuters will be strapping on helmets and getting to work on two wheels Thursday for the 22nd annual Bike to Work Day.
According to organizers, more than 60,000 cyclists stopped by hundreds of energizer stations across the Bay Area last year to fuel up with free drinks, snacks and other goodies. Participation was high, even despite an unseasonably late rain.
The weather should be better this year, with just some clouds in the forecast, and riders can visit one of the more than 400 energizer stations spread across the nine-county Bay Area, including 130 in the East Bay, 80 in Santa Clara County, 40 in San Mateo County and 25 in San Francisco.
Local elected leaders plan to get in on the action, including Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, who said during a ribbon-cutting celebration for new protected bike lanes on Telegraph Avenue on Tuesday that she will be taking her own bicycle down from her home in the Oakland hills.
Schaaf will have a pancake breakfast waiting for her outside City Hall as part of one of the larger energizer stations planned at Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, according to Bike East Bay organizers.
In San Francisco, eight city supervisors have committed to biking to work and are inviting constituents to caravan with them on Thursday morning. They include rivals in the June primary for state Senate, Scott Wiener and Jane Kim.
Wiener will be riding out from Jane Warner Plaza at Castro and Market streets at 7:30 a.m., while Kim is heading from Brainwash Cafe at Folsom and Seventh streets at 7:45 a.m., the candidates each posted on Twitter.
During the evening commute, riders can stop by one of the many Bike to Work Day happy hours offering deals to cyclists that evening.
For those who want to get involved but don’t have a bicycle, Bay Area Bike Share is offering free bikes for the day. Riders can sign up for a free bike at try.bayareabikeshare.com/btwd/ and pick it up at 70 stations in San Francisco, Redwood City, Palo Alto, Mountain View and San Jose.
More information about Bike to Work Day is available at youcanbikethere.com.
