One of the most important factors in the success of Bike to Work Day in Seattle on Friday was the forecast: No rain; just partly cloudy skies with highs reaching 67 in the afternoon.
I bicycled down to the Bellevue Commute Station Friday morning. The kiosk at the base of the I-90 bike path across Lake Washington was one of 44 set up around the Seattle area by the Cascade Bicycle Club.
More than 300 folks had stopped by in the first 1 1/2 hours, slightly ahead of last year at this time. Just eyeballing the cyclists, I'd say eastbound and westbound cyclists were split nearly 50-50, with a slight edge going to those heading to Seattle.
Congratulations to everyone who participated. To further celebrate your accomplishments, you can ride over to Ballard for the Bike to Work Day After Party from 4 to 7 p.m. on 22nd Avenue NW, between Market Street and Ballard Avenue. Beer, pizza, bike repairs and lots of other bicycling hootenanny.
The Cascade Bicycle Club established 44 commuter stations around the Seattle area for bicyclists heading to work in the morning. There were snacks, drinks and schwag available for bike commuters. Many stations had mechanics on duty for light repairs. Those who registered were also eligible for prizes.
Free coffee and other snacks were available at the City Hall rally in Seattle from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m.
Expect to see a lot of bicyclists on the streets today. More than 10,000 people have taken the Group Health Commute Challenge in the Seattle area. That's more than double the 4,000 who participated in 2004.
Remember to ride safely and follow the rules of the road. That's especially true on Mercer Island, where the police are known to issue tickets for rolling through stop signs, even on bike to work day.
Tacoma and Pierce County have their own events scheduled, as does Snohomish County.
Also, see — Bike to Work Week events at League of American Bicyclists;
Interactive map of Bike to Work Commute Stations in Seattle:
“Mythbusting 10 common excuses you'll hear during Bike to Work Week.”
By the way, here's a good link I picked up from Cyclelicious: the MyCommuteSucks website. You can imagine its content.
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