All month we’ve been celebrating that coolest of all forms of transportation — the bicycle. The recognition slips into high gear this Monday through Friday for National Bicycle Week, culminating in Bike to Work Day.
You might be aware of bike-related promotions this week.
Free bus rides
In the Seattle area, for instance, anyone who loads a bicycle on a King County Metro bus or Sound Transit express bus this week will ride for free. Here are details about the free bus rides for bicyclists.
Each bus is equipped with a bike rack that hold three bicycles. If that is full, you’ll have to wait until the next bus arrives. This is the first year for this promotion, and it will be interesting to see if more bike commuters take advantage of it.
If you haven’t loaded a bicycle on a bike rack before, you should check out the video and instructions, “Loading your bicycle on a bus.”
One thing to remember is to get the bus driver’s attention before putting your bike on the rack. Also, remember to take the bike off at your destination. Oddly, hundreds of bikes go unclaimed from bike racks every year.
Ride of Silence
Wednesday, May 16, marks the 10th anniversary of the Ride of Silence. The somber bike ride memorializes those bicyclists who have been injured or died in traffic.
Essentially, participants in the mass events ride silently at a slow pace beginning at 7 p.m. in their local time zone.
So far, 298 Rides of Silence have been registered around the world for Wednesday. In Washington state, memorial rides are scheduled in Seattle, Spokane, Vancouver, Wenatchee, and Woodinville. Check for the full list of Rides of Silence in the U.S.
Bike to Work Day
Friday, May 18, marks Bike to Work Day in many cities across the US.
To encourage more people to commute by bicycle that day, many communities are providing free services and other benefits that day.
In the Seattle area, the Cascade Bicycle Club has set up more than 40 commute stations around the Puget Sound area where cyclists can get snacks, drinks and other freebies. They’re open from 6 to 9 a.m. See the interactive commute station map.
To help build a sense of community among bike commuters, a bike rally is planned from 7:30 – 8:30 Friday at City Hall, and a bike-oriented Ballard Street Party is scheduled after work from 4 to 7 p.m.
Also, bike to work events are scheduled all month in Bellevue, Snohomish County, and Tacoma – Pierce County.
You can check the League of American Bicyclists for a list of all Bike to Work events in cities across the U.S.
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