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511 & Kaiser Permanente Present:
15th Annual Bike to Work Day, May 14, 2009

Team Bike Challenge

The Team Bike Challenge kicks off May 1, 2009. Gather your friends, colleagues or neighbors to form teams and pedal during the month of May. Earn points for each day any team member rides, and compete against teams across the Bay Area to win the most points. The team with the most points at the end of the month wins a grand prize! New this year: Team BART Challenge, with teams centered on BART stations.

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Contact: Andrew Casteel
Bike to Work Day Regional Coordinator
(510) 250-0909

May 14 marks the San Francisco Bay Area’s 15th annual Bike to Work Day, when over 150,000 commuters are expected to put their feet to the bike pedal. Across the nation, many more will bike commute the entire month of May to celebrate National Bike Month.

During these difficult economic times, many are evaluating the true costs of their decisions. Driving to work costs more than the money we pay at the pump. There’s the cost to purchase, insure, license and maintain a car. Taking more of your trips by bike can save a significant amount of money. When you add it all up, the annual cost of owning a car is around $8,000 according to the American Automobile Association. Commuting by bicycle only costs around $700 a year, for a savings of $7300 a year! This doesn’t even take into account the other savings that bicycle commuting confers.

Bike commuter Mo Bernales from Larkspur realized the health benefits of biking, “I found myself at 5’10 weighing in close to two bills (200 lbs). Right then and there, on the scale that night I said that’s it. No more three mochas a day. And I started riding to work whenever I could. I’ll log between 34 and 72 miles in a single workday, simply by commuting. And yes, I have a full time job, and pick up my kids, and cook up dinners as well.”

“We hope Bike to Work Day inspires more people to ride their bikes for everyday transportation,” says Andrew Casteel, Bike to Work Day event coordinator. “Commuting by bicycle is a simple solution to many complex problems. It keeps you physically active, reduces pollution, saves money and most importantly, it’s fun!"

Employers also save by encouraging their employees to bike to work. It is estimated that providing free parking costs an average of $750 per employee per year. Encouraging biking to work reduces this cost while making employees healthier and more productive. “I’ve always known it is a relatively easy way to commute and MUCH less stressful,” said Shelly Lydon. The Bike to Work Day website has a toolkit full of ideas for encouraging employees to bike to work.

To help people make the change to commuting by bicycle, Bike to Work Day events will be taking place throughout the month of May in the San Francisco Bay Area. On May 14, volunteers at hundreds of Energizer Stations will be located along bike commute routes in all nine Bay Area counties to provide cyclists with complimentary treats, a reusable goodie bag, bicycle information, and good cheer!

Sign up for the Bike to Work Day Raffle and pledge to bike to work, school or play at least once during the Month of May for your chance to win a new bike or one of many other prizes.

Also under way is the Bike Commuters of the Year competition. By the April 20 deadline, Bay Area residents had nominated dozens of dedicated bicycle commuters who are now in the running to win one of many great bicycle-related prizes.

The Team Bike Challenge provides an opportunity for more experienced riders and new bicycle commuters to team up to save money and reduce pollution. Participants track their bike trips throughout the month of May as they compete against other teams to log the most bicycle trips for their chance to win prizes. Bike to Work Day 2009 is presented by Kaiser Permanente, with promotions organized by the Bay Area Bicycle Coalition, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, county congestion management agencies, local bike coalitions and hundreds of local volunteers. For more information, visit 511.org or call 511 and say “bicycling.”

Download the Bike to Work Day Press Kit

Regional Bike to Work Day Activities (call 510.250.0909 for details)

  • April 1 – Team Bike Challenge registration begins
  • April 20 – Deadline for Bike Commuter of the Year Award Nominations
  • May 1 – Team Bike Challenge Begins
  • May 14 – Bike to Work Day
  • May 31 – Last day to register for Bike to Work Day Raffle
  • May 31 – Team Bike Challenge concludes