(Ed. Note: Sorry for the lag in content the past two week. I was in my final week of classes at USC, and the crunch for time really got in the way of things. I look forward to getting LADOT Bike Blog back on track!)
Roll up that right pant leg and exchange your briefcase for a messenger bag: May is National Bike Month. This will be Los Angeles’ 16th annual Bike to Work Month and Metro’s got all the details on Bike to Work Week, taking place from May 17th to May 21st. Bike to Work Day itself will take place Thursday, May 20th. Biketoworkweek.org is a great resource for finding out what other cities around the world will be doing, and you can find out what’s going on statewide here.
LADOT Bikeways, along with a ton of other organizations, have a whole week’s worth of activities and events planned.
- We’ll be kicking off Bike to Work Week bright and early at 8AM on Monday, May 17th. Meet us at the plaza in front of Police Headquarters at 100 W. 1st Street, downtown. Take advantage of the newly installed bicycle parking! The City Council will be in attendance, along with SCAG, LACBC, LA City, and Metro representatives. Each organization will have their own table full of free swag, so come early and you’ll really clean up.
- Tuesday, May 18th will be a multi-denominational “Blessing of the Bikes” at the Good Samaritan Hospital. You can find more info here. There’s a blessing of animals in LA, and a blessing of the cars in Boyle Heights, so why shouldn’t our bikes get blessed too!
- Wednesday, May 19th will see the “Bike to Work Week Downtown LA Ride”. Meet at Olvera Street Plaza at 7:45 AM, with the ride leaving for downtown LA at 8AM sharp.
- Thursday, May 20th is LA’s 16th annual “Bike to Work Day”. There will be stations set up throughout the city for bike commuters to take a quick rest, grab a snack, and snag some cool swag. If you pledge to bike to work on the 20th, you’ll be eligible to win even more cool prizes. Metro has a list of other Bike to Work Day events around LA county.
- Friday, May 21st is official “Bike to School Day”. There will be biking information at schools participating in Safe Routes to School.
- This doesn’t take place during Bike to Work Week, but we’d also like to let you know about the upcoming LA River Ride on June 6th. Another item to keep your eye out for is cicLAvia, currently planned for September 12th.
- LACBC also has information posted up on their calendar of Bike to Work events going on in lots of other cities in the LA metro area.
- Finally, you can get a jump on Bike to Work Month festivities this weekend. Be A Green Commuter has coverage on the Long Beach Bike Festival, which starts today.
Additionally, fare will be free during Bike to Work Week for all bike riders on all LADOT buses(being both the DASH and Commuter Express) along with Metro buses and a few other transit agencies. Just flash your helmet at the driver and you ride gratis.
As we get closer in to Bike to Work Week, LADOT Bike Blog will be sure to let you know about more fun events celebrating biking to work.
[…] sure L.A. will sponsor it’s own bike festival any day month decade century now. But at least we get Bike to Work […]
If I ride to the Park and Ride and stow my bike in my locker can I get a free ride on my CE bus?
It’s my understanding that you only need to show off your bike helmet and the ride is free. A pretty sweet deal, considering that some CE fares cost more than $3.
I love these events. Organized several myself and they are always a great way for people to remember the joy of bicycling. Check out my friend who moved to Holland to experience an incredible bike culture for awhile. http://readingrisa.wordpress.com/2010/05/19/moving-to-easy-streets/