21st Annual Santa Cruz County Bike Week: May 10 – 17, 2008

Go Green. Ride a Bike! Each mile you bike instead of drive reduces one lb. of CO2 ! Mark your calendars!  The 21st Annual Santa Cruz County Bike Week will be held from May 10 -17th.  For a complete list of activities click the BIKE WEEK SCHEDULE link to your left! 

WIN $1000!
Enter the Bike Week drawing by filling out a Bike to Work Day breakfast site survey at any breakfast site on Thursday, May 15th, or complete our online survey now!

Bike to Work is Everyday! Ride your bike to work as many days as possible during Bike Week and help the environment, get exercise, and save money! Employees of participating businesses who ride their bikes are eligible to win prize incentives. Employees of participating businesses, track the miles you bike during Bike Week here. If your business is not signed up, contact Bonnie at 831.426.5925 x 128 or email bmcpike@ecoact.org.

Check out “Riding Predictably"
A bicycle safety film produced by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition.  It’s a great introductory video for new commuters!

Fall 2007 Bike to Work/School Day  
Over 5,000 participants throughout Santa Cruz County cycled to receive their FREE breakfast, preventing thousands of pounds of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.  Thanks to everyone who biked and volunteered for this environmental and community tradition.  Let’s make 2008 even better!

Thank you Grace Voss for the Fall 2007 Bike to Work/School Day photos!

News/Action Alerts

• Designs for a Green Future
The Transportation–Land Use Connection
 
Thursday, May 22, 7–9PM
Live Oak Grange, 1900 17th Ave.
(corner of 17th Ave. and Capitola Rd.)
 
For more information see the flyer, call 425.0665 or visit www.peoplepowersc.org.

• Santa Cruz County Folding Bikes in Buses Incentive Program
Save up to $200 on a folding bicycle.

Folding Bikes are great for commuting.
- Easy to store securely at work and home 
- Easy to use with a Metro bus trip
- Inexpensive and reliable

Save up to $70 on two monthly bus passes.
Folding bikes are ideal to combine with a bus trip since you can bring a folded bike into the bus (as long as the bike doesn’t block the aisle). Often the bike racks on buses are full for popular bus routes.

How to sign up 
Santa Cruz County area residents are eligible for this program by attending a 2-hour bicycle safety training class. Call Ecology Action 423-9569 ext. 127 to sign up for a class.

FOLDING BIKE SAFETY CLASS SCHEDULE

Presented by Ecology Action
All Folding Bike participants must pre-register.
Call 426-5925 ext. 128 as space is limited.

Classes are held at 223 River Street on the first floor (Corner of N. Pacific Ave.)
Look for the Ecology Action, Annex sign. Building is on right hand side of parking lot. You must arrive 10 minutes before 6pm and have photo ID or other proof of local residency (i.e. bill with your address)
Class starts on time. If you arrive late, you will not be able to attend the class.

Authorized program bike shops are:
- Trey's True Wheels, 1431 Main street, Watsonville, CA 786-0200
- The Spokesman Bicycles, 231 Cathcart St., Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, 429-6062
- Sprockets, 420 Mission St., Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, 426-7623
- Bicycle Trip, 1127 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, 427-2580

For more information (PDF file)

• Driving Down (Courtesy of RoadBikeRider.com)

According to the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. motorists are driving substantially fewer miles for the first time in 26 years. The decrease is credited to high gas prices, changing demographics and greater availability of public transportation.

Not mentioned was bicycle use, although that didn't seem to diminish the delight of Andy Clarke, executive director of the League of American Bicyclists, the nation's cycling advocacy organization.

In a Bike to Work Week address, Clarke called the new stats "good news for America and good news for the planet. . . we might finally be turning the corner and reducing our over-dependence on cars for most of our trips."

That said, Clarke added, "Let me be clear, [LAB is] not anti-car. There are a lot of trips and a lot of tasks for which a car is ideally suited and often the only option.

"What we are saying is that more than 40 percent of all trips in the country are two miles or less. These short trips -- which are by far the most polluting -- are ideal distances to do on a bike. . . What better way to save money, get some exercise, reduce pollution, and have some fun into the bargain?"

According to Clarke, Americans who participated in Bike to Work Day last Friday . . .

---saved more than 56 tanker trucks of gasoline
---saved $5.7 million in driving costs
---prevented 4,580 tons of carbon dioxide and 230 tons of carbon monoxide from entering the atmosphere
---burned 410 million calories

Bike to Work wants to hear your story. We know why it's great to ride your bike to work or school, but now it's time for you to tell your story and influence others. Just tell us how Bike to Work inspired you to ride to work and the positive changes bicycling has made to your life. E-mail your testimonial (Subject e-mail: testimonial) and we'll post it on our Web site. Please keep it short. If you want, you can attach a picture to the e-mail too.

Financially support the Santa Cruz Bike to Work program by clicking on the Donate menu listing to the left.

Our Big Wheel Sponsors Welcome You!

A program of Ecology Action

Need a new bike or help fixing the old bike? Click here for a list of local bike shops.

Santa Cruz County Bike To Work/School Day is a community-wide effort, providing public education, and incentives based effort to promote bike commuting. Besides the traditional great Bike Week events we have added new safety activities for beginners bike commuters.

Our programs are fun, informative and inclusive!

For more information contact:
Piet Canin
Ecology Action Transportation Division Program Director
(831) 426-5925 Ext. 127
E-mail