Locals are encouraged to pedal to school, work or church next
week
With gas prices hovering near $3 per gallon and warmer weather
settling in, the 16th annual Bike Week is rolling around at the
right time, organizers say.
Locals are encouraged to pedal to school, work or church next week
With gas prices hovering near $3 per gallon and warmer weather settling in, the 16th annual Bike Week is rolling around at the right time, organizers say.
From May 10-16, locals are encouraged to hop on a bike and ride to school, work or church as the county promotes healthy transportation options.
Veronica Lezama, transportation planner for the San Benito County Council of Governments (COG), said Bike Week is a multi-faceted approach combining health and safety messages with fun.
“As the transportation agency for San Benito County, safety is a priority for us and we try to make the community aware of safety issues,” she said. “We are also encouraging kids to be active for health reasons. We are also funded through the air district, so Bike Week helps reduce vehicle emissions.
“We’re hoping the community comes out on Bike to School Day and Bike to Work Day and participates.”
As part of the recently-updated bikeway and pedestrian master plan, COG developed “safe routes to school” maps that will be given to every school in the Hollister School District as well as San Benito High School and San Juan School. The maps show the safest routes to school for bicyclists and pedestrians and also give children safety tips for their trips to and from school.
The California Highway Patrol will visit R.O. Hardin School during Bike Week to provide safety information to students, and event organizers will provide each school that participates in Bike to School Day on May 13 with breakfast items, T-shirts, safety materials and a bicycle to give away as part of a raffle.
Parents are encouraged to coordinate a “walking school bus” or a “bicycle train” that day, with parent volunteers chaperoning neighborhood children along a designated route and supervising them as they make their way to school.
May 13 is also Bike to Work Day, during which a free breakfast will be provided to bicyclists from 6:30 to 9 a.m. at the grassy area near the Briggs Building parking structure at the corner of Fourth and San Benito streets downtown.
Last year, more than 500 people participated in Bike Week activities, Lezama said. The week-long event continues on the weekend with bicycle rides sponsored by Off the Chain Bikes on Saturday and Sunday, May 15 and 16, and Bike to Church Day on May 16.
“We hope people come out and help make San Benito County a healthier place to live,” Lezama said.
Off the Chain Bikes will also host a simple bicycle repair class May 12, at 6:30 p.m., at its store, 341 Tres Pinos Road. The store owners will also host a bike safety seminar that covers fixing flats or basic bicycle maintenance for individuals, groups or organizations.
For more information on San Benito County Bike Week 2010 activities, go to www.sanbenitocountycog.org/bikeweek or call 637-POOL (7665).
