Bike Easy Bay Aides, Educates Riders for Healthier Commuting

By Hacienda Network Staff Writer

Bike to Work Day may be Bike East Bay's most high-profile event, but the region's largest and most dynamic resource for bicycle riders and commuters is available year round. Whether you are an experienced rider looking for pro tips or just exploring the idea of cycling to work, Bike East Bay has valuable information and services.

Bike East Bay's mission is to promote "healthy, sustainable communities by making bicycling safe, fun, and accessible," and the organization has a number of initiatives to pursue it through advocacy, education, and community engagement.

The goal of the group's advocacy is to increase the number and diversity of people biking. To that end, Bike East Bay supports the development of bike facilities; street design that integrates bicycle access; increasing funding for bicycle projects and improvements, which includes tracking to insure that allocated funds are spent appropriately; and building partnerships with other organizations.

On the education front, Bike East Bay's main goal is to educate all road users so that cyclists face fewer barriers. This includes initiatives ranging from an e-newsletter - sign up at bikeeastbay.org/earchive - to free bicycle education programs for all ages. Classes include Urban Cycling 101 for Adults and Teens, Theft Prevention, Adult Learn-to-Ride Classes, One-Hour Workshops, Family Cycling Workshops, Kids Bike Rodeos, and more.

"You can find a listing of classes at bikeeastbay.org/education - you'll see all the upcoming classes listed there," says Renee Rivera, executive director of Bike East Bay. "We really encourage people to go to a class - it's fun, it's quick, and you're going to come away with a lot more confidence and skills in terms of riding on the road. We hear from people that they feel much more confident on the road after taking one of our classes." Businesses, schools, and community groups are encouraged to contact Bike East Bay if they would like to provide a class at their site.

Community Engagement is the third element of Bike East Bay's mission: building strong and collaborative relationships with representation from all East Bay communities. This effort allows businesses, community groups, and individuals to take their interest in the benefits that bicycling brings to a new level of engagement, pursuing a vision that includes integration of bicycles into our transportation system as a key part of thriving communities.

Bike East Bay offers a variety of resources on Bike to Work Day, held annually in the Bay Area on the second Thursday of May. "I hear from a lot of people and they say, 'When did you start biking?,' and they say, 'I tried it out one Bike to Work Day,'" Rivera says. "They try it out and see how easy it is and end up sticking with it." As part of that event, additional classes are scheduled as well as bike tune-up clinics and special Bike to Work Day social events.

For additional information on Bike East Bay, access the group's web site at www.bikeeastbay.org or call (510) 845-RIDE (7433).

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