Riders log over 6,000 miles in the Bay Area Bike Challenge on May 16^th alone

SAN FRANCISCO, May 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- This year's Bay Area Bike to Work/Wherever Day (BTWD) on May 16 saw record post-pandemic participation as riders from around the region joined to celebrate the event's 30^th anniversary on a day with intermittent wind and sunshine across the Bay. 

"We are thrilled to see the outpouring of support from riders and our partner organizations in all nine counties. This year's event was an incredible success, and it would not have been possible without the hard work of everyone involved," said Andrew Fremier, Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Executive Director.

On Bike to Work/Wherever Day, bicycle advocates and agencies hosted more than 300 energizer stations, handing out commemorative bags and offering opportunities for riders to re-energize and refuel.

Many counties reported a much larger turnout this year than last. Napa County, which combines Bike to Work Day with Bike to School Day, saw a 35% increase in participants from 2023. The extensive participation in this year's Bike to Work/Wherever Day led MTC Chair Alfredo Pedroza and Napa County Supervisor to say, "This speaks to the dedication of riders as well as the efforts of communities around the Bay to make biking safer and more accessible. We couldn't be prouder of this achievement and look forward to continuing success throughout the month."

Many riders associate Bike to Work/Wherever Day with the fun and vibrant commemorative bags they pick up at energizer stations. For the 30^th anniversary, BTWD interviewed Patrick Sean Gibson, the artist behind the last four years of iconic designs for these tote bags. Patrick talked about how his love of San Francisco and Bay Area visual culture influences his designs. You can find that interview on the 30^th anniversary page here: https://bayareabiketowork.com/30thanniversary.

Elected officials and local leaders from each county joined events throughout the day to celebrate and encourage riders:

MTC Commissioners, ABAG Executive Board Members and Elected Officials:

• Marin County Supervisor (D3) StephanieMoulton Peters
• Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao
• San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan
• San Francisco Mayor London Breed
• Oakland City Council Member (D3) Carrol Fife
• Oakland City Council President (D2) Nikki Fortunato Bas
• American Canyon City Councilmember Mark Joseph
• Berkeley City Councilmember (D1) Rashi Kesarwani
• Berkeley City Councilmember (D2) Terry Taplin
• Berkeley City Councilmember (D5) Sophie Hahn
• Berkeley City Councilmember (D7) Cecilia Lunaparra
• Berkeley City Councilmember (D8) Mark Humbert
• Calistoga Mayor Donald Williams
• Calistoga City Councilmember Kevin Eisenberg
• Cotati City Council Ben Ford
• District 10 (Sunnyvale) State Senator Aisha Wahab
• Napa County Supervisor Belia Ramos
• Napa County Vice Chair & Supervisor Anne Cottrell
• Oakland City Councilmember (D1) Dan Kalb
• Oakland City Councilmember (D5) Noel Gallo
• Oakland City Councilmember (D6) Kevin Jenkins
• Petaluma Mayor Kevin McDonnell
• San Francisco Supervisor (D3) Aaron Peskin
• San Francisco Supervisor (D6) Matt Dorsey
• San Francisco Supervisor (D5) Dean Preston
• San Francisco Supervisor (D7) Myrna Melgar
• San Francisco Supervisor (D11) Asha Safai
• San Mateo City Council Member Adam Loraine
• Sonoma County Supervisor (D3) Chris Coursey
• St. Helena City Councilmember Anna Chouteau
• St. Helena City Councilmember Billy Summers

Other Notable Leaders:

• Berkeley City Auditor Jenny Wong
• Director of San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Jeffrey Tumlin
• Director of San Francisco County Transportation Authority Tilly Chang
• Director of Programs, Solano Transportation Authority Ron Grassi
• Former Mayor, Suisun City Mike Segala
• Former Napa County Supervisor Brad Wagenknecht
• Napa County CEO Ryan Alsop
• Napa Valley Transportation Authority Executive Director Kate Miller
• Oakland Department of Transportation Director Josh Rowan
• Transportation Program Superintendent, City of Vallejo Mark Helmbrecht
• Transportation Planning Manager at City of Palo Alto Sylvia Star-Lack

On Bike to Work/Wherever Day itself, riders logged over 6,000 miles in the Bay Area Bike Challenge. In addition, more than 5,600 people pledged to ride their bike as part of Bike to Wherever Days, which continues through May 31.

The Bay Area Bike Challenge challenges cyclists to ride and log a collective 30,000 miles from May 1^st - 31^st in honor of the 30^th anniversary of Bike to Work Day. Only 12 days into the Challenge, on May 11, participants surpassed the initial goal. As of today, over 750 participants have logged nearly 70,000 miles across nine counties using an app called Ride with GPS. Now MTC is encouraging riders to triple the original 30,000-mile goal and reach 90,000 miles by the end of the month.

MTC will award a total of eight (8) prizes at the end of the Bay Area Bike Challenge. The top two prizes go to the person who rides the most miles and logs the most trips by 11:59 p.m. on May 31. A leaderboard shows riders neck-and-neck, with top riders already each surpassing 800 miles. Two prizes are awarded to the most creative routes, one for shape and one for points of interest. Four prizes are also given through raffle drawings so that every rider has a chance of winning regardless of skill level. More information is available at https://bit.ly/bayareabikechallenge.

Bay Area Bike to Wherever Days is presented by MTC (the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area), 511 (the region's traveler information system), and Amazon. BTWD 2024 also receives regional support from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and BART, as well as from many sponsors at the local level. Prizes for the Bike Champion of the Year winners were donated by MTC, Sports Basement, and Mike's Bikes.

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SOURCE Metropolitan Transportation Commission