Here at the EBBC office, the surge of energy we received from everyone’s participation in Bike to Work Day 2009 lingers on. Last Thursday, May 14th, an estimated 200,000 people throughout the Bay Area rode their bikes to work on the fifteenth anniversary of this statewide event. Alameda and Contra Costa Counties both had an increase in participation of over 40% – some of the largest in the region. Volunteers at over fifty energizer stations around the East Bay handed out 6000 musette bags stuffed with goodies, and a number of elected officials joined up with pedal pools to share the ride to work with fellow bike commuters.
And at the end of the day, folks had a blast at the Bike Away from Work Party in the Temescal neighborhood of Oakland. Oakland City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan kicked off the event and awarded Laura McCamy as the 2009 Bike Commuter of the Year for Alameda County. Our fabulous bike fashion show featured designs by B.Spoke Tailor and My Alibi. Cyclecide had everyone’s hearts beating with their death-defying bike rodeo and carnival. Tasty food and beverages were enjoyed by all thanks to Barlata, Chipotle and Trumer Pils.
EBBC would like to extend an enormous thank you to the Bike to Work Day sponsors and donors. We are also tremendously grateful for our hundreds of volunteers – whether it was stuffing musette bags, saying good morning to new commuters at energizer stations, or selling raffle tickets at the party, volunteers stepped up to make the day a huge success.
While Bike to Work Day 2009 has rolled on, the memories remain… you can check out some photos on our Flickr group. This group is open to everyone – you are invited to upload your photos from the event. The more the merrier!
And don’t forget, it’s not too late to enter the raffle, and keep logging your rides for the team bike challenge. Both end May 31st.