Oakland's 15th Annual Bike to Work Day was Thursday, May 15, 2008. An estimated 500+ cyclists celebrated 15 straight years of pancakes, prizes and all-day valet bike parking at Oakland City Hall. Festivites were a collaboration between the City of Oakland, East Bay Bicycle Coalition, and local sponsoring businesses. See:
More about the event:
Bike to Work Day Pancakes, Prizes and All-Day Valet Bike Parking
At Oakland's 15th Annual Bike to Work Day celebration, participating cyclists will enjoy:
REDUCE & REUSE: (Re)cyclists who bring their own cup, plate or cutlery will be entered to win a $25 gift certificate from the Nomad Cafe, one of Oakland's premier green businesses and one $20 BikeLink card for eLockers
Everyone is invited to stop by and check out:
- Tables with information about low-impact commuting, bicycle-friendly projects, and sustainable transportation and land use (7:00-9:00am)
- Press conference featuring several Oakland City Council Members including the 2008 Bike to Work Day/Month sponsor, District 6 Council Member Desley Brooks, and prize announcements (8:30am)
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Raffle Prizes and Sponsors
City Hall event participants will be eligible for great prizes donated by local business and agencies:
and more!
To donate a prize for the raffle, please contact the City's Bicycle & Pedestrian Facilities Coordinator at bikeped@oaklandnet.com or (510) 238-3983.
In addition to Oakland bike shops participating in the Bike Bucks promotion, Oakland would like to thank the following event sponsors:
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Oakland Bike Month Activities
See Oakland's Bike Month Calendar below; download in .pdf format. 
= City-sponsored event; * = reservations required.
|
When/Where |
Description |
| Thursday, May 1, noon, City Center Plaza (near the fountain) |
Bike to Work Day Advice Booth: Hosted by Oakland’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, bike mechanics from Hank & Franks Bike Shop and Bay Area Bikes, and City bike/ped program staff, the Bike to Work Day Advice Booth will be set up to answer all your questions about picking the best route, clothing, bike tune up needs and gear. Also register for the event to be eligible for prizes! |
| Thursday, May 1, 6:00-9:30pm, Kaiser Medical Center, 280 W. MacArthur Blvd, 12th Floor.* |
Bike Safety Classes (Part 1, classroom session): "You know how to ride a bike-now learn how to drive one." Learn smart and safe street riding skills based on curriculum developed by the League of American Bicyclists. Sponsored by the Alameda County Transportation Improvement Authority and the East Bay Bicycle Coalition. More info at www.ebbc.org. Reservations required; email dcampbel@lmi.net. |
| Friday, May 2, 5:00-9:00pm, Oakland Museum of California, 100 Oak Street |
Bike Month Kick-Off Party @ the Oakland Museum's First Fridays After Five: Get an early start on Cinco de Mayo and salsa with hot, hot, hot Dr. Loco and his Hot Jalapeño Band in the café. Celebrate the start of Oakland Bike Month at the museum's monthly party. Volunteers and City staff will answer all your questions about the best routes, clothing, bike tune-up needs, and gear. Free valet bike parking. Don't miss the most exciting party in Oakland with a low carbon footprint! Full cash bar—museum store and café open. All ages welcome. Party included with museum admission. |
| Tuesday, May 6, 6pm, City Council Chambers |
City Council Proclamation declaring May 15, 2008 Bike to Work Day and May Bike to Work Month, and encouraging employee and citizen participation. This year's proclamation is sponsored by District 6 Council Member Desley Brooks. |
| Thursday, May 8, noon, City Center Plaza (near the fountain) |
Bike to Work Day Advice Booth: See above. |
| Thursday, May 8, 4:00-6:00pm, Fruitvale Village, E12th and 34th Avenue |
Bike Dat at the Fruitvale Farmer's Market: The East Bay Bicycle Coalition will host a table at the weekly farmer's market in the Fruitvale Village. Free secure bike parking at the Fruitvale Bike Station. |
| Friday, May 9, noon, Old Oakland Farmer's Market, Washington and 10th Street |
Bike to Work Day Advice Booth: See above. |
| Sunday, May 11, 1:00-4:00pm, Parkway Theater, 1834 Park Blvd. |
Bike-Themed "Sunday Salon" at the Parkway Theater: Hosted by the East Bay Bicycle Coalition, watch One Got Fat (1963) and Return of the Scorcher (1992) and participate in lively discussion. FREE ADMISSION and valet bike parking. |
| Thursday, May 15, 7:00-9:00am, Frank H. Ogawa Plaza |
Bike to Work Day! Bike downtown and enjoy a complimentary pancake breakfast and free valet bike parking (provided by the East Bay Bicycle Coalition), raffle prizes and welcoming words from City Council sponsor Desley Brooks, District 6. (Can't make it downtown? Visit another Oakland Energizer Station.) |
| Friday, May 16, after work, Mama Buzz Cafe, 2318 Telegraph Avenue |
Bike Night at Mama Buzz: Hosted by Walk Oakland~Bike Oakland, a casual DJd bike month celebration. |
| Sunday, May 18, 10:00am-noon, Oakland Museum's 10th Street entrance * |
Bike Tour: Explore Oakland with the Oakland Museum of California's bike-tripping docents.May's trip is to Arrowhead Marsh. The leisurely paced two-hour tour is about five miles long, with no hills. Free. Reservations required: 510/238-3514 or jcollignon@museumca.org. |
| Saturday, May 31, 10:00am-4:00pm, MTC, 101 8th Street (next to the Lake Merritt BART Station). * |
Bike Safety Classes (Part 2, road session): You know how to ride a bike--now learn how to drive one. Learn smart and safe street riding skills based on curriculum developed by the League of American Bicyclists. Sponsored by the Alameda County Transportation Improvement Authority and the City of Oakland Transportation Services Division. More info at www.ebbc.org. Reservations required: email dcampbel@lmi.net. |
| All month |
|
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Bike Bucks, 15% discounts
The following Oakland bike shops (see below) support Bike to Work Day by giving 15% off on accessories during the month of May to "BikeBucks" holders. All Oakland Bike to Work Day goodie bags will include a Bike Buck. Oakland extends sincerest thanks to our great bike shops, listed below, for their ongoing support of Bike Bucks!
Bay Area Bikes
2424 Webster Street
763-BIKE (2453), Tu-F 11-7; Sa 10-6; Su 11-5
The Bent Spoke
6124 Telegraph Avenue
652-3089, T-F 11-6; Sa-Su 11-5
Cycle Sports
3530 Grand Avenue
444-7900, M-F 10-7; Sa 10-6; Su 11-5
Fruitvale Bikestation at the Fruitvale BART
left of the Caesar Chavez Plaza entrance
within a hundred feet of the northeast BART exit
536-2200, M-F 6a-8p
Hank & Frank Bikes
6030 College Avenue
654-BIKE, M-Sa 10-6; Su 11-5
Manifesto Bicycles
421 40th Street
595-1155 (new shop; call for hours)
Pioneer Bike Shop
11 Rio Vista Avenue
658-8981, T-Sa 10-6
Tip Top Bike Shop
4800A Telegraph Ave.
444-4148, M, W-F 11-7; Sa-Su 11-6
Wheels of Justice Cyclery
2024 Mountain Blvd
339-6091, M-W, F-Sa 10-6; Th 11-7; Su 10-5
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Bike Downtown With a Pedal Pool
On May 15, bike to City Hall with your City Council member/staff, neighbors and friends. Details to come. Download a Pedal Pool Map with meeting times, routes and locations (.pdf, 950k).
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Bike Commute Tips
If you haven't biked in a while or are new to biking to work:
- Check out your route in advance.
- Make sure your bike is reasonably well tuned and your helmet fits.
- Wear comfortable clothing; if you need to dress up for work, consider bringing clothes the day before and leaving them in your office, and changing after you get to work.
- Save room for pancakes, but don't cycle on an empty stomach.
- Get an early start.
- If you're planning to mix bike and transit, please be aware of BART bike blackout times (mornings and evenings in the "commute direction"), and that AC Transit bus bike racks may be more full than usual on Bike to Work Day. Leave extra time.
Coming from SF? Try either BART or the Oakland/Alameda Ferry. During commute hours, board BART at Embarcadero Station and disembark at Lake Merritt Station for a short ride downtown. (12th and 19th Street Stations do not allow bikes during commute times.) The Ferry is free on Bike to Work Day! For schedule, rates, and other information, go to http://www.eastbayferry.com/when/when.html.
Check out Oakland's Bicycle Commuting 101 tips (.pdf). The Metropolitan Transportation Commission also has bike commute tips at the Bicycling pages on www.511.org.
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Other Oakland Energizer Stations
For those that can't make it downtown, there are many other Oakland "Energizer Stations" where cyclists can stop to enjoy treats and encouragement. All stations are coordinated by the East Bay Bicycle Coalition. Details to follow.
For information about locations throughout the Bay Area, go to bicycling/511.org.
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What is Bike to Work Day?
Bike to Work Day is an annual, statewide event, and the highlight of the California Bike Commute Week and National Bike Month. On the third Thursday of May, thousands of bicyclists find event "Energizer Stations" at strategically placed locations where cyclists can stop, get a canvas bicycle-style bag filled with treats and bicycling information, a free cup of coffee or juice or snack, and words of encouragement. The biggest Energizer Station in the East Bay is the annual pancake breakfast in downtown Oakland in front of City Hall.
In the Bay Area, cyclists who pledge to cycle to work, school, transit, errands or play anytime during the third week of May are eligible for special prizes.
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Why Bike to Work?
The annual Bike to Work Day event is held statewide to encourage bicycling as a non-polluting and healthy commute option. Bike to Work Day is part of the City of Oakland’s strategy to promote cycling to provide affordable transportation, improve public health, and fight global warming. Besides being fun, biking to work is good for your health and for the environment.
- If every person living within 5 miles of their workplace pedaled to their job on Bike to Work Day, more than 60,000 vehicles would be off the road, reducing tailpipe emissions by more than 150,000 pounds.
- Twelve bicycles can fit in the space needed to park a single car freeing up parking spaces.
- Bicycling to work is a great way to get a little bit of exercise everyday.
- With gas nearing $4.00/gallon and unlikely to decline, bicycling makes more financial sense than ever; a bike’s annual operating cost is estimated to be $120 (vs. $5,000-12,000 for a car).
- The well-documented obesity epidemic contributes to heart disease, cancer, stroke and type 2 diabetes, which, together, constitute 40% of the leading causes of death in Oakland.
- For short trips, bicycling is an important tool to combat global warming: up to 70% of emissions from a 10-mile trip occur within the first mile. In the Bay Area, 43% of trips are two miles or less. For longer trips, bicycles can be successfully combined with transit. According to Oakland’s recently adopted Bicycle Master Plan, 85% of Oakland residents live within two miles of a major transit station.
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Bike to Work Day 2007
In 2007, Oakland's 14th Annual Bike to Work Day on May 17 broke another record, attracting 459 bicyclists, 39% more than in 2006. See Photo Gallery from 2007.
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Bike to Work Day 2006
In 2006, Oakland's 13th Annual Bike to Work Day was held on May 18. A record 330+ cyclists participated. See a Photo Gallery from the event. Below is the logo from 2006, designed by internationally known cartoonist, Andy Singer.
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