May is National Bike to Work and School Month!

Ride of Silence to Honor Injured Cyclists

Bainbridge Island Receives Bronze Award as Bike - Friendly Community

Off-Road & Family Bike Classes Offered!

Car-Less Sunday Events for Bainbridge!

Two New squeaky Board Members

Bikes Ride FREE on Alki Water Taxi

Tired of the same old rides?

May is National Bike to Work and School Month!

National Bike to Work and School Day - Friday, May 16 - is the chance for you and your friends and family to get out on a bike and celebrate! You can check with your children's school to see if they have events planned or organize a group ride for your workplace or just do an errand by bike. If you have been thinking of riding and need information or updated equipment, check out our wonderful local bike shops or our useful links page for beginning cyclist tips!

Team Rage at Sage Manufacturing on Bainbridge has organized a month-long competition based on Cascade Bicycle Club's Commute Challenge program. Organize riders at your workplace to save money, get healthy and help out our ailing planet!!

Sakai Middle School has an active schedule hosting popular speaker Willie Weir on Wednesday, May 14 at 9:30 a.m. On Friday, May 16, Sakai students can ride to school from 5 different starting points and return home accompanied by teachers and chaperones. For more information about these rides, contact principal Jo Vanderstoep at (206)780-6501 or jvanderstoep@bainbridge.wednet.edu with the heading "Bike to School". The Bike Rodeo from 9:30 - 12:30 will teach bike safety backed up by safety materials and give-aways. Students who ride anywhere by bike and log the most trips on Bike to School Passports win prizes donated by local merchants. Every Friday until Bike to Work and School Day, experienced riders will accompany younger riders to Sakai. For more information about this program, contact Molly Griest at greist3@speakeasy.net. Contact your local school for events near you.

Squeaky Wheels volunteers will be at the ferry terminal again this year handing out free stuff to honor the commuters who brave bad weather, cars and inconsistent ferry policy to ride their bikes year 'round. We generally staff the first four or five ferries! See you there.

If you need inspiration, here are some other ideas for celebrating Bike to Work and School month - and Friday May 16, Bike to Work and School Day:

• Join your local bike club (smile)
• Ride with a child to school
• Clean a local bike path or roadway
• Put a bike rodeo at your child's school
• Decorate a cake or cookies with a bicycle theme
• Wear spandex to your next board/work meeting
• Attach a playing card to your bike wheel
• Write a letter to your local paper about the virtures of cycling

Ride of Silence on May 21

WHERE: Meet at Marge Williams Building, 221 Winslow Way West
WHEN: Wednesday May 21 at 6:30 PM.
WHAT: Our ride will be easy and will not exceed 12 MPH. We will stop whenever we start to split up to regroup. We will observe all traffic laws. We will ride silently when ever possible. Please wear a black armband if you are riding for a deceased rider and a red armband if you are riding for an injured rider. (Armbands are NOT mandatory, just if you feel moved to do so.)

Please invite any cyclist you know to join us, this is our first annual ride. Questions or for more information, please contact Kim (425-702-6628 days).

In 2007, there were rides in 272 communities, more than doubling international participation since 2006. Last year in Seattle, over 1000 cyclists took to the roads in this silent procession to honor fellow cyclists who have been killed or injured while bicycling on public roadways. The Ride of Silence reminds motorists that cyclists share the roadways and have a legal right to do so. The Ride of Silence builds awareness of the legal rights of bicyclists and encourages our community to join the growing trend of finding alternatives to driving to work, undertaking healthy recreation and doing something positive to reduce global warming.

In Seattle, this 10-12 mile annual ride begins at 6:30 p.m.in Gasworks Park and progresses through the U. District, downtown Seattle and Queen Anne. Arrive no later than 6:10 p.m. to get into line. Volunteers welcome to help before or during the ROS at the start and along the route. Contact Gary Strauss using this 'send email hyperlink for more information

Bike-Friendly Bainbridge for REAL. Really!

On May 1, 2008, Bainbridge Island was among eleven communities honored with the League of American Bicyclists prestigious Bicycle Friendly Community designation. “This round brings into focus both the geographic and demographic diversity of designated communities,” League President Andy Clarke said. “These are all cities that are realizing the potential of bicycling to address the challenges of climate change, traffic congestion, rising obesity rates, and soaring fuel prices.”

The Bicycle Friendly Community program is revolutionizing the way communities evaluate their quality of life and transportation network. These new winners bring the total number of current Bicycle Friendly Communities to 84, stretching across 31 states. The League awards this four-year designation to communities that have made impressive, measurable efforts to integrate bicyclists into the community. There are four levels—platinum, gold, silver and bronze—awarded twice each year.

Encouraging bicycling is a simple path to improving public health. With more people bicycling, communities experience reduced traffic demands, improved air quality and greater physical fitness. In addition, bicycle-friendly towns are often seen as places with a high quality of life. This can translate into increased property values, business growth and increased tourism.

“I have to say this is a huge accomplishment. The designation is one with real meaning – it is a very competitive process,” said Don Willott, chair of the City’s Non-Motorized Transportation Advisory Committee. Communities are judged on their support of cycling in five key areas: engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement, and evaluation/planning.

“This is a great opportunity to celebrate our Island’s commitment to alternative transportation,” said Mayor Darlene Kordonowy, noting that adding and maintaining bike lanes and walking paths along major roads received high priority in the City’s recently completed Community Priorities Survey. “We’re fortunate to have a cycling community which is committed not only to riding their own bikes, but to educating the rest of us about the needs of bicyclists and the benefits of alternative transportation,” the Mayor added. “Completion of the application was truly a grassroots effort. Cyclist Joel Levin deserves special appreciation for his leadership on this project.”

You can also learn more about this and other great stuff at the League’s website.

Off-Road & Family Bike Classess

The adults-only No More Biking on Roads will cover about 20 miles taking about 2-3 hours. Biking for Families is for the whole family. Participants need to take the 8:45 a.m. ferry and meet at the trail heas for either ride by 10:00 a.m. For more information or to sign up for these classes, please contact the Bainbridge Island Parks District at (206) 842-2306 or online. You can also contact Val at coachval@comcast.net.

Car-Less Sunday Events for Bainbridge

Among other benefits, these events put more bikes on the road on Sunday, serving as another reminder that there's more than one way to get around.  Please join if you can, and encourage participation by others - we've started with churches, and maybe we can expand from there. For more information, contact Demi Allen - allendATzgi.com.

Bikes Ride FREE on Alki Water Taxi

The crossing time between Pier 55 and Seacrest is approximately 12 minutes, and ferries run aproximately every 40 minutes. Passenger fare is $3.00, but bikes ride FREE on a space available basis. (I have never been turned away; they always seem to tuck the bikes somewhere. )

From Bainbridge you can ride onto the ferry, then head left down the waterfront to Pier 55. There you board the tiny ferry and ride over to West Seattle. You can ride around the shore, eat lunch or picnic and head home. This is a great ride with friends, guests or family.

According to Metropolitan King County Councilmember Dow Constantine, who will host the kickoff event, “The Water Taxi will soon expand to year-round service as the newly-formed King County Ferry District assumes operation of this successful foot ferry route.”

Map/Cue Sheet library for your next ride!