May is National Bike Month, and to kick off the festivities, the Los Altos Safe Routes to School program encouraged all local schools to plan a Bike to School Day event. Throughout the month, thousands of students across the city and country will bike and roll to school to celebrate the fun of active transportation and build community and school spirit.
Bike to School Day is traditionally commemorated the first Wednesday in May. The first Bike to School Day – held in 2012 – was created to promote awareness for safe, bikeable communities. Since then, Bike to School Day has become an international event, with thousands of schools participating every year to underscore the benefits of biking or rolling to school, including encouraging healthier habits through physical activity, promoting a cleaner environment by reducing trips in a car, building a stronger sense of community and drawing attention to road safety needs.
Bike to School Day encourages all forms of active transportation, whether it’s walking, scooting, skateboarding, rollerblading or any other form that engages kids in physical activity.
Following are safety tips to keep cyclists safe on the way to school.
• Ensure helmets are free of cracks or dents.
• Perform a quick “ABC” bike check: Air, Brakes and Chains.
• Stick to bike lanes, if possible.
• Always obey road laws.
• Consider bicycling as a group with classmates, neighbors or other families.
More than 1,200 students bike to school in Los Altos. Safe Routes to School aims to make the roads safer through a variety of multidisciplinary programs and activities, youth advocacy, community engagement and safety resource toolkits.
Bike Month Events
• Los Altos Family Bike Ride: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The second Family Bike Ride includes guided bike rides through Los Altos and energizer stations with a blender bike, snacks and swag. Bike rides starting in both north and south Los Altos will run between 4 and 6 miles long and will teach participants how to navigate their neighborhood streets. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/bdxn8fze.
• Pledge to Ride – Bike to Wherever Days: May 18-20. To register and for more information on the location of energizer stations, visit tinyurl.com/yc6n9tym.
• Bay Area Bike to Work Day: May 18. Sponsored by Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, the annual Bike to Work Day provides energizer stations to keep cyclists going on their commutes. The Bicycle Outfitter at 963 Fremont Ave. will host an energizer station in Los Altos. For more information, visit bikesiliconvalley.org.
• Downtown Los Altos Bike n’ Dine: 4-8 p.m. May 19. Residents are encouraged to bring their bikes, friends and family and meet at Veterans Community Plaza for an evening of cycling, dining and community-building. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/5n6f8kjr.
For more information on the local Safe Routes to School program, email Andre-Anne Cadieux at [email protected].
