May 14, 2008

Bike to Work Day promoters anticipate huge turnout

By Sarah Frier / Daily News Correspondent

As gas prices hover around $4 a gallon, Thursday's Bike to Work Day is expected to draw 40,000 participants in Santa Clara County - twice as many as last year, organizers said.

"The gas prices have been a wake-up call that maybe we can get out of our cars," said Tim Huang, an avid cyclist and internal sustainability engineer for Webcor who plans to participate. "There's virtually no downside to cycling."

The Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition started planning for the event late last summer. Hundreds of companies are lending financial support to the effort and are encouraging their employees to bike to work, said Corrine Winter, the coalition's executive director.

She said the event will help introduce people to cycling, and that some will get hooked. Because riding bikes doesn't pollute or use gasoline and provides a workout, many are already switching over from driving, Winter said.

"That kind of triple win is something that people are starting to take seriously," she said.

On Monday, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group held a Celebrity Cycle-to-Work challenge to kick off Bike to Work Week, and 50 local leaders participated. Those 50 alone employ more than 100,000 people in Silicon Valley, said Carl Guardino, president and CEO of the group.

"When your CEO is doing it, suddenly it's clear that it's acceptable and even cool to do likewise," Guardino said.

Palo Alto City Council Member Yoriko Kishimoto was one of the 50. But for her, every day is bike to work day.

"We save at least five or six thousand dollars a year by cycling," she said. Her family owns one car, which they hardly use.

About 1,000 volunteers will manage 57 "energizer stations" to provide food and drink to cyclists along typical commuter routes.

Holly Himes, facilities coordinator for a small law firm in Mountain View, said she'll be working an energizer station on Castro Street.

"It's just important to be a good community member and support a healthy lifestyle in our neighborhood," she said.

Himes lives in Half Moon Bay, but she'll park her car in Palo Alto and then bike to work.

Jeff Selzer, general manager of Palo Alto Bicycles, said commuter bike sales have been rising. Customers are arriving and telling him they can't afford to drive short distances, to the post office and the grocery store.

"People are starting to feel the pain of high gas prices," he said. "Just one week of not driving your car or just taking one trip a week on your bike can save you a ton of cash."

There are now 13 cities in California with regular unleaded gasoline prices over $4 a gallon, according to AAA.

Still, many are hesitant to buy bikes because of safety concerns, Selzer said. He said more bikes on the street Thursday will force cars to take notice and share the road.

The sunny weather and flat terrain make biking conditions in Silicon Valley ideal, Guardino said.

And Palo Alto is a bike-friendly city, said Kishimoto, pointing to the Bryant Street bike boulevard as proof.

"Once you do it, it becomes quite addicting," she said. "It's a wonderful way to start the day - better than a cup of coffee."



ON THE WEB



For a complete list of energizer stations, visit svbcbikes.org/btwd/energizerstation