Biking is inexpensive, reduces traffic congestion, cuts down on emissions, and keeps you active. Plus, we offer incentives for bike commuting.
- Summer Bike Challenge
- E-bike Rebate Program
- Map Your Ride
- Get Rewarded
- Commute Coach: Free Personalized Commute Planning
- Regional Bike Events & Local Biking Resources
- Park Your Bike
- Bike to Work Day
- 2024 Bike Champion of the Year
- Bike/Pedestrian Bridge Access – Get Current Status
- Free Bicycle Skills Videos
- Bikesharing
- Bikes on Transit
- Additional Resources for Bike Commuting
Summer Bike Challenge
Every summer, 511 Contra Costa provides free, healthy, outdoor fun with the Summer Bike Challenge. People in all 19 cities of Contra Costa County can explore their towns by bike, getting exercise and collecting free stuff in the process. We provide a bingo-style gameboard with destinations to ride to, so if you’re looking for family-friendly summer fun, join us for the Summer Bike Challenge.
E-bike Rebate Program
Contra Costa residents who purchase an e-bike, e-bike conversion kit, or electric moped can apply for a rebate of $150. Rebates of up to $300 are available for residents with low household incomes. These clean-fuel vehicles provide a great alternative to driving.
Map Your Ride
The 511CC Bike Mapper is a valuable bike trip mapping service. The simple interface generates nine route options for you to pick from when you select from three hill tolerances and three levels of bike infrastructure: adherence to mostly bike paths, bike lanes, or the most direct route. The Contra Costa Bike Mapper covers the majority of the 9-county Bay Area.
Additional Map Resources: We also offer a wide selection of Contra Costa Bike Maps to help you plan your route and discover new places to ride, including maps of area trail systems, city biking maps, and county biking maps.
Get Rewarded
511 Contra Costa offers a variety of incentives for biking more, especially for commuting by bike:
- Pledge to try biking to work and we’ll send you $20 in BikeLink credit to help you Secure Your Cycle at BikeLink’s countywide network of electronic bike lockers.
- Buy a new e-bike and apply for an E-Bike Rebate of up to $300.
- Register to get a free Guaranteed Ride Home if you experience an emergency on a day you biked to work.
Commute Coach
If you’re curious how commuting by bike might save you time or money, ask a 511CC Commute Coach. Give us the basic information about your commute and one of our transportation experts will contact you with customized commute options and information on available incentives. Best of all, the service is completely free.
Regional Bike Events & Local Biking Resources
Looking for a new ride? Check out our calendar of bike rides and regional and local events and find valuable local biking resources. Find casual group rides, bicycle club rides, repair lessons, bike clubs, advocacy groups, and more! And if you happen to know of a bike ride or event we don’t have listed, let us know about it! Send the event info to hello@511cc.org.
Park Your Bike
Find secure bike locker parking with our Bike Locker Map.
Almost all BART stations have bike racks and most BART stations have secure bike lockers or a Bike Station. In Contra Costa County, the Pleasant Hill BART Bike Station is directly across from the station’s main entrance and provides 24-hour access to secure indoor bike parking. Retail sales and bike repairs are available in the station weekdays from 7am-11am. Access requires a BikeLink card or you can download the app to your phone.
Bike to Work Day
Bike to Work Day is an annual event which encourages people to bike to work instead of driving. More than one million Bay Area residents live within five miles of their workplaces – an ideal distance for bicycling.
Contra Costa’s 2024 Bike Champion of the Year: Bruce “Ole” Ohlson
Each year, in celebration of Bike Month, bike champions from each Bay Area county are nominated for the title of Bike Champion of the Year. Champions can be incredible cyclists, policymakers, educators, or advocates that make the Bay Area a better place to be and to bike.
Bruce “Ole” Ohlson embodies all of the characteristics of a Bike Champion. Anyone working in the bicycle world in Contra Costa knows that just as he never tires from his long, arduous bike rides, Ole will never tire from showing up and speaking up for bicycles in his community. Congratulations, Ole!
Read more of Ole’s story and other Bike Champions across the Bay Area.
Bike/Pedestrian Bridge Access – Get Current Information
Find out if the bike/ped path on the Bay Bridge or Richmond-San Rafael Bridge has any restrictions or scheduled closures by clicking the appropriate button below. (Note: When the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Path is closed, a free shuttle is provided to get cyclists & their bikes across.)
Free Bicycle Skills Videos
Improve your skills and confidence as a cyclist with our library of free bike skills videos. Learn the basics of bike commuting, how to ride safely in traffic, how to select the right bike and cycling gear, and what your rights are as a cyclist.
Bikesharing
Bikesharing is ideal for short-distance commute trips and errands. If you commute by BART to Oakland, Berkeley or San Francisco, you can grab a bike to finish your trip or take one for a spin at lunch.
To rent a bike, simply download the app for the bikeshare service you’re using and pick up a bicycle from a dedicated station or by locating a dockless bike. Take the bike for a spin and return it within the system’s service area.
Bikes on Transit
If biking the distance between home and work seems intimidating, it’s not cheating to add a bus, BART, or ferry trip to your commute. Bikes are welcome on BART, area transit buses, Capitol Corridor trains, and San Francisco Bay Ferry.
County Connection, Tri Delta Transit, WestCAT, AC Transit, San Francisco Bay Ferry, and Capitol Corridor’s bicycling pages provide instructions for biking and riding. You can also find tips for taking your bike on other Bay Area transit buses.
Bikes on Buses
Area buses have front-mounted bike racks which can accommodate either 2 or 3 bikes on a first-come, first-served basis.
Bikes on BART
While bikes are allowed on BART at all times, there are rules to be aware of:
- Bikes are never allowed on crowded cars
- Bikes are not allowed in the first car
- Folded bikes are allowed in all cars at all times
- Bicyclists may use stairs, elevators, and escalators – with the exception of ten narrow escalators located at the following three stations: Antioch, 19th Street Oakland, and Oakland Airport Connector.
To read the full list of rules, visit the Bikes on BART webpage.
Bikes on San Francisco Bay Ferry
Bicycles, scooters and other mobility devices are welcome on all San Francisco Bay Ferry vessels. No extra fees apply. However, gas-powered bikes and motorcycles are never allowed onboard.
Bikes on Capitol Corridor
Each Capitol Corridor train has two “bike cars”, each with large-capacity storage to hold about a dozen bicycles. The “bike cars” are designated by a decal – generally the car furthest away from the locomotive and the second car away from the locomotive. In addition, each train car has three bike racks on the lower level.
Additional Resources for Bike Commuting
- Bicycle safety
- Protecting Your Bike: The Bike East Bay guide
- Regular maintenance for the bicycle commuter
- Park Tool repair help: In-depth repair info and videos
- Bay Area Bike access on transit, bridges and tunnels
