During 2016’s Bike To Work Day, tens of thousands of people biked to work across the Bay Area. Among them were thousands of first-time bike commuters! We caught up with three first-timers during their commute home and asked them about their experiences.
One cyclist was commuting by bike from Walnut Creek to Danville. Not only did she consider the ride to work easy and peaceful, she’s now confident she can cycle to work on days she doesn’t have to pick up her children.
We also talked with two women who traded their daily carpool together from Pleasant Hill to San Ramon for a bike ride. It was their first time bikepooling!
As recreational cyclists, they were familiar with the cycling gear needed for biking to work. How did they clean up at work after the ride in? “We just threw in a pair of jeans, wore the same blouse, [brought] a face wipe & a washcloth. The ride is flat so we weren’t that sweaty. It was easy, really!”
Asked if they’d continue to cycle to work they said they definitely would in the summertime, perhaps not every day but they could probably do it once a week. That’s an elimination of 52 cold starts of the car. If they can do it, you can too!
If you bike commute currently or just want to give it a try, visit our Biking page for tips & resources.
Tag: 2016
Labor Day 2016: Transit Schedules (Monday, Sept. 5)
We’ve collected the transit schedules for Labor Day to make it easier to know which buses and trains are running and how often to expect them. For more information about specific schedules, click the links below.
Transit Operators Running Sunday Service on Labor Day
-
-
- AC Transit
- BART
- Capitol Corridor
- Tri Delta Transit – Only Routes 392, 393, 394 & 395 in service
- WestCAT – Only Express J in service
- Wheels (LAVTA) – No Rapid service available
-
No Service
Bike To Work Day 2016: Wrap-Up & Photos
On Thursday, May 12, over 100,000 people across the Bay Area commuted by bike in celebration of Bike to Work Day, with more than 5,600 participants in Contra Costa alone! Morning counts across the Bay Area showed an increase in participation of more than 9 percent over last year. That’s amazing!
511 Contra Costa wants to thank all participants for making this another successful Bike to Work Day and for helping reduce CO2 emissions! 
We’d especially like to thank the hosts and volunteers who helped coordinate and staff the energizer stations throughout Contra Costa. By providing encouragement, snacks and mechanical assistance, you helped make bike commuting a reality for so many!
Whether you rode to work, volunteered or just want to see what things looked like at Energizer Stations on Bike To Work Day, you should check out our photo gallery below. 
Who knows – if you visited an Energizer station we just might have a photo of you!
If you participated in Bike to Work Day and want to keep commuting by bike (or want to try bike commuting for the first time), we’ve got resources to help make it fun and easy. Visit our Biking page for tips on how to become a bike commuter, to sign up for a BikeLink (bike locker) card, to learn about taking bikes on transit, and to find out how you 
can get a cash reward for making the switch to commuting by bike!
Bike to Work Day 2016 was a huge success and we’re thrilled about how many people got involved. Whether you participated this year or not, we hope to see you on your bike next year… if not sooner!
Photo Gallery: Bike To Work Day 2016
(Click any photo to see a larger version)
Morning Energizer Stations
Antioch: Mokelumne Trail at Prewett Park (hosted by the City of Antioch)
Brentwood: City Park (hosted by Delta Pedalers Bicycle Club)
El Cerrito: Ohlone Greenway (hosted by the City of El Cerrito)
Martinez: Central Contra Costa Sanitary (hosted by Central Contra Costa Sanitary District)
Pleasant Hill: Contra Costa Canal Trail & Gregory Ln (hosted by Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District)
San Pablo: City Hall (hosted by the City of San Pablo)
Walnut Creek: Contra Costa Canal Trail & Geary Rd
Walnut Creek: Contra Costa Canal Trail & N. Wiget Ln (hosted by Renaissance ClubSport)
Walnut Creek: Iron Horse Trail & Broadway/Newell Ave (hosted by Beeline Bikes & Whole Foods Market)
Walnut Creek: Iron Horse Trail & Contra Costa Canal Trail (hosted by CCTA, 511CC & EBRPD)
Walnut Creek: S. Main St & Newell Ave (hosted by Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Medical Center)
Walnut Creek: Olympic Blvd & Newell Ave (hosted by Bike Walnut Creek)
Walnut Creek: Ygnacio Canal Trail & Contra Costa Trail (hosted by Encina Bicycle Center)
Afternoon Energizer Stations
Walnut Creek: Iron Horse Trail & Contra Costa Canal Trail (hosted by CCTA, 511CC & EBRPD)
Bike to Work Day 2016: Celebrate After Work in Concord – 5:30-8:30pm
On Bike to Work Day, reward yourself for commuting by bicycle with an after-work street party in Concord!
The Bike to Work Day Celebration will be on Salvio Street between Grant and Mount Diablo Streets from 5-8pm. There will be free valet bike parking, live music, and demos of e-bikes & bikes built to transport kids and groceries.
In addition, Bike Concord will be providing free bike repair and EJ Phair will donate 10% of food and drink proceeds when patrons mention Bike Concord.
If you’ll be in the area but can’t stay for the party, make sure to stop by the afternoon Energizer station at Salvio and Grant, open from 4-7pm.
Want help mapping your bike ride to work? Try using the 511CC Bike Mapper!
For additional Bike To Work Day resources, including a complete list of morning and afternoon Energizer stations, click here.
Team Bike Challenge 2016 Starts May 1 – Bike to Win!
For the month of May, teams will earn points for commuting & running errands by bike. At month’s end, the team with the most points in Contra Costa County will win a prize from REI!
The Team Bike Challenge website makes tracking your miles easy, plus you can challenge yourself and your friends with your personalized leaderboard.
Final Day: 2016 Bike Commuter of the Year Nominations
Know someone whose go-to mode of transportation is their bicycle? Someone who’d rather ride than drive? A person who uses their bike to get to work, grab groceries or take the kids to school? If so, nominate them for Bike Commuter of the Year (BCOY)!
The Contra Costa BCOY award recognizes an individual’s dedication to riding their bike for everyday transportation. If you know someone who routinely chooses riding their bike over driving, nominate them now. The deadline is tonight (Monday, April 4) at midnight… so hurry!
BCOY Online Nomination Form
Commuter Transit Benefit Rises to $255 a Month for 2016
As part of a Federal spending-and-tax bill which was passed in December, this year commuters will be able to set aside up to $255 per month in pre-tax dollars to pay for public transportation.
Not only is this a substantial increase over last year’s pre-tax transit benefit ($130), but now the benefit to transit commuters is equal to the parking benefit offered to commuters who drive. The new law also guarantees that the two benefits will remain equal in the future.
