PBOT’s ‘PDX Bike Month’ and much more starts today!

PBOT has declared May PDX Bike Month and they’re pulling out all the stops to make it a good one. They’ve got over 30 events listed on their website and they’ve got a new Twitter account and Facebook page to help promote them.

Here’s more from PBOT Transportation Options ringleader Timo Forsberg:

PBOT and many partners are kicking off PDX Bike Month – a series of events throughout the month of May. The first event is a Bike Breakfast on Wed, May 2. Be alert for the aroma of coffee and of eggs on the griddle on SE Lincoln St, just west of Cesar Chavez Blvd. Stop by between 7:15 and 8:45 for breakfast and a chance to celebrate National Bike to Work Month and International Walk & Bike to School Challenge Month, Portland-style.

You can also get a quick bike adjustment at the BTA’s Service Station (Wed. 4:30-6:30 in Ladd’s); go for an eye-opening ride with EPAPbike [East Portland Action Plan Bike Subcommittee] on “The Good, The Bad, and the Unimproved” (Sat. 10am-noon in East Portland); take in a Bike Legal Clinic (PSU’s Bike Hub on Wed. the 9th); and join us for another breakfast, on the NE Going Neighborhood Greenway on Wed, May 9th. Plus more breakfasts during the week of the 14th through the 18th.

This is not a drill folks!

And in case you haven’t heard, May is also National Bike Month which includes Bike to School Day (May 9th), Bike to Work Week (May 14th- 18th), and Bike to Work Day (May 18th). Furthering the encouragement, the League of American Bicyclists, Bikes Belong, and title sponsor Kimberly Clark, have announced the Get Up & Ride National Bike Challenge (think of it like the BTA’s Bike Commute Challenge, but open to everyone in the U.S.) Their goal is to, “unite 50,000 bicyclists to ride 10 million miles in communities across America.”

Back to the local bike month festivities…

Health insurance provide Regence/BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon is hosting the first ever Employers Bike Summit on May 18th (9:30 am to noon, Sisters Conference Room, 100 SW Market). With the City of Portland and the BTA as partners, this summit will bring Portland companies together to discuss how to create more bike-friendly workplaces. Bike advocates, facilities managers, human resource managers, and other company employees are encouraged to attend. More info here.

A PBOT employee making you
free pancakes? Must be bike month!
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Also starting today (5/1) is the Bike to PSU Challenge. So far nearly 700 riders have already signed up. Teams and solo riders sign up via the website and log their trips to win weekly prizes and compete for the most trips during the month.

If you’ve been thinking about giving biking a try, or if you have friends and/or co-workers who have been on the fence; this month would be a great time to start! There will be lots of support out on the street and the many free events are excellent opportunities to make those first few bike to work trips easier and more fun.