Gladstone encourages its community to support Bike to Work Day during National Bike Month.
May is National Bike Month! Established in 1956 by the League of American Bicyclists, this effort showcases bicycling and its many benefits to people of all ages.
Every year, during National Bike Month, cities across the nation sponsor Bike to Work Day, which promotes bicycling as a great option for commuting. This year, the Bay Area is hosting Bike to Work Day on May 14. This event will be sponsored by local bicycle coalitions, including San Francisco, Marin County, the Silicon Valley, and the East Bay, who will provide “energizer stations” and local bicycle ambassadors to help guide you along your route to work.
“On Bike to Work Day last year, I rode to Gladstone with a bicycle ambassador from my community in the North Bay,” said Crystal Herron, PhD, an editor at Gladstone. “It was such a positive experience that I’ve been commuting by bike ever since!”
This year, Gladstone is encouraging its community to team up and bike to work during this special event. If anyone in the Gladstone community rides to work that day, they can stop by the table in the lobby between 8:30 and 10 am and flaunt their helmet to receive a free Gladstone water bottle to sport on their bike.
Don’t have a bike? San Francisco recently established the Bay Area Bike Share system, which has 700 bikes that can be rented from and returned to 70 stations across the region. And they are offering a 15% discount on annual memberships until May 31! Just enter coupon code Pedal2015. The station nearest to Gladstone is at the King Street Caltrain Station, just a 20-minute walk or 5-minute ride on the Mission Bay Shuttle to Gladstone.
“I take Caltrain from the South Bay to the city, and then I ride my bike from the station to Gladstone,” said Ian Spencer, PhD a research scientist at Gladstone. “It shortens my commute time and squeezes some exercise into the day.”
For those interested in making every day Bike to Work Day, UCSF offers programs available to the Gladstone community, such as free, caged bicycle parking in the parking garage and a shower program at its Fitness and Recreation Centers.
“I have been bicycling to work for over 12 years,” said Chris Goodfellow, Gladstone’s photographer. “It is a great way to get around the city.”
The number of people commuting by bicycle in the United States grew more than 62% between 2000 and 2013. In San Francisco, one of the greatest city advocates of bicycling, the number of bicycle commuters increased 258% (from 1% to 3.4%) between 1990 and 2011.
Whether you choose to bike to work to save money or time, to live a more healthy lifestyle, or to preserve the environment, we hope that you will join your community in celebrating the unique power of the bicycle and the many reasons to ride.