Nearly 4 percent of commuters bike to work at least once a week. Valley Metro transports more than 2.6 million bicycles on buses and light rail trains every year.
More people are starting to recognize the benefits of bicycling, and the city of Phoenix and Valley Metro are teaming up to give that alternative mode of transportation a boost with a special series of events for April Bike Month.
The month kicks off with a Bike Month favorite, the “Bike to the Ballpark” on Sunday, April 14. Join Mayor Greg Stanton for a family-friendly bike ride from Steele Indian School Park, 300 E. Indian School Road, to Chase Field. Riders will get a free T-shirt and the option to buy discounted tickets to the D-backs vs. Dodgers game. The event will feature complimentary bike parking, children’s activities, vendors, refreshments, prize drawings and more. The Bike Expo at the park runs from 9 to 10:30 a.m., and the ride begins at 1 p.m. To buy discounted game tickets, use this link: http://mlb.mlb.com/ari/ticketing/ticket_dugout.jsp?loc=biketotheballpark. Use promo code bikemonth.
The next event is Bike to Work and School Day on Wednesday, April 17.
Group events will take place Valley-wide; visit www.ValleyMetro.org/ bike_month to find a list of rides in the Phoenix area.
Valley Metro hosts a Bike Month Contest April 1-30. Ride your bike for work, play or attend a biking event for a chance to win great prizes. Visit ShareTheRide.com to register, track your trips, and enter prize drawings.
The city’s Street Transportation Department will host a Bicycle Summit in each City Council district to encourage bicycle community discussion with residents who bicycle for commuting, athletic training or recreation.
Summits for Districts 3 and 6 were held last month. The summit for District 4 takes place 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 20, at Longview Recreation Center, 4040 N. 14th St.
The summit will cover completed bicycle projects; opportunities to improve conditions for bicyclists such as the 2013 street overlay, tunnels, bridges, paths and bike lanes; bicycling resources; and potential projects such as connections between Parks and Recreation Department trails and on-street bike lanes, bicycle corrals and racks.
To register, contact Joseph Perez, bicycle coordinator, at 602-534-9529 or joseph.perez@phoenix.gov. For more information about bicycling in Phoenix, visit phoenix.gov/bicycling.
For more information about events related to Valley Bike Month, visit www.ValleyMetro.com/bike_month.
