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 continue to recognize the benefits of bicycling, and this month Valley Metro gives that alternative mode of transportation a boost with a special series of events for April Bike Month.

Did you know that if you ride your bicycle after sunset, Arizona law requires you to have a front light? That doesn’t mean it has to be a boring one. Lynn Teitel of Pedal Brite in Scottsdale sales flower bike lights that add some style to your cruiser’s bike basket. She will be at the Sunnyslope Art Walk at Central and Dunlap avenues on Saturday, April 12 (submitted photo).

Bike to Work Day is set for 7-9 a.m. Tuesday, April 22. Join Phoenix City Council members and other dignitaries at Park Central Mall, Central Avenue and Earll Drive, for a police escorted 3-mile ride to CityScape. There will be free T-shirts, a GR:D bike share demonstration, prize drawings, and more. There also will be free breakfast for the first 300 registered participants. Pre-registration is required at: www.maricopa.gov.

Valley Metro also will host a Bike Month Contest April 1-30 for residents age 18 and older. Ride your bike for work, school, for fun or to run errands, or attend a biking event for a chance to win great prizes. Visit ShareThe Ride.com to register, track your trips, and enter prize drawings

Ride your bike to select North Central businesses and receive special discounts in April. Participating businesses include the British Bicycle Company at the Biltmore Fashion Center; Landis Cyclery at 712 W. Indian School Road; Spoke & Wheel Tavern, 8525 N. Central Ave.; Trailhead Bike Café, 6825 N. 16th St.; and Urban Cookies, 4711 N. 7th St.

For more Bike Month events taking place Valley-wide, visit Valleymetro.org/campaigns_contests/valley_bike_month.

Bicycle riders know that the safest way to protect themselves when out on the road is to wear a safety helmet. It’s also important to make sure you are visible to other riders and, more importantly, to motorists who share the road

Arizona law requires that all bicycles being ridden between the hours of sunset and sunrise have a lamp on the front that emits a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet to the front, and a red reflector on the rear that is visible from all distances from 50 to 300 hundred feet when the reflector is directly in front of upper beams of head lamps on a motor vehicle. A bicycle may also have a lamp that emits a red light visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear, in addition to the red reflector, but the rear light isn’t a requirement.

For more information, visit the Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists at http://www.cazbike.org.