{"id":304187,"date":"2026-05-07T12:38:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T12:38:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/304187\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T12:38:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T12:38:11","slug":"bike-to-wherever-day-mixes-joy-with-safe-streets-advocacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/304187\/","title":{"rendered":"Bike to Wherever Day mixes joy with safe streets advocacy"},"content":{"rendered":"

It began more than 30 years ago as Bike to Work Day, an effort to promote cycling as a safe and healthy option for commuters. As remote work gained traction, the concept expanded, and May 14 marks the fifth annual Bike to Wherever Day<\/a>, when people in Oakland and across the East Bay are invited to try pedaling to school, to work, to the coffee shop, or just for the sheer pleasure of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe goals are to promote active transportation and build community,\u201d Lauren Zampa McCormick, Bike East Bay\u2019s community engagement director, told The Oaklandside. \u201cIt\u2019s very much an opportunity to connect and express the joy of biking.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bike East Bay<\/a>, the event\u2019s lead organizer, expects more than 12,000 people to participate across Alameda and Contra Costa counties.<\/p>\n

\"\"An Oakland pedal pool during Bike to Wherever Day, May 15, 2025. Credit: Pamela Palma<\/p>\n

Of course many Oakland residents love cycling but hesitate to go out into the city\u2019s streets because it often involves riding in unprotected bike lanes or on streets without any bike lanes at all. Oakland had 20 cyclist fatalities<\/a> over the past five years and countless others have been hospitalized with serious injuries and survived.<\/p>\n

The May 14 event includes advocacy work to try to change that, as well as a range of free classes and workshops<\/a> that offer cyclists techniques for navigating the streets safely.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bike Commuting Basis<\/a> is a one-hour webinar that orients participants about safety gear and offers tips for operating on city streets.<\/p>\n

Urban Cycling 101<\/a> is a two-day intensive, with the first session in a classroom setting and the second one spent out on bicycles learning how to interact with an urban environment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There are also practical classes on offer, such as how to fix a flat<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Several Bike to Wherever Days in the Bay Area, including Oakland\u2019s, will feature rides with elected officials to educate them about what it takes to make cycling safe and accessible. One goal, Zampa McCormick said, is to celebrate bike safety wins, including the installation of protected bike lines on 14th Street Downtown and around Lake Merritt; to say to elected officials, \u201cHere\u2019s what you made possible.\u201d It\u2019s also a chance to give elected officials first hand experience with some of the more harrowing stretches where Oaklanders bike every day.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThey may not have seen the conditions of the bike lanes or how drivers and cyclists are interacting,\u201d Zampa McCormick said, \u201cso it\u2019s an opportunity to highlight those areas.\u201d<\/p>\n

So far, District 1 councilmember Zac Unger has confirmed his participation, McCormick said, along with some staff members of the Oakland Department of Transportation. The latter will staff one of several dozen \u201cenergizer stations<\/a>\u201d throughout the city that day. OakDOT\u2019s station, at Frank Ogawa Plaza, will dish up free morning pancakes from 7 to 10 a.m. Others will be handing out coffee, baked goods, drinks, energy bars or swag.<\/p>\n

\"\"An Oakland \u201cenergizer station\u201d to support cyclists during Bike to Wherever Day, May 15, 2025. Credit: Pamela Palma<\/p>\n

In the evening, cyclists are invited to a Bike Happy Hour<\/a> in Old Oakland, 5 to 7:30 p.m., on Washington Street between 8th and 10th streets, with Drake\u2019s beer, discounts and special menu items from local businesses, and children\u2019s activities including storytime with Aparna Krishnamoorthy, author of \u201cOn the Way to Neptune.\u201d The event, sponsored by Bike East Bay, Walk Oakland Bike Oakland, and the Old Oakland Merchants Association, will also, naturally, have plenty of free bike parking.<\/p>\n

May 14 is also Bike to School Day<\/a> in Alameda County, where families are encouraged to team up and bike, roll or skate to school together. And thanks to advocacy by Bike East Bay, the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge will be open for biking all day.<\/p>\n

Cyclists may register for Bike Wherever Day to get a \u201cbikey prize bundle<\/a>\u201d or just show up.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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