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Commuters as well as other cyclists visit energizer stations around the Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO, May 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Thursday, May 18's weather was perfect for biking, and thousands came out to participate in the Bay Area Bike to Work Day (BTWD), part of this year's Bay Area's Bike to Wherever Days.

For the first time since 2019, all of the nine participating counties across the Bay Area – Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma – had energizer stations, parties, bike caravans and more to celebrate Bay Area Bike to Work Day 2023. Riders who stopped by were heading to work, school, running errands or just out to share the day with other cyclists, and everyone was in a festive mood. The excitement about the return of BTWD was palpable among riders, volunteers, energizer station hosts, visiting elected officials and community leaders alike.

"It's just a reminder of what a great mode of transportation riding a bike can be," said Alfredo Pedroza, MTC Chairman and Napa County Supervisor. "At MTC, our responsibility is providing the investments to (bike)."

Hundreds of energizer stations across the Bay Area welcomed riders during the morning and evening commute hours. Volunteers and sponsors handed out commemorative bags, schwag, snacks and cheer.

Highlights included:

• 21,250 commemorative bags given away at energizer stations and events
• A pancake breakfast at the Orinda BART station
• Breakfast burritos at the San Ramon energizer station
• A press conference in Santa Clara with San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, MTC staffer Leslie Lara-Enriquez, VTA staffer Lauren Ledbetter, SVBC's Executive Director Shiloh Ballard and BTWD Program Manager Tim Oey
• Group rides in some counties that brought out local politicians and residents
• In Napa County, BTWD was BTWASD – Bike to Work AND School Day – encouraging kids and adults to pedal to school and work together
• Across the region, there was a big uptick in riders taking the "pledge" to ride on BTWD as well as after the event
• After work bike bashes at Cognition Cyclery in San Mateo, Stanford Research Park in Palo Alto, Gilroy Gardens and a happy hour in Old Oakland

BTWD was very fortunate to gain a new presenting sponsor this year – Stanford Medicine. We are very grateful for their support.

In addition to the thousands of riders across the Bay Area, MTC Commissioners, local politicians, and notables also participated in BTWD 2023. Some hosted or visited energizer stations, some held press conferences, and all lent their support to the day. A sampling:

MTC Commissioners

• Napa County Supervisor and MTC Chair Alfredo Pedroza
• Marin County Supervisor and MTC Commissioner Stephanie Moulton-Peters
• Mountain View Mayor and MTC Commissioner Margaret Abe-Koga
• Oakland Mayor and MTC Commissioner Sheng Thao
• San Jose Mayor and MTC Commissioner Matt Mahan
• San Mateo County Supervisor and MTC Commissioner David Canepa

Additional Local Elected Officials

• American Canyon Council Member David Oro
• American Canyon Mayor Leon Garcia
• Gilroy Council Member Zack Hilton
• Lafayette Mayor Carl Anduri
• Lafayette Councilmember Teresa Gerringer
• Lafayette Transportation & Circulation Commissioners Greg Brown, Bart Car, Vianney Serriere and Stella Wotherspoon
• Marin County Supervisors Eric Lucan and Mary Sackett
• Orinda Mayor Inga Miller
• Orinda City Manager David Biggs
• Orinda Planning Commission Chair Willy Mautner
• Orinda Planning Commissioner Ann Parnigoni
• San Anselmo Council member Tarrell Kullaway
• Santa Clara County Supervisor Susan Ellenberg
• San Francisco Supervisors Rafael Mandelman and Dean Preston
• Sonoma Vice-Mayor John Gurney
• Sonoma City Manager David Guhin
• St. Helena Council Member Anna Chouteau
• Sunnyvale Mayor Larry Klein

Other Notable Leaders

• BART Director Rebecca Salzman
• Napa Valley Transportation Authority Executive Director Kate Miller
• Chair of the Napa Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission Cynthia Deutsch
• Former Suisun City Mayor and current STA Bicycle Advisory Committee member Mike Segala
• Vallejo Transportation Program Superintendent Mark Helmbrecht

Bay Area Bike to Wherever Days is presented by MTC (the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area), 511 (the region's traveler information system), Amazon, and Stanford Medicine. BTWD 2023 also receives regional support from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), as well as from many sponsors at the local level. Prizes for the Bike Champion of the Year winners were donated by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), MTC, Sports Basement, and Mike's Bikes.

SOURCE Bayareabiketowork.com; Metropolitan Transportation Commission