Bike Pittsburgh

Car Free Fridays

National Bike to Work Day is May 18th

National Bike to Work Day is  an invitation to sample the many benefits of bike commuting. This Friday, May 18th, we’ll see hundreds of Pittsburghers biking to work.  Those that are new will find, the commute is just more fun on a bike! In fact, more than likely you’ll arrive at work with a smile!

As usual, Bike To Work Day will kick of BikePGH’s Car Free Fridays initiative – programing meant to promote alternative transit and end rush hour traffic, one car trip at a time.  To celebrate our new season of programing, and the special Bike To Work Day holiday, May 18th will have plenty of giveaways, promotions and events for people riding bikes.  So rally some friends, family and co-workers and get ready to ride your bikes to work! National Bike to Work Day is a Great Outdoors Week signature event.

Hydration Stations

For Bike To Work Day, BikePGH has collaborated with twelve different businesses to bring you TWELVE different hydration stations stocked with food, coffee and other treats to keep the ride to work filling and fun.  Each Hydration Station will be located on major bike commuting routes, so you should have no problem finding one on your ride to work.  Below is a map of all the Hydration Station Locations.  Hydration Station visitors will also get a free SWAG BAG!

View 2012 Bike to Work Day: Hydration Station Locations in a larger map

The Mysterious Swag Bag!

Besides the joys of youthfulness and freedom that participating in Bike To Work Day will bring you, the free Swag Bag is sure to be one of the day’s other joys.  Everyone who rides can get a bag. This year we have a variety of sponsors who have donated some useful goodies to fill these beautiful Car Free Fridays canvas bags, but you’ll have to participate to see what’s in the bag!

Bike To Work Day Passports

Also inside the Swag Bags will be a Bike To Work Day Passport with discounts from different PGH businesses good until May 24th – one week after bike to work day.  We’re going to keep details a secret for now, but you can expect to see promotions from some of the city’s best places to eat, drink, and be merry.

Bike to Work Day Happy Hours

Just as important as the bike ride into work is the bike ride home!  To take care of you after-work thirst, Penn Brewery is hosting a special Bike From Work Day Happy Hour with $3 pints and half price appetizers from 5-7.

Also, to help kick off Car Free Fridays this year  OTB will donate 10% of all Friday sales from 5-7pm to BikePGH.

Thank you

Hydration Station Hosts: Golden Triangle Bike Rental, The Priory Hotel, Chatham University, Carnegie Library of Squirrel Hill, Baum Boulevard Automotive, Whole Foods Market, Duquesne University, Carnegie Mellon University, Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP), REI, City of Pittsburgh, Penn Brewery, and East End Food Co-op

Food Donations: La Gourmandine Bakery, Coffee Tree Roasters, and Bruegger’s Bagels

Swag Bag Donations: FIKS Reflective, Bicycle Times, Golden Triangle Bike Rental, vitaminwater, and NuGo Bars

Discounts for Passport: Quiet Storm, The Big Idea, Arsenal Cider House, Zeke’s Coffee, Piper’s Pub, Penn Brewery, Lili Coffee Shop, Baum Boulevard Automotive, Espresso a Mano, Commonplace Coffee Co., and Bikram Yoga Squirrel Hill

Sign up for the National Bike Challenge today

Finally! After months of top-secret development, we are excited to present you with the Pittsburgh Bike Challenge!

This free challenge runs from May 1st to August 31st and will be held as part of a national effort thanks to our collaboration with Kimberly Clark LLC, the League of American Bicyclists, and web developer endomondo.com. This nation-wide effort has allowed us to include some pretty incredible features in this new calculator. Participants can compete as individuals, teams of 10, workplaces, cities and states.  And because of the tie to the national challenge, they can see their standing on both local and national levels! There’s even an app that smartphone users can download right from a tab on the homepage to directly track and log the trips you take. Unlike last year, all bike rides count, but a point system is in place that heavily credits daily trips giving people who use bikes for transportation an advantage (+20 points for each day you ride.  +1 for each mile.) Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and ALCO Parking are the sponsors of the local challenge.

Without further ado, join the challenge at nationalbikechallenge.org! Then grab your bike and some friends, rally your coworker and neighbors, and lets get Pittsburgh to the top of the national leaderboard!

Together, let’s reduce the number of single occupant car trips!

Now in its fourth year Car Free Fridays encourages the region’s residents to reduce the number of single occupant car trips. On Car Free Fridays, which is every Friday, the Capital of Steeler’s Nation is encouraged to use bikes,  feet, transit, ride share, or a combination of modes to get to work and run errands. It’s easy to participate, the name says it all.

 Ways YOU can participate in Car Free Fridays

• Challenge co-workers or employees to a day of car free commuting and send us your stories. Request a CAR FREE FRIDAYS ACTION KIT today!
• Login to Pittsburgh Bike Challenge to tally the miles that you bike and walk to get to work, run errands, and shop.
• Join a bikepool .
  
• Follow the Calendar Events to see who else in the Pittsburgh region is catching the car free buzz. The events listed below all encourage and support the use of Active Transportation.

Build the Momentum

It’s easy to make any event a Car Free Fridays event, just encourage active transportation and BikePGH will help you get the word out! If you are interested in learning more about being a sponsor or partner contact lou@bike-pgh.org for details.