Keweenaw Bike To Work Day Is Friday

Leave the car keys at home, strap on your helmet and pull out your bicycle for this Friday’s Keweenaw Bike To Work Day.

This is the 9th annual event, part of the National Bike To Work Day, coordinated by Bike Initiative Keweenaw.

The purpose of the event is to raise awareness of bicycle safety, bike commuting as a transportation alternative, and the importance of sharing the road.

Eight rest stops will be set up for bicyclists to stop by on their way to or from work, school or running errands.

Volunteers at each station will offer free refreshments, bike safety literature…advice on bike commuting routes and gear, and, in some cases, even simple bike fixes like topping off tire pressure and checking brakes.

There is no fee to participate and no registration is required.

Keweenaw Bike to Work Day Set for May 19th

                Everyone is invited to participate in the ninth annual Keweenaw Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 19. The event will be held on National Bike to Work Day, and is coordinated locally byBike Initiative Keweenaw (BIKE!), a regional bike advocacy group, to raise awareness of bicycle safety, bike commuting as a transportation alternative, and the importance of sharing the road.
Bike commuters, pedestrians, and other non-motorized travelers can visit one or more of eight rest stops located in Houghton, Hancock, Calumet and Lake Linden on their way to or from work, school or running errands. Volunteers at each station will offer free refreshments, bike safety literature, advice on bike commuting routes and gear, and in some cases, even simple bike fixes like topping off tire pressures and checking brakes.
Five stops will operate from 7-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m., located on the Houghton Waterfront Trail east of the Portage Lake Lift Bridge; near the Michigan Tech Outdoor Adventure Program building on Townsend Drive; in the Western U.P. Health Department parking lot near the multi-use trail in Hancock; in Calumet on Highway 41 near the CLK School in the morning and at Cross Country Sports on Oak Street in the afternoon; and at the Lake Linden Park gazebo.
Three more stations sponsored by schools will operate with limited hours. A station at the corner of Sharon Avenue and Portage Street in Houghton will be staffed by Houghton Middle School teachers and students from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m.  Back for a second year is the stop at Barkell Elementary School in Hancock from 7:30 to 8:15 a.m., where students who walk or bike to school can stop for snacks and kid-friendly bike safety information. And, as always, one of the busiest sites will be at the CLK Elementary School, also from 7:30 to 8:15 a.m., where upwards of 200 students bike to school on this special day every spring.
Keweenaw Bike to Work Day Co-Coordinator Kristen Schmitt said the event highlights how many residents enjoy having the option to travel by foot or bike, and helps to showcase local support for transportation infrastructure that safely accommodates all people.
“Our communities have made great progress in recent years in listening to the needs of cyclists and pedestrians,” Schmitt said, “and we hope to keep that momentum moving forward.”
There is no fee to participate and no registration required. For more information, visit KB2WD.org.