P H Yang Photography | Bike to Work Day - SF Bay Area

  Energizing for a Greener San Francisco

  Bicyclists stop by one of the Energizing Stations to pickup free info, drinks, snacks and other
  goodies on their way to work.

  Ferry Building - San Francisco

150,000 Celebrate Bike to Work Day in SF Bay Area

(This photo essay is now on CNN i-Report

. Click for details.)

Record Bikers on Market Street

Zipping-by

An estimated 150,000 commuters and students hopped on their bikes, instead of into their cars, in the San Francisco bay area on Thursday, May 13, 2010. People from Oakland, Palo Alto to San Jose overwhelmingly supported the Bike to Work Day.

In San Francisco, bicycles outnumbered cars 3 to 1 in the morning roadway traffic on Market Street, the main thoroughfare of the city, according to the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition which organized the 16th annual event jointly with the City of San Francisco.

New Bike Lane on Market Street

Biking advocates say this record increase in bicycle ridership is directly related to the newly introduced distinctly separated, green Market Street bike lanes and other improvements that make the streets all across the city safer for bikers and non-bikers alike.

“We are thrilled to have Mayor Newsom leading these exciting biking innovations on Market Street, the busiest biking street west of the Mississippi. This is a great first step towards a separated bikeway the length of lower Market Street,” says Renee Rivera, acting Executive Director of the SF Bicycle Coalition, a non-profit which promotes bicycling and organizer of the event.

Rivera rode with Mayor Newsom this morning to City Hall to kick-off the event.

Over 200 Energizer Stations in SF Bay Area

Raelene Energizes

Energizer Station on Market Street

Over 200 Energizer Stations, during the morning (6:30-9:30 am) and afternoon (5-7 pm) commute, located along local bike commute routes in all nine Bay Area counties provided free beverages, snacks and good cheer to bicyclists. Select stations offering basic bicycle maintenance and an all day bicycle valet parking services.

One Less Car

Human-powered Ferrari

Quite a few heads turned when Mark Dwight, founder and CEO of Rickshaw Bagworks whose stylish biking bags were featured in the fashion show, rode into the energizer station at Ferry Building. Mark sports his custom-made fire-engine-red "human-propelled Ferrari" bike and has joined the event for the last 8 years.

Meli and Sarah Model Fab Fashion

"I saw about 4 times as many people biking to work, which is great. Some people may be trying it for the first time because they feel there is support and advocacy for this specific day," says Meli Grosa, who bikes to work everyday and blogs on "Bikes and the City". She also models, with Sarah Murder, for the After-work Party and Fashion Show at Rickshaw Stop in the evening.

Gwen Takes the Scenic Route

DJ Sara T

The Fashion Show was styled by Gwen Lutz of Gwendolyn Lee Productions, with artisanal bike clothing by numerous talented designers like B Spoke Tailor, Sheila Moon and Outlier; music by DJ Sara T, raffle prizes and complimentary bicycle valet. "It is really wonderful to see the birth and growth of biking commuter culture in San Francisco with the hard work of the SF Bike Coalition," enthused Gwen, who takes the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) and then bikes to work in Oakland. On this day, she takes the scenic route via Crissy Fields to take in her favorite view of the Golden Gate Bridge

Most Bay Area transits including BART, Caltrain, Muni and other buses allow riders to bring their bike with them.

After-work Party

Lisa, Cool Designer/Model

Paul, Orange Superman

Lovin' It

Bike to Work Day 2010 is presented by Kaiser Permanente, the Bay Area Bicycle Coalition, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the SFMTA, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and hundreds of local volunteers. For more information, visit http://www.sfbike.org.

Click to view photos of Bike Away from Work & Fashion Show
Rickshaw Stop | 155 Fell St | San Francisco