Bike for the Planet
Climate Action For Greener Community
May is Bike Month, and there is no better time than now to get outside and go for a ride! Biking is good for the planet and a great way to get outside and explore our community. May is also Mental Health Awareness Month, and biking can improve your mental and physical health. In this community update, learn about how you can commit to biking more with the Planet Protection Pledge, explore Safe Routes to Schools resources for safer rides, and participate in Bike to Work and Bike to Wherever Days, May 16–18.
Join Us for Bike to Work/Wherever Days
Bike to Work Day is around the corner on Thursday, May 16! Join thousands in this healthy, fun, free celebration of biking — whether you bike every day or every couple of months. Pledge to ride and check in at an Energizer Station to receive a Bike to Work Day tote bag full of incentives and goodies. Visit one of these Energizer stations in Palo Alto, or view the full list of stations throughout Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties through Saturday, May 18:
Palo Alto Energizer Stations: Thursday, May 16, 6:30–9:30 a.m.
· Downtown: Heritage Park, facing Bryant Street
· California Avenue Plaza: California Avenue and Park Boulevard
· Wilkie Way Bridge: On Miller Avenue, near the south side entry
· El Palo Alto: El Palo Alto Park, near Palo Alto Avenue and Alma Street
Tip: Include “Participate in Bike to Wherever Days” as one of your actions for the Planet Protection Pledge!
Go to the calendar listing for more!
Take the Planet Protection Pledge
The Planet Protection Pledge invites you to become a climate leader in in our community by completing five climate and sustainability actions this year to become a Local Climate Hero. Choose five actions based on your sustainable living goals. Whether you are passionate about lowering carbon emissions, reducing waste, or protecting our natural environment, discover meaningful actions you can take and resources to help you achieve them.
For Bike Month, we’re featuring actions you can pledge to walk to walk or bike more. Consider including one of these actions in your Pledge.
· The 2-mile Pledge — Pledge to walk or bike for trips of two miles or less.
· Switch up your commute to work or school — How many times a week can you switch your commute? Start by pledging to walk or bike to work a few times a month, and consider switching your commute all together if it works for you!
· Commit to a destination — Pledge to walk to bike every time you visit a nearby destination you go to regularly, like the farmers market or your neighborhood park, and eliminate emissions caused by these frequent trips.
· Combine with family time — Pledge to take a family bike ride once a month and soak up some quality family time while doing something good for the planet. Check out these family bike routes in Palo Alto.
Check out these bicycling and walking resources to help you fulfill your pledge. Ready to take the pledge? Taking the Planet Protection Pledge is free, easy, and open to anyone! Learn how.
Learn about Safe Routes to Schools
Here’s to a green spring commute around town!
Find Safe Routes to School programs and resources to help you walk and roll throughout the community.
Palo Alto’s Safe Routes to School supports active and shared transportation to promote student health, well-being and safer passage to and from school. Learn about how program resources can help you choose healthy, active, sustainable alternatives to driving. Learn how to travel safely through our community when walking or biking with bicycle and pedestrian safety educational resources. Gain on-bike safety practice for valuable skills and confidence to safely ride your bike to school and beyond with the Middle School Bike Skills Camp this summer.
Walk and Roll Maps for Parents, Students and the Whole Community
Walk and Roll Maps help parents and students identify safe walking and biking routes to and from school. Choose to walk or bike for your next family outing using the Walk and Roll Map to Palo Alto’s Libraries or the Palo Alto Bike Map to navigate to parks or community centers.
Track the Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan Update
The City is updating its 2012 Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan (BPTP) to reflect current community needs and desires, consider recent trends in cycling and bicycle technology, and address changes in bicycle and pedestrian planning and design. On April 29, 2024, the City Council held a Study Session to review and provide feedback on the project’s draft vision statement and goals, hear an update on recent community engagement, and more. Feedback received will help inform the project team’s understanding of community needs and used to develop the conceptual and final active transportation network recommendations for the BPTP Update. Next steps include developing criteria that will lead to identifying and prioritizing project, program, and policy recommendations and community engagement in Fall 2024 to refine the recommendations. City Council review and consideration of recommendations is anticipated later in 2024.
Follow along, join the conversation, and share your input at www.cityofpaloalto.org/BikePedPlan.
More Upcoming Events
Climate Protection Ad Hoc Committee Working Group Meeting
Tuesday, May 14 | 3–4:30 p.m.| Palo Alto City Hall (Hybrid) | Learn more.
Block Preparedness Coordinator Certification Course
Tuesday, May 14 | 6–9 p.m.| Rinconada Library | Learn more.
Bike to Wherever Days
Thursday, May 16 — Saturday, May 18 | Learn more.
Repair Cafe Palo Alto
Sunday, May 19 | 11 a.m.— 3 p.m.| Museum of American Heritage | Learn more.
Citywide Yard Sale
Saturday, June 1 | 8 a.m.— 2 p.m.| Citywide | Learn more.
Caltrain Electric Train Tour
Saturday, June 1 | 10:30 a.m.— 12:30 p.m.| Palo Alto Caltrain Station | Learn more.
