Details For Austin Bike To Work Day Revealed

AUSTIN, TX — Bike Austin, Austin’s largest bicycling advocacy and education organization, has revealed details on its upcoming ninth annual Bike to Work Day.

Abbreviated as B2WD, the event is scheduled Friday, May 17. The annual initiative will feature a day of live music, free food and drinks from participating fueling stations, and an after-party at Cheer Up Charlies. As part of a nationwide effort to promote bicycle safety, B2WD brings together Austinites interested in a healthy lifestyle, traffic/pollution reduction and improving our city's infrastructure to make Austin as bike friendly as possible.

Austin, along with Houston and Dallas, is just one of the major Texas cities participating in this nationwide event during National Bike Month in May.

“Over the past decade, Bike to Work Day has become a city-wide celebration of active transportation," said Bike Austin President Chris Riley. "We’re excited about how many Austinites are choosing commuting options that positively impact the environment and promote a healthy lifestyle. Last year, over 3,000 Austinites participated in Bike to Work Day. Our goal is not only to get more people safely on the road on May 17, but to raise awareness about active transportation options as an everyday reality for Austinites.”

Bike Austin has partnered with more than 40 local businesses across Austin that will participate as official “fueling stations” for commuters to visit during their morning commute to work. From 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., fueling stations throughout the city will offer complimentary drinks and snacks to bicyclists. Featured fueling stations include Cosmic Coffee + Beer Garden, Paramount Theatre, the YETI Flagship, Wheatsville Co-op, Houndstooth Coffee, and more. To streamline this year’s event, the Ghisallo Cycling Initiative has curated three main routes for bikers to join in on leader-led bike trains. Along with fueling stations, there will be live musical acts throughout the city to encourage morning commuters, as well as festivities and Pueblo Viejo tacos at City Hall.

B2WD will culminate with a Bike After Work Party at downtown music venue Cheer Up Charlies (900 Red River St.) to celebrate another successful year of Bike to Work Day. From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., guests can enjoy snacks and drinks from Gelateria Gemelli, Rambler Sparkling Water and drink specials and records spun by the Chulita Vinyl Club ATX.

All community members and Bike to Work Day participants are encouraged to bike to Cheer Up Charlies after work to network with fellow bike commuters in the Austin area. B2WD participants are also eligible to enter to win door prizes including gift cards from C3 Presents, Shake Shack, JUMP, LIVESTRONG, REI, Regions Bank and 2 pair of 3-day passes passes to weekend one of Austin City Limit Music Festival 2019.

Nationally, Bike to Work Day was created as a way to raise awareness for the benefits and value of bike commuting as well as educate traditional car commuters about the accessibility and ease of bike commuting. Locally, B2WD provides a unique opportunity for Austinites to be an advocate for improved infrastructure and safety. As the fastest growing city in America, Austin falls short in bike lanes as well as the number of people taking alternative routes to work and Bike Austin is on a mission to change that.

Bike to Work Day sponsors include City of Austin, Lyft, C3 Presents, JUMP, Bicycle Sport Shop, Austin Transportation Department, Cap Metro, Lime and KIND. For all details about 2019 B2WD participation and events, including volunteer and fueling station opportunities, please visit https://bikeaustin.org/b2wd/.

ABOUT BIKE AUSTIN

Bike Austin's mission is to increase the number of all cyclists in the greater Austin area, regardless of the reasons they ride. Bike Austin achieves this by providing innovative cycling education, creating a better connected and informed cycling community, offering a diverse mix of rides, and by engaging with local officials and city departments to ensure that cyclists are treated as an equal part of the transportation system. Visit www.bikeaustin.org for more information.