The next annual Bike to Work Day will be held on May 10, 2018. | Learn about past year's events.

Why Bike to Work?

The annual Bike to Work Day is held statewide to encourage bicycling as a non-polluting and healthy commute option. It is the highlight of the California Bike Commute Week and National Bike Month . Here in Oakland, Bike to Work Day is part of the City's strategy to promote cycling as affordable transportation, to improve public health, and to curb carbon emissions.

Besides being fun, biking to work is good for your health and for the environment. Take a look at all the benefits of riding a bike!

Reduce air pollution : In the Bay Area, 43% of all car trips are two miles or shorter. For short trips, bicycling is an important tool to reduce air pollution: up to 70% of emissions from a 10-mile trip occur within the first mile.

: In the Bay Area, 43% of all car trips are two miles or shorter. For short trips, bicycling is an important tool to reduce air pollution: up to 70% of emissions from a 10-mile trip occur within the first mile. Stay healthy and fit : Bicycling to work is a great way to get exercise every day. The well-documented obesity epidemic contributes to heart disease, cancer, stroke and type 2 diabetes, which together make up 40% of the leading causes of death in Oakland.

: Bicycling to work is a great way to get exercise every day. The well-documented obesity epidemic contributes to heart disease, cancer, stroke and type 2 diabetes, which together make up 40% of the leading causes of death in Oakland. Save money: With gas prices rising and unlikely to decline in the long-term, bicycling makes more financial sense than ever; a bike’s annual operating cost is estimated to be $120 (as opposed to. $5,000-12,000 for a car).

With gas prices rising and unlikely to decline in the long-term, bicycling makes more financial sense than ever; a bike’s annual operating cost is estimated to be $120 (as opposed to. $5,000-12,000 for a car). Ease street congestion: Twelve bicycles can fit in the space needed to park a single car.

Bike to Work Day encourages people to try the "no-pollute commute" with a variety of enticements. Thousands of bicyclists find "Energizer Stations" at strategically placed locations where they can stop, get a canvas bicycle-style bag filled with treats and bicycling information;free coffee, juice or snack; and words of encouragement. In the Bay Area, cyclists who pledge to cycle to work , school, transit, errands or play anytime during the third week of May are eligible for special prizes. Traditionally, the biggest Energizer Station in the East Bay is the annual pancake breakfast in downtown Oakland in front of City Hall.

Ready to give it a try?

Get Bike Commute Tips from the League of American Bicyclists, and stay tuned for information on the next Bike to Work Day.