Belmont City Officials to Bike to Work Thursday

At least four Belmont city officials will join other Bay Area residents and bike to work on Thursday as part of the region's 17th annual Bike to Work Day.

City Clerk Terri Cook, Community Development Director Carlos de Melo, Associate Planner Jennifer Walker and Police Department volunteer Brandon Tyler have pledged to ride their bicycles to work on Thursday.

De Melo has one of the farther commutes. His morning begins in Oakland, where he will catch BART with his bike and then ride his bike from the BART station in Millbrae down to Belmont City Hall -- a more than two-hour commute each way.

"I leave my house a little before 6:30 [a.m.] and arrive in Belmont at 8:30 [a.m.]," said de Melo, who has participated in several past Bike to Work Days.

"I love it," he said. "It's a great ride. One day a year, I'm being sustainably conscious and environmentally friendly."

Riding home is a bit more difficult, he said, as he has to ride uphill and in windy conditions to return to his Oakland home.

Bike to Work Day aims to motivate non-bike riders, as well as those already cycling, to partake in the transportation option. Event officials say biking to work is a healthy, affordable way to travel, and expect a significant increase in the number of riders this year.

According to the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, nearly 40 percent of Bay Area commuters live within five miles of where they work.  The Coalition believes if every person living this close to their workplace left their cars at home on Bike to Work Day, in one day more than 60,000 vehicles would be off the road, reducing tailpipe emissions by more than 150,000 pounds.

The Peninsula Traffic Congestion Relief Alliance organizes and oversees a network of Energizer stations throughout San Mateo County – stops along popular routes where cyclists can get a snack, a tote bag, and other goodies. Energizer stations throughout the Bay Area will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Some will even re-open during the evening commute. Click here to find the Energizer station in your area.

For more information, visit www.511.org or www.youcanbikethere.com.

Editor's Note: The original version of this story stated the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition organizes and oversees the Energizer stations on Bike to Work Day in San Mateo County. In fact, the Peninsula Traffic Congestion Relief Alliance coordinates these activites. Patch apologizes for the error.