Cyclists Thrive in Tri-Valley

On Thursday, May 18, Bike to Work Day 2023 will be observed across California. Elsewhere in the United States, it will be held on the following day. Bike to work day dates back to 1956. Across the nation, the San Francisco Bay Area has historically had the greatest number of participants during this event, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), the transportation agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. Bike to Work Day is an effort to get more people out of cars and onto bikes for commuting to work, running errands, and simple pleasure. Many who do not ride regularly may think expanding the use of cycling for everyday activities is a challenge, but local cyclists understand that biking is a joyous activity, and that the Tri-Valley is a great place to bike.

Riding for Pleasure

The Tri-Valley's natural beauty and temperate weather make it an ideal place for both short and long-distance riding. Visit Tri-Valley maintains a list of seven popular bike trails ranging from five to 25 miles. Bike East Bay offers a wealth of more in-depth resources. The nonprofit hosts hundreds of free classes, many online, on topics such as learning to ride as an adult, bike safety, theft prevention, and related issues. In addition to its education program, the group advocates for "innovative and accessible bikeways and streets that meet the needs of all users," according to Bike East Bay officials.

Bike East Bay is working with partners toward a complete network of bikeways for riders of all ages and abilities throughout the East Bay. The group encourages cyclists in the region to join Bike Pleasanton or Bike Dublin, local bike advocacy groups. Tri-Valley bicycle clubs include the Pleasanton Pedalers and the Valley Spokesmen. The Pleasanton Pedalers sponsors several rides each week for members with a variety of skill and experience levels. It also organizes group rides nationally and internationally.

The Valley Spokesmen, which welcomes members of all genders and ages, is a Dublin-based bicycle club founded in 1971. The Valley Spokesmen rides range from "short neighborhood tours suitable for families with children, to strenuous century-length epics," according to officials. "We encourage non-members to attend our club meetings and join us on any of our outings. We typically schedule several 'Newbie Rides' and rides of shorter duration each month." In 1976, the club sponsored the first women-only ride in the United States, which became known as the Cinderella Classic. The annual ride, which is not a race, is open to any rider and includes routes of 35, 65, and 100 miles.

Improvements for Commuters

Cycling is not only pleasurable but also practical. More than one million Bay Area residents live within five miles of their workplaces, an ideal distance for bicycling, according to MTC. The City of Pleasanton has long supported the value of cycling to the community. Every time the city upgrades the paving on a street, for example, it also paints a new bike lane.

In 2018, the Pleasanton City Council approved an updated Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan for the city. Improving the safety and experience for cyclists on West Las Positas Boulevard is one of the important goals of the Master Plan. In late 2022, the City Council approved a quick-build project to create a protected bike lane on this thoroughfare between Hopyard Road and Hacienda Drive.

During the spring break for Pleasanton public schools, city crews created protected bike lanes on both sides of that stretch of road as well as  protected intersections in front of Hart Middle School. That section of roadway originally had three lanes in each direction. To improve both bicycle and pedestrian safety, the project removed one lane from vehicle traffic in each direction and turned them into bike lanes by installing colored posts and painting stripes on the street to make the changes more obvious to drivers as well as cyclists. "The striping matters in this case, because we want to make sure people are really driving where we want them to drive," says Mike Tassano, City of Pleasanton Traffic Engineer.
 
The results of this quick-build project will be presented to the City Council in June, according to Tassano, and then the Council will decide how to proceed. West Las Positas Boulevard eventually needs to be rebuilt because of soil issues, which would make it possible to build a permanent protected bike lane made of concrete.  This improvement, which would serve four schools and local commuters, would span the 2.4 miles from Foothill Road to the Iron Horse Trail, according to Bike East Bay officials.

Several years ago, the League of American Cyclists recognized Pleasanton as a Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) at the Bronze level. As noted by the group, "A BFC welcomes bicyclists by providing safe accommodations for bicycling and encouraging people to bike for transportation and recreation. Making bicycling safe and convenient are keys to improving public health, reducing traffic congestion, improving air quality and improving quality of life." Tassano says city officials are working to get Pleasanton recognized as a Silver level Bicycle Friendly Community by continuing to improve the city's infrastructure.

City of Pleasanton officials have long worked toward improvements for cyclists. Hacienda has also championed biking in a variety of ways, including sponsoring Bike to Work Day, offering walking and bicycling support services through its Commute Solutions program, and ensuring Hacienda has ample parking places for bicycles. Whether a visitor or a local, cyclists have many reasons to feel welcome in the Tri-Valley, in the City of Pleasanton, and at Hacienda.

For more information about Tri-Valley bike trails, please visit www.visittrivalley.com/activities-and-things-to-do/biking.

For more information about Bike East Bay, please visit www.bikeeastbay.org.

For more information about the Pleasanton Pedalers, please visit www.meetup.com/Pleasanton-Pedalers.

For more information about the Valley Spokesmen, please visit www.valleyspokesmen.org.

For more information about Bike Pleasanton, please visit www.facebook.com/groups/BikePleasanton.

For more information about Bike Dublin, please visit www.facebook.com/groups/bikedublinca.

For more information about Hacienda's commuting benefits, please visit www.hacienda.org/amenities/employees-residents/commute-solutions.

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