Bike to Work Day returns Thursday in San Diego for the first time since 2019. The annual event organized by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) has been happening for nearly 30 years during bike month in May. It was put on pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thursday's event will have 100 pit stop locations throughout San Diego County, where cyclists can stop for snacks, refreshments, live music, yoga classes and more. The pit stops will be open from 6 to 9 a.m.
Antoinette Meier, director of regional planning at SANDAG joined KPBS Midday Edition to talk about the event and the benefits of commuting on a bike.
"Not only is biking to work a really healthy way to start your day, but it's also a great way to address environmental concerns, traffic congestion and provide people with a great alternative to driving to work," Meier said.
She said as more people are encouraged to try bicycling as an alternative form of transportation, SANDAG is working on adding more bikeways through multiple new projects.
"We have built 22 miles of new bikeways so far in the San Diego region, and there are 20 new SANDAG bike projects that are currently in construction, and we'll be opening another 11 miles of bikeways before the end of 2022. So lot's of new bike infrastructure that's safe for people throughout the region," Meier said.
Meier also encouraged people working from home to ride their bike on Thursday before logging on to work.
Cyclists must register for the event on the SANDAG website, where there is also a 2022 Bike to Work Day Pit Stops map and the San Diego Regional Bike Map, where people can map their rides and commute to their destination.
