Celebrate Bike to Work Week Downtown

By Eric Richardson
Published: Sunday, May 11, 2008, at 09:28PM

Ride to City Hall Eric Richardson

A nifty backpack from last year's Bike to Work day.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — May 12 - 16 is Bike to Work week, and Downtowners have a number of opportunities to join into the two-wheeled fun.

Whether you ride to work or just ride to ride, there are Bike to Work week events Downtowners should know about.

Tuesday, May 13th, Good Samaritan Hospital hosts the 5th Annual Blessing of the Bicycles. Festivities kick off at 8am and run until 9:30am. You can check out video of last year's event on Youtube.

Thursday, May 15th, is Metro's official Bike to Work Day. There are "pit stops" throughout the county that'll be offering materials and free stuff from 6am to 9am, including four Downtown: Union Station, City Hall, Ketchum-YMCA and the Reagan Building.

Thursday also finds the 2nd Annual Bike Instead of Work Ride, which will begin at the Hollywood and Western pit stop location and travel Downtown to deliver a Cyclist's Bill of Rights to City Hall and then on to USC for an event.

A personal aside: Many people cite the easy trip to work as one of their main reasons for moving Downtown. For me, taking a Downtown job instead made my commute too short -- it no longer made sense to bike to work when my commute was a whole six blocks. Then I started working out of the apartment and my commute went to twenty-five feet instead. Now I simply bike because it's my favorite way of getting around, not to get to work.



Comments

1
patricia writes:

i think you meant to say that the "bike instead of work ride" is on thursday.

# on May.12.2008 AT 01:55 PM
2
Eric Richardson writes:

Thanks, patricia. You're correct, and I've fixed the post.

# on May.12.2008 AT 02:15 PM
3
Bartleight writes:

I'm all for the bike-instead-of-car thing. I too live/work Downtown and my commute is a mere 5 blocks. Now if we can just keep the bikes off the sidewalks things will be much safer for all. It's not one of Downtown's biggest problems, I know, but will I'm sure be on the radar as other more obviously offensive livability issues improve.

# on May.12.2008 AT 02:44 PM
4
Mary Beth McCalla writes:

Biking is a great answer to glabal warming. I am an 86 year old great grandmother and

I bike every day, weather permitting.

# on May.13.2008 AT 05:45 AM
5
Enci writes:

Mary Beth, YOU ROCK!!!!! Thank you for showing the world that you're never too old to ride! :-)

# on May.14.2008 AT 01:12 AM
6
Jesse writes:

I am getting a job downtown at Union Station. Can anyone here help me find a place to live? I am looking for a cheap cheap place, like a rooming house. I found one in the Downtown News newspaper. I am a single guy. The cheaper the better. I love that area around Broadway and 5th. Thank you very much.

# on May.18.2008 AT 09:42 PM

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