Cyclists Turn Out For Bike To Work Day

May 18 -- The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition made this years' Bike to Work Day a special one by giving away breakfast and tote bags to riders including Mayor Gavin Newsom and a few city supervisors who stopped by a City Hall "energizer station" on their way to work this morning.

The Bay Area Bicycle Coalition estimated that thousands in the region would participate in today's alternative ride, designed to encourage a permanent switch to a commute on two wheels.

"Bikes have a place in my daily life and I prefer riding my bike because it is cheaper, healthier, and I don't have to deal with parking," Peter Bejger, a San Francisco bicyclist and a freelance writer, said this morning. "I feel like I am contributing to the betterment of the planet."

Newsom, who wore a workout suit and San Francisco Giants baseball cap on his ride to City Hall, spoke to the cyclists fueling up on bagels and coffee when he arrived. Leah Shahum, the executive director of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, then presented a report card on bicycling conditions in the city.

The city earned a "B-" overall. The coalition surveyed 1,151 cyclists on such issues as safety, pavement quality, motorist respect, and bike routes in San Francisco. The pavement received a "D+," the lowest score in the report card.

"We can do a lot better," Shahum said. "Our goal is to make San Francisco an 'A+' city. Bicyclists belong on the streets."

Supervisor Jake McGoldrick rode his bike to work for the first time today. Supervisors Gerardo Sandoval and Aaron Peskin also participated.

"Cars have fundamentally poisoned our society, and we have forgotten what they have done to us as a culture," Miles Epstein, a furniture maker, said at the event. "They isolate us, they stink, they endanger us, and the automobile is unsustainable."

Epstein said he has ridden his bike to work for his entire adult life. He encourages people who are apprehensive about riding to work to practice and to ride with a buddy.

"I would tell people to practice riding their bike to their office on a Saturday when they don't have to work," said Epstein. "You can figure out how long it will take and what the route feels like on your bike."

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition will also host evening "energizer stations" for bikers' rides home from work.

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