Annual Bike to Work Day Event

Presidio of San Francisco (May 12, 2010) — For the 11th consecutive year, hundreds of people who work at the Presidio will trade four wheels for two as they celebrate Bike to Work Day this Thursday, May 13. Riders will be eligible to win a new bike courtesy of Sports Basement.

“Encouraging and facilitating biking at the Presidio furthers our aim of reducing the number of cars here,” says Chris Weeks, a transportation and operations specialist with the Presidio Trust. “By leaving their cars at home, bicycling commuters help preserve the fragile natural environment of the Presidio as well as the vulnerable animals that live here.”

Participants can enter a drawing for the bike at the Presidio Trust’s Energizer Station at Lincoln and Halleck in the Presidio between 6:30 and 9:30 am. Refreshments will be provided and mechanics from Sports Basement will offer free, quick bike tune-ups. Riders who sign in at the station will also enjoy a free BBQ lunch and have a chance to win other prizes including a round of golf at the Presidio Golf Course and a one-year membership for a family of four to the Disney Family Museum.

All cyclists will receive a free canvas tote bag with a limited edition Presidio bike bell commemorating the Presidio’s status as a Bicycle Friendly Community. Two years ago the Presidio was awarded the League of American Bicyclists’ silver designation. This year the park hopes to match the city of San Francisco and be named a gold level Bicycle Friendly Community.

Last year more than 400 people took part in the Presidio’s Bike to Work Day. Letterman Digital Arts Center took top honors with 45 employees riding, wresting the title from the Exploratorium.

Weeks himself is among the estimated eight percent of Presidio workers who bike to work on a given day. He says he gave up his SUV for an HPUV or “human powered utility vehicle.” Riding his bike to work each day, Weeks says he feels like he is “more of a neutral part of the environment here than when I am in a car. I can hear the birds, feel the fog, wind, sun, and smell the flowers and trees.”

Bicycling facts and figures:

• 40% of all trips in the U.S. are made within two miles of the home
• 50% of the working population commutes five miles or less to work (in the Bay Area one million people live within 5 miles of work)
• 43,000 people in the Bay Area commute by bike

By biking to work, the average commuter will in one year:

• Save $9,369 compared with the cost of owning and operating a mid-size sedan
• Reduce carbon emissions by 3500 pounds
• Save 145 gallons of gasoline
• Avoid 50 hours stuck in traffic
• Burn 90,000 calories, the equivalent of 30 pounds
• Reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke by 50%
• Enjoy 14% fewer health insurance claims
• (Based on a 10 mile roundtrip commute and 15,000 miles driven)

The Presidio Trust was established by the United States Congress in 1996 to administer the Presidio of San Francisco, an urban national park that is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and is located at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. The areas overseen by the Trust include expansive open space and spectacular views, a 300-acre historic forest, and rare and endangered plants and wildlife. The National Park Service oversees the coastal areas of the Presidio. The park comprises nearly 6 million square feet of buildings, including 469 historic structures that contribute to the Presidio’s status as a National Historic Landmark District.