Local organizations and bike commuters will mark the start of the bicycling season and highlight the region’s growing bike culture on Bike to Work Day Friday, May 20. This year’s event will feature a new location for the main morning gathering in downtown Detroit along with satellite pit-stops in the New Center and Midtown.
Participants are asked to register for the event, which will feature free coffee, snacks, free T-shirts and other giveaways, vendors and local discounts at the following locations:
- The Spirit of Detroit statue, Woodward and Jefferson Avenues, from 7-9 a.m., with free secure bike parking provided by Wheelhouse Detroit
- Old Main, 4841 Cass Ave. on the Wayne State University campus, from 7-10 a.m.
- New Center Park, Second Avenue and West Grand Boulevard, hosted by Henry Ford Health System
The event in recent years has featured organized group bike convoys from the suburbs downtown. Routes and posted scheduled arrival times are subject to change and are listed in the map below.
This year’s event is getting a boost from title sponsor Henry Ford LiveWell. The health system is also making showers available for free at Fitness Works, 6252 Second Ave., to anyone with a photo ID and a lock.
Other support comes from the Detroit Greenways Coalition, the office of Detroit Council member Scott Benson, American Cycle and Fitness, Miller-Canfield, Wayne State University, Wheelhouse Detroit and Active Blue of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
I’ve been helping to put on Bike to Work Day for several years on behalf of the lattermost organization and can tell you that it’s a whole lot of fun. No one gets left behind and it’s a great opportunity to give bike commuting a try, or to meet like-minded others if you regularly use pedal power to get to work.
Again, please register so we know how how much food and how many shirts to order. You can also learn more and keep up to date on departure times and other information on our Facebook page. Hope to see you May 20!
Editor’s Note: This post originally appeared on the 8 Wood Blog and is used with the express permission of the author. Check it out here.