Join us for the second annual C-U Bike to Work Day on May 3, 2011

Mark your calendars!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011 is the second annual C-U Bike to Work Day!

Registration is now open at www.CUBikeToWork.com.

City of Urbana Planning staff is leading the charge for the community’s second annual Bike to Work Day, partnering with Champaign County Bikes, the City of Champaign, and the University of Illinois. The event is designed to encourage hundreds of new and seasoned bike commuters to bike to work (or class).

To entice riders, Bike Stations will be located in downtown Urbana, downtown Champaign, three locations on Campus, the Brookens Center in East Urbana, Wolfram Research in Champaign, the Urbana Middle and High School Campus, Parkland College and the Savoy Recreational Center during the morning commute, from 7am-10am. Each station will welcome pre-registered riders with snacks, other giveaways, and cycling information and services.

Biking to work benefits Urbana residents and employees in a number of ways, and a one-time event like Bike to Work Day encourages would-be riders to give biking to work a try. The benefits include:

Economics. It costs less to ride and park a bike than drive and park a car. Cycling causes little, if any, wear and tear on City streets. The City is also home to two independent bicycle shops in addition to the big box stores that sell bikes and accessories. 

Environment. Riding a bicycle to work keeps those pollutants out of the air we breathe. Motor vehicle emissions represent 31 percent of total carbon dioxide, 81 percent of carbon monoxide, and 49 percent of nitrogen oxides released in the U.S.

Health. Biking to work easily incorporates exercise into your day. According to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, approximately 70% of US adults are sedentary. This includes 28% who engage in no leisure-time physical activities and 42% who undertake less than 30 minutes of physical activity (such as walking) each day.

Urbana is recognized by the League of American Bicyclists as a Bicycle Friendly Community. Join us to see why! For more event information, go to www.CUBikeToWork.com or contact Rebecca Bird, Planning Division, 217-384-2440 or rlbird@urbanaillinois.us.