Thousands participate in Bike to Work Day

SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU and wires) -- Thousands of people in San Francisco rode to work on a bicycle Thursday morning on the Bay Area's 21st annual Bike to Work Day, a spokeswoman for the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition said.

"We're seeing a great turnout," coalition spokeswoman Marta Lindsey said. "Market Street has been packed with bikes this morning."

All nine counties of the Bay Area are participating, Metropolitan Transportation Commission spokeswoman Leslie Lara said. The MTC is one of the day's sponsors.

Cyclists were able to stop at more than 400 energizer stations across the region where they could fuel up on free drinks, snacks, gifts and encouragement, MTC and Bay Area Bicycle Coalition officials said.

Some of the stations will be open again for the evening commute.

After work, cyclists can join their peers at five evening celebrations in the East Bay, according to Bike East Bay, a 4,000-member organization that advocates for better biking conditions.

Sports Basement at 2727 Milvia St. in Berkeley is hosting a Bike Happy Hour party from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., featuring beer, music and a raffle. Frank Jensen, mayor of Copenhagen, Denmark, will be a special guest of the evening.

The Half Orange restaurant at the Fruitvale BART station is inviting cyclists for beer, wine and a meal from 3 to 7 p.m. Part of the proceeds from the event will go to Walk Oakland Bike Oakland, whose mission is to improve neighborhoods by making walking and biking safe, fun, easy and accessible.

BART's new Uptown Bike Station at 19th and Broadway is celebrating its first Bike to Work Day from 5 to 7 p.m. The station offers free, secure bike storage, equipment and services such as wheel truing and U-lock sales, according to BART.

Bike Concord is hosting an event with live music, games, free face painting for kids, bike education booths and happy hour specials at Todos Santos Plaza in Concord from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The plaza is about four blocks from the Concord BART station.

Speisekammer Restaurant at 2424 Lincoln Ave. in Alameda is having a celebration hosted by Bike Walk Alameda from 5 to 7 p.m. Bike Walk Alameda aims to make its city a safe and enjoyable place to walk and bike.