Title
Special Recognition - Proclamation Declaring May as Bicycle Commuter Month
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve proclamation declaring May as Bicycle Commuter Month
Report
Issue:
Whether to approve a proclamation declaring May as Bicycle Commuter Month
Staff Contact:
Michelle Swanson, Senior Program Specialist, Public Works/Transportation, 360.753.8575.
Presenter(s):
Michelle Swanson, Senior Program Specialist, Public Works/Transportation, 360.753.8575.
Background and Analysis:
The 28th Annual Thurston County Bicycle Commuter Contest happens in May. Duncan Green from Intercity Transit, which runs the contest, will be on hand to receive the proclamation.
Last year, over 1,000 people in Thurston County took part in the contest. Those people biked a total of 107,515 miles to places like stores, work, or school. This stopped about 55 tons of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere.
Among those people were 33 City employees, who rode a total of 3,133 miles and prevented about 3,050 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.
Since 2004, Olympia has been certified by the League of American Bicyclists as a Bicycle-Friendly Community "silver" status. This is due in part to the 32 miles of bicycle lanes and ten miles of urban trails within City limits, as well as policy documents which support bicycling. These include the 2009 Mobility Strategy and Olympia Comprehensive Plan.