We've Moved!

 The location of the latest news about the BCC, and the place to sign up is: https://bcc.intercitytransit.com/

We'll be keeping this blog relatively current for the duration of the 2018 BCC, but for the freshest and the mostest, head on over to our new site. Thanks for following the BCC blog for all these years!

Winter BCC Starts February 1

 The Thurston County Winter Mini-BCC starts February 1! Thurston County residents (or anyone biking for transport within Thurston County) sign up by clicking the button to the right. Fill out the online form, tell us a little about your commute, and you're in! This is one of our "Mini-BCC's", so there are no teams and no mileage log. Just ride your bike to get around this February, and we'll enter you to win prizes. Prizes include some nice bike lights, fenders and other accessories! We'll have a prize drawing each week in February, this week included.

NOTE: There is still a chance of ice on the roads. We'll have night-time temps near or below freezing several times this week. On icy mornings, choose your commute mode carefully, depending on the conditions on your route. Sometimes the bus is the best option! You can take your bike on the bus in the morning, and bike home in the afternoon when it has warmed up. Check out this short video about loading your bike on the bus!

Sign up for the Winter Mini-BCC

Intercity Transit’s Winter Mini-BCC celebrates Thurston County residents of all ages and abilities who use bicycling as a means of transportation year-round. We'll hold a few random prize drawings during February, among those who sign up- it's that simple!
Anyone who lives or works in Thurston County can participate. You don't have to be employed or a student- just use your bicycle as a means of practical transportation, with at least part of your trip inside Thurston County.
Sign up online at: http://conta.cc/2iVViCB anytime between now and the end of February. There's no need to track your miles. You'll be asked for a brief description of your winter biking habits on the sign up form, and that's it!
The Winter Mini BCC runs for the whole month of February and includes celebration of International Winter Bike To Work Day, on Friday February 10, 2017.

WSTC Seeking Input Through 1/18

Here's an opportunity to have your voice heard:

The Washington State Transportation Commission would like to get your input on how our transportation system is working and ways to improve it. The survey is open until January 18. It includes questions about priorities for funding, like bigger highways vs. bike/ped infrastructure, and takes just a few minutes to complete.

http://voiceofwashingtonsurvey.org

Bike Corridor Pilot Project Kickoff

On Saturday, June 11^th, join The City of Olympia from 10:00 a.m. until Noon to celebrate the opening of the Bike Corridor pilot project. Pick up your passport at Lions Park before 11:00 a.m. and ride your bike along the route to 7th and Jefferson downtown. We’ll have a few stops along the way to get your passport stamped, and you can turn it in for a cupcake at the end.

7^th Ave will be closed to motor vehicles between Jefferson and Adams for the celebration. There will be sidewalk chalk and bubbles, and the Artesian Rumble Arkestra will serenade everyone from 10:30 to 11:30. City staff will be on hand with a map of possible future Bike Corridor routes and will be interested in your thoughts. We hope you can come!

Contact:

·         Michelle Swanson, AICP, Senior Program Specialist

·         360.753.8575

·         mswanson@ci.olympia.wa.us

2016 Commuter Profile Number 3 - Victoria

When I started as an Employee Transportation coordinator I had no interest in becoming involved in the Bicycle Commuter Contest. I did ‘poke’ at folks I knew at work that did some riding to see if they were going to form a team. But me-join a team and bike? Got to be kidding! I didn’t own a bike, had not ridden in years, too old (60)-besides 9 miles one way was-crazy! Eventually a team did form, acquired a name and enough attitude to ask me ‘why?’ Why wasn’t I putting ‘my money where my mouth was’. My spouse started riding-and I gave in. I acquired a ‘recycle’ from Craig’s list, gave it some TLC and signed up for the 2013 contest. My work group jumped in-paid my registration fee, took pictures, had breakfast for me on the first day. Included was a giant (really!) chart complete with a 100 mile goal (Holy cow!) After watching my charted progress I was hooked. I checked the bike map and rode various routes for time on my off days. I’ve continued riding since that point going to other bike events in the area. Tips and tricks? If you don’t own a bike decide first what type riding you want to do-then try out different bikes. Purchase a GOOD bike from a reputable source. Have the bike ‘fitted’ to you. Buy riding gear-it helps when you are comfortable (jeans and shorts aren’t the best for longer distances). Don’t forget safety! Lights, reflectors, a bright color shirt/jacket. If you are riding to work check your route while actually riding. You’ll become more aware of possible hazards and how to adjust.  Talk to other cyclists! I like riding even in the not so wonderful Pacific Northwest weather. Staying fit keeps you healthy and happy. You can join a riding group or go with friends-Great way to socialize.

Victoria

Mid-April BCC Update

Registration for the 29th Annual BCC is off to a great start- over 500 people have signed up already! If you are one of them, thanks for signing up. If not, there's still plenty of time, but why not sign up now? It's free, it's fun, and everyone wins, with coupons, free passes and pretty decent odds of winning a prize! Any practical trip by bike counts in the BCC. We have a lofty goal this year- we want to boost participation  to record levels- help us reach 2000 participants, and be a Vehicle For Change! Sign Up Free Online Now

Upcoming Events

Sustainability Fair ~ Thursday, April 14 ~ 1500 Jefferson Bldg. 11am~1pm Front Plaza and Presentation Room Find us at our table with Intercity Transit  to sign up for the BCC in person! Many other vendors with info about other sustainable lifestyle choices will be there too!

Earth Day Market Ride ~ Sat. April 30 Mark your calendar for the 30th and come out for the Earth Day Market Ride! Join friends old and new, in your own neighborhood. Pedal to the Heritage Park Fountain for coffee and pastries, and then we'll all ride to the Farmers Market to enjoy the shopping, music and fun! We'll have a tent set up at the market where you can sign up for the BCC, too. Get up-to-the-minute details and neighborhood ride starting points on our blog or Facebook page the week of the event.

Bicycle Commuter Profile volunteers wanted!

One of the most popular aspects of the BCC blog is our Commuter Profiles. Each year we like to share the stories of at least a handful of people who have made a habit of getting around by bike. We've only had one volunteer so far in 2016- won't you share your story with us? You don't have to be a 'cyclist', or have all the fancy gear. We like to feature anyone who uses their bicycle for transportation, to encourage others to try it too! Take a look at some of our past profiles, and drop me a line at: dgreen'at'intercitytransit.com if you're willing to be a bike transportation star!

All Sizes of BCC T-shirts available now Our ship(ment) finally came in!  ;-) All sizes of our t-shirts are available now at Olympia Transit Center. Get yours while they last- only $10 each!

BCC in Outdoors NW Magazine

Check out this nice article about bike commuting in Outdoors NW magazine:
http://outdoorsnw.com/2016/are-you-an-urban-cyclist

Third Winter Mini-BCC Prizewinner

Greg G. won a PDW light set in this week's random drawing in the Winter Mini-BCC! We'll do one more drawing sometime between now and 'Leap Day', so stay tuned. Thanks to everyone who signed up in the Winter Mini-BCC!

1st Winter Mini-BCC prize Winner

We drew our first Winter Mini-BCC prize winner today. Drawn at random from all the people who have registered so far in the Winter Mini-BCC, Trude L. has won this nice light set from Portland Design Works!
We have another light set and other bike goodies, plus some gift cards for local bike shops and restaurants to award during the rest of February.
The Winter Mini-BCC is open to people who live or work in Thurston County. You can participate if you commute into or out of Thurston County, but if you have a multi-modal commute,  the bicycle portion of your commute must be within Thurston County.
Sign up here: http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=eijlmidab&oeidk=a07ec6rh1py38d8c636

International Winter Bike To Work Day is this Friday, Feb. 12! Send us a photo from your commute on Friday, and we'll post it on our Facebook page!

Winter Mini-BCC this month!

The Thurston County Winter Mini-BCC begins Feb. 1! This casual, fun event will run for the month of February, including celebration of International Winter Bike To Work Day on Friday, Feb. 12. We'll have a few random prize drawings in February among all those who sign up- it's that simple! You can sign up here:  http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=eijlmidab&oeidk=a07ec6rh1py38d8c636 or by simply emailing your full contact info to: dgreen"at"intercitytransit.com Check out our Event Page here: https://www.facebook.com/events/429711750552184/

Intercity Transit testing a 3-bike bus rack

Intercity Transit is testing a three-bike rack on the front of one of our buses this winter, and we have a survey up to find out what you think. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/rack-bike
The rack will be rotating through different routes, so if you have a chance to try it, or even if you want to comment on our current racks, please take our survey!

Winners in "Survey Sweepstakes"

We have two winners in the "Survey Sweepstakes"! Thanks for responding to our Wrap-up Survey, and congrats to Shane and Jeriann, who both won ultra-hip bags from Alchemy Goods in Seattle!

2015 Commuter Profile Number 6: Benjamin

· What is your age, roughly speaking? I will be 26 this summer.

· What is your occupation or area of study? I worked at Olympia Supply Company for the past three years and now I’m working on the vegetation crew for the city of Olympia for the summer. I am currently trying to get on track to study either horticulture technologies or fisheries biology in the fall.

· What is your most frequent destination on your bike? Well I work five days a week so work is a pretty common one. Aside from that I try to ride to the grocery stores in east or west Olympia to get more riding in since I live fairly close to downtown. I really dig the Woodland Trail so I try and go places that it and the Chehalis-Western trail run close to.

· How did you hear about the Bicycle Commuter Contest? I think it was four years ago. Just from riding public transit on a regular basis. 

· How many times have you participated in the Bicycle Commuter Contest? Pretty sure this is number three for me. There was a year in there when I didn't have a decent working bike to ride. I ”tacoed” the front wheel on my trusty Schwinn road bike and couldn't afford to fix it. I was unaware of the community bike shops and the assistance they offer, back then.

Record Participation in the BCC in 2015

1705 participants have now registered in the Thurston County Bicycle Commuter Contest, an all-time record!

Bike To Work Day 2015 Report

Mechanic from Bike Tech adjusts participant bike at Ralph's Thriftway Station

Thurston County's Bike to Work Day activities engaged hundreds of people and encouraged them to try (or continue) using their bicycles for transportation. An estimated 300-400 people stopped in at one or more of the 6 "Bike Stations" scattered around Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater. The Bike Stations were staffed by volunteers from Intercity Transit, the City Of Olympia, Thurston Regional Planning Council, the Southwest Olympia Neighborhood Association, local bike shops and the community at large. Supporting businesses included Bike Tech, Deschutes River Cyclery, Joy Ride Bikes, Old Town Bicycles, Stevenson Custom Bicycles, Batdorf and Bronson Coffee Roasters, Olympia Coffee Roasters, San Francisco St Bakery, The Bread Peddler, Bagel Brothers, Ralph's Thriftway, and South Sound Running. The 9th Annual InterAgency Bike Ride  attracted over 50 participants from several state and local agencies for a lunch time bike ride to Tumwater Historical Park.

9th Annual InterAgency Bike Ride participants

See more photos from the day, and other BCC-related photos, on our Flickr Page

2015 Earth Day Market Ride - Saturday, April 18

Welcome Spring with the BCC's Earth Day Market Ride!

Whether you're getting on your bicycle for the first time this year, or have been biking all winter, the Earth Day Ride is a great way to welcome Spring. Biking through town on a usual day, I'll see a few other people on bikes, going their way, and maybe we'll wave. At the Earth Day Ride, I get to see a whole crowd of people who use their bikes for transportation, all in one place having coffee and treats and chatting- and then biking through downtown together  - it's so sweet! We take a group photo at the Heritage Park Fountain, and then head over to the Farmers Market to shop, have lunch or listen to the music. We'll also have a table at the market where you can sign up for the BCC if you haven't already. Details below...

(Coffee generously provided by Batdorf and Bronson, Chocolate Corks by Bread Peddler!)

2015 Commuter Profile Number 3: Linda

• What is your age, roughly speaking? 
•  I’m a fifty-two year old woman

• What is your occupation or area of study? I work for the Family Support Center as a Family Resource Coordinator. I have spent my adult life parenting and supporting other parents in a variety of ways. I volunteer for two non-profits that support’s families as well as working for a non-profit.

• What is your most frequent destination on your bike? I do occasional recreational biking with my partner on the weekend. However mostly I commute to work three to four days a week as I’m part time and only work four days a week.

• How did you hear about the Bicycle Commuter Contest? My partner and I have five children between us and three of our children participated in the BCC when they were teens and each of them won in their categories.

2015 Commuter Profile Number 1: Matthew

• What is your age, roughly speaking? This year, I’ll be halfway between L and LX.

• What is your occupation or area of study? I’ve been really fortunate to have made a career in archaeology. After more than 20 years as an archaeologist in the private sector, I accepted a job with the State and now review and evaluate transportation projects across Washington for potential impacts to archaeological sites, historic structures, or places of cultural significance.

• What is your most frequent destination on your bike? Like most commuters, I have to say work. I don’t have a super long commute (just under ten miles a day round trip), but rain or shine I’m on my bike heading to work four days out of every seven! During the “nicer” months, I’ll often do errands or joyride on my days off (shout out for the Chehalis Western!) and some years I’ll do the STP or some other century-type ride just for the fun of it.

Winter Mini-BCC Winner, Week 3 - PLUS: Winter Bike To Work Day

Melanie won this solid brass bell from PDW in this week's drawing in the Winter mini-BCC!

 The Mini-BCC celebrates Thurston County residents who use their bikes for transportation year-round. 

If you are regularly biking for transportation this winter, email dgreen"at"intercitytransit to find out more! 

Plus, follow this link to check out International Winter Bike To Work Day- it's tomorrow!