When the tomatoes in your garden are finally ripening, you know that September is near. And as September approaches, Portland and the rest of the state gears up for the Bike Commute Challenge.

Organized by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, the BCC is a free event for employers in Oregon and SW Washington to challenge their employees and business peers to bike to work. In 2011, over 1400 workplaces and 12,063 employees participated in the month-long event.

If some of your co-workers arrive at work wearing a bike helmet, it's likely that your employer is already registered. If not, all you need is someone to register the team and become a team captain. 

To increase the fun and competitive spirit, the BTA last year added a League function. Leagues are usually organized around employment sectors (design/architectural, outdoor industry) or regions (Gorge, Eugene/Springfield, etc.).

An employer can join as many leagues of the 74 leagues as they wish - and can create more.

The BTA is offering a limited number of workplace bike commute workshops. Contact Stephanie Noll for more information. 

On Friday 8/31 from 3 - 6pm and Saturday 9/1 from 9am - 2 pm, pro bike mechanics will be stationed at three places along the Going Street neighborhood greenway to help get your bike rolling - for FREE!  Three locations!

• N Williams and N Going
• NE 33rd and NE Going
• NE Cully and NE Alberta

All you need to do is bring out your bike, enjoy a complimentary beverage and treat, and hang out for a few minutes while our mechanics show your bike a little love.  Your flat tires, dusty chains, and squeaky brakes will be a thing of the past!

Plus we'll have bike maps, cool seat covers to keep your saddle dry in the rain, and other resources to help you explore Going Street and all of the Portland Bureau of Transportation's neighborhood greenways.

The Oregonian covered the new improvements coming to Maplewood Road in SW Portland. Maplewood road is a street used by our walking school buses at Maplewood School. The improvements along the street will make it much safer for families to walk to school and for all people to bike and roll in the neighborhood. Check out the article and our parent champion Ronda Zakocs advocating for Safe Routes. 

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2012/08/maplewood_road_construction_im.html#incart_river_default

The Portland Bicycle Advisory Committee is a group of volunteers that advises the City Council and the City of Portland's bureaus on all bicycle-related matters. Each year the BAC dedicates one of its meeting to a bicycle tour of bike facilities.

If you are interested in bicycle design innovations or simply want an excuse for a ride before summer is out, join the BAC and Portland's Bicycle Coordinator Roger Geller on Tuesday, September 11th in the plaza of City Hall on SW Fourth Avenue. The ride will depart at 6:00 p.m.

The bike tour route will include approximately a dozen different bikeway treatments, including two examples of cycle tracks (separated bike lanes on SW Broadway and SW Moody), progressed signals that recognize cyclists as they approach an intersections, and the Gibbs Street pedestrian and bicycle bridge.

The bike ride will cover about 12 miles and will take about two hours.

The BAC meets at 6 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month. Except for this month's bike tour, meetings are held in the Lovejoy Room in City Hall at 1221 SW 4th Avenue.

If you have questions or need more information, please call Roger Geller at 823-7671.

Photo courtesy of Mike Houck, The Intertwine Alliance

The Bike Commute Challenge is the nation's premier employer bike commute event. It's also a great motivator to jump on your bike and arrive at work energized and with a few more dollars in your pocket.

If you live too far to bike the entire way - no problem. You can combine biking with any other travel mode and still log it as a bike trip - even if you only bike one-way. See TriMet's  or C-Tran's web site for information on biking and public transit.

Need help with your bike commute? See our free bike maps online or order a bike commuter kit.