May is National Bike Month, and today Starbucks is sponsoring Bike to Work Day. There will be free coffee and other goodies at 44 commuter stations (in three counties) from 6 to 9 a.m. this morning. (See www.cbef.org for locations.) If you work downtown and get there early, the Cascade Bicycle Club has arranged a 7:30 a.m. rally at City Hall to feature music, more free stuff, and various speakers and politicians courting the two-wheeled greenie vote. (Im bettering on Greg Nickels, Nick Licata, and Richard Conlin; and we know Ron Sims has ridden the STPor has he already moved to DC?) Last year, 23,000 cycle commuters were counted at the swag stations. Gas spiked in price then declined since then, but it seems like half the expansion joints on I-5 are being replaced right now, which ought to help attendance. Meanwhile, local companies are competing all month in the Group Health Commute Challenge. But considering the state of the economy, with so many recent corporate layoffs, there ought to be a category for the unemployed. Because even if youre pedaling to the unemployment office, it should be counted as commuting. BRIAN MILLER
Fri., May 15, 6-9 a.m., 2009
