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City of Turlock promotes bike to work week
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It is Bike to Work Week and that means there is no better time to enjoy the spring weather than getting on your bike and peddling to work.

Cycling has been on the rise in recent years as the number of trips made by bicycles in the United States has more than doubled from 1.7 billion in 2001 to 4 billion in 2009 according to the National Household Travel Survey. The League of American Bicyclists ranked California as the eighth most bicycle friendly state in the country in their 2015 listing.

Turlock is no exception to the biking phenomenon, as for the past several years the City of Turlock has been collaborating with Commute Connection to promote the alternative form of transportation. Commute Connection is a program that serves San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Merced counties, by promoting sustainable forms of transportation to improve air quality, public health, and roadway operations.

City Engineer Stephen Fremming and City Transit Planner Scott Medeirous have promoted Bike to Work week by having City staff handing out fliers at the Turlock Certified Famers’ Market, something that local group Bike Turlock has joined in on as well. Since May is National Bike Month, Bike Turlock members sought out attendees of the May 9 Farmer’s Market to pledge to bike to work during Bike to Work week. Attendees were invited to return to the May 16 market for the City of Turlock Bicycle Rally at 9 a.m., which will include a group ride that will begin and end at the market.

“It’s a way to promote biking and also to have fun with others who enjoy bike riding.  The Turlock Police Department will have an officer or two at the event and will provide a safety talk about riding in traffic and the police department will escort us on bikes along our route.  It should be a fun time,” said Fremming.

A proclamation was also issued by Mayor Gary Soiseth at the April 28 Turlock City Council meeting in celebration of Bike to Work month.