Photo: Metro.

Here is the news release from Metro:

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is sponsoring “Bike Week L.A.” activities from May 12-18 to encourage people to ride bicycles to work, school and other destinations throughout LA County to reduce traffic and air pollution. Bring a bicycle or bicycle helmet on Metro buses and trains for a free ride on Bike to Work Day, May 15.

Metro will be offering a chance to win several prizes, such as a brand new Novara Big Buzz Bike or a cool Novara E.T.A. Backpack from REI, an Abus U-lock  and other great prizes, to those who pledge to bike to work on Bike to Work Day, Thursday, May 15. Pledges may be made online at http://www.metro.net/bikes/bike-week/bw-pledge-form/. Schools, workplaces, and advocacy groups will hold bicycle pit stops that day with free refreshments, giveaways and bicycling information for bicycle commuters. Those who would like to share their bicycle adventures with Metro should tag their social media posts #BikeWeekLA” at the bottom, along with the standard messaging on social media.

Cyclists will have a chance to attend Fix your Bike workshops, Guided Rides and Bike Local Discount Stores. New this year, Metro is also hosting a Metro Bike Night at Union Station featuring special guests, live music, food trucks, bike fashion and photo contests, bike trivia, movies and prizes.

Transit riders can show their valid TAP card at 80 destinations throughout Los Angeles County and save at local eats, museums, theatre, and shopping destinations including MOCA, the Ahmanson Theatre, Amoeba Music in Hollywood, Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific, the California Science Center,Grand Central Market, Yogurtland and more.  Mention “Bike Week LA” at participating bike shops and other businesses to receive a special discount or offer during the week of May 12-18.

Over fifty percent of trips in Los Angeles Countyare less than three miles long, however, only one percent of trips in the county are made by bicycles. Metro has been investing in bike facilities and programs to increase that percentage. Beside direct investment in bicycle projects, the expanding network of Metro buses and rail service enables more people to extend their trips by integrating bicycling with public transit.

All Metro buses are equipped with front bicycle racks and bikes may also be taken on Metro trains. Metro has removed its peak-hour restrictions for bicycles on rail, which means cyclists may bring their bicycles onboard Metro Rail during all system hours. On Bike to Work Day, Thursday, May 15, Metro will offer free rides to bicyclists on Metro buses and trains throughout Los Angeles County. Culver City Bus, Glendale Beeline, Long Beach Transit, Montebello Bus Lines, Norwalk Transit System, Torrance Transit, DASH and Commuter Express, Beach Cities Transit, City of El Monte Transportation, Big Blue Bus, Commerce Municipal Bus Lines and Pasadena ARTS will also offer free transit rides to bicyclists who board with a bicycle or bicycle helmet. Metrolink will offer free rides to people who board with a bicycle.

On Bike to Work Day, Metro is co-sponsoring almost 100 bicycle pit stops across Los Angeles County with local organizations. Bicyclists are invited to stop for refreshments and free giveaways at various times of the day. For locations and times, go to http://www.metro.net/bikes/bike-week/

Metro is also collecting nominations for the Year-Round Golden Pedal Awards, Metro’s competition for great stories about bicycling. The agency is featuring these stories in a monthly Why You Ride series.  Members of the public may nominate themselves, friends and colleagues for different cycling awards online at http://www.metro.net/bikes/bike-week/golden-pedal-awards-form/

Metro will also release its updated county bikeway map.  The Metro Bike Map contains nearly 250 new miles of bikeways gathered from many of LA County’s 88 cities since 2012. The new map can be downloaded online at http://www.metro.net/bikes/. Free copies are also available at any Metro Customer Center; call (213) 922-2811 to request a copy.

A schedule of Bike Week L.A. activities is as follows:

Saturday, May 10 —Get Ready to Fix Your Bike
Get ready for Bike Week by tuning up your bicycle starting Saturday, May 10. There are plenty of bicycle co-ops and shops around Los Angeles County where you can fix your bike or even build a new one.

Saturday, May 10 —Old Roots, New Routes Temple City Bike Ride, led by C.I.C.L.E. and Eastside Bike Club
Jump into Bike Week by joining the Metro-sponsored bike ride down Rosemead Boulevard for its Grand Opening (GO) Festival. The ride will meet at 10:30 a.m. and leave promptly at 11:00 a.m. Participants will explore Temple City’s past, present and future by riding through Los Angeles County’s newest cycle tracks. Explore new routes in Temple City by returning to the city’s roots.

Sunday, May 11, 2014—Bicycling is for Everyone
Go on a bike ride with the whole family. Bicycling is the perfect family-friendly activity for a leisurely Sunday.

Monday, May 12, 2014—Kick-Off Bike Week LA
Join Metro at Union Station’s South Patio to kick-off Bike Week on Monday, May 12. Local and regional transportation agencies, bicycle advocacy groups and more will participate.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014—Blessing of the Bicycles
Participate in the Good Samaritan Hospital’s 11th Annual Blessing of the Bicycles on Tuesday, May 13. Celebrate this year’s recipient of the Golden Spoke Award, an honor given every year to an individual who has improved bicycle safety in Los Angeles

Wednesday, May 14, 2014—Guided Ride Day: Bike Lanes and More!
Join Metro for Guided Ride Day on May 14 and experience Los Angeles County’s bicycle network

Thursday, May 15, 2014—Bike to Work Day
Give bicycling to work a try with almost 100 “pit stops” across Los Angeles County.  Metro and other municipal transit providers will offer free rides to bicyclists on buses and trains.

Friday, May 16, 2014 – Metro Bike Night at Union Station
Metro and LA County partners will host a Bike Week wrap-up evening event at the Fred Harvey Room and courtyard area on Friday, May 16 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. This free event will feature special guests, live music, food trucks, outdoor booths, free bike valet, bike short films, trivia, bike portraits and a fashion show. There will also be a raffle for a chance to win a Tern folding bike, a one year supply of Clif Bar products, Abus U-locks, 30-Day Metro passes, Bike Week LA special edition t-shirts and more.

Monday-Sunday, May 12-18—Bike Local
Ride your bike to eat, play or shop, and take advantage of special discounts just for bicyclists! Bicyclists are great for local business. Research shows that people traveling on bicycles spend more money at and make more visits to small establishments than people traveling in cars. Just say “Bike Week LA” to get your special discount.

Bike Week LA is sponsored by Metro and other partners and sponsors, including Caltrans, C.I.C.L.E., City of Los Angeles, Good Samaritan Hospital, LACBC, LADOT Bicycle Program, Metrolink, Clif Bar, REI, Tern Bicycles, Abus, City of Covina and others.

Bike to Work Day bicycle pit stop hosts include the  City of Claremont, City of Covina, City of Glendale, City of Glendora, City of Pasadena, City of Santa Clarita, City of Santa Monica, City of Torrance, City of West Hollywood, City of Whittier,  Los Angeles County Department of Public Health,  California Department of Justice, California State University Dominguez Hills, California State University Long Beach, California State University Los Angeles, Caltech, Caltrans, Center for Environmental and Urban Studies,Chatsworth Neighborhood Council,Department of Health Services, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, East Side Riders Bike Club, El Maestro Bicycle Shop, Fleet Street, Foothill Transit, Glendale College Police Department, Olive View-UCLA Medical Center,  Palms Neighborhood Council,  NPR West, University of La Verne, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department STARS Center, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Bike Coalition at UCLA, Bike San Gabriel Valley, Pomona Valley Bicycle Coalition, Stan’s Bike Shop, Orange 20 Bikes, National MS Society and Bike MS, Western Asset, Century City Transportation Management Organization, Alta Planning + Design, Pasadena Towers – Jones Lang Lasalle, Gulfstream Aerospace Corp, Fehr and Peers, IDS Real Estate Group, Burbank Transportation Management Organization,  OneWest Bank, The Bicycle Kitchen/La Bicicocina, The Aerospace Corporation, Raytheon,Santa Monica Bike Center,Southeast Bicycle Alliance, The California Endowment, Howard Hughes Center, Yahoo, and YouthBuild Boyle Heights / MCM!.

Metro is a multimodal transportation agency that is really three companies in one: a major operator that transports about 1.5 million boarding passengers on an average weekday on a fleet of 2,000 clean air buses and six rail lines, a major construction agency that oversees many bus, rail, highway and other mobility related building projects, and it is the lead transportation planning and programming agency for Los Angeles County.  Overseeing one of the largest public works programs in America, Metro is, literally, changing the urban landscape of the Los Angeles region. Dozens of transit, highway and other mobility projects largely funded by Measure R are under construction or in the planning stages. These include five new rail lines, the I-5 widening and other major projects.

Stay informed by following Metro on The Source and El Pasajero at metro.net, facebook.com/losangelesmetro, twitter.com/metrolosangeles and twitter.com/metroLAalerts and instagram.com/metrolosangeles.