May is Bike Month and what better way to kick off the month than to celebrate a champion. April Beyersdorf is Santa Clara County’s Bike Champion of the Year! Bay Area Bike to Wherever Days organizers give this award to individuals for inspiring bicycling in their Bay Area communities and for their commitment to bicycling as the primary mode of transport. 

April’s passion for sustainable commuting began at a very young age, when she would ride VTA with her father to preschool. Now a junior at Saint Francis High School, she is the founder of her school’s Sustainable Commuting Club, whose mission is to encourage other students to feel confident biking and taking public transit. She is currently organizing a Bike to School Day on April 28th, which she hopes will encourage more students to choose sustainable commuting options. 

April envisions a total reimagining of the roads leading to her high school so cyclists and pedestrians can get to school without fear. April's long-term goal is to become an urban planner and improve the current South Bay public transportation system by following the path of the old Peninsular Railway. Congratulations April on becoming Santa Clara County’s 2023 Bike Champion of the Year! 

Bike to Wherever Days

Don’t forget to pledge to ride! Bike to Wherever Days, May 18-20, is the perfect time to get out there and feel the joy of biking, no matter your skill level. When you pledge to ride, you can receive a free Bike to Wherever Days 2023 tote bag from an Energizer Station near you and have chances to win a random drawing prize from local bike shops. Your pledge will also help your city inch towards winning the Cities Pedal Power Challenge. 

Pedal your way to VTA’s Energizer Station on Thursday, May 18th at the Mountain View Transit Center. We will be out there handing out tote bags and snacks from 6:30 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. 

The more people who ride, the better we can support the goal of building healthier and more just communities by making bicycling safer and more accessible for everyone. Check out the events calendar to see more ways you can enjoy Bike Month!