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By Lookout Staff

May 13 -- Santa Monica officials are urging motorists to ditch their cars and hop on their bicycles Thursday to celebrate Bike-to-Work Day, part of a full week of special events being planned around the state.

Joining with other transportation agencies around Los Angeles, City and Big Blue Bus officials hope to encourage a healthy alternative way to get to work and promote biking as a viable means of transportation.

Motorists with long commutes can bring their bicycles along and use the bus bike racks at no extra charge, transporation officials said.

"Many people take the bus into work and then ride home, or take the bus to a location where there is a bike path and then ride the rest of the way in for exercise," said Jose Barba, customer service manager for the Big Blue Bus.

City Hall and REI in Santa Monica will be among the special "pit stops" set up and staffed around the Los Angeles area to assist bikers on the day of the event. Other Westside stops include UCLA Bruin Plaza, where a Bike Fair will be held.

At the stops, bicyclists can fill up their tires, get their bike chains tightened and even have a flat tire repaired, all for free. The stops will also offer refreshments, maps and bike-themed giveaways. (For a full list of the 35 pit stops in the Los Angeles area visit www.metro.net/biketowork.)

The Big Blue Bus and the City's Transportation Department have collaborated to create a special Bike Map containing a wealth of information about biking around the Westside, including how to combine using the Big Blue Bus with taking a bicycle, and a complete map of Santa Monica and surrounding areas showing bus routes and how they relate to commuting with a bike.

The Bike Map will be available beginning Wednesday at the Big Blue Bus Transit Store located at 223 Broadway near the Third Street Promenade, or by calling Customer Service at 310-451-5444. After the event, the map will also be available at City Hall, REI, UCLA, and various bicycle shops around town.

Bike-to-Work Day participants are encouraged to plan in advance for the one-day event. Tips include:

• Determining the best routes to take, choosing roads that offer bike lanes or paved shoulders, and taking a trial run to determine how long it will take to get to work.
  
• Letting employers know you"ll be commuting to work via a bicycle that day, finding a good place to store the bike during working hours, and bringing a lock if the bicycle will be stored in a non-secure location.
  
• Making sure bicycles are in good working order, tires are inflated, wearing a proper fitting helmet, and making sure the bike has a light if it will be ridden at night.

Big Blue Bus Customer Service representatives will be available at the City Hall pit stop from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. to assist with route information.

A "bike valet" will also be available until 5 p.m. to store bikes left at City Hall in a secure location. City Hall is located at 1685 Main Street.

The REI pit stop, located at 402 Santa Monica Boulevard, will be staffed from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. and the UCLA stop, located at Bruin Plaza at 308 Westwood Plaza, will be manned from 10 a.m. until noon.

For more tips about how to bike to work, visit www.californiabikecommute.com. For more information on other special activities around the city and connecting Metro routes, visit www.metro.net.

For information on Big Blue Bus routes, visit www.bigbluebus.com. For media inquiries, please contact Francine Pares at 949-481-7559 or fpares@intelibrand.com.