Gear up for bike month: celebrate cycling this May

RICHMOND, Va. — Grab your bicycle, fasten your helmet and go for a ride. May is National Bike Month, and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) wants people to celebrate cycling and keep in mind the shared responsibility to create a safe environment for everyone who uses Virginia’s roadways.

Governor Glenn Youngkin marked the occasion by issuing a proclamation declaring May Bike Month in Virginia. Bicycling is “an efficient form of transportation and offers independent mobility for many Virginians traveling between work, school, and home” while also easing congestion and producing no air pollution.

Virginia encourages cycling as a means of transportation by supporting infrastructure and designs intended to accommodate bikes. Virginia has more than 1,599 miles of shared use path facilities, 967 lane miles of bicycle lanes, and 466 lane miles of shared lane markings and locally designated routes. Check out VDOT’s interactive Virginia Bicycle Facility Inventory for more information about shared use paths, bicycle lanes, and shared lanes.

There are several Bike Month events planned throughout Virginia during May. National Bike Month also has a few key dates to promote the many benefits of active transportation as well as bicycle and road safety for all.

• National Ride a Bike Day is May 4
• Bike & Roll to School Day is May 7
• Bike to Work Day is May 16

As it gets warmer outside, more bicyclists will be sharing the roads. VDOT has a few reminders for drivers and bicyclists to make sure everyone stays safe.

Motorists

• Slow down and pass bicyclists on the road with care. Allow at least three feet clearance or change lanes, if possible.
• Look for bicyclists before opening a car door or pulling out from a parking space.
• Yield to bicyclists at intersections and as directed by signs and signals, as you would for pedestrians and vehicles.
• Follow the speed limit, and slow down on busy streets with more bicyclists.
• Respect designated bicycle lanes. Motorists should not drive, idle, or park in bicycle lanes except when necessary to cross or turn right.
• Motorists turning must yield to bicyclists continuing straight through an intersection.
• Drivers should be aware when turning for potential contraflow bike traffic in two-way cycle lanes and contraflow bike lanes and must yield to both directions of bike traffic.

Bicyclists

• Be a responsible bicyclist. Obey all traffic control devices and use proper hand signals.
• Always ride with the flow of traffic, and do not swerve or make sudden movements.
• Ride defensively. Anticipate the actions of other road users and watch for road hazards.
• Pass vehicles with extreme care. Turning vehicles may not see you.
• Be aware of motor vehicle blind spots whether while riding or when stopped at an intersection.
• At night, dress in brighter colors and ensure your reflective gear is clean.
• Do not ride side by side with a vehicle. Two cyclists should go into a single file line when a vehicle is passing.