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Two named 'Bike Commuters of the Year'
Palo Alto Roche employee and Menlo-Atherton High School woodshop teacher recognized during this week's National Bike Week

by Veronica Sudekum

Rather than rev up their automobile engines, two local bicycle enthusiasts routinely secure their helmets, mount their bikes and pedal off to work, and back.

The two cyclists — Jenn Rodriguez of Santa Clara County and Mark Leeper of San Mateo County — have been chosen by Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition as this year's 'Bike Commuters of the Year.'

The award celebrates National Bike Week, which kicked off Monday with elected officials (including San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and Palo Alto Councilwoman Yoriko Kishimoto donning cycling attire and riding bikes to San Jose's City Hall, according to Corinne Winter of the Bicycle Coalition.

On Thursday, thousands of other Bay Area residents will take to the streets on bicycles for "Bike to Work Day," an event encouraging commuters to take their bike to and from work.

Rodriguez has biked 11.5 miles from her Santa Clara residence to Palo Alto since 1994, when she began commuting by bicycle to build endurance for weekend recreational rides.

Her employer, Roche Palo Alto, LLC, provides bike lockers, showers and even emergency rides home if needed.

"These are good times for bike commuters and it keeps getting better," she said; citing recent improvements on Forbes Avenue and on Homestead Avenue in Santa Clara.

Leeper teaches woodshop at Menlo-Atherton High School. For more than 12 years, the teacher known as "Leapdog" to his students has pedaled to work from San Carlos, inspiring others to do the same by wearing a T-shirt with the message "One less car" on the back.

Editorial Intern Veronica Sudekum can be e-mailed at vsudekum@paweekly.com.

Posted by pedaling for prizes, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on May 13, 2008 at 10:13 pm

Bike to Work and Get Rewarded in Palo Alto, Thursday May 15

(from Frank's Weekly Memo)

On Thursday May 15, communities throughout the Bay Area will celebrate the 14th Annual Bike to Work Day to promote bicycling as a healthy, green and fun form of transportation. More than 180 Energizer Stations in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties along bike commute routes will provide rewards and encouragement for regular and first time bike commuters.

The City of Palo Alto will sponsor four Energizer Stations:

* City Hall King Plaza, near the intersection of Hamilton and Bryant Street

* Alma Bike Bridge, near the intersection of Alma and El Camino Real

* California Avenue and Park Boulevard, near the Caltrain Station

* Wilkie Way Bike Bridge over Adobe Creek, on the Miller Avenue side

Joining the commuters will be City Manager Frank Benest who will bike to City Hall.

City staff, members of the Palo Alto Bicycle Advisory Committee and friendly volunteers will welcome bicyclists at the Energizer Stations with fruit, coffee and other treats, plus bike commute bags, from 6:30 – 9 a.m.

Other local Energizer Station locations include one near Arastradero and Foothill (sponsored by Roche), another on Hanover near Page Mill (sponsored by HP) and one near the intersection of Churchill and Castilleja Avenues (sponsored by the Palo Alto High School). Stanford University will be hosting five more Energizer Stations at White Plaza and four key entrances to campus: Palm Drive, Galvez, Serra and Campus Drive West.

For maps showing locations of these Energizer Stations and 180 others over the Bay Area, plus FAQs on bike commuting and how to enter a prize drawing, see www.bicycling.511.org

For more information on Santa Clara County Bike to Work Day events, see www.svbcbikes.org