In 2007, the City of Seattle set itself the ambitious goal of tripling the use of bicycling for all trip purposes by 2017, through their Bicycle Master Plan.

Less explicitly, cities such as Issaquah and Sammamish have tried to encourage the use of non-motorized transportation by completing footpaths and bike lanes, producing bike maps, and providing facilities for bicyclists at Park and Rides and community hubs.

But cyclists, public health workers and transportation and environmental advocates know that there is still much to be done to encourage more people to commute by bike. Increasing bike ridership is seen as a key step toward a healthier lifestyle for individuals, and a society less plagued by the environmental, social and economic catastrophe that is our over reliance cars.

Local nonprofit Getting Around Issaquah Together (GAIT) is an example of the increasing energy behind alternative modes of transportation.

This month the City of Issaquah has teamed up with the Cascade Bicycle Club and recreational equipment retailer REI to promote “Bike to Work Day” on May 21. The city’s Resource Conservation Office has been involved with Bike to Work Day for ten years, and in that time has seen a steady increase in the number of riders taking part.

But most cities in the region do not know how many cyclists use their roads because they do not count them. In lieu of official bicycle counts, Bike to Work Day has become an indicator of how many people use a bike to get around.

According to Cascade, by riding on Bike to Work Day, cyclists help generate political momentum for the creation of more safe, convenient bicycle facilities. By demonstrating increases in ridership, they hope to show transportation engineers and politicians that facilities like bicycle lanes and parking racks are good investments.

From 6 – 10 a.m. May 21, stop by the Bike to Work Day booth at the intersection of State Route 900 and Northwest Sammamish Road for snacks, mechanical help from Pacific Bicycle, and giveaways.

On your way home, stop by from 3 – 6 p.m. at Pickering Barn, 1730 10th Ave N.W., for a barbecue, with food from PCC Natural Markets and Chipotle, as well as giveaways from REI.

For more information about Bike to Work Month and Bike to Work Day, visit www.cbcef.org/btw/.

For more information about GAIT, visit their Facebook page.