Celebrate National Bike Month in May!

Help Us Celebrate National Bike Month in Columbia SC!  With spring in the air, the City of Columbia and the League of American Bicyclists, the national organization of bicyclists, announce that May is National Bike Month, May 16-22 is Bike to Work Week and Friday, May 20 is Bike to Work Day.

The City urges everyone to bike to work or try cycling for fun, fitness, or transportation. We’ll be celebrating virtually via the City of Columbia’s social media platforms, and a number of community partners will host Bike Month related rides and other events in May as well.

Considering biking to work or for fun?  Here are some tips:

• Have your bike checked over by your local bike shop
• Plan your route, incorporating bike lanes, greenways, and less-busy streets when possible
• Always wear a helmet to protect your head in the event of a crash
• Ride in a safe location; in South Carolina, bicyclists may ride on sidewalks, or in the street.  If a dedicated bike lane is provided, bicyclists must use the bike lane (if they are riding in the roadway).  Please note, the City of Columbia does not allow bicyclists on the sidewalks bounded by Assembly, Gervais, Sumter, and Elmwood by local ordinance.
• Obey all stop signs, traffic lights and lane markings
• Look before you change lanes or signal a turn; indicate your intention, then act
• Be visible and predictable at all times; wear bright clothing and signal turns

The City of Columbia has been designated as a bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists since 2008; the designation is a four-year designation, and the City was most recently re-designated in December of 2020.  City Council adopted Walk Bike Columbia, a bicycle and pedestrian master plan for the City, in 2015.

To learn more about how the City of Columbia is engaged in bicycle and pedestrian planning efforts, visit https://www.columbiacompass.org/walk-bike-columbia.html and https://planninganddevelopment.columbiasc.gov/master-plan/ .  To sign up to receive email updates from the City of Columbia on transportation planning, visit http://eepurl.com/gfIG25.