Bike to Work Day is May 16

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Residents at Cooperstown’s Woodside Hall created decorative banners for this year’s Bike to Work Day.

COOPERSTOWN, NY (05/04/2012)(readMedia)-- Pump up your bike tires! The Fourth Annual Bike to Work Day for Otsego County will be held on Wednesday, May 16. Otsego Regional Cycling Advocates, a committee of the Otsego County Conservation Association and sponsor of Bike to Work Day, is hoping for good weather and plenty of riders as well as walkers.

ORCA encourages all riders to wear bright clothing, travel in the direction of traffic and follow ALL traffic laws. Predictable riding is safe riding; bicyclists should behave like cars and motorists should treat bicycles as they would a motor vehicle. The recognized hand signal for a left-hand turn is to hold the left arm straight out, perpendicular to the ground. For a right-hand turn, the left arm should be held out and bent at the elbow, hand pointing to the sky. To indicate a stop, the left arm should be out, elbow bent, hand pointing to the ground.

This year, ORCA is teaming up with Jason's Run to sponsor the First Alert Sticker & Safety Card Program. Karen Vagliardo, Jason's Run coordinator, explained, "This program is designed to help emergency responders aid injured riders. It is a valuable tool for EMTs and hospital personnel in the treatment of injured cyclists, providing information such as allergies, existing medical conditions, medications, and much more."

The First Alert Sticker & Safety Card Program provides a decal for the outside of the helmet and an information card for the inside of the helmet with emergency contact information for the bearer of the card.

"We are happy to be coordinating with Jason's Run to help inform more people about this method of communication in case of emergency," said Martha Clarvoe, Bike to Work Day chair.

As in previous years, there will be multiple Bike to Work Day check-in locations countywide. This spring, there are banners for each check-in location to help advertise the event. The banners were created by Woodside Hall residents under the direction of Julie Barnes. Materials were donated by ORCA members Dottie Hudson and Jean Finch.

2012 Bike to Work Day sponsors are: Carefree Gardens, Cooperstown Preschool, Integrative Structural Therapies, New York Pizzeria, Origins Café, Paceline Sports Cycling Team and Prudential Fox Properties. Prizes will be provided by sponsors, and the New York Bicycling Coalition has donated 60 reflective leg bands, which will be sold at a nominal fee to ensure they go to people who will use them.

ORCA's mission is to promote bicycling and walking in the Otsego County region as an enjoyable, healthy, safe, and environmentally friendly activity for people of all ages and abilities. OCCA is a private, non-profit environmental membership organization dedicated to promoting the enjoyment and sustainable use of Otsego County's natural resources through education, advocacy, resource management, research, and planning.

Those wishing to learn more about Bike to Work Day should contact Martha Clarvoe at (607) 547-4488 or via e-mail, martha.clarvoe@gmail.com. To search for a check-in location near your destination, go to www.occainfo.org and click on the ORCA logo. Early registration for pledging to participate in the Fourth Bike to Work Day can be found there also.