Where does this work best? If the major job centers of a region are congested with automobile traffic but still relatively accessible by bicycle, then Bike to Work Day would be a good tool to use to promote bicycling in a community. Additionally, if commuters have the option of traveling by bicycle to a local transit hub and then taking transit the rest of the way to their jobs, then Bike to Work Day would also bring important benefits to a community. Some extra measures may be appropriate to ease the ride for new cyclists-for example, many San Mateo County (CA) work centers are located amidst steep hills. SamTrans (the public transit agency in the county) runs extra buses on Bike to Work Day to permit bicyclists to travel by bus for the part of their commute that are too difficult to travel by bike.

Supporting community goals. Because Bike to Work Day can be an effective tool to get people to try a commute mode other than driving, organizing and promoting this kind of event would be useful in communities that are attempting to improve neighborhood quality of life and public health by reducing traffic congestion and pollution-bicycling can help relieve auto and truck congestion, causes less air and noise pollution than driving, costs the commuter less money (leaving more money for housing or other purchases), offers a healthier way to get around, and uses less energy. 

According to BikeLink's "Bike Commuting Fact Sheet", there are approximately 103 million bicycles in the U.S., yet only 1.67% of all trips to and from work in this country are by bicycle. Clearly there is significant room for improvement in increasing the number of Americans who feel comfortable and capable of biking to work. 

Spillover effects. Of course, traveling by bicycle is useful for other trips besides just getting to work. By encouraging beginning and/or recreational cyclists to think of their bicycle as a viable way of getting around town, Bike to Work Day can promote bicycling and reduce automobile congestion for non-work trips as well.

A concerted effort to increase bicycle usage, including Bike to Work Day, may help a community address the many other problems caused by excessive automobile travel: speeding cars cutting through side streets to avoid slow traffic on major corridors, transit vehicles stuck in traffic jams, noise and air pollution in residential neighborhoods, and the growing public health crisis of adult and childhood obesity.