Bay Meadows

From two-wheeled newbies to veteran cyclists, thousands took to Bay Area roads on Bike-to-Work Day (BTW), trying out new exercise regimens and sparing area highways of congestion. (To see all the great pix of BTW Day, get social with us @BayMeadowsLife  and you can view the full day in photos on Facebook.)

Bay Meadows resident Stephanie, who staffed the local BTW Energizer Station with Kaiser and Whole Foods, reported back, “It was the coldest year by far!” Over 50 bundled-up bicyclists braved the fog to stop by the Station for refreshments and high-fives.

 

With our new community growing by the day and now including leading Silicon Valley firms such as SurveyMonkey, Ten-X and Zuora, Bike to Work Day has really become Bike to Work Daily at Bay Meadows. Not only do these companies have robust bike-commuting programs, but Bay Meadows also incentivizes its residents to bike or take public transit.

Encouraged by bike-friendly streets, Caltrain adjacency and even free PUBLIC Bikes for homeowners, nearly 20% of Bay Meadows’ residents bike daily and 12% bring their bikes on Caltrain. Two-wheels are becoming just another way to get to work.

For Brightside homeowner Rob, make that four wheels and a wood plank. “A skateboard is my ideal commute!” Rob used to skateboard to his work in San Francisco. Now, with his office in downtown San Mateo, bicycling is more practical. “Bicycling is way better than driving. I definitely beat cars in the traffic all the time.”

Rob’s neighbor at Brightside, Josh, also sees bicycling as a smart way to commute. Though he works in San Francisco, Josh “is on East coast hours” and he takes his bike on the 5:22 AM Caltrain. From there, it’s a quick ride to CoreOS’s offices near Market Street. With ample bike parking and even offering a bike repair service through Beeline Bikes, CoreOS makes it easy to commute via bicycle.

 

(Left: Bay Meadows resident Josh commutes to CoreOS in San Francisco. Right: Justin of Zuora commutes on a shared bike.)

Some Bay Meadows residents don’t necessarily have it so easy, but still are determined to bike to work. Nader Banki never knows what he’ll encounter in his job as a doctor at Kaiser in Redwood City. Still, the cardiologist and health advocate is determined to jump on two-wheels 2-3 times a week for his commute.

For BTW Day’s 20^th Anniversary a few years back, Bay Meadows’ resident Aparna Jain was featured on the Bay Area-wide event’s page for her bike-commuting lifestyle. Once or twice a week, Aparna was waking up early and pedaling all 24 miles between San Mateo and the city.

“I’m not burning any fuel – just extra calories!”

Walkscore.com rates Bay Meadows high on the list for walkable locations to live on the San Francisco Peninsula and for good reason! Why? Because we are steps from shopping (Hillsdale Center), groceries (Whole Foods), parks, a farmer’s market and an easy bike-ride from downtown San Mateo with its burgeoning restaurant scene. San Mateo’s shared Bay Bikes are on-site, so no need to own your own. And Caltrain is a quick stroll from anywhere in the neighborhood. Learn all about connecting the dots for your many transportation options with Connect San Mateo.