Superintendent Rudolph rides with Mountain View families - Photo by Chris Brunn
by Trish Peach
Families all ready to go for their ride - Photo by John Scarboro
Saturday the 27th August 2016, was Safe Mountain View’s 2nd Annual Summer Bike Ride and Picnic. Families from Mountain View and the surrounds met at Bubb Park in the morning for a casual ride around the streets of the city. Over 90 people were in attendance including the Mountain View Whisman School District’s Superintendent Ayindé Rudolph who loves to ride his bike, riding to the district office daily.
Bikes at the bike parking - Photo by Chris Brunn
And they are off - Photo by Chris Brunn
The bike ride began at Bubb Park with bike buses of 6-8 people riding together from the back streets of the Bubb neighborhood through to Castro Street. The ride highlighted one of the upcoming projects Safe Mountain View helped shape, the Graham Middle School protected bike lanes. Riding on Castro Street past the school creates a sense of awareness to the participating families and how the protected bike lanes will increase the safety for children riding to school.
Riding down Castro Street north of Graham Middle School - Photo by Chris Brunn
Group Ride across El Camino Real - Photo by John Scarboro
Continuing across El Camino Real the cultural diversity of many cycling families riding down Castro Street encouraged the motorists to smile and tap their horns. From Castro Street, the ride continued through Old Mountain View and onto Evelyn Avenue. From Evelyn Avenue, the ride moved onto the Stevens Creek Trail for a short stint, through to Calderon Avenue and finally back to Bubb Park. The 3.8 mile ride was easy for all the families and introduced everyone to road safety skills and how that as a cyclist you obey the laws of the road just like a motor vehicle.
Kids enjoy the Bike Rodeo - Photo by Cherie Walkowiak
Happiness is an ice cream cone - Photo by Cherie Walkowiak
Ice Cream Yum! - Photo by Andrew Yee
After the ride, everyone enjoyed a picnic lunch, a raffle of over $700 worth of bike related merchandise donated from local vendors and free ice cream. The weather was just perfect for a summer bike ride and the community enjoyed the time together to create the awareness of safe streets for all. For volunteering opportunities and more information about Safe Mountain View visit www.safemountainview.org. One of the riders created an amazing movie, check it out here. Click here for more photographs and videos of the Summer Bike Ride.