In celebration of National Bike Month, which occurs every May, Las Cruces residents with bicycles are invited to join Mayor Ken Miyagishima for the Mayor’s Bike Ride and to the Bike To Work Day event.
After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mayor’s Bike Ride returns and will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 21, 2022. The event will start and end at City Hall, 700 N. Main St.
The event is co-sponsored by Velo Las Cruces and Mayor Ken Miyagishima. The last Mayor’s Bicycle Ride was in 2019.
The route is slightly less than five miles. Several Las Cruces police officers, who also will be riding bicycles, will provide escort for the bike ride.
The route will travel through portions of the Mesquite and Alameda historic districts. The map for the route is online at https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38969197.
The ride is an easy, low-speed, family friendly event that will be on Downtown Las Cruces streets. The ride is not recommended for children younger than 12-years old unless they are in a trailer, tandem, or trail-a-bike. Helmets are required for all riders.
Just before the bicycle ride begins, a Proclamation in observance of National Bicycle Month will be read, and a brief explanation of the route will be provided to all participants. Initiated by the League of American Bicyclists in 1956, National Bike Month creates awareness of bicycling as an American pastime.
Additionally, the City of Las Cruces’ Bike To Work Day will be from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Friday, May 20, 2022. The event will be on the west side of City Hall.
Information about existing and proposed bike facilities, the basics of bike commuting, and Vulnerable Road Users NM, a non-profit group, will be available at the event. Participants at the event and interested residents are encouraged to provide feedback about what they like about biking in Las Cruces as well offer suggestions about what can be done to improve biking conditions in the city.
Complimentary snacks and free bike bottles will also be available to everyone who attends Bike To Work Day. Velo Las Cruces, a local nonprofit bike advocacy organization, is participating in Bike to Work Day.
For information about Bike To Work Day, contact Robert Messenger, Active Transportation Coordinator for the City of Las Cruces, at 575/528-3209 or 575/528-3043, or by email at rmessenger@las-cruces.org. For information about the Mayor’s Bicycle Ride, contact George Pearson at george@nmbikesummit.org.