A pair of May holidays celebrate biking to work. Both Bike to Work Week and National Bike to Work Day are in May and offer easy ways to promote cycling to your employees.
Pima Association of Governments, which manages the Travel Reduction Program, and other agencies offer resources to help those employees who want to start cycling to work.
Getting Started
While cycling can be a great way to commute to work, getting started can be a bit daunting. Previous editions of the Sun Rideshare newsletter have shared articles with tips on getting started on cycling to work.
- Tips to Start Cycling on Your Commute
- Cycling Advice for Would-Be Commuters
- How to Start Commuting in a Bike-Friendly Community
Regional Bicycle Network
The regional bicycle network consists of over 1,000 miles of bicycle lanes, routes, shared-use paths/trails and bicycle boulevards that are safer, reliable ways to bike in Tucson. The greater Tucson area was the first region in the United States to be designated gold-level as a bicycle-friendly region by the League of American Bicyclists.
Many of these bicycle amenities are showcased on the Tucson Metro Bike Map. An interactive version can be found on the PAG website.
Hard copies of the map can be found at locations around town, while a printable version can be found here.
The online version of the map contains the whole region and has some interactive elements to allow users to hone in on their location, add and remove features, and change the backdrop to better suit their needs. The physical version breaks the region up into a few sections and includes safety tips and other information.
The Loop
The Chuck Huckelberry Loop is one of the largest bicycle and pedestrian networks for recreation and commute linkages in the nation. The Loop is a 137-mile system of paved, shared-use paths and short segments of buffered bike lanes. The Loop extends through unincorporated Pima County, Marana, Oro Valley, Tucson and South Tucson and can be enjoyed on foot, bikes, skates and horse. Portions of The Loop were funded by the Regional Transportation Authority, a regional taxing district that provides revenues for a 20-year plan from taxes collected countywide. Both the RTA plan and its half-cent sales tax are in place through June 2026.
Learn more about the Loop and how employees can incorporate it into their daily commute or as part of their personal travel reduction efforts.
Bike Boulevards
As local jurisdictions put a greater emphasis on infrastructure for non-motorized transportation, new forms of mobility solutions are incorporated into roadway improvements. Safer bike lanes, multi-use paths and bike boulevards are just some of these project enhancements.
Bike boulevards create a more comfortable route for both pedestrians and bicyclists to use by offering a parallel, low vehicle volume bicycle route. The City of Tucson has developed numerous bicycle boulevards that wind through residential areas in proximity to arterial streets with several more being constructed this year.
Other Resources
The City of Tucson, Town of Marana and Town of Oro Valley each has its own bicycle resources that may benefit your organization and employees.