On Friday, May 30, 2008, the inaugural Bicyclist Appreciation Breakfast was held, with the goal of bringing together the local bicycle community over fair-trade coffee and organic muffins, catered by Claire’s Cornercopia.

The first 50 cyclists to RSVP for the event were provided t-shirts and, along with additional t-shirts, front and rear bike light sets were raffled off.

Another feature of the Bicyclist Appreciation Breakfast was that a pilot Departmental Bike Program was launched. Ten participating department representatives came to pick up the bicycles that will be made available to anyone within their departments.

 The bikes will provide efficient campus transportation—reducing car trips and greenhouse gas emissions, and improving the mobility and health of all who use them! They came equipped with lights, fenders, panniers (to carry briefcases, laptops, etc.), a universal size helmet, and a combination U-lock. To facilitate easy scheduling of the departmental bikes, online scheduling software will be used, and odometers will be added to track the miles traveled by bicycle such that greenhouse gas emission savings can be calculated. Harder to measure is the good health and well-being Yalies will enjoy by virtue of riding a bike!

More information about how to participate in the Departmental Bike Program will be available in the fall from Yale’s Sustainable Transportation Program.