History
Pitt’s celebration of our bicycling community started in May 2017 with Bike to Work Day, a national event that promotes bikes as a commuting option for workers across the country. Pitt’s celebration brought together bicycle commuters from across Pittsburgh for breakfast and coffee, bike giveaways, free bike safety checks, a Port Authority bus bike rack demonstration, and more! Bike to Work Day is still celebrated each year.
The following year, Pitt, Carnegie Mellon University, Chatham University, and BikePGH established Bike to Campus Day to celebrate students, faculty, and staff who commute to campus by bike – hosted in September after students returned to campus! Events and activities were planned at the three universities and promoted by our partner BikePGH.
In 2020, the Bike to Campus Week celebration became established, holding events virtually due to the pandemic. Activities included online sessions with bike experts and bike commuters focused on equipping new riders, insights on local bike routes, what to look for when buying a bike, and group ride opportunities.
Bike to Campus Week 2021 was the biggest thus far, as in-person events returned to campus. Highlights of the week’s events included the first Bike to Campus Week Festival featuring campus and local bike organizations, a Friday afternoon social ride hosted by the Pitt Bike Cave and Latin American Graduate Organization of Students (LAGOS), and Chancellor Gallagher and Provost Cudd taking to the street for a bike ride through Oakland!
During Bike to Campus Week 2022, participants were able to take a POGOH bike for a ride, learn about our friends at Friends of the Riverfront and their dedication to protecting and restoring the riverfront, visit the Pitt Bike Cave at their pop-up repair shop, pick up some used bike gear at Thirftsburgh’s gear swap, or chat with Pitt Mobility about commuting by bike in Pittsburgh! The rest of the week was filled with bike classes, a bike-focused career panel, a bike repair pop-up, a bike light giveaway, virtual bike webinars, and an info session on riding the Great Allegheny Passage Bike Trail which goes from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Cumberland, Maryland!