Bike Month is Around the Corner

Bike Month starts May 1, so this is the perfect time to prep for your new adventure. With the weather warming up, why not take a break from high gas prices and arrive by bike? Here are some resources that are just a click away:

• Find a bike buddy! Ask your bike buddy to help you plan a route and ride the route with you
• Use the Pierce County Bike Map to plan your route
• Affordable Helmets (call locations to confirm first) 
• Bicycle Shops in Pierce County
• Downtown On the Go Bicycling Resources
• Pierce Trips Bicycling Resources
• Bicycle Benefits in Pierce County

This year’s theme, Bike Everywhere, encourages people to try short trips and non-work trips in addition to the usual bike to work trips. You can participate as an individual or as a team. Learn more about becoming a Team Captain. 

To join the Bike Everywhere Challenge, create an account or login to the Pierce Trips Calendar and log your bike trips during May. 

Get all the latest news and events by following Pierce Trips on Facebook and Twitter! Connect with other participants like you who are saving money, avoiding stress and making a positive contribution to our beautiful state. 

The Bike Swap Returns Saturday, May 6

The 12th Annual Bike Swap is returning to the University of Puget Sound on Saturday, May 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  

The Bike Swap is a free, family-friendly event that brings the bicycling community together to buy, sell bikes and bike parts, teach young ones how to ride, discuss best cycling routes, and much more. The Bike Swap will feature bike sell/buy corrals, low-cost helmet sales, Bike Map Masters, a kid’s riding area, local vendors, and food trucks.

Got bikes, bike parts or accessories to sell? If you have 1-2 bikes, you can show up at the event with your bikes and register them for the Bike Corral. If you have more items, please register as a vendor; it’s free!

Pierce Trips is looking for volunteers to help put on the largest bike-related event in the South Sound! Volunteers are needed to help with set-up, vendor check-in, bike check-in, general event guide, kids riding area supervision, staffing the Bike Map Master's station, directing car traffic, tear-down, and more.

Visit PierceTrips.com/BikeSwap for more information and RSVP on Facebook to receive event updates.

Walk Tacoma: Historic Lincoln District Tour on Wednesday, May 17

Join Downtown On the Go and the Tacoma Historical Society for a 1.5-mile walking tour of Lincoln District and explore the historic architecture. The walk will start at 12:00 p.m. from Lincoln Park on Wednesday, May 17.

Learn more and register here.

2023 First Quarter Pledge Awards

During January 1 – March 31, Pierce Trips encouraged Pierce Trips Calendar users to create a pledge to reduce their drive-alone trips. Creating a new habit is hard and takes time. Congratulations to the dozens of folks who completed their pledge, and the four award winners, drawn at random.

Pierce Trips encourages calendar users to create a pledge for April 1 - June 30 for another round of prize drawings!

Best Commuter Businesses of 2022

Recently, the Pierce Trips team delivered the Best Commuter Business awards to our 2022 recipients. We are proud to be working with Employee Transportation Coordinators who are dedicated to helping their employees choose sustainable commutes to work. Check out the list of 25 employers who were recognized as Best Commuter Businesses here! Is your employer one of them?

Our Next Commuter Profile: Shelbi V.

Shelbi cracked the code to a stellar commute. She rides her bike less than 5 miles to work, takes side streets for a calmer, prettier route, and takes in the scenery of Wright Park in Tacoma. With Bike Month around the corner, we encourage you to try out her methods!

Check out the full commuter profile here.

Game Day Sounder Trains

Sound Transit runs Sounder trains on select weekend game days so you can enjoy the game day fever all without the stress of driving or parking. Take the bus to catch the train or take advantage of Sounder stations' free, same-day parking for transit riders. In Pierce County, Sound Transit's Sounder serves stations between Lakewood, Tacoma, Puyallup and Sumner. Best of all? You don't even have to attend the game - anyone can use game day trains to get downtown or to enjoy the game from your favorite hangout.

Here are some upcoming games that will have special event services:

• Sunday, May 7: Mariners vs. Houston Astros
• Sunday, May 28: Mariners vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

First time on the train? Check out the Pierce Trips Sounder & Link page and First-Time Users guide. There may be a line of folks at the kiosks buying their transit tickets; skip the line and buy your ticket on your phone!

Bike Valet at Sounders Games

Score a goal for health and sustainability by pedaling your bike to Seattle Sounders FC soccer matches. 

Cascade Bicycle Club is providing free and secure bike valet services for 10 home games between April and September. Drop off your bike with Cascade staff at the bike corral on the northwest corner of Lumen Field and they will hold it for you for up to an hour after the match.

Cascade is offering the service this year for games on April 22; May 7, 17, 27, and 31; June 3 and 24; July 1; August 20; and September. 2. 

Learn more here.

Sound Transit Puyallup Station Garage Now Open

The new Puyallup garage and surface parking opened in late March, adding 680 more stalls for transit passengers.

There are two vehicle entrances: one from 2nd Avenue NW and the other from the surface lot on 3rd Avenue NW. Sound Transit encourages folks to park on the third floor to quickly access the pedestrian bridge, which is the fastest way to get to the platform. Folks can also use the new crosswalk at 2nd Ave to cross 5th Street.

Learn more here.