Contact: Shannon McCarthy, 907-388-8087, shannon.mccarthy@alaska.gov
Alaska DOT&PF Celebrates Alaska Bike Month.
DOT&PF Teams Up with Department of Health to Support Active Transportation
Bikepacking on the fourth-largest island in the United States, Prince of Wales, Alaska. Photo by Julius Adolfsson, Alaska DOT&PF
(click for larger view)
(ANCHORAGE, Alaska) – Governor Mike Dunleavy has proclaimed May 2024 to be Bike Month in Alaska. Alaska joins states across the nation in celebrating Bike Month, established in 1956. The state offers spectacular scenery for biking and recreation across a multitude of roads, trails, and bike lanes. The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF) is dedicated to building non-motorized access throughout the state, as part of comprehensive transportation corridor projects and stand-alone non-motorized improvements.
Biking is an excellent way to combine physical activity with transportation to work, school, home, or shopping. Bicycling and walking infrastructure connects people to places they regularly visit, increasing levels of physical activity for transportation, recreation, and all other purposes.
The Alaska Department of Health and DOT&PF are working together to educate the public on the intersection of transportation and public health, sharing materials on safety and health practices related to transportation.
The two departments are also disseminating information on how to enjoy biking safely, recommending that bicyclists be visible and predictable at all times, wear helmets and bright clothing, and use signals to ensure personal bike safety. Motorists are asked to be on the lookout for bicyclists and pedestrians at all times, to moderate speeds, and to give non-motorized users plenty of room when driving near them.
"National and State Bike Month is a wonderful opportunity for Alaskans to explore their communities on two wheels," said DOT&PF Commissioner Ryan Anderson. "Whether you bike for leisure, fitness, or as a means of transportation, we are committed to making biking safe and enjoyable for everyone."
The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities oversees 237 airports, 9 ferries serving 35 communities along 3,500 marine miles, over 5,600 miles of highway and 839 public facilities throughout the state of Alaska. The mission of the department is to “Keep Alaska Moving through service and infrastructure.”
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