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There are many varieties of commute cyclists from fair weather riders to hard core bike activists. Some people have expensive gear and outfits and others prefer an old three-speed and casual everyday wear. You can choose your own cycling style, but whatever you chose, bicycling is an excellent choice for the environment, your health and your cash flow.
The following resources can help you get started:
Bicycle Maps
Maps and route planning resources
Bicycle Parking
Information on bike racks and how to rent a bike locker.
Bicycle Safety
Familiarize yourself with safe bicycling practices, learn about laws that pertain to cyclists and find low-cost helmets
Bikes on Buses
Learn how to combine your bike trip with a bus ride
Road and Trail Maintenance
Need to report maintenance issues on city or country roads or trails? Here are some good numbers to know
Lost or Stolen Bicycles
What to do and who to contact in case of a bicycle theft as well as how to increase chances of recovery before your bike is stolen
Bicycle Commuting
Information for bicycle commuters, including the Commute Trip Reduction Efficiency Act and the Emergency Ride Home program
The Pierce County Bike Map
An online version of the bike map and the list of pick up locations are available on the Pierce County website.
Tacoma Pierce County Health Department’s Walking Guide
With great maps, trail highlights and terrain and surface descriptions, the Tacoma Pierce County Health Department’s Walking Guide isn’t just for pedestrians. Check it out and learn about trails and parks you may not be familiar with. You may even be able to incorporate some of them into your normal commute route!
WA State Bike and Pedestrian Maps
The Washington Department of Transportation offers a comprehensive list of bicycle and pedestrian maps throughout the state.
Route Planning
Issues such as terrain, traffic and bike facilities all influence the best routes to ride and different types of cyclists require different routes. While no perfect A to B route planning tool exists for cyclists in Tacoma, there are a few options that can help you choose your route.
Bikely is a useful online database of user-submitted routes. You can search by location for commutes or recreational rides or by terrain and difficulty. Users can also post comments on particular parts of the route to highlight obstacles, points of interest or high traffic areas. Help other cyclists find their way by posting your own favorite routes!
The Tacoma Wheelmen post some of their routes at http://www.twbc.org/routes/.
Your best bet may be asking other cyclists for advice. Friends, neighbors and co-workers who bicycle often can provide tips that take into account the variety of factors that influence route choice. If you work at a Commute Trip Reduction affected site, ask your Employee Transportation Coordinator for advice. He or she may know about bike routes near your worksite or be able to connect you to coworkers who also bicycle.
When parking your bicycle, be courteous. Use dedicated bicycle parking if available and be careful not to impede the mobility of other users.
Please refrain from locking your bike to a tree because bike locks and bikes can damage the bark and sensitive cambium layer (the living part of the tree just underneath the bark) of the tree. Please use bike racks and other street amenities designed for the safekeeping of your bike in-lieu of damaging a vital part of our living urban environment.
If you bike to a location that does not have appropriate bicycle parking, consider letting the business owner or agency know.
Locking your bike when you leave it unattended helps reduce the likelihood of theft.
- Research different types of bike locks and choose a lock that will deter theft and cannot be easily cut.
- Make sure you are using your lock correctly.
- Many bicycles are stolen out of yards or off porches. Ensure that you store your bike securely even at home!
Lockers: Pierce Transit offers a limited number of bike lockers near Transit Centers and Park and Rides. Lockers can be rented for a $25 deposit and $10 monthly fee. For more information and a list of locations, visit the Pierce Transit website or call 253.581.8000.
Some employers offer showers or bike parking facilities for employees. If you have questions about bicycle amenities available at your place of work, contact your employee transportation coordinator.
WA State Bicycle Laws
In order to follow the laws, you have to know them. Check out the following resources for more information:
Helmets:
Pierce County maintains a list of agencies which provide low-cost helmets here. WSDOT lists jurisdictions which require helmets here. The Cascade Bike Club offers information on how to ensure your helmet fits properly in their brochure “Your Bicycle Helmet: A Correct Fit.”
Safe Bicycling Practices:
Before you venture out, know safe bicycling practices! Check out the Washington State Department of Transportation’s Bicycling Safety Tips webpage for safe cycling tips and resources.
Whether new to cycling or a seasoned rider, consider taking a class to learn new skills. The Cascade Bicycle Club offers “low-cost and free bicycling clinics and maintenance classes for recreational cyclists, event riders, commuters, novice cyclists, seniors, and youth.” Visit their education page to sign up. You can also check with your favorite local bike shop to see if they offer riding or maintenance classes or attend a workshop during Bike Month.
Combining your bike commute with a bus ride can be a great daily option or a back-up plan in case weather or weariness makes riding home less than enjoyable.
According to Pierce Transit’s website:
“All Pierce Transit buses are equipped with bike racks. If the rack is full, bikes may be brought aboard Pierce Transit buses — but not Sound Transit buses (For Sound Transit's bike policy go here). Cyclists are responsible for handling and assuring the security of their bikes, and must hold them throughout the trip. Your transit operator has the authority to ask you to take your bicycle off the bus should the bus become too crowded. Pierce Transit assumes no responsibility for bikes stolen or damaged while parked at a rack or locker.”
Riders worried about loading their bike on the rack, can practice at one of the many community events Pierce Transit attends with a bus.
If you inadvertently leave your bike on a Pierce Transit bus, you should call customer service at 253-581-8000.
If you do a lot of riding throughout the county, consider printing out this list and bringing it along when you ride so you can report issues in a timely matter. You can also program the numbers you will use most into your phone, so you have them when you need them. By reporting maintenance issues, you help make roads and trails safer for everyone. Thanks!
Pierce County:
County Road Maintenance Hot Line: (253) 798-6000
Or use the online maintenance request form
Auburn: Pothole Patrol: (253) 931-3048 or email citizenreport@auburnwa.gov
Bonney Lake: Public Works Customer Service: (253) 447-4341
Buckley: Police Department (non-emergency): (360) 829-3178
Carbonado: Town Hall: (360) 829-0125
DuPont: Public Works: (253) 912-5381
Eatonville: Finance office: (360) 832-3361, press 0
Edgewood: Send an email detailing the issue or fill out the Citizen Action Request form.
Enumclaw : Public Works: (360) 825-3593
Fife: Public Works: (253) 922-9315
Fircrest: Public Works (253) 564-8900
Gig Harbor: Public Works: (253) 851-6170.
Lakewood: Public Works Department (253) 983-7795
Milton: Public works: (253) 517-2716
Orting: Public Works: (360) 893-2219 ext. 139
Pacific: Public Works Streets Division: (253) 929-1112
Puyallup: Public Works: (253) 841-5505
Roy: Public Works: (253) 843-1113
Ruston: Town Hall: (253) 759-3544
South Prairie: Town Hall: (360) 897-8878
Steilacoom: Public Works: (253) 581-1912
Sumner: Public Works: (253) 299-5700 or Online
Tacoma:
-Pothole or street maintenance issue: (253) 591-5495
-Hazardous sidewalks: (253) 591-5270
-Problems with traffic signals 591-5287
-Trees in the right-of-way: (253) 591-5500
-Overgrown vegetation: (253) 591-5001
-Vehicles parked in the right-of-way (non-emergency): (253) 798-4721
-Traffic concerns about a specific street, block or intersection to the Tacoma Police Department, use their online form.
University Place: Public Works: (253) 460-6493
Wilkeson: Town Hall: (360) 829-0790
To report a lost or stolen bicycle in the City of Tacoma or Pierce County, you can call Police Department’s non-emergency line: (253) 798-4721. Provide the operator with as much information as possible, including the item's make, model, serial number or owner applied number. If you live outside the City of Tacoma, find out if you also need to file a report with your local police department.
Lost and stolen property recovered by the Tacoma Police Department and the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department is stored at the Pierce County Property Room. Their website has details on how to make an appointment, how long property is held, and what happens to property if the owner cannot be found.
You may also want to consider logging stolen bikes and parts online at Bikewise. While this is not a substitute for reporting thefts to the local authorities, it does warn other area cyclists and helps the local bike community see patterns and collect data.
Increase the Chances of Recovery, Before Your Bicycle is Stolen:
With a little planning, you can help increase the chances that you will be reunited with your bicycle in case it is stolen.
- Write down your bicycle’s serial number. The University of Texas has tips on how to find your serial number. If your bike doesn’t have a serial number, consider engraving an identifying mark into the frame (your favorite animal, a set of numbers or letters, your name).
- Write down a detailed description of your bicycle. Remember that lights and accessories can be removed, so also include descriptions of the frame.
- Take a picture of you with your bicycle
Prevention:
When a beloved bike is stolen it can be devastating, so preventing such heartbreak should be a top priority. Buy a good lock and properly secure your bicycle when you leave it unattended. See the Bicycle Parking section for more information.
Commute Trip Reduction:
If you work at an employer in Pierce County with 100 or more employees who work full-time and are scheduled to begin work between the hours of 6-9am, your worksite is affected by the Commute Trip Reduction Efficiency Act.
Working for a CTR-affected sites means you have an Employee Transportation Coordinator (ETC) at your worksite who promotes transportation options and serves as the point of contact between employees and the Pierce Trips team (Pierce County, Pierce Transit and the City of Tacoma). Your ETC can be an important resource for users of all commute options, including cycling. Not only will they have information on the various Pierce Trips campaigns and contests you are eligible for, but the ETC may also know information specific to your worksite including the location of bicycle facilities, nearby bike trails or routes and the contact information for other employees who regularly bicycle. If you are interested in encouraging your employer to provide bicycle amenities, want to know more about your employers CTR program or want to get start a bike team for the annual Commuter Contest, your ETC may be able to help.
Employers who are not CTR-affected can also elect to voluntarily join the Commute Trip Reduction program in order to better connect their employees to the wealth of resources offered by the Pierce Trips and to be eligible for programs including Emergency Ride Home. Visit Pierce Trips’ Employer Services Page for more information.
Emergency Ride Home:
If your employer partners with Pierce Transit and you use a non-drive alone method to get to work, you may be eligible for a free taxi ride home in case of emergency. Visit Pierce Trips’ Emergency Ride Home page for more information or contact your employee transportation coordinator.
Pierce Trips Calendar:
When you bicycle to work or use another smart commute option, log your trip at the Pierce Trips Calendar to be eligible for great prizes.
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