Resources to prep for your springtime bike rides

Published on March 06, 2024

With winter nearly out the door, now is a great time to get your family ready for more bike rides! To help, the City of Menlo Park has prepared a list of resources that your family can review as you prep for your upcoming rides. Each item includes a clickable hyperlink that will take you to the online resource.

1) Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety Handbook(PDF, 2MB) – This handbook describes how to bike and walk safely. It includes directions on how to conduct an “ABC Quick Check” (Air, Brakes, Chains) that will ensure your bikes are ready-to-go come spring. The handbook also recommends what to bring on rides, such as helmets and reflectors, to keep your children safe as they bike around town. A summarized, one-page sheet is available by clicking here(PDF, 148KB).

2) School Walk and Roll Maps – Walk and Roll Maps display low-stress routes for walking or biking to school from local neighborhoods. An interactive, Citywide Walk and Roll Map that helps facilitate longer trips can be accessed by clicking here.

3) Citywide Bike Facilities Map (2024)(PDF, 5MB) – This map displays all bicycle facilities in the City of Menlo Park. It also shows school and park locations.

4) Southeast San Mateo County Bike Map (2014) – Assembled by the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County, this map shows bike facilities outside of Menlo Park that connect to Menlo Park’s facilities.

5) 511CC Bike Mapper – For a day trip not too far, the Contra Costa County Bike Mapper helps to identify safe, flat, and fast bike routes between two addresses. You can choose from three hill tolerances and three types of bike routes, meaning users can follow the flattest, most bike-friendly option or the steepest, most direct option (or anything in between). The map covers most of the nine-county Bay Area, including San Mateo County.

6) Menlo Park Police Department Bicycle Registration – In partnership with the Menlo Park community, the Menlo Park Police Department bicycle registration program helps reduce the number of stolen and unrecovered bicycles while increasing awareness of bicycle thefts. Additionally, as children often do not carry identification, registering their bike can make it easier to contact parents and family members in the case of a collision.

7) Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Task Force – This task force meets quarterly to discuss challenges around biking and walking to school and share ideas for the SRTS Program. The meetings are open to the public and the next will be on Thursday, March 21. If you are interested in joining, please contact the City of Menlo Park SRTS Coordinator at SafeRoutestoSchool@menlopark.gov.