Despite rain and colder-than-normal temperatures, 363 students rode their bikes to school this morning on the first day of Bay High School Bike To School Month sponsored by Century Cycles. A total of 543 students at Bay High School have signed up to participate in the program, out of a total school population of 820.

Century Cycles and Bay High School (BHS) are teaming up to encourage BHS students to kick the car habit and ride their bikes to school during Bike To School Month on April 28 – May 23, 2008. Co-sponsored by Century Cycles and the Project Earth environmental club at BHS, Bike To School Month educates students on the environmental and health benefits of forgoing motorized transportation, plus it rewards them with prizes as they accumulate bike-rides to school throughout the month.

Inspired by a car boycott organized by BHS students last spring to protest high gas prices, Century Cycles owner Scott Cowan approached his alma mater with the idea for Bike To School Month. Cowan’s idea found an enthusiastic supporter in Eryn Whistler, a science teacher at BHS and adviser to the Project Earth environmental club, which will be administering the program at the school on a day-to-day basis, checking in the bicyclists and helping them redeem their prizes.