The city of Beverly Hills joins communities throughout the country to celebrate May as National Bike Month. National Bike Month was established in 1956 to promote the many benefits of bicycling, which includes improved health and environmental and local economy impacts.

Throughout the month, the city will launch a series of educational activities, encouraging the community to try riding a bicycle more often. The city has various types of bikeways, including sharrows, which are pavement markings that indicate a shared lane for bikes and cars in which bicyclists may use the entire lane; bike lanes, which are spaces in the roadway designated for bikes only with striping or pavement markings; and protected bike lanes, lanes that are separated from traffic by a physical barrier such as planters or posts.

In addition, Beverly Hills encourages the community to stay up to date on California laws regarding how to travel safely on city streets.

The city provided a list of tips for cyclists: ride in the same direction as traffic, be predictable and use hand signals when turning, wear a helmet (required for people under 18) and increase visibility at night with a light, ride with confidence and stay safe by staying aware, and always yield to pedestrians.

Drivers are advised to watch for cyclists and pedestrians, especially when turning, and always yield to pedestrians. When getting out of the car, residents should use their right hand to open the door and turn their bodies to look for oncoming bikes. Give cyclists at least three feet between vehicles and bikes when passing. Lastly, the city called on drivers to stay off their phones while driving.

For information and a full list of bike month activities, call (310)285-2467 visit beverlyhills.org/bikes, or email at AskPW@beverlyhills.org.