Nearly all Metro buses are equipped with bike racks in the front of the bus, MTA said, and cyclists always can ride for no additional charge anytime on Metro buses equipped with bike racks. On May 15, their Metro Bus ride also will be free.

Cyclists also can bring their bikes on Metro Rail and Metrolink trains for no additional charge, according to MTA. Since Metro Rail trains may be full during weekday rush hours, MTA doesn't allow bikes on its trains from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. unless trains are moving in a direction opposite the peak hour flow of commuter traffic on the Metro Blue and Green lines as well as the Los Angeles to Pasadena Metro Gold Line when it opens later this year. On Metro Red Line subway trains, bikes are not allowed in either direction during peak hours from Union Station to Wilshire/Vermont. No other restrictions apply.

MTA said it is a sponsor of Southern California Bike to Work Day May 15, but the transportation agency's commitment to promoting bicycling as an alternative travel mode is a year-round effort.

In the past eight years, MTA said it has provided an estimated $83 million for 109 bikeway projects in Los Angeles County. These include bike paths along the Los Angeles River, in Whittier, Bellflower, the San Fernando Valley, Santa Monica, Long Beach and other cities, as well as bike bridges or underpasses, bike lanes on surface streets and signage.

In addition, MTA said it has spent more than $10 million on the Long Beach Bikestation, bike lockers and racks at Metro Rail and Metrolink stations and other public facilities to encourage commuters to bike to work, and also for education of children on safe riding habits and other bike expenditures.

It is estimated that bicyclists make 2.4 percent of all the daily travel trips in Los Angeles County. MTA said its goal by the year 2025 is to double the number of bike trips to 5 percent to ease traffic congestion in the face of growing population and the influx of more motor vehicles.

Toward that end, MTA said it envisions a network of 1,800 bike path and street bike lane miles in Los Angeles County. Today about 500 miles are in place. Each year, MTA awards about $7 million to the various cities and County of Los Angeles for bike projects. These are funded primarily with federal transportation funds and some local and state monies distributed through the MTA, the agency said.

For more information, call (213) 922-2811 and select the Bike To Work Day option or call 1-800 COMMUTE for information on public transportation connections or general rideshare information. MTA said Bike To Work Day information also is available on the Internet at http://www.californiabikecommute.com.