(April 15, 2025) The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is gearing up for a packed schedule of community events this spring. Check out our spring schedule of Earth Day and Bike Month events, to participate in community bike rides, free compost, Sunday Parkways, bike maintenance workshops, and more!
Spring is a great time to ride a bike in Portland, and a bounty of family friendly events coming up will make it easier than ever to try riding a bicycle for fun, exercise, and transportation. Adults and kids enjoy a car-free street during a Sunday Parkways event. Photo by Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT)
Earth Day celebrations
Unlock BIKETOWN for free!
Starting tomorrow, April 16 through Tuesday, April 22, BIKETOWN, Portland's bike share system, is offering free unlock codes for ebikes or scooters. Enter the code EARTHDAYPDX2025 under "rewards" in the BIKETOWN or Lyft app to claim $1 off your ride.
Ride with community to the Earth Day: Together As One celebration
Earth Day may be just one day, but we’re celebrating throughout the month of April. On April 19, the City of Portland’s Office of Sustainability, Civic Life, Bureau of Planning and Sustainability,Portland Parks and Recreation,and Mayor Keith Wilsonare hosting a sustainability fair,Earth Day: Together As One, at Laurelhurst Park from 12 – 3 p.m. Join PBOT for a community bike ride to the event.Meet at Colonel Summers Park at 11 a.m., ride at 11:30 a.m. and bike twomiles to Laurelhurst Park.
Commute downtown on the Bike Bus!
Do you commute to work downtown? Want a chance to try out bike commuting with other Portlanders? Join the City of Portland’s Employee Bike Bus special Earth Day ride on Tuesday, April 22. A bike bus is a group of students—but in this case, adults—biking to school—but in this case, work—together. City of Portland employees started a bike bus of our own last year, and to kick off this season, we’re extending the invitation beyond city employees: we're encouraging any downtown worker to join in on the fun! The bike experts at PBOT have designed nine routes from each quadrant of Portland, so you can choose the one closest to your home. All will have PBOT staff guides to take you on a comfortable ride to the city's glistening downtown waterfront. Start times vary, check the event page for up-to-date locations and ride times. All rides end at the Salmon Springs Fountain for a celebration with coffee, goodies, and a chance to talk with the PBOT’s bike bus organizers about how you can start a bike bus at your workplace.
Free Compost Days are back!
Free Compost Days are back at Sunderland Yard! A poster for the event shows hands holding dark brown compost. Words below the hands read Free Compost Days, April 26–27.
We’re back with our annual Free Compost Days event Saturday, April 26 and Sunday, April 27! Stop by the Sunderland Yard Recycling Facility, 9325 NE Sunderland Road, between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. to load up on free compost. We don’t anticipate running out this year, so there’s no need to rush there first thing Saturday morning. Want to skip the lines? Compost is available to purchase now for $24/cubic yard.
May is Bike Month
National Bike Month in May is promoted by the League of American Bicyclists and celebrated in communities from coast to coast. Established in 1956, National Bike Month is a chance to showcase the many benefits of bicycling — and encourage more folks to giving biking a try.
Bike Month Challenge
Join the Portland Metro Region Bike Month Challenge in May! The challenge is open to anyone living or working in the Metro region. Whether you’re commuting by bike or just getting around - log any bike trip (manual or e-bike) on the Get There Oregon website for a chance to win prizes.
Bike Maintenance Workshops
PBOT, with support from the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF), is hosting a series of Basic Bike Maintenance workshops at Multnomah County Library locations throughout the month of May. Ride over to your local library branch to tune up your bike for springtime riding.
- Sunday, May 4, 2 – 4 p.m.: Basic Bike Maintenance Workshop at Sellwood Library
- Friday, May 16, 3 – 5 p.m.: Basic Bike Maintenance Workshop at North Portland Library
- Saturday, May 31, 1 – 3 p.m.: Basic Bike Maintenance Workshop at Hillsdale Library
Other rides and events:
- Friday, May 2, 3 – 5:30 p.m.: Southwest Bike Fair
- Sunday, May 18, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.: Southwest Sunday Parkways
- Wednesday, May 21, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.: New to Portland Ride: Brentwood-Darlington
Sunday Parkways
Celebrate the joy of walking, biking, rolling, and playing on car-free streets with the PBOT during the 2025 Portland Sunday Parkways season, Presented by Kaiser Permanente!
This year, Sunday Parkways will return to Southwest Portland on May 18, Northeast Cully on June 29, and East Portland on July 27. Thanks to funding from Kaiser Permanente, PCEF, and generous sponsors, Sunday Parkways is excited to add a fourth event on Sept. 14 that will bring its open space energy to Downtown Portland for the first time in almost a decade.
Biking and walking resources
PBOT has bicycling resources for people of all ages, abilities, and skill levels. PBOT’s Biking in Portland page is a great starting point, with a compilation of useful resources, from suggested rides around the city to bike repair and maintenance.
Sign up for text or email updates on PBOT's bike-related tips and events
Follow the Neighborhood Greenways: where to ride in Portland
- Portland has nearly 400 miles of bikeways, of which over 100 miles are along low-stress Neighborhood Greenways.
- PBOT’s Portland by Cycle program has developed free bike and walk maps for the city. Check out our list of suggested rides around Portland, which are all loops and are centered around low-traffic streets and Neighborhood Greenways. From the “Summer of Pride 2023 – N/NE Loop” to the “Classic Waterfront Loop Ride”, there’s a ride in every part of the city.
- Portland by Cycle is made possible with support from Metro, the Federal Transit Administration, and PCEF.
- BIKETOWN also maintains a list of rides in Portland that showcase popular destinations.
Resources for new riders
- Start with the checklist for getting started biking, which has useful information such as places to rent a bike, choosing the right gear, and understanding common bike symbols and signs.
- The Portland Biking Guide includes tips and techniques to keep your ride safe and fun.
- There’s also a Portland Family Biking Guide, so that even the youngest Portlanders can get familiar with bikes. This includes carrying options like cargo box bikes and rear-mounted seats, as well as tips for helping children learn how to bike independently.
Resources for pedestrians
- Portland isn’t just for cyclists; there are plenty of resources for pedestrians as well. SmartTrips’ Walking in Portland page includes useful information about how to navigate Portland streets.
- The comprehensive Portland Walking Guide details ways to stay safe by being visible and aware of what the different pedestrian signals mean.
- PBOT also has a list of 12 suggested walks located across Portland. There’s the classic, 2.6 mile “Downtown Waterfront Loop Walk”, the 2.7 mile “Historic Kerns Walk”, and the 4 mile “Jade District Mount Tabor Walk” to name a few.
Portland, we hope you us to walk, bike, and roll through the city this spring!