With the weather in Maine getting warmer and the sun starting to shine more often, May is the perfect month to start getting outside.

May also happens to be National Bike Month, established in 1956 by the League of American Bicyclists.

This year, Biddeford and Saco each declared May to be celebrated as National Bike Month in the twin cities, encouraging residents to use the month as an opportunity to get on their bicycles.

“It’s a chance to showcase the many benefits of bicycling,” Biddeford Mayor Martin Grohman said. “As an avid bicyclist, I encourage residents across the city to try it.”

Bike month is a “powerful opportunity” to highlight the role of walking and bicycling in building vibrant, healthy and connected communities, Bicycle Coalition of Maine Executive Director Andrew Zarro said.

“When cities like Saco and Biddeford recognize it, they are signaling a commitment to sustainable transportation, economic development, public health, local mobility and safer streets for everyone,” he said.

Bicycling has many proven benefits, Zarro said, such as reduced health care costs, reduced stress and reduced parking costs. In areas like Biddeford and Saco, it also supports downtown business by increasing food and bike traffic.

“Employers throughout the city are encouraged to promote biking to work not just through the month of May, but throughout the year as well,” Grohman said.

In Biddeford, bicycling benefits students through the Apex Youth Connection’s commitment to biking to Biddeford Middle School with students every Wednesday.

Sarah Hoover, program manager at Apex, said the program is a great way to teach kids about bike safety and the rules of the road, and helps with drop-off and pickup for parents.

“It builds community,” Hoover said. “It’s a really fun activity, and the kids really like it.”

Saco Mayor Jodi MacPhail also declared May as National Bike Month, adding that bicycling reduces greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution and reliance on fossil fuels, and helps reduce traffic congestion in the city.

MacPhail also said that bicyclists are part of a movement for safer streets, connected communities, happier people and a healthier planet.

“Biking brings people together, and encourages discovery and community engagement,” MacPhail said.

In Biddeford, Saco and neighboring communities like Kennebunk, many walking and biking trails are available to the public.

The Eastern Trail, which spans 65 miles from Portland to Kittery, has multiple off-road trails throughout Southern Maine. One of the trails begins in Kennebunk and spans to Biddeford, while another begins in Saco and ends in Scarborough.

“Southern Maine is fortunate to have an expanding trail network,” Zarro said. “The Eastern Trail is a standout.”

In the future, the Eastern Trail Alliance hopes to “close the gap” by creating off-road trails throughout Southern Maine, including one trail from Kennebunk to North Berwick.

Biddeford and Saco are also making “great strides” in becoming bicycle friendly, Zarro said, but there is still room for improvement when it comes to safe crossings, bike parking and connections into downtown centers.

Safety is especially important — the Maine Department of Transportation reports that between 2019 and 2023, there were 834 crashes involving a vehicle and a bicycle in York County.

To bring awareness to the issue of bicycle safety, the city of Saco is hosting a Ride of Silence event on Wednesday, May 21, to honor those killed or injured while biking.

“We are deeply grateful for their leadership and visibility on such an important issue,” Zarro said.

While Bike Month ends in just a couple of short weeks, the celebration of biking will continue with the Bicycle Coalition of Maine’s third annual Joy Ride fundraiser on Sunday, June 8, in Kennebunkport and Biddeford.

“We would love to invite folks to ride this family-friendly event,” Zarro said.