The City of Fort Collins, along with local businesses and bike advocacy groups, has teamed up and designated June as Bike Month. June will host several bicycle and community-centered events, all free and open to the public, designed to encourage people to experience the benefits bicycling.

Bike Month’s marque event is Bike to Work Day, scheduled for June 24. Over 40 breakfast stations will be set up around town. Riders will be able to stop and get a bite to eat as they bike to work. The event is expected to attract 5,100 people, according to Becky Moriarty, FC Bikes program specialist.

“I encourage citizens to try bicycling as a sensible mode of transportation and recreation, and to participate in the many events planned for the summer months, particularly 28th annual Bike to Work Day,” Fort Collins Mayor Wade Troxell said.

Open Streets was another event of Bike Month in which West Elizabeth Street was closed to traffic to make room for a car-free, safe and family-friendly environment. Activities were hosted by over 40 community partners, including a climbing wall, peddle car racetrack and many others.

Bike Fort Collins, a local a bicycle advocacy group, set up a demonstration of a protected intersection for bicyclists. The intersection is designed to increase visibility and create space for bicycle riders of all ages to feel comfortable alongside traffic.

Get Outdoors Day will take place Saturday at City Park. This event, sponsored by University of Colorado Health, will feature several different village areas where visitors can participate in activities designed to encourage participants to enjoy the outdoors.

The FC Bikes Bicycle Ambassador Program will be at the Raintree Athletic Club 6 p.m. Wednesday. This event will educate on the benefits of riding with children, the rules of the road, appropriate biking gear and the best routes to ride.

“June also marks the start of construction for Fort Collin’s first protected bike lane pilot project,” Moriarty said. “This demonstration project on Laurel Street, between Howes Street and Remington Street, fills a critical gap in the city’s bicycle network. It will feature new bicycle facilities, including a protected bike lane, bike passes and enhanced share lane markings.”

The League of American Bicyclists awarded Fort Collins a platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Community Award in recognition of its active support of bicycling in 2013. Fort Collins was also named the ninth best bike city by Bicycling Magazine in 2014.

Collegian Reporter David Becker can be reached at news@collegian.com and on Twitter @mrbeckersir.