Everyone knows bicycling to work saves money, conserves resources, provides exercise, cuts traffic and reduces pollution.

It's certainly a viable option in Ventura County, where 2000 census data showed about 25 percent of workers lived within five miles of their job sites, according to Judy Willens, transportation outreach coordinator for the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District.

Despite these facts, many people sit in traffic for a daily car commute. Commuters have many reasons for using their cars instead of bicycles, but many of these objections can be overcome.

My personal barrier to bicycle commuting came when I began dropping off children at school. They were too young to bike with me, and too big to fit into the bike trailer I had used when they were babies. Finally, I realized how to overcome that barrier. Now I haul my bike when I haul the kids. After dropping off the kids, I bike the rest of the way to my job.

A more common barrier to bicycling is concern about safety. Fortunately, Ventura County transportation planners have done a great job connecting miles of designated bicycle lanes.

The Ventura County Transportation Commission, working with cities and the county, prepared a Countywide Bicycle Route Map showing these lanes. A copy is available at the commission's Web site, http://www.goventura.org, or by calling 800-438-1112.

On the Web site, click on "get there by bike," then click on the name of a city. A new map appears showing street names and colored lines. Blue lines indicate the best bicycle rights of way, often separated from the road by a physical barrier. Red lines indicate a "travel lane shared by bicycles and motor vehicles designated by signs only." Yellow indicates a restricted right of way, designated by painted lines and signs, where cars can use bike lanes only to make turns or park.

If you still don't feel safe, you can usually ride on sidewalks. Nothing in the California Vehicle Code bans bikes from sidewalks, although some cities have ordinances restricting bicycling in certain crowded areas.

To encourage more people to try biking to work, the Air Pollution Control District is organizing Ventura County Bike to Work Day on Thursday. Employers throughout the county are providing incentives, and some are hosting "pit stops" featuring special treats.

The district will coordinate a pit stop at the Ventura County Government Center, the city of Ventura will host a pit stop at California and Main streets, and Thousand Oaks is organizing one at City Hall. Most pit stops will be open from 6 to 10 a.m., but some, including the one in Thousand Oaks, will start at 7 a.m.

Event sponsors include the company that makes Cliff Bars. Other sponsors include Trader Joe's, Ben & Jerry's and Trek Bicycles.

Even if you do not have time to stop, you can win prizes by pledging to bike Thursdays. Prizes include a new bike, gift cards and bike equipment. Go to http://www.californiabikecommute.com to make an online pledge.

The California Bicycle Coalition started California Bike Commute Week 14 years ago and expects more than 100,000 Californians to commute by bike this week, according to K.C. Butler, the coalition's executive director. Butler said surveys of Bike to Work Day participants showed 25 percent were first-time bike commuters, and more than half of those first-timers began biking to work regularly.

Later this month, the Ventura Unified School District is also promoting bicycling, offering bicycle education, repairs, free helmets and lots of fun at a "bicycle rodeo," as part of its annual Summerfest from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 31.

The event, at 255 W. Stanley Ave., is free and open to the public. For information, call 648-1267. Kids are encouraged to bring their bicycles, close-toed shoes and helmets. Mechanics will be on hand for safety checks and will even teach bicyclists how to do minor repairs.

Although many people live within bicycling distance of work, the average or mean commute is 13 miles, so biking to work is not for everyone. With more than 300 sunny days per year, however, Ventura County residents have many opportunities to save gas, reduce pollution, get exercise and keep an eye on the environment by using a bicycle.

— David Goldstein is an environmental resource analyst for the county of Ventura. Representatives of government or nonprofit agencies that want to submit articles on environmental topics for this column should contact Goldstein at 658-4312 or david.goldstein@ventura.org.