rides such as nearby San Francisco's Critical Mass. Bike Party is a social event, not a protest. The organization encourages riders to ride safely, obey rules of the road and set a good example for others as much as possible. They repeatedly remind riders of 6 rules as "How we ride". Stop at lights Stay to the right Pack your Trash Roll Past Conflict Ride Sober Be nice Making a point about safety is relevant. Accidents and injuries have occasionally occurred. Visits by politicians Mostly during election seasons, San Jose's Mayor and City Council members or candidates for those offices have ridden with San Jose Bike Party. City Councilman Pierluigi Oliverio wrote an op-ed for San Jose Inside about his experience riding with Bike Party in March 2009. Bike Party has also attracted visiting politicians. There have been two occurrences of participation by mayors of sister city Dublin, Ireland. In both cases a special event ride was arranged on a weekend afternoon with a shorter route to fit the schedule of the Mayor's visit to San Jose. The ride for Lord Mayor Andrew Montague was on March 11, 2012. The ride for Lord Mayor Oisín Quinn was on March 9, 2014. San Jose Bike Party has since 2016 assisted organizing the annual "Bike to the Bay" event led by Santa Clara County Supervisor Dave Cortese. It is a group bicycle ride held in October along the Guadalupe River Trail from near downtown to Alviso Marina County Park for the Day on the Bay festival. Organization Established in 2007, San Jose Bike Party was the original 'bike party', now replicated in other cities. It was originally founded as an informal association. It later achieved non-profit incorporation in 2014 so it could accept donations and work with the city on events. The organization can use the Volunteer Protection Act to shield volunteers from liability when acting on behalf of the organization. It remains an all-volunteer organization with no employees. Awards San Jose Bike Party was awarded "2019 Environmental Organization of the Year" by the Santa Clara County chapter of the League of Conservation Voters. A San Jose Bike Party social media post included a photo of the LCV award and a "Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition" signed September 26, 2019 by Congresswoman Anna Eshoo. See also Bicycle-friendly communities Cycling in San Jose, California San Francisco Bike Party References External links "SJ Q&A: