BIKE TO WORK: Pennsylvania officials have joined with politicians across the country proclaiming Friday as Bike to Work Day.

Bike to Work Day falls during Bike to Work Week, which falls in the middle of National Bike to Work Month.

As Gov. Tom Wolf states in the official proclamation he signed, “bicycling offers a unique perspective from which we can discover Pennsylvania’s scenic beauty, history and culture as we travel on our rural roads and through our historic towns, villages and cities.”

In addition to offering new perspective, biking to work is good exercise and good for the environment.

To mark the occasion, Wolf’s administration announced bicycling improvements in the state “during an event featuring an executive bike ride around Harrisburg by several cabinet members, other officials and staff,” said a press release issued Monday.

Sadly, the press release did not include a photo of Harrisburg VIPs on their two-wheelers.

However, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation did announce some changes it wants to implement to make biking easier in the state.

“Following the ride’s conclusion PennDOT announced it was redoing its process for establishing bicycle lanes and starting on the state’s bicycle/pedestrian master plan to incorporate safety and mobility improvements for those modes into transportation planning,” the release read.

As Cindy Adams Dunn, secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, pointed out, there is a great deal of natural beauty in the state to see.

“Within our 121 state parks and more than 2.2 million acres of state forestland, we are blessed with 11,000 miles of trails, all offering unlimited biking terrain and opportunities,” said Dunn. “Biking is one of the best activities to see what these very special outdoor places have to offer.”

For more information on bicycling in Pennsylvania, including safety tips, visit www.penndot.gov, scroll over the “Travel in PA” tab at the top and click on “Ride A Bike.”