PROVIDENCE — The weather is warming up just in time for Rhode Island’s Bike to Work Month.

The annual challenge is celebrated by multimodal organizations nationally in May and encourages residents to cycle, bus, walk or carpool rather than drive alone, to reduce emissions.

The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority is specifically sponsoring its own 2025 No Pollute Commute Bike to Work Challenge, hosting pop-up tables around the state every week with water, T-shirts, and chances to win raffle prizes.

Participants can also create an account on the Drive Less RI app, where they have the chance to win weekly prizes, or one grand prize, for logging in challenge activities.

The month-long challenge will culminate in a celebration May 28 at The Guild PVD Beer Garden from 4-6 p.m. that will include one free drink.

In addition to reducing carbon emissions, the challenge also encourages bicycling to promote health and save money.

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation website notes that biking to work costs about $50 to $100 a year in maintenance, “far cheaper than the cost of owning and maintaining a vehicle.”

The cost savings is what has driven Will Masse, 35, of Warwick, to start riding his bike to work more often.

“I’m pretty committed,” Masse said of the Bike to Work challenge. “I’ll even bike to work in the rain, at least in May.”

Since he started using a combination of his bike and RIPTA to get to his job in the Providence school district two summers ago, he said he’s really ramped up his cycling mileage and these days rarely drives to work.

His commutes by car are in the “single digits,” he said.

Masse has timed his 6 or so mile commute into Providence, and found that with traffic, biking takes about the same amount of time as driving.

Although bicycling has become a central part of his routine, Masse said he would like to see bicycle infrastructure improve in Rhode Island, the lack or poor condition of which he thinks contributes to low bike ridership numbers.

According to the League of American Bicyclists, Rhode Island ranks on the lower end of states for the percentage of commuters that bike to work. As of 2018, less than 1% of commuters got to work on their bike.

Although Rhode Island has bike paths and lanes, much of the infrastructure remains disconnected. Construction on the East Bay Bike Path began decades ago, for example, with segments built over time and sometimes shut down for various issues. It’s expected to be fully connected and finished by the end of the year.

Maintenance of the bike infrastructure also falls under the purview of a patchwork of municipal and state entities, leaving it often unsafe during winter’s snow and ice.

Several organizations, including Providence Streets Coalition and Bike Newport, have been working to improve safety for cyclists and are encouraging members and residents to participate in the challenge.