Car-Free Fridays, an initiative by Bike Pittsburgh to get more people using alternatives to get to work, was launched today, drawing bikers, kayakers, walkers and bus-riders to Schenley Plaza in Oakland to "celebrate smart transportation," said Lou Fineberg of Bike Pittsburgh.

Starting today, Bike Pittsburgh, along with three local transportation management associations, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, Port Authority and the City of Pittsburgh, is encouraging commuters to use other means of transportation to get to work on Fridays.

Friday should become "the day to look forward to not driving to work," Mr. Fineberg said.

Commuters, many of them clad in bike shorts and helmets, stopped by Schenley Plaza this morning to get free coffee and breakfast, pick up biking maps of Pittsburgh, learn how to use bus bike racks and get tune-ups for their bikes.

There are some negative stereotypes about biking in Pittsburgh, said Scott Bricker, executive director of Bike Pittsburgh, due to the hills, weather, narrow streets and winding roads.

"I think that also makes it a fun city to ride overall," he said.

Mr. Bricker, who rides a bike the approximately 5 miles to his office most days, said more Pittsburgh commuters are choosing to peddle.

"Seven years ago, I knew everyone on a bike on the street, but now I see new people all the time," he said.