Bicycling

Bike to work tomorrow, tour DC and Arlington this weekend

by David Alpert   •   May 20, 2010 10:24 am

Tomorrow is Bike to Work Day. Bike to work!

I won't, since I'd probably take a nasty spill trying to bike down the stairs from my bedroom to my office (plus the handlebars and pedals would scuff up the walls), but I recommend it for the rest of you.

There are pit stops offering food, speeches, and more all across the region. Convoys will gather in a number of places and travel to Freedom Plaza in downtown DC.

Freedom Plaza will also host events to offically open the new Pennsylvania Ave bike lanes. Speakers include Mayor Fenty, Gabe Klein, Councilmembers Mary Cheh and Michael Brown, Congressman Earl Blumenauer, USDOT Undersecretary for Policy Roy Keinitz, FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff, Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman, and others.

Metro is reminding folks that Metrobuses have bike racks and bikes are allowed on trains except at rush hour. (How about also allowing them on reverse commutes outside the core during rush?)

Sunday is Bike DC, a noncompetitive and family-friendly bike ride. This year it should be more accurately called Bike Arlington And Some Of DC, as most of the route is in Arlington. It's a great chance to bike on the GW Parkway as well as the new Pennsylvania Avenue bike lanes.

This weekend is also WalkingTown and BikingTown DC, with 11 bike tours and over 100 walking tours of neighborhoods across the District.

Here's Arlington County Board Chairman Jay Fisette on Bike to Work Day:

David Alpert is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Greater Greater Washington and Greater Greater Education. He worked as a Product Manager for Google for six years and has lived in the Boston, San Francisco, and New York metro areas in addition to Washington, DC. He loves the area which is, in many ways, greater than those others, and wants to see it become even greater.