I realize that the site is getting heavy on bike-related stuff but think of it as a natural counterbalance to the budget postings earlier in the year…:) I was in A-1 Bicycles on Sunday and they had a flyer for the Bike to Work Day event. It looks like to me it’s a pretty serious deal: they are going to have convoys of bikes going into Washington DC. I ain’t that crazy but I will bike to work. At a total distance of 2 blocks I do realize that this is not a significant challenge but it’s all I got.
The way it seems to work is that you bike to the local “pit stop” and go from there. The pit stops are where the organizers will have events, food, music, etc, etc. The local pit stop is at the Freedom Center and that’s pretty close so I’ll bike over there and then back to Old Town for work. You can ride down the sidewalk on 28, it isn’t bad except for the leftover sand from this winter.
It is also from these pit stops where the convoys will head into the City to meet up at Freedom Plaza. That seems nifty but, again, I ain’t that amped up to ride down the highway to Washington D.C. I do think it’s a neat idea and one that will hopefully make localities and citizens consider their options for transportation. Bikes need to become more of the regular fabric of transportation. All it takes is putting them in the mix when consideration is given to new infrastructure projects. If you are interested in the Bike to Work event, you can get info at their website: www.waba.org
May 11, 2010 at 12:41 pm
Just went to google maps and did Bicycling directions from my house to work in Old Town. Not bad 1.5 miles, but its been so long since I have been on a bike I probably wouldn’t make it out of the driveway!
May 11, 2010 at 1:03 pm
You’d be fine…:)
May 11, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Coming back from a meeting at McCoart, I noticed today just as I was almost in the City, the marque sign flashing about watch for bicycles during this month.
I slowed down enough to see if it was one of the ones from the City, and THUMBS UP for having it there!
May 11, 2010 at 3:28 pm
If I worked in Old Town, I would maybe choose to bike or better yet walk to work on days when the weather was nice.
However, my job takes me all over Nova, so biking to work is out of the question. Which is what happens to a lot of these ideas. They are fine, but only for a very low number of people.
It’s the same with the new roller skate cars. They are fine for people without kids, without large pets, without the need to haul boats, trailers, etc. But for the vast majority of people, we need larger cars.
May 12, 2010 at 8:51 am
My office is moving from Alexandria to Stafford in a few months, just off 610 (Garrisonville). I plan to scout a bike route in the next couple months and if successful, ride to work one day per week. Looks to be about 25 miles each waye depending on the rout, so looking at about 1:45 each leg. About 30 minutes more than my current commute by auto.
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September 27, 2010 at 4:06 pm
The bike-to-work day convoys into downtown Washington DC do not leave from the outer suburbs. The convoys to downtown generally start either inside or a short distance outside (e.g., Vienna, Springfield) the Capital Beltway. Often, much of these convoy routes are on major shared use paths, including the W&OD, Mount Vernon, Capital Crescent, and Metropolitan Branch Trails.
Few bicycle commuters regularly make one-way bike commutes that are longer than 10 miles/40 minutes per leg, but commuters to or from the outer suburbs can readily combine bicycling with another mode such as driving alone, carpooling, or public transportation for just part of the trip.
The bike-to-work day pit stops in the outer suburbs are typically located near suburban employment centers or public transit stations.
Getting to ride ones bike is a great way to start a workday!