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Bike to Work Day Approaches

by ARLnow.com | May 19, 2011 at 11:23 am | 1,578 views | 57 Comments

Arlington is going all-out for National Bike to Work Day tomorrow.

From 7:00 to 9:00 a.m., the county will be playing host to three Bike to Work Day “pit stops” — each with music, speakers, bike giveaways, local exhibitors and free food and drinks:

Gateway Park in Rosslyn (1300 Lee Highway)
Conte’s Bike Shop in Ballston (3924 Wilson Blvd)
Crystal City Water Park (1750 Crystal Drive)

The first 8,500 people who register for the event will be able to pick up a free t-shirt.

The Crystal City pit stop will also serve breakfast and provide bicycle repairs and complementary showers. The Rosslyn pit stop will feature a performance by mountain bike stunt rider Mike Steidley and a Capital Bikeshare drop-off station. In addition, the Rosslyn pit stop is where the county will announce the winner of its Car-Free Diet Skeptics Challenge, which was the subject of a Washington Post feature earlier this week.

Disclosure: The Car-Free Diet Skeptics Challenge is an ARLnow.com advertiser.

ManWithAPlan

I used to attend every year until I learned they do not offer XXL or XXXL tees. Larger people bike too.
- ManWithAPlan
  
  That being said, I support Bike to Work Day and WABA with vigor. We just need to let people of size know they’re welcome.
  - Jabbernack
    
    “People of size?” You mean overweight. It’s OK to say it.
    - eslater
      
      Maybe he’s a Redskins front lineman.
GAP

Are the tax payers paying for the T-Shirts? How much is this costing ME?
- TooEasy
  
  Durrr, Its sponsored , bet you think the bike raffle is tax payer money also. Go back to Lyon Village and ban Parking.
  - Durr
    
    I live in Lyon Village and think that bike to work day is awesome. Oh yeah and I don’t drive a Volvo either, and neither do any of my neighbors.
- Max
  
  I hope they are. The more money the county spends on bike infrastructure the better.
novasteve

I’m curious if these car free diet guys have had in increase or decreaes in their sexlives after giving up cars. gee, i could take a wild guess as to the answer of that given how many women expect men to have cars.
- dynaroo
  
  You already used this lame post a while back, steve.
  
  Shallow, empty-headed women may expect men to have cars, but who needs them? Besides, there are plenty of women on bikes too – hot, athletic, Lycra-clad women.
- http://www.facebook.com/carfreematt Car-Free Matt
  
  I haven’t really tracked the data accurately, but I would say my sex life has increased by nearly 10,000%. I’m always forgetting to carry my one’s though so that number could be off a bit. It may be 10,100% or something but it really is hard to track effectively.
  
  While I joke about that, I think it is kind of presumptuous to say that women expect men to have cars. Mayhaps you’re just chasing the wrong ladies. I’ve had lots of girls tell me they think it’s awesome I’m doing the contest, my girlfriend included. Plus, have you ever looked around to see all of the girls biking and running to work in the mornings? I’d wager those girls would think it’s cool to go car-free. And they’re all in shape and attractive. Ka. Boom.
  - KalashniKEV
    
    Did your sexual preferences change at all when you started riding everywhere on a bicycle?
    - http://www.facebook.com/carfreematt Car-Free Matt
      
      Nope! Still totally into guys. I mean girls. Just girls. Crap. How do I delete these comments…
      - KalashniKEV
        
        Haha… it’s OK, I would be nervous though about the long term effects of spandex and banana seats… as the body transitions through in-good-shape and enters Man-orexia. Do you have those wave-style shades yet?
  - KalashniKEV
    
    Do a lot of the buildings around here have showers? I actually don’t think those fit ladies are on their way to work in the morning, just exercising.
    - http://www.facebook.com/carfreematt Car-Free Matt
      
      I’m not sure about the percentage of buildings with showers in them currently but I was told that there are regulations on new buildings which require showers to be built in. I’ve looked around online just now to try to verify that information but can’t find anything so don’t take my word on that.
Aaron

[This post has been deleted]
Everything is a complaint

The money comes from WABA. Stop your bitching.
Arlz

8,500 bicyclists equals at least 8,500 red light violations. That could fund a new art center.
- Jezebel
  
  word.
- yequalsy
  
  Nah, let’s start with automobiles. Actually enforcing speed limits, red lights, stop signs, HOV regulations, and failure to yield to pedestrians would fund the entire school system.
  - PhilW
    
    Got that right. Might actually save a few lives too.
- Michael H.
  
  Stand around at a busy intersection in downtown D.C. and catalog how many traffic and safety violations you see by car and truck drivers: speeding up to beat red lights, turning into crowded crosswalks and forcing people out when pedestrians have the WALK sign; swerving on roads because the driver is talking on a cellphone or texting. There’s a heck of a lot of aggressive and irresponsible behavior by people driving around thousands of pounds of steel and aluminum. Now that’s scary. I see this stuff every day.
  
  Cyclists are not perfect but car drivers should be far more of a concern, if safety and following traffic regulations is important.
  - http://www.exactcom.com.au/proofs/KombiPics/Wrecks/bayBushOvergrown.jpg Overgrown Bush
    
    True. Very true. However, they win the game of chicken every time with a bike. Be careful out there.
TGEoA

I hate Bike to work day. Too many god damned noobs on the trails. I predict lots of injuries.
- CrystalMikey
  
  Guess I’m going to fit my run in on Mt Vernon today. The normal Lance Armstrongs are already enough for me w/o adding n00bs to the mix.
  - eslater
    
    The best way to promote cycling is to get out and ride. I support the newbies and the guys doing their intervals on the Custis trail.
Not4Me

That’s a whole lot of spandex!!
TGEoA

The WaPo article also brought this thought to mind: Why does the Car Free skeptic challenge always select people that are within spitting distance of a Metro station?

God forbid they pick someone off the Pike, Lee Hwy or Military Road. Or do they just like to stack the deck?
- Thes
  
  Have you applied?
  - TGEoA
    
    I live about a mile from 2 stations as well.
    
    My point is most people see through this propaganda campaign. If they are serious about convincing people they should pick a 50 something living off of George Mason Dr instead of a 26 year old living a few blocks away from Mr. Days.
    - dynaroo
      
      No, you don’t see through it, you completely miss it.
      
      The point is not to say that every single Arlingtonian of any age or distance from Metro could drop their car.
    - JamesE
      
      I live on top of a metro station and I will never go car free
      - dynaroo
        
        The point is not to say that every single Arlingtonian of any age or distance from Metro could drop their car.
      - TGEoA
        
        I find it hard to believe that you are as dumb as you are obnoxious, but if you think we need a campaign to educate people that live near Metro stations that encourage them to actually use it, then you are dumber than I gave you credit for.
- dynaroo
  
  Um, because that’s the point? Nobody ever said anyone can go car-free, but damn, if you live two blocks from a Metro station and you can’t figure it out, wtf?
  - TGEoA
    
    So when is the county going to sponsor a campaign to tell everyone water is wet?
    - dynaroo
      
      Given that you don’t seem to get the point of the campaign….
    - Dan
      
      Shhhh…….don’t give them ideas !!!
- http://www.facebook.com/carfreematt Car-Free Matt
  
  How do TGEoA, I live a little over two miles from a metro station. And while that may not be 20 miles, it is still a decent distance to have to travel every time I need to catch the metro. I’m not really sure what part of Arlington you would have to live in to be any further away from a metro station than I am, but I’m still fairly new to the area. I live pretty close to where Old Dominion and Glebe meet, not far from Military Road.
  
  Plus, they can only pick you if you apply! I hope next year way more people apply. If you want them to shake things up a bit, then help them do it! I would say that it’s definitely not a propaganda campaign. Everyone I’ve worked with over the past month has been committed to helping Arlington residents use their cars less and be more healthy. They believe in it, and want to make the contest as applicable to everyone in Arlington as possible. But they can only do so much. Obviously input like yours, and more community participation, will help to make each year better than the one before.
  
  If you’d like to blame anyone for any of your problems, blame that Kyle guy. He’s always up to something. I wouldn’t vote for him if I were you.
  - TGEoA
    
    I’m glad you are enjoying the contest, but I still think benefits of this program are negligible (as well as unmeasurable) and not worth the cost.
Tabby

It’s complimentary, not complementary, showers.
- doodly
  
  No, they’re complementary – you get to take one with an Asian masseuse from Columbia Pike! Now you know why cycling is getting so popular.
Chris Slatt

While I don’t appreciate the connotation, I do appreciate someone who can quote the 1975 cult classic Death Race 2000
CarsSuck

While I appreciate the effort and support subsidies to improve non-driving ways to get around, I think EVERYday should be bike to work day. I hope we see more CaBi stations, peak time tolls on expressways and bridges, increased parking taxes to fund schools, metro expansion, especially more frequent busses that are free within designated downtown areas… such as downtown Washington, the R-B corridor, and Crystal City. An example is Seattle’s bus network which is free if your trip stays within downtown. Hopefully more people will see how enjoyable it can be to not be dependent on a car, but unfortunately most will just do it for 1 day.
- Max
  
  word
- jjbug
  
  You said: “An example is Seattle’s bus network which is free if your trip stays within downtown.”
  
  Interesting. Has this spread? Seattle, of course, has a huge transportation problem as all cars fill the area roads heading out of town. There is not space to put in more travel lanes to get out of town. Is free bus travel possible for DC? I can see this happening in Arl if you push it!
  
  Part of the Metro installation in 70′s involved measuring the attitudes of varying classes of users. There was much attention paid to good seating, colors and comfort: avoiding the usual crowd-pushing in NY or Boston. Executives could comfortably seat themselves in Metro cars. Metro service was similar to good train service. With the decline of the station escalators, we see high executives less in the Metro cars. We are approaching a Boston subway life.
  
  Can Arl Now survey the elected officials on their routes to work? I think 2 Cty Bd members frequently bike to work and 2 others (the women) often walk to work at the Court House. I have no knowledge that Walter uses alternative transportation, but I would not be surprised if he did!
  
  Please let me know what you expect for free bus-service in Arlington!
  jjbug
- Michael H.
  
  Bike to Work Day (or Bike to Work Week in Crystal City) is just one small part of the general campaign to promote transportation options in the area. Bike commuting and cycling in general has been growing at a very fast rate in the D.C. area over the last few years. According to the League of American Bicyclists, the Census showed that bike commuting numbers increased by 86 percent in the area from 2000 to 2009. Most of that growth has come since 2007.
  
  It’s true that many people on BTWD may only ride for 1 day, or maybe a couple days a year. But many others may continue to ride throughout the year.
  
  The expansion of Capital Bikeshare later this year will provide even more options and encourage more people to ride. Currently there are some issues with downtown stations filling up in the morning rush hour and emptying out in the evening rush hour. As more stations and bikes are added downtown, as well as in high demand areas, the system will become more convenient and useful. It’s going through some growing pains now but I think that’s to be expected for a system that is still in its first year. No large system works out all the bugs that quickly.
  - http://www.exactcom.com.au/proofs/KombiPics/Wrecks/bayBushOvergrown.jpg Overgrown Bush
    
    There should be as much promotion to the local counties and cities to install bike paths and other infrastructure as there is to people to ride. It is a Catch 22. I’d ride to my office on days when I didn’t need to hop in my car to go elsewhere during the day, but there are sections of my commute that are just down right dangerous for a cyclist. I’m not one of these fools who thinks they are entitled to ride on any road, at any time, in any traffic situation. I want to live. So, let’s not just promote people to ride. Let’s promote politicians to spend some more money to make it safe to ride. (Yes, I realize there have been efforts and success here already.)
Pablo Escobar

I bike to work every day of the year, rain or shine…except Bike to Work Day. Some memories from previous years:

- Woman double-fisting free powerbars at the Lynn St. crossing
- Three bike fender bender at the corckscrew up Lee Highway
- Four buddies riding four abreast across the Memorial Bridge

Tomorrow will be the same old clusterf#$k.
- Guest McGuest
  
  Yes, you and TGEoA are two of the many, many cyclists who have to be sure to let everyone know that they look down on people who don’t bike every day — congratulations.
  
  I’m glad you’re whining here today rather than frowning at us tomorrow.
  - South Arlington
    
    Add me to the list. I enjoy passing all of the cars sitting in traffic on Constitution everyday.
Hank HIll

I will make sure I wave to all the cycilsts from my SUV. Great use of my taxpayer dollars.
- Jon
  
  Just think the 2.6 feet of road that could have been paved with that money!
Henry Spencer

I’ll do one better, I’m taking the day off, so I won’t be adding a bike or a car to rush hour traffic.
Bennett Minton

Sure is a lot of flaming here: same old spat between those who bike and those who drive, and who’s superior. As a biker, I’m safer if I obey traffic laws and stay alert to all the dangers — distracted drivers, other bikers, smartphone-absorbed pedestrians, dogs, kids….

I’m fortunate to live in a county where bike commuting is relatively safe, drivers are generally considerate and don’t think they own the road, and the government is promoting biking period.

Yes, it’s easier to bike in January when I’m mostly alone. But it’s encouraging that more people of all experience levels are learning to love the freedom our bikes grant us and the chance to experience more of nature, whatever our preferences.
yequalsy

If BTW day convinces just a small number of people to start commuting by bike semi-regularly then it’s a big success. That’s the point. To encourage people to give it a try. Most will just do it like they do Earth Day or going to Easter Service — “alrighty, then, checked that off my list until next year” — but, again, if it convinces a few that, “hey, this ain’t so bad,” then why is that such a bad thing? Besides, the only way we get to take over the region and banish all cars forever is to attract many more minions to our grand scheme. Shhh! Don’t tell anybody I said that. Then the secret will be out and we’re screwed.

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