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PUBLICATION
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VOLUME 37 | No 3 FALL 2009 WWW.WABA.ORG AREA
BICYCLIST
ASSOCIATION
MARYLAND “SHARE THE ROAD” LICENSE PLATES
BIKE DC SEPT 26 – 50 STATES & 13 COLONIES
OCT 17
BIKES SHORTCHANGED IN STIMULUS FUNDING
New Trails Open Across Region he summer of 2009 has proven to be a great time for trails in the DC area. In the span of less than one month, the Washington region saw the opening of three new trails or trail segments that will help connect existing parts of the regional network and greatly expand transportation and recreation options for cyclists. Riders in the photo are celebrating the grand opening for the Woodrow Wilson Bridge trail on June 6.
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In Northern Virginia, an extension of the Four Mile Run Trail provides a direct connection to Shirlington, and cyclists will no longer have to make a long, on-road detour to climb a steep bike/ped bridge to cross Interstate 395. In Montgomery County, Maryland the Matthew Henson Trail has created a new 4.5 mile bike and pedestrian facility from the Rock Creek Park trail to Matthew Henson Park. Starting in Winding Creek Park, the Matthew Henson Trail branches east from Rock Creek Park along the Turkey Branch Stream and crosses Viers Mill Road and Connecticut and Georgia Avenues before ending east of Layhill Road. Part of the trail
Ribbon-cutting ride for the Woodrow Wilson Bike/Ped Trail
includes a series of boardwalk paths, similar to those found along the Mt. Vernon Trail, in order to minimize environmental impacts. Finally, and perhaps most spectacularly, a bike and pedestrian path connecting Alexandria with Prince George’s County along the Woodrow Wilson Bridge has created the first new Potomac River crossing for cyclists and pedestrians in decades. Work on the Wilson Bridge bike/ped bridge began over 20 years ago, with WABA members and volunteers playing a critical role in moving the project forward. WABA is now working with officials from Maryland National Park and Planning Commission on signing a route from National Harbor to the little-known Oxon Cove Trail. Eventually this trail will connect to a new facility along South Capitol Street that is in the planning stages at the District Department of Transportation.
EVENTS CALENDAR H EVENTS CALENDAR: CAR FREE DAY K SEPTEMBER 22 Visit www.carfreemetrodc.com to pledge to go CAR FREE on this day (you can pledge if you’re already car free too!). DC’s goal: 5000 pledges! WABA will be participating with other groups in the DC Car Free Day celebration with a street closure on F St. with a variety of fun activities to transform the block for the afternoon! Info: waba.org
50 STATES & 13 COLONIES RIDE K SEPTEMBER 26
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The most unique and challenging bike ride in DC! The 50 States ride covers all 50 state streets in all 8 Wards in search of the District of Columbia's statehood. If you are not quite ready to embark on the 50 States Ride you can try the 13 Colonies route, taking you on all the streets named for every one of the 13 original colonies. There’s no better way to see the city of Washington by bike!
DREAMS ON WHEELS EXHIBIT K SEPTEMBER 30 ‘Denmark’s Bike Ambassador’ Mr Colville-Andersen will be bringing his dynamic exhibit to Washington DC to help celebrate the culmination of the Brita Climate Ride, a bicycle tour from NYC to Washington DC raising awareness for Climate Change. This exhibit tells the story of how cycling culture can make a difference, a little utopia everywhere. Come and see what the Danes have done, what their concept of lifestyle is and how this type of ‘slow living’ integrates efficiency with environmentalism so naturally. The event will be taking place at the National Capital Planning Commission from 6-8pm located at 9th and E Sts NW. This event is free and open to the public. This event is co-sponsored by the Coalition for Smarter Growth and the League of American Bicyclists.
CRAFTY BASTARDS ART FESTIVAL K OCTOBER 3 WABA will provide valet bike parking - enjoy all the fun of the festival with your bike securely parked!
DC GREEN FESTIVAL K OCTOBER 10 -11 Join WABA at this year’s DC Green Festival taking place at the DC Convention Center. You’ll enjoy more than 125 renowned speakers and 350 green businesses, great how-to workshops, green films, a Fair Trade pavilion, yoga classes, organic beer, delicious organic cuisine and live music. Find out about DC environmental initiatives; and learn how neighbors, community nonprofits and city departments are working together to make their cities healthier places to live. Stop by the WABA booth and say hi!
BIKE DC K OCTOBER 17 With two route options available for serious riders and families, this is an event not to be missed. This classic ride will start once again in downtown DC and take in all the sights of the city with a grand finish in Crystal City VA. Check www.bikedc.net for more details.
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WABA BOARD
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President
Bikes Shortchanged In Stimulus, Regional Transportation Funding
Barbara Klieforth Every year, the Transportation Planning Board, a regional planning body made up of elected officials from throughout the DC area, debates and approves the Transportation Improvement Program, or TIP. The TIP is a list of all the regionally significant transportation projects that local jurisdictions have funded and approved over the next six years. Unfortunately for cyclists, the current FY 2010-2015 TIP, which was recently passed by the Transportation Planning Board, shows a lack of commitment to funding bike and pedestrian projects in the DC area.
Vice President Martin Moulton
Treasurer Paul d’Eustachio
Secretary Randall Myers
Board Members Casey Anderson Matthew Bieschke David Bono Kendall Dorman Susan Orlins Elissa Parker Jim Titus Dana Wolfe Bruce Wright
WABA STAFF
WABA’s analysis of the TIP showed that of the more than $17 billion allocated for transportation projects in the DC region, less than 1% of funds are allocated to bike and pedestrian projects. Even more alarming was that zero dollars had been allocated to bike and pedestrian projects in Prince George’s County and in northern Virginia as a whole.
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Executive Director Eric Gilliland
Safety Education Program Director
During public hearings about the TIP, WABA argued that funding for bike and pedestrian projects should be, at a minimum, equivalent to their mode share in the region. According to the Household Travel Survey conducted by the Transportation Planning Board, biking and walking modes make up 4% of commute trips and therefore, according to WABA, should receive 4% of TIP funding. However, WABA argued that if the goal of the region was to increase the number of trips made by walking and biking, then the TIP should fund these modes at a percentage of total funds
above their current mode share. “While other bike and pedestrian projects will be funded with local dollars to be built as part of larger road projects, the amount of funding dedicated specifically to non-motorized projects was minimal at best,” said Eric Gilliland, WABA’s executive director. “This is business as usual transportation policy where non-motorized projects take such a back seat to highway construction that they are not even in the same vehicle.” In a bit of good news, TPB member Chris Zimmerman from Arlington County, added an amendment to the TIP requiring a better analysis of the amount of transportation dollars going to bike and pedestrian projects. WABA hopes that the additional scrutiny of transportation funding will help encourage local jurisdictions to fund more bike and pedestrian projects. An analysis of transportation stimulus funding in the region is no better. While DC has requested significant new funds for bike sharing expansion, sidewalk construction and Safe Routes to Schools, funding requests for bike and pedestrian projects from other local jurisdictions have been glaringly absent, with most stimulus funds going to roadway resurfacing projects and interchange improvements. At the urging of WABA and advocates from Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, local transportation officials are now looking at how resurfacing projects might be designed in a way to accommodate cyclists and help build out the bikeway network.
Dorcas Adkins
Safety Education Program Coordinator Glen Harrison
Arlington – GOING FOR GOLD!
Membership & Development Manager
by Paul DeMaio of BikeArlington
Eve DeCoursey
Arlington has had a busy spring and summer with lots of good news to report to the region’s cycling community. With the grand opening of a new regional trail connection, construction of our first bike shelter, the release of a bike-sharing tender, and planning for Bike DC’s entree into the County, Arlington is well on its way of turning our Silver-level Bicycle Friendly Community into Gold.
Membership & Development Coordinator Jenn Bress
Events Managers Chantal Buchser Henry Mesias
DC Bike Ambassador Ben West
Office Volunteers Josh Bennett Bruce Dwyer Jon Fleming John Telesco
On May 30, Arlington held the grand opening of the new Four Mile Run Trail connection between the regional Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) and Four Mile Run Trails. The new trail segment is an underpass of both Interstate 395 and Glebe Road, allowing trail users to remain on the trail for a quicker and safer east-west connection, rather than diverting on streets.
» RIDE ON RIDEON is published quarterly by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, 1803 Connecticut Ave, NW, 3rd Floor, Washington, DC 20009 phone :: (202) 518-0524 fax :: (202) 518-0936 email :: waba@waba.org website :: www.waba.org Send requests, changes of address or general messages to the WABA office. Address submissions to RIDEON, or email: rideon@waba.org. ©2006 Washington Area Bicyclist Association.
WABA is a nonprofit advocacy group representing the metropolitan Washington area bicycling community. Coverage of an event not sponsored by WABA does not constitute an endorsement. Reproduction of information in RIDEON for non-profit use is encouraged. Please use with attribution.
Printed with Eco-ink - low volatility vegetable oil-based ink on Ecoprint Offset 100 - 100% Post-consumer Recycled, Processed Chlorine Free using 100% Wind Energy in a Carbon Neutral Process.
On the same day, Arlington opened its first bike shelter near the new trail connection in Shirlington. The Shirlington shelter provides parking for 28 bikes in a space that would provide parking for only two motor vehicles. Next to the County’s new Shirlington Transit Station, which has frequent bus service to the Pentagon Metro and other points Countywide, the shelter offers covered parking to cyclists riding to Shirlington as well as those then commuting by bus, to create a good multi-modal center. Arlington released a tender for an operator of its future bike-sharing service. The service would offer bikes at many unattended stations for individuals to meet their mobility
needs with bikes as a transit service. Bikes could be taken out at one location and returned at another location, with the first 30 minutes free. Additional time would be charged on an increasing scale. The number of bikes and stations is to be determined as the County applies for additional Federal stimulus funding on top of a small State grant already available. Representatives from D.C., Alexandria, and Montgomery County serve on the tender’s selection committee and would be able to piggy-back on Arlington’s contract if they desire. The goal is to have the bike-sharing service launch in Spring 2010. Bike DC is back this year and is combining with the Arlington Community Bike Ride to make both rides even better. The ride will be on Saturday, October 17 and features sites in D.C. as well as a car-free G.W. Parkway, and three memorials in Arlington, including the Iwo Jima, Air Force, and Pentagon Memorials. The community tour is to be about 25 miles with a shorter family ride of about 10 miles. Finally, more cyclists, runners, and walkers are using the trails. The National Park Service reports that there was a 76% increase in trail users between May 2006 and May 2009 at the Mt. Vernon Trail at Crystal City. Additionally, there were nearly 50,000 trail users on the Mt. Vernon Trail at Teddy Roosevelt Island in May 2009. Keep up-to-date on cycling issues in Arlington with BikeArlington.com. It is a great resource for those wanting to bike, or bike more.
Casey Trees launched their Water By-Cycle initiative on August 6, 2009. This is the nation’s first bicycle-powered program created to water and care for a City’s trees.
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THANKS TO VOLUNTEERS!
Bike to Work & Bike Prom Julia Alexander Luis Calderon Joe Coleman Mary Jane Davis Rachel Dingfelder Natalia Drelichman Josh Epstein Elizabeth Falk Shawn Gallagher Sandra Hadler Yvette Hess Jacqueline Keller James Klotz Marie-Claude Lavoie Jennifer Leeman Jennifer Lehman
Rob Literas Stephen Miller Monica Julie Parker Lee Pera David Ramos Julie Sager Rachel Schowalter Aaron Schreiber Shaun Slifer Vakil Smallen Anthony Stepter Slavko Totev Joseph Vess Daniel Weisshaar
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WABA VOLUNTEERS are the muscle behind the machine!!
» FROM MY SADDLE merica’s love affair with the automobile has been well chronicled. We spend billions of dollars building roads, buying cars, and refining gasoline. Our cars get bigger (and occasionally, smaller), our roads become more congested; our air more polluted. It has, sadly, been the American way. WABA is working with our elected leaders to keep cyclists on their agendas when they make infrastructure and transportation decisions for the future.
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I grew up in California’s rural suburbs — a hotbed of America’s car culture and yet a great place to be a cyclist. Many of California’s cities spread out like octopuses with eight lane roads for tentacles. Everyone drives. Everywhere. Yet alternatives to driving have also become popular, sometimes out of necessity. For some reason, growing up in California, in a family of car driving enthusiasts, I never developed the car bug. I decided not to bother getting a driver’s license. While my friends drove to high school, I carpooled and used public transportation. The near two-hour rush hour commute on bus + BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit commuter rail) gave me plenty of time to read and often finish homework before I got home. When I turned 16 and decided not to take driver’s ed, my father predicted that I’d be driving by the time I turned 40 out of necessity. And yet here I am, at age 42, still riding my bike. Of course, occasionally, I still need to take a bus or Metro rail. Usually, I take my bike along with me to cut down on walking time. The combination of public transportation and biking makes it easy to go almost anywhere throughout the region. When I have needed to have a car, whether at home or traveling abroad, it has always been much easier and cost effective to pay for a taxi rather than be troubled with a personal car. The luxury of not paying for a car note, car insurance, fuel, and maintenance has always seemed to confirm the value of the decision to never commit to having my own set of motorized wheels.
A HUGE thank you to all of the folks who have been attending WABA’s Volunteer Nights. These nights have proven indispensable to WABA staff, with our volunteers assembling hundreds of membership packets, preparing for tabling events, and other essential office tasks. Volunteers have a chance to barter for WABA membership by attending three volunteer nights in addition to meeting other cyclists in the area and joining the WABA community.
• Check out photos of current events.
flckr.com/photos/waba
• Share your photos in the WABA Event Photos pool Join the WABA group on facebook.com • Connect with local riders.
facebook.com
50 States:
13 Colonies:
60+ miles through DC’s city streets, covering all 50 states streets in all 8 wards in search of the District of Columbia’s statehood. Traditionally one of DC’s hardest rides!
15 miles, covering all the streets named for each of the 13 Colonies.
You have not seen the city of Washington until you’ve done the 50 States Ride!
• Have fun!
REGISTER: www.waba.org INFO: chantal@waba.org or (202) 518-0524
3 pit stops with water, food and bike mechanic. You can also have a catered lunch waiting for you at the Capitol Hill pit stop!
ANNOUNCING: The Signal Financial
myspace.com/wabadc
—Martin Moulton, WABA Vice President
Saturday, Sept. 26 • 8:00am Walter Pierce Park
is Awesome!
• Learn about local events. Get to know us.
Organizations like WABA appreciate that cycling is not just good for the environment, our bodies, but also for our wallets. So, please remember the “bicycle dividend” when you consider making a donation to WABA. The staff at WABA works tirelessly every day to make your bicycling experience safer and more enjoyable whether you live in town or out in the burbs and rural areas.
Ride
WABA’S STREET TEAM
• Connect with local riders.
Cars are necessary for some of us some of the time — no doubt. But I imagine, as time goes on, more people will begin to see the whole spectrum of benefits from incorporating bicycling into their lives and leaving cars at home or at the car dealerships.
50 STATES & 13 COLONIES
Volunteer Nights are typically held on the first and third Wednesday of each month, from 6:30-8:30 pm at the WABA office. Please visit www.waba.org/volunteer for the most updated info on these events.
Many thanks to WABA’s Street Team members who set up WABA tables at eight of the pit stops at Bike To Work Day. Our goal was to generate 50 new memberships at this event – the Street Team blew this goal out of the water with 80 new memberships! Many thanks to these hard-working WABA promoters. If you’d like to find out more about our Street Team, please email eve@waba.org or jenn@waba.org
After a buddy paid nearly $1000 for a second time in just a couple months for some relatively minor and yet surprising and biting car repairs, I finally helped him see the light, encouraged him to give up the costly bills and parking tickets and time wasted in traffic and other burdens of having a car in Washington DC, and enjoy the benefits of car-free urban commuting.
SHARE THE ROAD CREDIT CARD!
Signal Financial has partnered with the Washington Area Bicyclist Association to offer the “Share the Road” VISA card program, a tool we can use together to promote environmental and individual health and wellness in our community. For each transaction performed using the card, Signal Financial will contribute two cents towards making our streets safer! To underscore what Signal Financial is calling the “our two cents” program, a portion of interest earned on “Share the Road” VISA cards will also go towards advocating for safer streets. With its low interest rate and underlying purpose, you can use your “Share the Road” VISA card to let everyone know you have chosen to make a difference! Together we can help make our communities safer for bicycling!
To apply for a Share the Road VISA Card – go to www.sfonline.org
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ADVOCACY
H Bicycle Commuter Act and Green Routes to Work Building upon the recently passed Bicycle Commuter Act, Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), is currently working on new legislation that would further encourage more people to take environmentally friendly transportation to work. Called the Green Routes to Work Act, the legislation would make the bicycle commuter benefit (currently at $20 per month) equal to the $230 a month that other modes such as transit and car/van pool receive. The Green Routes to Work Act will also help improve bike access and remove barriers to bicycling by providing tax credits or tax deductions to employers who make their businesses more bike accessible.
The act would also clarify language in the current Bicycle Commuter Act that has made implementation of the bicycle benefit difficult and would encourage the federal government to set an example by offering all the transportation benefits to their employees. While bicycle commuters at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, the US Courts and others have been working hard to have their agencies implement the bicycle commuter benefit, to date none has succeeded. For more information on the Bicycle Commuter Act or the Green Routes to Work Act please visit the website of the League of American Bicyclists at www.bikeleague.org.
2009
ADVOCACY CALENDAR Find out what’s going on in your area, and share your concerns! Mark your calendars for the following recurring bicycle advocacy meetings throughout 2009.
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H Future of Federal Transportation Bill Unknown
H Arlington County Bicycle
The fate of the federal transportation reauthorization bill is as yet unclear. Congressman James Oberstar (D-MN), chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in charge of the bill, released a white paper on the bill in June which gave advocates a look into how the bill might shape up in the future. However, with the Obama Administration pushing a short term, 18-month patch, and the US Senate expressing support for delaying action on the full reauthorization, it is looking increasingly likely that a bill will not be passed soon.
First Monday of even-numbered months, 7:30 pm. Arlington County Govt. Center (#1 Courthouse Plaza), 2100 Clarendon Blvd. (Courthouse Metro), Azalea Conference Room. For more info: David Goodman, Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator, at (703) 228-3709 or dgoodman@arlingtonva.us.
Every six years, federal transportation programs must be reauthorized by Congress. In the past, policy and program changes during the reauthorization process have contributed greatly to improving biking and walking. In the last reauthorization, a new Safe Routes to Schools program was created that funneled millions in transportation funding to infrastructure improvements and educational programs to encourage activity among the nation’s youth. In its current form, the transportation bill being proposed by the Congressman Oberstar will: • Create a livable communities office at the US Department of Transportation; • Preserve the Transportation Enhancements program which provides funding for biking and walking projects; • Expand Safe Routes to School funding;
ZipCar Low Car Diet Launched Zipcar launched their Low Car Diet in mid-July, a program asking area residents to try alternative means of transportation for thirty days. Thirty locals agreed to “put down their keys, and dust off their bikes, trikes or roller skates” in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint. The program ran in 13 other cities as well. ZipCar launched the event with a press conference, where WABA’s E.D. Eric Gilliland spoke about safe cycling as an ideal choice for the challenge. As an added incentive for participants, WABA donated 30 one-year memberships to make the decision to go by bike that much more comfortable. Zipcar encouraged the Low Car Diet participants to log their experiences, and you can view them here: www.zipcar.com/lowcardiet/
• Institute a federal “Complete Streets” policy; • Designate more money for urban areas and metropolitan planning organizations. While the final bill will need to be hashed out by Congress, Congressman Oberstar’s draft is a very good start.
Advisory Committee
Over the last year, WABA has been working hard with local federal officials to ensure that the next transportation bill goes further in promoting non-motorized transportation. In particular, Congresswoman Donna Edwards (D-MD) and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), who are both on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, have been extremely supportive of bicycling issues in the past, and have continued to be so during the drafting of the reauthorization bill. WABA’s priorities have included changing trail design standards at the National Park Service that would result in trails that better accommodate heavy usage, encouraging the removal of barriers to cyclists and pedestrians at federal office buildings, and increasing the share of safety funds going to biking and walking programs. WABA is also working to make Pennsylvania Avenue, America’s Main Street, into a “complete street” by adding cycle tracks or bike lanes from the Capitol to the White House.
H Coalition of the Capital Crescent Trail
The debate over federal transportation will continue in the foreseeable future so stay tuned to www.waba.org for up-to-date information.
H Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling
WABA wishes to thank the Coca Cola Foundation and the Rails to Trails Conservancy for their generous support of the Metropolitan Branch Trail.
Board Meeting Second Monday of each month, 7-9 pm. Normally at the Bethesda Library, 7400 Arlington Road. Second Monday of June in Elm Street Park, Bethesda. No meetings in August or December. See http://www.cctrail.org/CCT_News_ and_Events.htm
H D.C. Bicycle Advisory Council First Wednesday of odd-numbered months, 6-8 pm. For more info: DC Bicycle Coordinator, Jim Sebastian at (202) 671-2331 or jim.Sebastian@dc.gov.
Third Wednesday of each month, 7:30 pm, at the Vienna Community Center at 120 Cherry St. SE, Vienna, VA 22180 For more info: Bruce Wright at bruce.wright@comcast.net.
H Metropolitan Branch Trail Coalition Second Thursday of each month, 6:30-8:30 pm. For more info: Paul Meijer at 202-726-7364 or meijer@cua.edu.
H Montgomery County Bicycle Advisory Committee (MCBAC) Third Tuesday of the month, 6:30-8:30 pm, Executive Office Building, 101 Monroe St, Rockville, Maryland, 10th floor conference room.
H Prince Georges County Bicycle & Trails Advisory Group (BTAG) Meets quarterly. Contact Fred Shaffer for details at Fred.Shaffer@ppd.mncppc.org.
H WABA Board Meeting Second Monday each month, 6:30-8:30 pm. Contact the WABA office for location and agenda at (202) 518-0524 or waba@waba.org.
PUT YOUR OLD BIKE TO GOOD USE!
For a complete collection schedule, visit www.bikesfortheworld.org or call Bikes for the World at 703-525-0931.
Donate it to Bikes For the World! Bikes for the World collects repairable bicycles in the United States, and donates them to charities overseas for productive use by those in need of affordable transport. Bikes for the World is a sponsored project of WABA, a 501(c)3 non-profit charity. Bikes for the World also accepts bike parts & accessories, operating portable sewing machines, and cell phones. Collections take place rain or shine.
For a bi-weekly update on advocacy activities, sign up for WABA’s e-bulletin “Quick Release” by sending a message to waba@waba.org.
www.waba.org
H SAFETY EDUCATION & OUTREACH
WABA’s Safe Routes to School Program in MD The City of Baltimore has a Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program that’s beginning to pack a punch. Designed to make it safer for students in grades K-8 to walk or bike to school, it is comprehensive in nature, relying on strong partnerships between the Baltimore Metropolitan Council, the City’s Safe Routes to School Coordinator, the State Highway Administration’s Highway Safety Office and Community Traffic Safety Program Coordinator, the Baltimore Police Department, Washington Area Bicyclist Association, and more. Until last year, WABA’s Safety Education program in MD was not part of the Safe Routes to School program, and the project of integrating it with SRTS is underway. This means that as local programs such as the one in Baltimore become organized and hire SRTS Coordinators, WABA will work with them to bring the education program to the schools who have applied for funds to improve walking and biking to school for their students.
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Money from the Federal Transportation Bill’s Safe Routes to School program is provided to the MD Highway Safety Office. It funds grants to schools and to the organizations that serve them such as WABA, to be used for Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Education and Encouragement programs as well as Engineering and Enforcement efforts around schools. Baltimore City’s SRTS Program, begun in 2008, is off to a quick start. The City’s SRTS Coordinator, AstriĂąa Calame and Darlene Brown have established a group of 18 Baltimore City schools that are participating in SRTS programs to bring improved facilities such as pedestrian countdown signals and crosswalks as well as ped/bike safety education programs to their schools. AstriĂąa and Darlene have identified two schools to host “Train the Trainerâ€? programs where WABA staff will train school PE teachers this fall to deliver the lessons to their students. Once this is done, WABA will coordinate delivery of the needed equipment to the schools and visit them on day one to make sure the program is understood and the curriculum is followed. For more details on the program, please visit www.waba.org/ saferoutestoschool.
Designed specifically fo for the e ccommute. Take one for a spin at Ta a your local Authorized Jamis Dealer today.
CCC
CONFIDENT CITY CYCLING CLASSES Five Confident City Cycling Classes remain this year- be sure to catch them as you prepare for Bike DC or simply hone your skills for riding in the beautiful autumn weather. Go to www.waba.org/events/education.php for more info and to register.
WASHINGTON DC
BIKE TO O WORK
EVERYDAY EVERY YDAY New Townhomes & Cou Courtyard urtyard Homes Adjacent Adjacent to R Rock ock C Cr Creek reek P Par Park, arrk, For F Forest orrest e G Glen len M Metr Metro etroo SStation, tation, and C Capital apital C Cr Crescent/Sligo rescen escent/S nt/SSligo B Bike ike T Trails rails 2710 Linden Lane, Silver Spring MD
Wednesday, Sept 16, 6:00-9:00 pm Prep for Bike DC CCC I (classroom only) Takoma Community Center 300 Van Buren Street NW
Saturday, Oct 3, 1:00-4:00 pm CCC II (on-bike sequel to CCC I) RFK parking lot • 21st Street & Constitution Ave NE
VIRGINIA Saturday, Sept 19, 1:00-4:00 pm CCC II (on-bike sequel to CCC I) Arlington Public Schools parking deck over I-66. The main entrance to the parking deck is on 15th Street N, between N Quincy Street and Stafford Street, on the north side of I-66.
Models M odels O Open pen Daily Dailyy 11 AM - 6 PM P Priced riced fr from rom om the $$600s - $700s
Saturday, October 10, 1:00-3:00 pm CCC I (In-class and on-bike) Cora Kelly Recreation Center 25 West Reed Ave., Alexandria, VA 22305
2710 Linden Lane, e, Silver Silver Spring ZZZ (<$ FRP Â&#x2021; ZZZ (< <$ $ FRP Â&#x2021;
Saturday, November 7, 1:00-5:00 pm CCC II (In-class and on-bike) Nannie J. Lee Recreation Center 1108 Jefferson Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
AN EY EYA A NEIGH NEIGHBORHOOD HBORHOOD BC 3868
DC BIKE AMBASSADOR
Support grassroots advocacy. Submit your best biking and walking photos.
GRAND PRIZE
All-expense-paid VBT bike tour to TUSCANY and a year’s supply of CLIF BARS The winning photos will be published in a spring issue of Momentum Magazine. Two runner’s up will win a new bike PLUS gear. Additional prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each category. Categories include biking, walking, biking and walking, youth, complete streets, inspirational, and advocates in action. Prizes include Rickshaw bags, Planet Bike gear, and Clif Bars. www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org/PhotoContest for complete contest details and to enter.
DC NEIGHBORHOOD PACE CAR School Competition in partnership with Safe Routes to School
2009 has been a great summer for bike support. All around the city new projects are popping up to get people riding. The Renaissance Youth Bike Shop in College Park has received several hundred bikes, and is working on a mobile shop to serve PG county. The Bike House is a weekly bike repair clinic in Petworth. Mount Rainier Bike shop is settled in their new location and has been busy with new classes. In addition, two new shops have been establishing themselves. Rollins Cycles on 14th St. is run by two Chain Reaction veterans, and Cyclelife in Georgetown is quickly becoming the gold standard of high end service. Last winter, we began offering basic repair classes at the local farmers market, and the response was positive and encouraging. So when the market re-opened this Spring the market’s manager, Rebbie Higgins, wanted to continue he program. Thankfully several talented volunteers came to her aid and have made it one of the fastest-growing bike events in town. Offering four hours of bike repairs, advice, and information every Saturday, the “free range” bike clinics have seen over 200 cyclists and have been asked to expand to four other community markets. Kristin Roberts has been the key volunteer in Mount Pleasant, has quickly become an old hand at basic repairs, and can then tell you the good local places to ride. The farmers markets are a great environment for promoting cycling. They are neighborhood-oriented, they allow a convenient link to the community, and are a solution to so many of a community’s logistical problems. Many in the audience are active and familiar with the benefits of bicycling. Additionally, since food is bike fuel, the location is as natural as a mechanic at a gas station. Children are always around and many of the marketeers bike to the market themselves, returning with extra cycles, bags and trailers laden with children and groceries. For anyone who’s interested, the Ambassador Program is recruiting Ambassador volunteers to act as the public face of cycling in DC. Ambassadors attend two short trainings and then join the volunteer list with one or two short events a month being the likely schedule. In addition you get a cool DC Ambassador shirt! Contact Ben West at ben@waba.org.
The DC Neighborhood Pace Car is an important community safety initiative sponsored by DDOT and WABA. The program addresses the need to improve traffic safety on neighborhood streets, especially around schools, by inviting drivers to be responsible for the impact of driving a motor vehicle, and to set an example for safe and courteous driving. A slower travel speed makes it easier to share the road with all others using the roadway—people who are walking and cycling, children and the elderly, and even other drivers. The program operates with the maxim that the safety and livability of a community are inseperable.
Congratulations to our four winning schools! H 1st place – Bancroft Elementary (38%) H 2nd place – Oyster Elementary (28%) H 3rd place – EL Haynes Elementary (27%) H 4th place – Murch Elementary (23%)
This spring, ten schools participated in a friendly Parent’s Pace Car competition to see which school was able to have the highest percentage of parents sign the Pace Car Pledge and put the sticker on their vehicles.
Individual participation is very easy – sign an informal Pledge, place the static cling Pace Car sticker on the rear window of your vehicle, and drive within the posted speed limit on all city streets. Go to www.waba.org/pacecar to have a sticker sent to you!
H EVENTS WABA MEMBER SURVEY RESULTS
Bike To Work Day This year’s Bike to Work Day was DC’s biggest ever, and was a huge success! With a registration goal set at 7,500 and a final registration number of 8,033, this year’s event brought together thousands of seasoned commuters and newbies alike! Steven Chu, Secretary of the US Department of Energy
WABA’s celebration at Freedom Plaza had 1,702 people pre-registered and the cooperative weather contributed to larger Commuter Convoys heading to downtown DC, and smiling faces throughout the crowd. There were plenty of bagels from Einstein Brothers Bagels and coffee from Caribou Coffee for all the riders in attendance in addition to lots of fruit donated by Whole Foods. With great freebies from Smart Wool, DC lottery passing out scratch-offs, and several other sponsors in attendance, riders had plenty to check out and pick up. To keep the energy and enthusiasm of the event continuing, the Freedom Plaza rally also had a fabulous line-up of guest speakers including Steven Chu, Secretary of the US Department of Energy (who showed up on his bike!), Congresswoman Eleanor Congresswoman Holmes-Norton, Thad Allen, Eleanor Holmes-Norton Commandant, US Coast Guard, Gabe Klein, Director of DDOT, Harriet Tregoning, Director of DC’s Office of Planning, Eric Swanson from the League of American Bicyclists, Kevin Mills from the Rails to Trails Conservancy, Caron Whitaker with America Bikes, George Hawkins, Director of DC’s Department of the Environment, and DC Council
In the winter of 2009, WABA conducted a new survey of its members. While we are still working on a detailed analysis, below is a list of some of the results we’ve been able to compile so far.
69% of WABA members are male 73% of WABA members have children at home members Phil Mendelson, Mary Cheh, and Jack Evans. All the speakers in attendance were excited to be alongside so many bike commuters sharing their enthusiasm for Bike to Work Day. With twenty-six different pit stops across DC, Maryland, and Virginia, riders had plenty of stops along the ride to choose from. WABA expanded the commuter-led convoys this year with twenty-two convoys taking riders all across the DC area. The Employer Challenge tracked participants’ employer information in order to award the employer with the highest percentage of employees participating in the event. Congratulations to the National Institute of Health for winning the challenge yet again! Thanks in part to the dedicated cyclists of the NIH bike club, 445 NIH employees registered for this year’s event.
56% of respondents commute by bike three or more days per week
51% own three or more bikes 80% of respondents said that aggressive or inattentive drivers are a significant problem they encounter regularly when riding.
81% of respondents said that addressing driver behavior is very important in improving cycling conditions.
3.5% of people who had a bike stolen were actually able to recover it.
90% of WABA members plan to renew when their membership expires.
WABA would like to extend a big CONGRATULATIONS and THANK YOU to everyone who participated in this year’s Bike to Work Day, especially to all those who tried bike commuting for the first time! Following the Bike to Work Day celebration at Freedom Plaza, one of the event’s sponsors, the Swiss Embassy in DC, held a bike rack dedication ceremony featuring five hand-painted bike racks. Mayor Adrian Fenty arrived on bike to be part of the dedication along with Council Members Jim Graham and Vincent Gray. The five bike racks given to the City of Washington, DC by the Swiss Embassy were all hand-painted by a Swiss American artist featuring five distinctly Swiss themes.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to take the WABA member survey. We will continue to provide you with more survey results over the coming months.
WABA Bike Prom May 16 2009 There was no better place to be on May 16 than at the Black Cat in DC for WABA’s second annual Bike Prom event. Despite rain throughout the evening, WABA’s event bike racks were already full out front of the Black Cat by 9pm. With more time to plan, more volunteers, and a partnership with the Washington City Paper, this year’s Bike Prom was bigger and better than last year’s already successful event. A volunteer-led Bike Prom Committee helped WABA staff with the planning of the event, providing additional manpower, energy, ideas, and contacts. This year’s event featured a “Wheelin’ Through Time” theme to help guide decoration, design and costumes. Guests came dressed in everything from 1980’s prom dresses and tuxedos to vintage tweed bicycling attire, with everything and anything else in between. Upon entering the Black Cat, guests were amazed to see the main stage area transformed into a Bike Prom paradise complete with a photo booth to get your prom photos taken, hand-crafted bike wheel chandeliers, balloons, streamers, and two projectors showing a bike video montage and ‘Breaking Away’ on the stage. DJs were spinning tunes all night for everyone to dance to while WABA staff were at the back selling a variety of merchandise, memberships, and administering the sign-ups for the Bike Prom King and Queen competition later on in the night. The competition for these titles was hard fought with an androgynously dressed courier as queen and a team of two identically dressed kings competing for King. In place of tiaras and crowns, the winners were crowned with a set of beautiful hand designed gold bejeweled bike helmets complete with cogs glued to the top. With the King and Queen chosen, the party continued throughout the evening. With over 500 guests in attendance, WABA’s 2009 Bike Prom was a huge success, raising over $2,300 and showcasing DC’s ever growing urban cycling community.
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Receive discounted tour fees on all WABA-sponsored events.
• Bike Boxes
WABA has two bike boxes available for use by our members—a hard case that fits road bikes up to 62cm and mountain bikes up to 21”, and a soft case. Reservation required for both. These cases book up during the spring and summer months. Email waba@waba.org to reserve. Please reserve in advance and allow two extra days to return the case in your reservation. Please return the case on time so other members can take advantage of this benefit – we only have two!
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BIKE DISCOUNT PARTNERS
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Bike Shop Discounts WABA members receive discounts on parts, accessories, and bikes at more than 35 local shops.
The following bike-friendly businesses offer discounts to WABA members with a current membership card. If you would like to add your business or suggest one, email waba@waba.org
Smartbikes: www.smartbike.com WABA members can join Smartbikes at a discounted rate of $29.99. Contact WABA for discount code.
YMCA: www.ymcadc.org/Pages/ HomePAGE.aspx WABA members receive half off the joining fee, and 10% off the monthly rate.
Bike and Roll: www.bikethesites Receive a 28% discount on bike rentals or 20% discount on their many bike tours.
Rentabikenow.com: www.rentabikenow.com Compare bikes, rates, shop locations, make a secure reservation, and save $5 every time you reserve a bike until Nov 1, 2009. Contact WABA for discount code.
Czech Active Tours: www.czechactivetours.com Save $50 off bike rental at any of these fine European Bike Tours. Mention WABA and they will donate $50 to WABA.
Bike Escapades: www.bikeescapades.com/ store/Scripts/default.asp Escapades provide high quality “Bike Trips for All Seasons” and offer 5% off a trip to WABA members.
Biller Bikes: www.billersbikes.com Billers Bikes offer 20% off all bike rentals at their Havre de Grace location.
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Results Gym: www.resultsthegym.com/indesx.cfm Present your WABA membership card at any of the four Results Gym locations for discounted enrollment - $50 to join, monthly dues still apply. Zipcar: www.zipcar.com/dc/apply/ ?group_id=26816477 WABA members join for $25! The link above takes you directly to the WABA group.
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• Bicycling Accident Attorney • Avid Commuter & Cyclist
THOMAS G. WITKOP Criminal & Traffic Defense, Personal Injury, Business 27 West Jefferson Street Rockville, Maryland 20850
TomWitkop@Juno.com (301) 294-3434
MARYLAND LICENSE PLATES SUPPORTING SAFE CYCLING
City Center Fitness: www.citycenter.fitlinxx.com/ community/hosted/h.asp WABA members get 50% off “shower only” membership enrollment fee. Located at 1401 H Street, NW. Flow Yoga: www.flowyogacenter.com/ flow/index.html Show your WABA card and get a 15% discount on all classes. Brighter Days Dog Walking & Pet Sitting: www.brighterdayscollective.com/ Show your WABA card and get 10% of all Brighter Days services!
Part of WABA’s mission is to promote safe cycling. Another is to share our enthusiasm about all things cycling. As part of both of those efforts, we are proud to announce the SHARE THE ROAD specialty plates for your motorized mode of transportation! We have obtained State of Maryland organizational license plates that show our support for safe cycling, and serve to remind other drivers to share the road with cyclists. If you’re a Maryland resident and interested in changing over to these specialty plates, please email eve@waba.org and we’ll send you the MD DMV paperwork.
Peter M. Baskin ATTORNEY AND COUNSELOR AT LAW 2300 CLARENDON BLVD, SUITE 700 ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA 22201 TEL: (703) 528-8000 • (703) 276-6800 FAX: (703 ) 522-4570