Archive for April, 2012

Prince George’s County Council voted unanimously to support becoming a more walkable and bikeable county this past week. Voting 9-0, Councilmembers passed the “Adequate Public Pedestrian and Bikeway Facilities in Centers and Corridors” Act (CB-2-2012) which requires developers to build bicycle and pedestrian connections from their new developments to nearby destinations. This bill seeks to begin fixing the years of allowing street designs that were inhospitable to pedestrians and bicyclists.

This is giant step forward for Prince George’s County. The County has one of the highest rates of pedestrian deaths in the Maryland and has recently been dangerous and deadly for bicyclists too. The County Council, under the leadership of Councilmembers Olsen and Franklin, has made a statement about a future vision for the county and has recognized the need to begin building safe, connected and protected places to walk and bike.

WABA staff testified several times in support of this initiative and we are pleased with the unanimous result.  We would like to thank the Prince George’s County Council for providing county residents with expanded transportation choices. We would also like to thank our friends at the Coalition for Smarter Growth for their dedication to this initiative and their work in Prince George’s County.

On Saturday, WABA provided our first mobile bike repair clinic of the season alongside the Anacostia River & Jazz Festival at the Anacostia Park skating rink.  We made lots of friends, gave out nearly 100 DC bike maps, and fixed dozens of bikes.  Thanks to all who came out, and especially to our volunteer mechanics.

To some, bikes are a hobby, a pastime, a toy. To most of our members, bikes are simply their preferred mode of transportation. And then there’s local blogger, GirlonaBikeDC. For Kate, a passion for  bicycles led her, quite literally, down the path to the most romantic bike love story of her lifetime.  At last year’s BikeFest, Kate was the top bidder for our C&O Canal of Romance package, a plush bike trip including 2 nights in a historic lockhouse along the C&O Canal, plus some other special amenities.

Read GirlonaBikeDC’s bicycle engagement story below. And keep an eye out at this year’s BikeFest for the same package with some new additions, for all the bicycle lovers out there.

 

At last year’s BikeFest, one of the silent auction packages caught my eye. No, not the unicycle lesson, or the 50 States Preview Ride. It was the “Weekend Along the C&O Canal” package. My (then) boyfriend Jimmy was just starting to get into riding bikes with me. We often rode to & from work together, and would take short trips to the Mall & memorials. We were often on the look-out for any cheap weekend trip options; short nearby trips that would make us feel like we were on vacation but wouldn’t break the bank or use up our leave time. This “Weekend” package looked perfect: a 2 night stay at a “cozy” lock house that was within biking distance. I had no idea what a lock house was or what was considered “cozy”, but I didn’t care. I was going to win that auction.

Win I did, however we didn’t have an opportunity to go until September. The package also included a bottle of wine, chocolates & a front rack for a bicycle. How romantic (and useful)!  I researched Lock House 6 and from the limited photos & description, it seemed interesting but I still had no clear idea of what we were getting into.  It had been restored to the 1950′s era (each lock house that is renovated for rental is restored to a different time period in the canal’s history) and had full amenities including running water, heat/air conditioning, electricity & furnishings. We just had to supply the towels/linens & food. When it came time to leave, Jimmy was extremely skeptical about the whole affair. We’d have to pack & bring everything we needed with us…on our bicycles?!  Jimmy thought this was impossible. But he tried it anyway. We packed what we thought we would need (we overpacked, actually) and set off.

 

The weather was perfect for the trip. An early fall day with clear skies & mild temperatures. Riding along the canal towpath felt like an adventure. Wildlife peeked out from everywhere, whether it was a heron at the canal’s edge or a fox watching us ride by. When we reached lock house 6 less than an hour later, it felt like we were in a fairy tale and had found a little cottage in the woods. We had a great time exploring the surrounding trails during the day & relaxing in the rocking chairs on the porch at night. It was a wonderful weekend we would never forget.

We’ve been back three times since, and can’t wait for our next trip. The C&O Canal and the lock houses are magical. Even though it was only a few minutes outside of DC, it felt like we were hundreds of miles away. It has become a very special place for us. In fact, lock house 10 is where Jimmy decided he wanted to ask me to marry him (I said yes, by the way). I can’t think of a better place for us to promise to share our lives with each other. And we have WABA to thank for providing the inspiration for what has become our own romantic ritual. “

The Silent Auction at this year’s BikeFest is going to raise some brows, and raise some bucks because we are featuring three very distinct, crowd-pleasing, brow-raising bicycles that will appeal to bicyclists of all persuasions.

For your viewing pleasure, we are giving you the slightest sneak peak at what you could be riding home from this year’s BikeFest! Go on, indulge.

Revolution Cycles  Silver Cycles Bikenetic & Kona

Tickets are selling like hot cakes, get ‘em before they’re gone!

Hop on your bikes and head down to the National Mall to join WABA and thousands of local residents in celebrating Earth Day 2012.  As always, we’ll be treated to top-notch musical performances, prominent speakers and celebrity appearances, interactive exhibits, and demonstrations.

Not only is the event free, but so is the bike valet! WABA is proud to provide  ample, safe, and accessible bike valet services throughout the event.

Find us from 11am-7pm at  the SW corner of the mall panel between 12th & 13th. We’ll have bike maps, stickers, safety information, and smiles – AND we’ll keep a watchful eye on your bike while you’re enjoying the festivities.

Find out more about the 2012 Earth Day Rally on the National Mall 

DDOT has released its evaluation of its innovative bike facilities and is hosting a meeting to discuss those projects and future projects, including the L Street cycletrack.  Please plan to attend, review the evaluation, and provide your feedback on the proposals.  (Hint: this might be a good chance to weigh in on whether you think anecdotal evidence from New York provides sufficient justification to include “mixing zones” on L, or whether you believe better separation is merited.)

From DDOT:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 18, 2012

***PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE***
Public Meeting on Innovative Bicycle Facility Research and Protected Bike Lane on L Street, NW

(Washington, D.C.) The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will host a public meeting on Thursday, May 3, 2012 to discuss the results of the Innovative Bicycle Facility Research Project and present and take comments on a proposed protected bike lane for L Street, NW.

The Innovative Bicycle Facility Research Project is a one-year effort to analyze three existing bicycle facilities:  (1) bicycle signals and bike boxes at the intersection of 16th Street, U Street, and New Hampshire Avenue, NW; (2) the two-way cycle track on 15th Street, NW between E Street and V Street; and (3) the center median bicycle lanes on Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.
An executive summary of the study is now posted online at http://ddot.dc.gov/DC/DDOT/Publication%20Files/On%20Your%20Street/Bicycles%20and%20Pedestrians/Bicycles/Bike%20Lanes/DDOT_BicycleFacilityEvaluation_ExecSummary.pdf.

The study assesses the operations, safety, and perceptions of the bike facilities through extensive quantitative data collection and analysis, as well as intercept, neighborhood and business surveys.  The objectives were to improve the safety and operations of these existing facilities, and guide future DDOT projects, including the proposed L Street, NW protected bike lane.

The proposed L Street protected bike lane between 25th and 12th Streets is planned for summer installation.  Separated by flexible posts, the bike lane will be placed on the north side of the road.  It will be the second of its kind in the city (15th St was the first), and will provide more protection from cars than a typical bike lane.  The plans will be available for review at the meeting.
What:               Public Meeting on Innovative Bicycle Facility Research
and L Street, NW Protected Bike Lane

When:              Thursday, May 3, 2012
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Where:             Reeves Center
2nd Floor Community Room
2000 14th Street, NW

Getting There
Transit: The Reeves Center is one block from the U Street/African-American Civil War Memorial/Cardozo Metrorail station on the Green Line. It is also accessible via the Following bus routes:
*       DC Circulator – Woodley Park/Adams Morgan/McPherson Square Route
*       Metrobus – U Street lines 90, 92, 96 and 14th Street lines 52, 53, 54
Bicycling: There is a Capital Bikeshare station adjacent to the Reeves Center on 14th Street and another at 16th and U Streets, NW.
Parking:  On-Street metered parking is available.
DDOT is committed to ensuring that no person is excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, its projects, programs, and services on the basis of race, color, national origin, or gender, as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or on the basis of disability as provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
If you need special accommodations or language assistance services (translation or interpretation), please contact Mike Goodno at             202-671-0681       ormike.goodno@dc.gov<mailto:mike.goodno@dc.gov> in advance of the meeting. These services will be provided free of charge.

With all due respect to Alfred Hitchcock and his contributions to cinéma scary-té, if he’d ever been handed a script about the BikeBuild contest taking place at the 2012 BikeFest, he’d have been out of a job. This is a story so suspenseful, so spellbinding, it needs no dramatic lighting, no voyeuristic point of view or urgent violin score to tart it up. It is the real thing, and it has begun.

Our builders, Threepenny Bikes, Silver Cyles, and Papillon Cycles are going head to head to build the most unique, and most popular bike out of used parts and a limited budget. Who will build be crowned this year’s BikeBuild Champion? You be the judge.

David Wendt of Threepenny Bikes is creating what can only be called a work of art. Culled from hand-selected and painstakingly seasoned bamboo wedded to steel, David’s mixte frame bike exemplifies the ideal synthesis of nature, engineering and artistic vision. But who is to say this rarified creation will be the fan favorite?

From BikeArlington Events & Outreach Coordinator, Zanna Worzella:

Every Tuesday night is bike night in Arlington!  BikeArlington is hosting weekly gatherings where people can chat and learn about biking in Arlington, and in the DC region.  The sessions are informal, social and informative and are open to the public – this includes people don’t ride or are considering to ride a bike to people who ride 20 miles a day just to get to work.  Each week, a different topic is discussed – riding safely in traffic; equipment, clothing and gear (including a fix-a-flat tutorial), and routes and directions.  WABA will lead 1 of 2 traffic riding/safety sessions each month, sharing all of their experience and knowledge about safety while riding so everyone can feel more confident when they bike with traffic.

WABA will be leading today’s session that is taking place at the Westover Library.  Specific discussions will include crash prevention which cover bicycle rules and laws, lane positioning, and hazard avoidance.  But we leave the discussion up to you so please come with plenty of questions and we’ll make sure to answer them.  We’ll have free refreshments on hand and will also be raffling off a FREE set of front and rear bike lights at the end of the session.

Register for the event here:  http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3327742367.

Best,

Zanna