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Posts Tagged ‘“East of the Anacostia 2011″’

As summer nears its end and we get settled back into our fall routines we’d like to invite you, your family and your bicycles for a morning ride.

Join us for a family-friendly group ride along the Oxon Run Trail*. Before we set off on the scenic asphalt path we’ll spruce up our bicycles with spoke streamers, temporary paints and spoke motors at the bike decoration station.

WHAT: Oxon Run Ride

WHEN:  Date unknown at this time

WHERE: Meet at the Congress Heights Metro Station.

For more information and to register please check out our event page.

*Weather permitting. If the reports continue to look grim we will cancel the event by Friday at 5PM. Stay tuned to our Twitter and Facebook pages for updates.

The rain didn’t stop this weekend’s 9th mobile bike shop in downtown Anacostia. WABA staff and volunteer mechanics from The Bike House biked to the Big Chair, set up their stands and spent the afternoon teaching 22 guests of all ages how to do everything from changing inner-tubes to replacing cables and housing.

Get funky with WABA at Yards Park!

August 12, 6-8 pm

Bike to the concert with WABA, BicycleSPACE or bike over with your friends!

Celebrate the weekend at Yards Park for an evening of live funk & soul music featuring QuietFire, as well as summer activities and a variety of food and drinks. Those who attend the concert by bike will receive free lemonade thanks to Devine Foods and those looking to get more than a sugar buzz can stop by one of Mie N Yu’s  several bars for wine, beer, sodas and frozen drinks. Relax in the grass, cool off in the wading pool or walk along the riverfront between music sets, dancing and group activities. The concerts are free and open to the public.

• To ride with WABA, meet us at the Anacostia Metro Station at 5pm for a leisurely 2.5 mile group ride. Click here for more information and to register. 

• To ride with the folks at BicycleSPACE, meet at their shop located at 459 eye St. NW at 5:15pm.

Remember helmets are mandatory at all WABA rides!

Last Saturday, WABA staff and volunteers joined The Riverside Center in hosting a community bike party in the neighborhoods of Lincoln Heights and Deanwood in Northeast DC.

This area is home to one of DC’s hidden gems, the Marvin Gaye Park Trail. Nestled in the newly restored Watts Branch corridor, this 1.6-mile linear park offers countless social amenities, including a stage, two community gardens, a peanut park, two playgrounds, basketballs courts and baseballs diamonds, a restored stream and thriving community organizations like The Riverside Center.

Cyclists of all ages spent the afternoon  learning how to work on their bikes with volunteers from The Bike House, before setting off as a group on a leisurely ride along the trail.  We returned to the park hub where the Riverside Center staff awaited us with music, karaoke, fresh fruit and vegetables, and homemade smoothies from their Farmers Market. The story of  Marvin Gaye Park is one of vibrant growth and we are thankful to partner with The Riverside Center, a community hub that has transformed the region through its work in the park.

It’s clear that our East of the River Initiative is drawing support from individuals and groups who share our goals and support our mission. We were also joined by two members of DC’s Bicycle Advisory Council, Ellen Jones and Jameel Alsalam, as well as Slyvia Brown, the area’s ANC chairperson. As the East of the River Initiative continues to gain traction, we hope that you, our members will continue your support by joining us at an upcoming event or donating to help us out.

Join us next Friday, August 12th for a social ride to Yards Park!

WABA is extremely happy to have been able to work with the Achieve Kids Triathlon Summer Camp for a second year in a row.  This year’s Achieve camps took place at Benning Park Community Center, Deanwood Community Center, Ferebee Hope Recreation Center, and Turkey Thicket Recreation Center. WABA’s participation in the Achieve summer camps not only allowed us to continue our youth education efforts in DC throughout the summer,  but it also let us focus the majority of that work in Wards 7 and 8, coinciding with our ongoing East of the River Initiative.

Achieve campers range in age between 9 and 14 and each camper is provided with all the necessary equipment to participate in camp activities, including helmets and bicycles. With the basics taken care of by the Achieve coaching staff, we were able to set up more complex and advanced skills courses. When planning for the classes, WABA wanted to find a good balance of skills that campers would be able to use both in the race and outside of camp on the streets of DC. “We were hoping that our young athletes would gain a better understanding of their bicycles and how to properly use them,” said Jeff Horowitz, Achieve Program Director.

We decided to take our Confident City Cycling 1 and 2 material (our interpretation of the Bike League’s Traffic Skills 101 Curriculum), usually taught to adults, and tailor it for a younger audience to provide a challenging and engaging experience for the campers.  We started slow with a simple starting and stopping drills, then moving onto scanning and signaling. Then we upped the ante by seeing if they could handle our avoidance maneuver drills. The achieve kids were fearless! In no time we had them nailing quick turns, avoidance weaves and emergency stops like professionals. “Teaching the full Confident City Cycling material to kids is an excellent opportunity to cover the curriculum in depth.  The kids are engaged, excited and soak up the material like sponges.  It’s exciting to see,” said WABA staffer Greg Billing.  After visiting each camp twice WABA turned the achieve campers into confident cyclists ready for their race at the end of the summer.

WABA would like to thank Jeff Horowitz, Michelle Hardberg, and all the Achieve coaches for making camp memorable for the kids and WABA staffers. Be sure to check out the  race Friday August 5th, 8am to 12pm at the Anacostia Park & Aquatic Facility. To learn more about the Achieve Kids Tri summer camp or to volunteer for the race on August 5th visit: http://achievekidstri.org.

It’s been four months since we launched our East of the Anacostia Program to engage and encourage cyclists and cycling east of the river.  Up to this point we’ve focused on getting more people on bikes by providing free bicycle repairs and holding a contest to provide bikes and Capital Bikeshare memberships.

We will still be working with The Bike House to provide repairs throughout the summer, but we have completed the contest, delivered the bikes, repaired 150 residents’ bikes,  and now we’re ready to ride.

We have tweaked our event schedule–traditionally slower in July and August as we regroup before the 50 States Ride–to provide opportunities for the cyclists and families we have recently met during our East of the Anacostia Program to hit the roads and trails with our WABA members and cyclists from all parts of the region. We hope you will join us!

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Marvin Gaye Park Ride

Saturday, July 30th, 2011 3PM

Join WABA for a family-friendly bike ride along the Watts Branch corridor in celebration of summer and our beloved Marvin Gaye Park Trail. We’ll begin this leisurely 3 mile ride at the Deanwood Metro Station, just blocks away from the trail-head, and traverse across the scenic bike path.  We’ll stop along the way, point out area attractions, and finish up at the Watts Branch playground.

For more information and to register, please visit the event page.

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Yards Park Ride
Friday, August 12th, 2011

Over the river and through DC’s neighborhoods to Yards Park we go!  Riders of all ages and skill level are encouraged to join us for Yards Park’s  “Bike to the Concert Night”.  Meet up with WABA for a leisurely 2.5 mile ride beginning at the Anacostia Metro Station.  We’ll enjoy an evening of live music by QuietFire, DC’s soulful funk band, dancing and a variety of food and drinks. This event is free and all riders who attend by bike will receive free lemonade!

For more information and to register, please visit the event page.

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Oxon Run Ride
Saturday, August 27th, 2011

Bring out the family and Join WABA for a group ride along the Oxon Run Park Trail. We’ll begin our 3 mile loop at the Congress Heights Metro Station, just blocks away from the trail-head and make our way across the area’s flat, scenic bike path nestled in the Oxon Run community.  Come have some fun, explore the city and meet your fellow WABA members and staff!

For more information and to register, please visit the event page.

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50 States & 13 Colonies Ride

Saturday, September 24th, 2011

Gear up for the most unique and challenging bike ride in DC! This 60+ mile ride is for cyclists experienced and comfortable with riding through the city streets with traffic. The 50 States ride covers all 50 state streets in all 8 Wards in search of the District of Columbia’s statehood. Often been referred to as “brutal,” “insane,” and “engrossing.”  For those interested in a less intense, but equally enjoyable ride, our 13 colonies ride is for you! Ride on all the streets named for every one of the 13 original colonies. This ride is a little under 15 miles and is also for cyclists who are comfortable with riding on city streets with traffic.

Last year over 500 participants conquered the 50 states. Will you be one of them?

For more information and to register* please visit the event page.

*registration will be capped at 500.  Don’t delay- register today!

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Other Area Events

City Bikes East of the River Ride

The City Bikes crew hosts a mountain bike ride to Fort Dupont, every tuesday night and a Wednesday night road ride (sock and beer prizes for fastest climb up Oxon Hill and fastest flat sprint)! Meet at Capitol Hill location at 6pm for both rides.

BicycleSPACE’s “The Hills of Anacostia Ride”

Meet up with the BicycleSPACE every Saturday from 8 to 10 AM for a ride through the hills of South East DC. Check out their website for other reoccurring rides in the area.

Black Women Bike: DC

Check out their Facebook group and join the ladies for rides throughout DC–often on the third Saturday of the month.

Kidical Mass DC

DC’s first kid-centric ride group organizes events at least once a month. Visit their website and stay tuned for event details on a possible “East of the River Ride” in September.

This weekend’s event at the Malcolm X Recreation Center felt more like a neighborhood bike party than a mobile bike shop. While children spent their time racing bikes around an impromptu velodrome or partnered up with mechanics from The Bike House , families relaxed in the shade sharing popsicles and pleasantries. Be sure to check out Miss V’s recap and our slide show for pictures.

Several months ago, WABA asked residents of Wards 7 and 8 to tell us what they would do with a new bicycle and how it would change their lives. The response was overwhelming.

Last week, we contacted the lucky winners of our Get On a Bike contest and delivered five brand new 2011 Jamis Commuter bikes, plus locks and helmets, to their doorsteps.   Thanks to BicycleSPACE and On-Guard for supporting the giveaway.  And thanks to DDOT for helping to expand beyond our initial goals and provide a total of 50 Capital Bikeshare memberships as part of this program.

When Sondra, a resident of Fairfax Village was asked how a bike would change her life, she responded: “If I had a bicycle I would ride into the sunset, the sunrise, and ride for no reason at all because I love the outdoors.”  As an active member in her community, Sondra feels like this new bike will impact not just her own lifestyle but those of her friend’s and family’s as well. “In the long run it will make me stronger and healthier, and I envision that others will be encouraged by me and will want to follow suit.”  When we met up with Sondra and delivered her new bike she couldn’t contain her excitement and burst into song, belting  “I’m so excited, and I just can’t hide it!”

The most common responses among applicants were increased physical activity and improved personal well-being.  Rob of Hillcrest, another winner claimed that a bike would lead to a more active and healthy lifestyle. “A bike would provide an opportunity for my partner and I to explore our neighborhood as well as neighboring communities from a different perspective in addition to much needed cardio exercise.” The last time Rob road a bike was more than 10 years ago.  After his first spin around the block Rob exclaimed, “I am one Happy Camper, no- I’m one Happy Biker!”

Others, like Keith, were already considering using a bike for daily commuting.  ”I would like a bike so that I can begin to commute to work. I currently drive and would like to change that habit. It really isn’t that far and it’s about time that I joined this bicycle movement.”

The first phase of our East of the Anacostia program has  focused on getting bikes on the road by providing free classes for beginner cyclists, free bike repair and maintenance , and the ”Get On a Bike” contest–which directly puts five more bikes and fifty more bikeshare riders into the mix east of the river.  In the next phase of WABA’s program, we will be working to get those cyclists with their new skills and new (or newly functioning) bikes riding together and riding regularly.

And as always, we thank the many WABA members and supporters who donated to the East of the Anacostia program.  Our advocacy and outreach initiatives are only possible with your generosity and continued membership and financial support.

In its excellent article on the uptick in the number of black women cycling in DC, Washington Post reporter Vanessa Williams mentions some of WABA’s work in wards 7 and 8 that is part of our East of the Anacostia program.  Again, thanks to those who have donated their time and money to this program.

We know there are some who bristle at articles that draw demographic distinctions rather than focusing on bicyclists more generally, but we are proud to have our efforts included in such a positive article on DC cyclists, and prouder still of the actual growth of cycling among so many groups in the region.

Shane Farthing, executive director of the Washington Area Bicyclists Association, was worried, too, when the rhetoric lingered after the election and residents showed up at hearings to protest bike lanes and trails planned for areas east of the river.

“Some of the political conversation during the election seemed to try to paint cycling as a one-demographic activity,” Farthing said recently. “We wanted to show that people of all races and all economic backgrounds do bike and can benefit from bicycling.”

In the spring, WABA started holding classes in neighborhoods in Wards 7 and 8 to teach people to ride, and the group also offers free bike repair clinics.

A clinic was held a few weeks ago at the Skyland Shopping Center, near where Davis lives, and she rode over on her bike to report on it for her blog, Life in the Village.

Please take a moment to read the full article.

(For a description of the HIA project, CLICK HERE.)

On July 1, WABA received the exciting news that we have been chosen to move forward to the next round of the Pew Trust/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Impact Project.  Out of nearly 250 applications nationwide, only 40 were asked to submit a full proposal.   If chosen, this grant will fund a comprehensive Health Impact Assessment on WABA’s push to add an on-road bike facility on Alabama Avenue SE, from Martin Luther King Avenue to the Suitland Parkway.  Ultimately, the Pew Trust and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation will choose and fund just ten HIA proposals for this coming year.

The HIA is another piece of our outreach efforts in Wards 7 and 8, an area of the city underserved by bicycling infrastructure.  WABA assisted in the completion of a “rapid” HIA with our partner Dr. Keshia Pollack at Johns Hopkins University and her HIA graduate students this spring, and those results formed the base of our Pew trust HIA proposal. The graduate students’ work provided a tantalizing glimpse into what could be discovered if a full HIA can be completed. More research to fully inform future bicycle policies and plans for Wards 7 and 8 is desperately needed.

This past weekend a teen bicyclist was struck and critically injured by a hit-and-run driver while attempting to cross Alabama Avenue in the immediate HIA area of study. With more cyclists taking to the streets daily, our road infrastructure has to do a better job of protecting them, throughout the city and in every ward.

Our full proposal is due to the Pew Trust on September 15th and they plan to announce the winning projects by the end of the year. If chosen, we will begin work immediately in January of 2012.