Take a Trail this Bike to Work Day

So you’ve heard that Bike to Work Day is coming up on May 16.  Maybe you heard that it is the one thrilling day that our region celebrates biking as an everyday form of transportation.  Maybe you heard that there are 79 pit stops with BTWD shirts, snacks, raffles, and giveaways.  Perhaps that is all the convincing you need.  Be sure to register.

But if you do not already bike to work regularly, then all the pit stop goodies and the support of thousands of other people biking along with you might not be enough.  You still have to find your way to work, and at first glance there may be a lot of busy streets between where you live and where you’re headed.

The DC area is fortunate to have an extensive network of trails that allow a near seamless off-street ride for much of your trip.  For the first time bike commuter, trails alleviate many concerns of riding with car traffic and can simplify finding a route through the web of streets.  For the regular commuter, trails are the highways of bike infrastructure offering direct routes that pass over and around busy intersections from as far as Vienna, Alexandria, Bethesda, Silver Spring and College Park.  Where these trails end, they often connect to streets with bike infrastructure like bike lanes and even cycletracks which form a network of bike friendly routes.  If you are an infrequent rider, these too will make getting to work a little less stressful.  Consult Google Maps bicycling layer to find a route or join one the BTWD Commuter Convoys that follow trails.

Regardless of your experience, Bike to Work Day is the perfect time to try out a trail near you.  With pit stops on or near many trails, you’ll find plenty of company and ample opportunities to exchange congratulatory high fives when you pick up your BTWD shirt.  Below are a some of the most popular trails with pit stops nearby.

Anacostia Riverwalk Trail: South Capitol St to Benning Rd on both sides of the Anacostia

• Anacostia at Martin Luther King Jr Ave & Good Hope Rd SE
• Canal Park at M St & 2nd St SE

Capital Crescent Trail: Bethesda to Georgetown

• Downtown Bethesda at Reed St.
• Georgetown Waterfront Park at K St. & Wisconsin Ave NW

Custis Trail: I-66 to Rosslyn

• Roslyn at the Rosslyn Gateway Park

Metropolitan Branch Trail: Ft Totten to Union Station

• Edgewood at Rhode Island Ave NE
• NoMa at First St & Pierce St NE

Mount Vernon Trail: Mt Vernon to Rosslyn

• Old Town Alexandria at Fairfax Dr & King St
• Crystal City Water Park

Washington & Old Dominion Trail: Purcellville to Shirlington Village

• Merrifield at Sandburg St
• Fall Church at Grove Ave
• Falls Church at East Falls Church Metro

Click here to register for Bike to Work Day and find a full list of pit stop locations.