Author: Alex Baca

The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) seeks a Communications Coordinator to tell the story of our advocacy, outreach, education, and events programming. Much of the work of building a better region for bicycling occurs in meeting rooms and classrooms, on the bike lanes and trails, and in the office—reading laws, regulations, and plans.  The job […]

Read Bike Portland’s dispatches from the National Bike Summit San Francisco can very definitely afford bike infrastructure, according to this Green Lane Project infographic. Register for Bike to Work Day 2014! Winter will never go away. Fortunately, there are endless tips on how to handle winter riding. Here are some from WTOP. Er, well, maybe […]

Friend of WABA M.V. Jantzen put together a nifty app that allows one to explore a Flickr user’s “best” photos, based on Flickr’s “interestingness” rating (which combines views, favorites, and comments on uploaded photos). Here are the best photos on WABA’s own Flickr account, and here are the best photos from WABA’s Flickr pool, to […]

The Alliance for Biking and Walking and People for Bikes released a report this week that definitively states how and why protected bike lanes—in D.C., lanes like the cycletracks on Pennsylvania Avenue, 15th Street, and L Street—generate business for nearby storefronts. We often tout the proximity to bike lanes as an economic benefit; the Alliance […]

On Nov. 16, 2013, WABA concluded the third year of its seasonal East of the River grant program with the inaugural Cap City Bike Expo. Held at the Anacostia Arts Center, the Expo brought entertainment, activities, and conversations about what it’s like to bike east of the river to the grant zone, which includes Anacostia, […]

This is a guest post by Megan Odett, the Alliance for Biking and Walking’s member services coordinator and the organizer of Kidical Mass DC. On Sat., Sept. 28, over 40 kids and adults met in Stanton Park on Capitol Hill to undertake a leisurely ride to Georgetown Waterfront Park and enjoy cupcakes from Sprinkles Bakery. […]

On Sept. 28, WABA led the second annual Lion Ride, a slow, beginner-friendly ride that meandered from Anacostia Park to the Frederick Douglass historic site in Anacostia. Ride participants enjoyed Anacostia’s low-traffic, residential roads and learned how to access bike-friendly connections between the neighborhood and the park. See more photos below the jump.

Photo by Twitter user patrickeverson The 50 States and 13 Colonies rides are WABA’s signature events: The former is a grueling—but fascinating—trek through all of D.C.’s 50 state-named streets, while the latter is a more relaxed exploration. Before we present a full recap of the event, we wanted to share with you some photos we […]

Yesterday, the D.C. chapter of the Urban Land Institute hosted a panel, “Next Generation of Bicycle-Friendly Building Design,” to encourage developers, architects, and financiers to pursue the very easy addition of bike-friendly designs to their buildings. The panel was hosted by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Sophie Lambert and panelists included WABA’s Shane Farthing, Toole […]

We announced earlier in the month that, with a grant from the District Department of Transportation, we’d be launching a trail ranger program. The program, which soft-launched this week, will combine outreach, communication, and data collection on all of D.C.’s DDOT-managed trails: the Met Branch, Suitland Parkway, Anacostia Riverwalk, and Marvin Gaye. Read DCist’s post on the […]

This weekend, WABA’s presence east of the river was strong! East of the river associate Kim Davis led the recurring Easy Riders ride to the second annual Lumen8Anacostia festival. The group ambled along the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail and ended at the Anacostia Arts Center. Easy Riders rides are slow-paced, no-drop, family-friendly, recurring rides. See this […]

As part of our outreach program, East of the River Associate Kim Davis will lead the Oxon Run Ride in Oxon Run Park this Saturday, June 8, at 10 a.m. The ride is an easy, no-drop, beginner-friendly cruise. Helmets are required. Bikes to borrow will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis;. please arrive no […]

Join WABA’s East of the River Associate Kim Davis and several friendly ride marshals for the first East of the River Easy Riders this Saturday. Meet  at 10 a.m. in Anacostia Park for a slow cruiser ride through the park and surrounding neighborhoods. Parental supervision and helmets are required. The East of the River Easy […]

Last Sunday, WABA’s Women & Bicycles outreach program hosted a Mother’s Day ride in affiliation with BikeArlington and Black Women Bike DC. Convoys beginning in Silver Spring, Rosslyn, and D.C. met at Hains Point for a picnic and a few easy laps. The ride coincided with Cyclofemme‘s Global Women’s Cycling Day. See more photos here. Did […]

On Monday night, WABA hosted “Walk the Tracks,” in which District Department of Transportation staffers showed off to interested parties—from casual cyclists to ANC commissioners to councilmembers—how the forthcoming M Street cycletrack will work. As an affiliate of Bikes Belong’s Green Lane Project, WABA is able to make its already strong, consistent push for dedicated […]

WABA attended the annual Congress Heights Day on Saturday. East of the River associate Kim Davis set up a table at the health and wellness fair with games for kids and bike-related quizzes for adults. See photos of WABA at Congress Heights Day below!

The 31st annual Congress Heights Day is this Saturday, May 4, and WABA will be along for the ride! The Congress Heights Day parade departs from Malcolm X Elementary School, 1351 Alabama Ave. SE., at 10 a.m. WABA will be tabling at the health and resource fair from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Stop by […]

Marya McQuirter is based in D.C. and is a League Certified Instructor who has taught a number of WABA’s safe cycling classes. On the League of American Bicyclists’ blog, she recently detailed some of her research on a group of five black women that, in 1928, biked from New York City to D.C. When asked […]

Marya McQuirter is based in D.C. and is a League Certified Instructor who has taught a number of WABA’s safe cycling classes. On the League of American Bicyclists’ blog, she recently detailed some of her research on a group of five black women that, in 1928, biked from New York City to D.C. When asked […]

Following a successful match-grant fundraiser and a generous grant from the League of American Bicyclists, WABA’s Women & Bicycles program officially launched on Sun., March 3 at Busboys & Poets. The party followed a group ride hosted by Black Women Bike and preceded the League’s Women’s Cycling Forum, a kickoff to its yearly National Bike […]

See Black Women Bike co-founder Veronica Davis speak during the yesterday’s Ignite sessions at the National Bike Summit about the founding of her advocacy organization. Black Women Bike, which started in 2011 and now boasts a Facebook group of over 750 members, recently joined up with WABA.

The face of bicycling is changing in cities across the country, and nowhere is that more evident than in the nation’s capital. Since 2004, Washington, D.C., has seen a 175 percent increase in cycling and a 300 percent increase in its bike lane network. Despite these incredible gains, the number of women on bikes has […]

As promised, D.C. bike ambassadors blanketed L Street NW last night to reach out to drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians with information on how to properly use the cycletrack. About eight ambassadors and several MPD officers distributed literature, talked to cyclists and drivers, and worked to alleviate any tension in the cycletracks. Read an additional recap […]

Saturday’s Idea Exchange was the beginning of DDOT’s MoveDC project, a long-term planning process that will determine the future of transportation in D.C. for at least the next 25 years. The event combined public input, appearances by D.C. politicians, and a panel of local urbanist thinkers. Mayor Vince Gray was vocal in his desires for […]

DDOT’s long-range transportation plan for the city, MoveDC, will formally begin this Saturday with an all-day meeting at the Martin Luther King Jr. library. The “idea exchange” will include a welcome address by Mayor Vincent Gray, Councilmember Mary Cheh, and DDOT Director Terry Bellamy; discussions on the future of transportation; and an all-day transportation fair. […]

The following press release comes from the District Department of Transportation. Representatives from DDOT, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the D.C. Taxicab Commission will be present to inform and cite motorists who illegally turn across the lanes. D.C. bike ambassadors will also make an appearance. — MPD, DDOT and DCTC to Conduct Pennsylvania Avenue U-Turn […]

Last month, we wrote here about DDOT’s failure to provide, via the new 11th Street Bridge, a direct connection for the east and west sides of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail. Councilmember Tommy Wells’ staff followed up with DDOT to ensure that trail access would be included in the construction of the new bridge. DDOT responded […]

Our fundraising for the Women & Bicycles program is progressing steadily. Many thanks to those of you who have donated. We passed the $2,000 mark last night. As of this morning, we’ve raised $2,050, all of which will be matched. American University student Terence Johnson shot and produced a few clips for WABA that show […]

Many thanks to those of you who have donated to WABA’s Women & Bicycles program since we announced a $4,000 match grant on Wednesday. As of this morning, we’ve raised $1,450 to be matched. We’ve told you why getting women on bikes matters, especially for, well, women. But there’s also the fact that once women […]

Will you be in town on Sun., Dec. 23? Ride the Hains Point 100! WABA member Megan Jones will be riding 100 miles around Hains Point to raise money for WABA’s Women & Bicycles program, which will launch next year. Follow the steps to donate to Megan’s ride here, or bring cash on Sunday. You […]