bike to work day

Free bike wash

| Colin Browne

Boooooo rain

Well the good news is that Friday is looking like it won’t be too hot. The less good news is that it will probably rain. But let’s not let a little H2O dampen the best commute of the year! Pack a raincoat and don’t miss Bike to Work Day 2018! More pit stops, more bike lanes, more brightly colored t-shirts than ever before, and other great goodies.

sign up today!

Bike to Work Day a big bike party with thousands of your bike friends before work! Plus, it’s the best day of the year to renew your WABA membership! (If you get a head start we won’t be mad.) We want to celebrate you for choosing to ride. Whether you ride once a year or every day, stop by for a high five.

sign up today!

NOTE: If you’re a regular bike commuter, and you are as excited as we are about making sure all the folks trying it out for the first time have a great experience, consider volunteering!

ALSO: Alas, rain is not a particularly good way to wash your bike.

What to expect on Bike to Work Day

| Michelle Cleveland

It’s almost here!

Bike to Work Day is tomorrow! It is the one day each year that our region celebrates what you love to do: ride your bike! And WABA wants to make sure you register and participate in the big day. You get to wake up a little earlier (maybe even catch a beautiful sunrise), get on a bicycle, and smile. You’ll stop by a pit stop on your way to work, enjoy a free breakfast, grab that sought after free t-shirt, and then ride your bike to work. The event is organized by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG), in partnership with WABA. Check out COG’s Bike to Work Day website for helpful resources, like finding a buddy to ride with, joining a commuter convoy, and information for employers. Bike to Work Day is meant to promote bicycling as a healthy alternative to driving to work. Each year, Bike to Work Day grows more massive. Last year, more than 17,500 people registered to bike to work and each of them stopped off at one of the many pit stops along their commute. This year, there are 86(!) pit stops across DC, Maryland, and Virginia, proving just how huge BTWD really is!

So, here’s what you should do in the next few days before May 19th:

1. Register. For real. It is SUPER important that you register so you can be counted as a person who bikes in the region. These numbers help show growth in ridership and will help further and direct WABA’s advocacy in the future. You can register here. If you need to figure out which pit stop is on your way to work, check out this handy map. 2. Get your bike ready. If you haven’t ridden your bike in a while, there’s still time to take it out of the garage and dust it off, give your ride some TLC (lube that chain and tighten those brakes), or take your best buddy to a local bike shop for a quick tune up (hint hint: WABA members get discounts at many local shops and coops). If you don’t have a bike, borrow one from a friend. You can also try Bikeshare or rent one from somewhere like Bike and Roll. 3. Invite a friend or coworker to ride along. Riding your bike (and drinking free coffee) is always more fun with a friend. So shoot out some texts, Gchat your office buddies, or make a few phone calls. And make sure they register too! Then make plans to meet up that morning and ride to your pit stop together. 4. If you really want to show your colors, then consider joining WABA today (or renewing your membership!) or volunteer with us. Sign up here to volunteer with WABA at your local pit stop on Bike to Work Day to help spread the bicycling love.

Sign up 

Don’t forget to sign up, especially if you bike every day. The continued growth of this event is one of the ways we demonstrate the need for more and better bike infrastructure. Event: Bike to Work Day Date: Friday, May 19th, 2017 Location: Find your pit stop here. There are 86 pit stops across the region. Time: Various times, but most pit stops are open from about 6:30am to 9:30am. Some are afternoon stops. Cost: FREE! Don’t forget to register. More Info: waba.org/aboutbiketoworkday  

Sign up

Daydreaming about stress free bikey goodness? We are too.

| Michelle Cleveland
  Can’t wait for Bike to Work Day? Daydreaming about stress free bikey goodness? We are too. Here’s our suggestion: sign up for DC Bike Ride! What’s DC Bike Ride? It’s a huge bike ride event on Sunday, May 14th with monumental views and a finish line festival.

Here are five reasons why you’ve got to sign up for DC Bike Ride:

  1. Car-free, stress-free, wide open roads to ride your bike.
  2. Music. Fun. Entertainment. DJ BIZ MARKIE! Batalá! Dupont Brass Band!
  3. A good reason to tune your bike (or test out your new ride) before your big BTWD commute.
  4. Don’t miss out: all your friends and fellow bike commuters will be there having the time of their lives.
  5. It raises funds to support our important Vision Zero advocacy work.
You can learn more about WABA’s Vision Zero advocacy work here.

Sign up » 

Check out a few of our favorite photos from the inaugural DC Bike Ride last May below:

WABA is a DC Bike Ride Founding Partner. DCBR organizers are making a substantial grant to support WABA’s advocacy work and community organizing for Vision Zero. So, while we are not directly involved in the operation of the event, we’re thrilled it’s taking place and invested in its success. We really, really hope you will sign up for DC Bike Ride and join us for this spectacular event. And don’t forget to sign up for Bike to Work Day: especially if you bike every day. This is the one day of the year to be counted (literally). Have a great Bike to Work Day.

Take a trail!

| Michelle Cleveland
Bike to Work Day is a great opportunity to add a few extra beautiful, safe miles to your commute on a local trail. Or if this is your first time biking to work in a while (or ever?!), check out Google Maps biking directions or a paper bike map to see if your safest commute takes you on a trail. The Washington DC region is fortunate to have an extensive network of trails that allow a near seamless off-street ride for much of your trip.  For a new 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 expressways 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 protected bike lanes (cycletracks) which form a network of bike-friendly routes.  If you are an infrequent rider, these will make getting to work a little less stressful. Consult the Google Maps bicycling layer to find a route or join one of the BTWD Commuter Convoys that follow trails.

Sign up 

Dark green lines are trails on on the map are trails. Light green lines are on-street bike lanes.

Regardless of your experience biking to work, 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 some of the most popular trails with pit stops nearby.

Anacostia River Trail: South Capitol St to Benning Rd on both sides of the Anacostia River, and continuing north to Cottage City, MD

  • 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

  • Rosslyn 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
  • Falls Church at Grove Ave
  • Falls Church at East Falls Church Metro

The Capital Trails Coalition

In October 2016, WABA, along with REI, the National Park Service, and many other regional partners announced the launch of a new a collaboration of public and private organizations, agencies, and citizen volunteers working to advance completion of an interconnected network of multi-use trails for metropolitan Washington, DC. Read our blog post about the launch event here, and more info here. The Trails Coalition has a powerful vision: The Capital Trails Coalition seeks to create a world-class network of multi-use trails that are equitably distributed throughout the Washington D.C. metropolitan region. The regional trails network will transform public life by providing healthy, low-stress access to open space and reliable transportation for people of all ages and abilities. Check out the Coalition’s homepage for more info and updates on the new Capital Trails Coalition. Don’t forget to sign up for Bike to Work Day: especially if you bike every day. This is the one day of the year to be counted (literally). Have a great Bike to Work Day. Event: Bike to Work Day Date: Friday, May 19th, 2017 Location: Find your pit stop here. There are 86 pit stops across the region. Time: Various times, but most pit stops are open from about 6:30am to 9:30am. Some are afternoon stops. Cost: FREE! Don’t forget to register. More Info: waba.org/aboutbiketoworkday  

Sign up » 

How to be a bike advocate

| Michelle Cleveland
It’s a big deal and people notice when 19,000+ bicyclists ride to work on a single day — including your elected representatives. Make sure you register for Bike to Work Day now so you get counted, and put a reminder on your calendar so you don’t forget to stop by your local pit stop on Friday, May 19th. Bike to Work Day is your opportunity to advocate for bicycling by simply signing up and riding.

Sign up » 

Many local elected officials and decision makers will be in attendance at your local pit stop on Bike to Work Day. Councilmembers, County Board Supervisors, State Delegates, State Senators, Members of Congress or even a Senator might make an appearance. Important decision makers such as Directors of Transportation Departments, officials from State Highway and DOTs and other planners and traffic engineers could be at a pit stop too. Here are some tips on how to be a bike advocate at your Bike to Work Day pit stop:
  • Know your elected officials and other decision makers – Use our handy legislator look-up tool and be familiar with your representatives.
  • Ask them now if they are planning to attend Bike to Work Day – Send them a message and inquire if they are attending Bike to Work Day. Include in your message an invitation for them to attend a local pit stop.
  • Plan what you want to say – Practice your elevator speech. You’re only going to get 30 seconds to talk to them about biking. Introduce yourself, including where you live, and ask them to support a project or for their help in addressing an issue. Ask how to follow-up. Thank them for their support.
  • Introduce yourself at the pit stop – Identify the official and introduce yourself. Be respectful of others speaking with them and wait your turn to speak.
  • Thank them for attending and for their support of biking – Show your appreciation for their attendance of Bike to Work Day and general support of bicycling. It goes a long way to thank and appreciate people first. If they have recently supported a specific initiative, mention it and give credit where due.
  • Have an “ask” – What do you want them to do? Have a one sentence “ask.” Good examples include “could you send a letter of support to DOT about this bike trail?” or “please ask the state DOT to address the issue of biking on this road.”
  • Be respectful of their time (be quick!!) – You might only get 30 seconds or less. Officials and their staff have busy schedules and multiple appointments in a single day. Be respectful of their time at an event.
  • Follow-up that day – Make sure to ask how you can follow-up with them. Should you email them or is there a staffer who you should reach out to directly? Send a follow-up email that day!
And one last thing, don’t forget to register for Bike to Work Day: especially if you bike every day. This is the one day of the year to be counted (literally). Good luck being a bike advocate and have a great Bike to Work Day! Event: Bike to Work Day Date: Friday, May 19th, 2017 Location: Find your pit stop here. There are 86 pit stops across the region. Time: Various times, but most pit stops are open from about 6:30am to 9:30am. Some are afternoon stops. Cost: FREE! Don’t forget to register. More Info: waba.org/aboutbiketoworkday

Sign up » 

Happy Bike Month

| Michelle Cleveland
May is National Bike Month, and it’s also when so many fun and awesome bike events and activities take place throughout the region. By now, you may have  already registered for DC Bike Ride, the only place in the region you can bike for 20-miles on car-free, traffic-free, and stress-free streets while enjoying music and fun entertainment along the way and at a post-ride festival. And you have probably also signed up by now for Bike to Work Day, where you can ride with 19,000 other bicycle lovers and get a free t-shirt!

Fun things to do in May:

Here’s a list of our favorite things happening during Bike Month in May. We hope that you check a few of them out, have a happy bike month, and enjoy the ride:

Artomatic Bike Ride and Mini Bike Parade

May 3, 2017 The region’s largest art exhibition has taken over seven floors of a building in Crystal City — join us as we work up our creative appetites by exploring this urban village’s more curious offerings and bike connections. We’ll end up at Artomatic, to roam and explore, for a full evening of adventure. Bike decorations and costumes encouraged! Sign up for this WABA Community Ride here. It only costs $10 to reserve your spot, but WABA Members and Bikeshare members are FREE!

Sign up

Encourage a Friend to Learn to Ride

Classes throughout the region on May 6, 13, 20, 21 and 27th! Is there someone in your life who doesn’t know how to ride a bicycle and you want to encourage them to learn? Suggest they take a WABA Learn to Ride class! This class is for adults who have never ridden a bike before and want to start now. Our technique is intuitive and has a very high success rate. Our instructors take students through a progressive curriculum, with the goal of riding with two pedals by the end of the session. Registration includes a bike and helmet to borrow for the class. Share our Learn to Ride classes and encourage someone in your life to give bicycling a try.

Share with a friend

Build Your Confidence on a Bicycle

Classes throughout the region on May 6, 13, 20 and 21st! Do you know how to ride a bike, but don’t feel comfortable riding with other commuters or near car and bike traffic? WABA offers City Cycling classes for new bike commuters and riders who want to increase their confidence and familiarity on a bike. At these classes, we spend some time on a few specific bike handling skills, then go for a short ride and talk about strategies for riding in different road, bike lane, and trail situations. Check out our City Cycling classes and sign up for one today! (They are free for Bikeshare members and WABA Members!)

Check out a class

Take Action

Prince George’s County meeting May 9; Arlington County meeting May 15; Fairfax meeting May 17; Montgomery County meeting May 22 WABA is working to bring advocates together in our local jurisdictions to further our mission of a more bikeable region. WABA Action Committees empower residents with the tools, training and support needed to win campaigns for better biking infrastructure, policies, and programs. With Action Committees in Prince George’s County, Montgomery County, and Arlington County moving forward with campaigns, now is a great time to join in.

Learn more

Free Coffee on the Met Branch Trail

May 12, 2017 Stop by the Trail Ranger Coffee Hour to chat with the Trail Rangers and caffeinate on your way to work. We’ll be set up at 4th and S St on the Metropolitan Branch Trail from 7:00 am – 9:00 am. Just stop on by, no need to sign up. We’ll see you on the trail!

Learn about the Trail Rangers

DC Bike Ride

May 14, 2017 20 miles. 1 day. 0 Cars. Get ready to celebrate life on two wheels on car-free streets! Join us for DC’s only 20-mile closed-road scenic bike ride, complete with a fabulous finish line festival. Register today. Proceeds from DCBR will benefit WABA in our efforts to deliver meaningful street safety programs in support of DC’s Vision Zero Campaign. WABA is a DC Bike Ride founding partner.

Register

Bike to Work Day

May 19, 2017 Bike to Work Day is a free regional event that features 86 pit stops around Virginia, Maryland and DC. Register early for a pit stop near your home or work to show your support for bicycling and reserve a free Bike to Work Day t-shirt.

Sign up

Family Biking: A Parent and Child Powered Class

May 27, 2017 We’re really excited about this new class! This class will be about having a great time on a bike next to your child on their bike, every time the two of you ride! Sign up to learn skills and techniques to build your confidence and capability to enjoy your life on two wheels.

Sign up

Wow!

It’s going to be a jam-packed May filled with lots of bike rides, smiles, challenging yourself, and making new bike friends. We can’t wait to see and celebrate with you.

 

Register for Bike to Work Day!

| Michelle Cleveland
Registration is open for Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 19th, 2017. You should sign up!

Sign up 

Three reasons why you should participate:

1. FREE t-shirts, bagels, coffee, and smiles. 2. It’s super fun to be a part of something big: 19,500+ people biking to work. 3. You could WIN A BRAND NEW BICYCLE!

Three reasons you should register online:

1. It shows your support for bicycling. 2. You want to make bicycling better (and showing your support bolsters WABA’s advocacy efforts to make biking better). 3. It helps elected officials, city governments, and local transportation departments recognize biking is important and normal.

Sign up

You can also learn more about Bike to Work Day on our website here or check out the regional Bike to Work Day event website here.

Register for Bike to Work Day!

| Michelle Cleveland
We are excited to announce that registration for this year’s Bike to Work Day is now open. Sign up for this free event today! Sign up »  Bike to Work Day will take place on Friday, May 19th, 2017. The region’s largest celebration of getting to work on two wheels, Bike to Work Day is an annual event that celebrates those who ride a bicycle. Whether you commute to work by bike every single day or just want to give it a try for the first time this year, this event celebrates you! This is the one day each year that our regions recognizes bicycling as an everyday form of transportation. This year’s Bike to Work Day event will feature 86 pit stops across the region in Maryland, DC and Virginia. Registration for Bike to Work Day is always free, and includes a free t-shirt, food/drink at your pit stop, and the chance to win pit stop giveaways. You can read more about Bike to Work Day here. And you can sign up and select your pit stop here.  

Best of WABA Events: 2016

| Michelle Cleveland
Looking back at 2016, the WABA Events Team wanted to share with you our favorite moments from our signature events of the last year: February 2016: The Bicyclist Choice Awards and Annual Members Meeting

DDOT Director Leif Dormsjo accepts The WABA Vision Zero award.

WABA staff.

The Awards event is our opportunity to be fancy and to recognize and thank those people who really and truly make a positive difference for bicycling in the region. It was really special this year to have the Director of the District Department of Transportation in attendance to accept an award we gave him. -Michelle March 2016: The Congressional Ride 

Photo Credit: The League of American Bicyclists

The Congressional Ride is a really unique ride event that WABA organizes as part of the League of American Bicyclists’ National Bike Summit each year. It’s special because we get to meet bike advocates and bicyclists from all over the country, talk to them about the work WABA is doing in our Nation’s Capital and around the region, and show off some of DC’s best bicycle infastrucutre. Everyone is always so impressed with the bike lanes and protected infrastructure, and they love hearing about our programs, events, and the impact we have on the region. -Michelle The Vasa Ride

Vasa Ride 2016

The weather machine cooperated and the cloudy skies held their rain for this year’s Vasa Ride. Flowers were in bloom. The breeze was almost warm. The highlight is always the grumbling and tight muscles in the morning as sleepy-eyed riders stretch out their riding legs for the first time all winter, and then the joy, smiles, hugs, and happy conversations had over warm blueberry soup at the end of the ride inside the absolutely gorgeous House of Sweden. -Michelle  May 2016: Bike to Work Day

Photo Credit: John Pickett

What’s not to love about Bike to Work Day? The ENTIRE WABA staff and board unite to go spread the bike love. This year, WABA had a presence at a record number of pit stops for us: 26 different pit stops! We mobilized 31 WABA captains and 112 volunteers to get out there super early on a Friday morning and talk to people about better bicycling. So much sunshine. So much coffee. So many bagels. And so many bicycle-induced smiles and high fives. -Michelle Tour de Fat

DC celebrity spotting! Local bicycle advice columnist Gear Prudence for City Paper came out to support WABA.

Just look at those lines!

I was a bit terrified when Tour de Fat rolled around this year because there was rain in the forecast — LOTS of rain. But, to my delight, people still came out to celebrate and drink beer and ride bikes in the rain! I couldn’t believe it and I am SO grateful that the #bikedc community is so supportive of the work we do. -Michelle  June 2016: Bike to Work AGAIN Day

Bike to Work Again Day + beer!

We loved Bike to Work Day so much this year that we decided to celebrate it again a month later! With three “pit stops” at local bars and restaurants in Arlington, Bethesda, and the District, we hung out with bike commuters on their way home and talked about our favorite subject: bikes! -Nick July 2016: Bike to the Pools Ride

Cooling off at a splash park right off the Marvin Gaye Trail!

The Washington area gets pretty hot in July, so we decided that we’d combine two things we all love to do: biking and swimming! (And a bit of splashing.) We rode our bikes from the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens along the Marvin Gaye Trail, stopped at a splash park, hopped on our bikes again, and finished the ride at the Deanwood Pool. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday afternoon! -Nick August 2016: Open Streets Community Organizing

Petworth residents, ANC commissioners, and community leaders came together to help guide us in planning a community wide event in their neighborhood that will have a positive lasting impact, promote community building, and bring neighbors together.

This entire year we have been working to bring an open street event to DC, where a roadway is temporary closed to vehicles so it can be opened up to the people to walk, bike, dance, and play in the middle of the street. We are lucky to have the support of the DC Office of Planning in this effort and received a substantial grant for this project from the agency. It’s a big undertaking, and we still have a lot of work to do, but we’re excited for the connections and relationships we’ve begun to build with Petworth and city officials, and can’t wait to continue work in 2017 to bring DC its first open streets program. -Michelle September 2016: The 50 States & 13 Colonies Ride

Photo credit: Chuck Cage

Years of tinkering with WABA’s weather machine to let up on the rain finally paid off, but someone forgot to adjust the temperature… it was HOT! Despite the heat, we welcomed our biggest crowd yet—700 registrants—to a fun and challenging ride throughout DC’s 8 Wards. This year, we hosted riders from California, Alabama, Texas, Ohio, and many other far-flung places! -Nick October 2016: WABA in the Wild Overnight C&O Tour

In a matter of days, the 11 strangers who came together for WABA in the Wild became fast friends.

Everyone celebrated in the warm autumn sunshine at mile marker 0 in Georgetown at the end of the ride.

WABA in the Wild was the highlight of my year for sure. It was a feat of an event to pull off: the first time WABA has ever done an original peer-to-peer fundraising event, the first time we’ve ever done a multi-day bike tour, the first time we’ve ever organized a group camping trip. But we pulled it off and it was a tremendous success. We bicycled through rain and mud with smile on our faces. We saw beauty in the trees along the canal and the shimmering sunshine on the Potomac. There was whiskey, laughter, games, camaraderie, and so. many. snacks. And we can’t wait to do it again with more people in 2017! -Michelle
November 2016: The Cider Ride

Photo credit: Mr.TinDC

This year’s Cider Ride was the biggest ever, with over 700 people riding their bikes along the beautiful trails and farm roads of Prince George’s county, the Patuxent Research Refuge, and the new (and old) sections of the Anacostia River Trail. Riders also helped to advance our campaign to finish the Rhode Island Avenue Trolley Trail in Hyattsville — we collected over 300 signatures at an advocacy pit stop along the course! -Nick December 2016: The Holiday Party

Many, many bikes outside Boundary Stone for the WABA Holiday Party. Photo credit: Jeremiah Lowery

One of our ‘accomplishments scrapboards’ from the party

We hosted our year-end Holiday Party at Boundary Stone and had an awesome time chatting with members about all the things we accomplished together in 2016 and what we’re looking forward to working on in 2017. It was great to hang out with so many of our members and enjoy some holiday cheer! -Nick
We hope you enjoyed being part of the bike community as much as we did this year. Happy New Year and here’s to more awesome WABA events — and a few awesome event surprises — in 2017! Cheers, WABA Events Team

Celebrate Biking to Work (Again!) with us on June 9th

| Michelle Cleveland
BTWD 2016_0048 We’ve created our own holiday: June 9th is Bike to Work Again Day. Bike to work again and join us on June 9th, 2016 for a happy hour in DC, Maryland or Virginia to celebrate! We’re throwing three parties at once! All three of the Bike to Work Again Day Happy Hours will take place on Thursday, June 9th from 6-10pm: WABA will provide information about biking at the happy hours, have free resources like bike maps and law guides, and have up to date information about SafeTrack. RSVP for the Bike to Work Again Day happy hour near you on Facebook using the links above. See you soon! ❤️