What a wonderful Bike to Work Day! More than 900 bicyclists rolled into the Downtown pit stop at Freedom Plaza (14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue). A host of prizes, T-shirts, freebies, information, snacks, VIP speakers and entertainers awaited all, thanks to several sponsors and the DowntownDC ecoDistrict program, which hosted the pit stop event, one of more than 70 located throughout D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
The weather was perfect—clear skies and warm—and the mood both hassle-free and upbeat.
Among the dignitaries who turned out to cheer the cyclists and support biking as a healthy and sustainable transportation option were Mayor Vincent Gray; D.C. Councilmembers Tommy Wells, Muriel Bowser, Mary Cheh and David Grosso; Dan Tangherlini, acting administrator of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and a former D.C. City Administrator; Victor Mendez, administrator of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA); and Harriet Tregoning, director of the D.C. Office of Planning.
“At the District [government],” Tangherlini tweeted, “I worked on bike lanes and Capital Bikeshare. It is rewarding that they are part of the infrastructure. The GSA is proud to support bikeshare programs across the country, from New York and D.C. to San Francisco.”
BicycleSPACE was there helping with bike repairs and handing out free bottles. The D.C. Public Library (901 G Street) showcased a collection of bikes and biking books and advertised its Tour de DCPL, a free bicycle tour of five public libraries on Saturday, June 8. The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC WASA) gave away water, of course, and the Corner Bakery (777 6th Street, 529 14th Street and 1425 K Street) kept everyone awake with fresh coffee, while Whole Foods P Street and KIND bars doled out healthy fare.
Other participants, who distributed information brochures, snacks or biking gadget, included goDCgo, AAA, Bike and Roll (1100 Pennsylvania Avenue), the League of American Bicyclists and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA). The latter is hosting a Tour de Fat—a celebration of bikes, beer and community—at Yards Park on Saturday, June 1. Oh, let’s not forget the fabulous Tune Ups, an eight-member D.C. bicycle choral group, which entertained the bicyclists with such songs as “The City of D.C.”
Bicyclists were impressed by the event. “It’s great,” said Delores Simmons, who biked into Downtown from Silver Spring, Maryland. “It’s especially great for people who haven’t biked to work before. It gives them a support network. But it also increases awareness about safety on the roads.” Her biking partner, Sharon Campbell, agreed. The D.C. resident is not an avid biker, but she recently joined Black Women Bike D.C. and is participating in her second Bike to Work Day event.
Bike to Work Day is supported by WABA and Commuter Connections, the regional network of transportation organizations coordinated by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG). Besides the DowntownDC BID, sponsors of the May 17 Freedom Plaza pit stop included BicycleSPACE, Whole Foods P Street, and KIND bar.