Get There on Bike to Work

The Get There blog had a couple of posts on Bike to Work Day yesterday. The first had links to many resources to answer the basic question of any bike commuter candidate. It also included a link to this fun profile of bike commuting professors at Catholic University.

Terry Walsh, assistant professor of nursing and director of CUA’s undergraduate nursing program, has been biking to campus from Maryland since she was studying for her bachelor’s degree in the early 1980s. In the decades since, she has seen a change in attitude on biking. “The roads are more friendly toward bikers,” she says.

Alvarez loves the feel of cold air as she’s riding. “I actually love riding when it’s cold because it’s exhilarating. Riding in 20 degrees, you are alive. It is fabulous.”

The second one covers how Metro is preparing for Bike to Work Day, which is basically just to tell cyclists they can park their bike at stations or put it on Metro buses.

One of the key discouragements to a bike-rail combo as a commute is Metrorail's ban on bikes from 7 to 10 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. weekdays. Bikers would have to get in and get out mighty early to make Metro a part of their workday.

Even though I hear complaints about this from bikers, I must sympathize with the regular crowd of rush-hour riders. They already endure those double-wide strollers -- the SUVs of the sidewalk -- as well as suitcases and backpacks that get flung around with abandon. It's too much to try to jam bikes aboard those crowded rail cars during the morning and afternoon rush.

Mr. Thomson, you were doing so good up until now. What about reverse commuters?

Comments

[dynaryder]

I can agree with him on non-folding bikes during rush hour. I hate taking my bike on Metro(and only do it when I go to a shop outside the Beltway). You have to use the elevators(which given the escalators at Tenley and Dupont I'm ok with),but people will jam on in front of you. I mean healthy people,not folks in wheelchairs or with strollers/luggage. Plus people don't care about bumping into/banging stuff against your bike. No way I'd want to deal with the sardining at rush hour on top of everything else.

Metro really should look to accommodating bikes. Other systems have designated sections with hooks or seats that fold up.

[Jeremy]

I agree with the rush-hour ban. Metro stations and cars just aren't set up to accommodate full-size bikes very well, and there is no money for changing this anytime soon. Folding bikes are the way to go for mixed-mode travel.