TheWashCycle

Support the Region's First Bike Campus

Good cause

Two years ago you invested in our vision of turning a parking lot at Jones Point Park into a Bike Campus. After two and a half years of negotiation, National Park Service has given us approval to convert an unused parking lot under Alexandria’s Wilson Bridge along the Mount Vernon Trail. Now with your help, we’ll turn it into a vibrant skills course and replica streetscape so we can teach you and your children how to safely and confidently navigate city streets. And so you can take your friends and children and social groups out on the weekends and teach everyone how to ride. But we can’t do it without your help.

Donate by Wednesday to show your support for the next generation of bicyclists.

Family bicycling: The Kids are All Right (the Parents Less So)

By Jonathon Krall

Last summer, Kidical Mass Alexandria[1] held its first bicycle ride, encouraging families to take to streets and bike paths for fun, transportation, and exercise. The national Safe Routes to School program and the upcoming Bike to School Day (May 6) also encourage families to ride. As these programs reach out, parents are responding.

“Kidical Mass” refers to monthly Critical Mass rides that take control of streets in cities around the world, including Washington, DC. While Critical Mass asserts the right of cyclists to safer streets through the strength of numbers, Kidical Mass focuses on fun, working within the law, and helping families get active. Natasha Andersen, a leader of Kidical Mass Alexandria, told me via email that it is easier to get started when children can ride in a trailer. "[T]he biggest hurdle for us has been the transition from trailer to bike... [B]uilding up the skill set and confidence level to hit the streets has been hard... My daughter is getting there, but honestly she needs to learn to pay attention to her surroundings.” Writing on the Washington Area Bicycle Forum[2], “peterw_diy” of Alexandria is optimistic. “Whether I have my 4 [year-old] on the back of the longtail or my 7 [year-old] riding solo in my wake, people driving cars around my part of NoVA seem supportive and cautiously deferential to us.”

Unfortunately, parents can encounter social pressure to conform. “peterw_diy” cites concerns about allowing his 7 year-old to “bike 3 blocks of quiet neighborhood streets to the playground without somebody calling CPS." Four years ago, Cynthia Palmer of Arlington was forced to give up her two-child trailer when "I was told by a divorce judge that no suburban mom can get custody without a car. I was mocked by the custody evaluator for pulling the kids around.”

Community leaders are acting to support Alexandria families. Jim Durham, Chair of Alexandria BPAC, wants biking and walking to be part of school system planning. According to Durham, “the degree to which the school provides strong encouragement and education will make a difference in the numbers of students who walk and bike, and in the academic performance of those students.”

The degree to which ACPS integrates these ideas into its new Strategic Plan[3] remains to be seen. Durham is asking ACPS to measure and report both the transportation budget and the number of children walking, biking, taking a school bus, or arriving by car. Fewer children on the bus saves money and fewer children arriving by car keeps all children safer.

Chris Shue, of McLean, says biking has been great for his children because “it has made them way more free range... They really started going on rides with me when they were 11... I regret not getting them out earlier.”

According to the League of American Bicyclists, 80% of US citizens are or will be a parent[4]. Many parents feel challenged by unsafe or incomplete bicycling networks. When bike lanes on busy streets end, cyclists are sometimes directed towards “shared lanes,” regular travel lanes painted with bicycle symbols. In Alexandria, these makings appear on Braddock Road, Commonwealth Avenue, and King Street. Would you like your child to share a “shared lane” with people driving on these streets?

Nevertheless, many parents prefer family biking over driving. Gillian Burgess, a leader of Kidical Mass Arlington[5], says “it's actually easier than the car (where do you park? how do you deal with toddlers in the parking lot?).” Jon Renaut of Washington, DC, was attracted by “low-traffic bike- friendly routes and free bike parking.”

Now that spring is in the air, Andersen is organizing bike rides for the Alexandria Earth Day[6] celebration on April 25. Kidical Mass rides are in planning. A typical ride is 3 miles, but that should not deter newcomers. According to “APKhaos” of McClean, “My twins were 5 last summer... After some local riding to build confidence, [we] tried the C & O towpath... [Next] they wanted to go for a BIG ride... We rode 19.1 miles out and return, and the twins flat out loved the adventure. Don't underestimate what younger kids can do."

[1] https://twitter.com/kidicalmassalx

[2] http://bikearlingtonforum.com/forumdisplay.php?37-Family-Biking

[3] http://www.acps.k12.va.us/board/strategic-plan/

[4] http://bikeleague.org/sites/default/files/Winter_2015_magazine_web.pdf

[5] http://kidicalmassarl.blogspot.com/

[6] http://alexandriava.gov/EarthDay

Crossposted at AlexandriaNews

Trailers, Child Seats and Helmets

Here's a 2000 study someone posted on twitter about "Injuries Associated With Bicycle-Towed Child Trailers and Bicycle-Mounted Child Seats" which is the first I've ever seen on the subject.

When compared with bicycle-mounted child seats, there were fewer reported injuries to children associated with the use of bicycle-towed trailers. Motor vehicle involvement and need for hospital admission were similar among injured children in both groups, and the head or face was the most common site of injury. These data imply that ongoing surveillance efforts to identify injuries associated with use of bicycle-towed child trailers are warranted and that bicycle helmets should be worn by children riding in bicycle-towed child trailers and in bicycle-mounted child seats.

the annual injury rate [ related to bicycle-towed child trailers] can be estimated as 0.2 per 100,000 children younger than 5 years. The annual injury rate for bicycle-mounted child seats is estimated at 1.3 per 100,000 children younger than 5 years. 

The reasons for more bicycle-mounted injuries are feet in the wheels, and falls from the bike. I feel like with our bike-mounted seat the kids can't get their feet in the spokes if they tried to.

I'd been told that inside the roll cage of a trailer, kids don't really need a helmet. And when I look at the types of injuries kids sustained I can see why I was told that.

Contusions or abrasions were the most frequent injury: this was the diagnosis in 5 (83%) of the injuries related to bicycle-towed child trailers and for 20 (47%) of the injuries associated with the use of bicycle-mounted child seats. Lacerations accounted for 1 (17%) of the injuries among those in bicycle trailers and for 2 (5%) of those in bicycle-mounted child seats. Nine children (21%) with injuries related to bicycle-mounted child seat use had fractures.

As far as I know, helmets aren't designed to prevent contusions, abrasions or lacerations. 

Kidical Mass DC July- Pool Party & Popsicle Ride

From Kidical Mass DC:

So… we were going to have a ride in June. And it was going to be awesome!--a new type of ride, geared especially toward older, independently-cycling kids. Unfortunately, one of my children got a Mystery Fever. Then my co-organizer’s child got a Mystery Fever. Then BOTH kids got Mystery Fevers at the same time. Everyone is doing fine now--hooray for antibiotics!--but the upshot is that I got awfully behind on planning and couldn’t make the June ride happen.

But! We’re going to make it up to you in July with two--TWO!--fabulous and fun-filled rides. Plus, with family biking taking off like a rocket in the Greater Washington region, there are lots of other rides and events for you to choose from.

Sunday, July 6: Pool Party
First up, all-around awesome mom Elizabeth has scored us a coveted pool party spot at the PG Pool (just over the line in Prince George’s County) for Sunday, July 6. Though there is normally a fee for non-members to attend parties at PG Pool, thanks to the generosity of BicycleSPACE’s yoga program, we are able to offer this party FREE to all Kidical Mass riders. Space is limited to 35 people so click here to check out the details and register for the ride.

Saturday, July 19: Popsicles & Playgrounds!
Then, in our usual “third Saturday” spot, we’ll cool off with refreshing gourmet popsicles from Pleasant Pops and then head up to the Petworth Playground to enjoy their splash park. This ride will offer a great chance to practice biking on all kinds of different streets and infrastructure--bike lanes, sharrows, and calm neighborhood streets.

We’ll meet early at 10:00am to beat the heat at the Columbia Heights plaza, across from GALA Hispanic Theater. From there, we’ll bike to Pleasant Pops in Adams Morgan, where you can buy a popsicle to cool you off (and a sandwich to eat later, if you’re so inclined) before we leave for the next leg -- a trip up to the Petworth Recreation Center and Splash Park -- a personal favorite of the Odett household! Click here for details and route information.

Google Mother's Day Doodle designed specifically for kidical Mass

ABC's of Family Biking Returns to DC on Saturday, May 3

Kidical Mass DC, DDOT and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association are delighted to announce the return of “The ABC’s of Family Biking.” This free event, now in its third year, celebrates the joy of biking with children and introduce local parents to the tools, skills and equipment that can help them start biking with their kids. This year, we're introducing some competition to our event, with balance bike races for the littlest cyclists and a Fiets of Parenthood http://bikeportland.org/2012/09/17/family-biking-skills-on-display-at-fiets-of-parenthood-77402-style family bike race for experienced cargo cyclists. 

Held on Saturday, May 3rd from 11:00am – 2:00 pm at Capitol Hill Montessori School at Logan, “The ABC’s of Family Biking” will offer: 

A Show & Tell to talk to area parents who bike with children of all ages Bicycles and equipment available at local bike shops to help parents bike safely with their children Free Youth Bike course with WABA instructors to teach basic riding skills to children. Parents & Kids Riding class to help parents bike alongside their kids, either alone or in a “bike train” group. Balance bike races for our youngest riders A cargo bike obstacle course where interested parents can test demonstration bikes and experienced family cyclists can pits their skills against one another in the East Coast’s first-ever “Fiets of Parenthood” competition The opportunity for parents to “Swap or Sell” their gently used family biking equipment Free bike repair clinics from The Bike House 

The event will also provide a chance for families to practice their bicycling skills in advance of National Bike to School Day which will be May 7, 2014. 

For more details, registration information, and full event schedule, visit the ABC's of Family Biking pagehttp://kidicalmassdc.blogspot.com/p/abcs-of-family-biking.html on the Kidical Mass DC websitehttp://kidicalmassdc.blogspot.com. 

To inquire about volunteering or exhibiting, e-mail Kidical Mass DC's organizer, Megan Odett, at[email protected] mailto:[email protected] 

Wednesday Morning Commute - Roosevelt

When they first installed the electric car chargers at Canal Park in SE I thought they were a gimmick and no one would ever use them. But I saw a Tesla Model S parked there last night. 

• "We helped build Alta's flagship Bikesharing program in DC and we're proud to see Alta landing big contracts all over the USA as a result of our hard work: Citi Bike in New York, Divvy in Chicago, Hubway in Boston; Puget Sound Bikeshare in Seattle; San Francisco, Columbus, Baltimore, Portland... It would be a shame to see bad labor practices pollute the growth of such a socially and environmentally important industry."
• Pennsylvania Avenue Plan meeting is tonight. The BAC points out the the 1974 plan (an interesting read for sure) includes space for bus/bike lanes "Treatment of the Avenue roadway is intended to make its broad expanse less of a physical and visual barrier than it is today. two 11-foot outside lanes would be paved in different material than the inner lanes and, if traffic conditions permit, reserved for exclusive bicycle and bus use."  In addition to bike lanes, it would be nice if CaBi stations and bike parking would be allowed on Penn. 
• "Kidical Mass Arlington takes its inspiration from an existing Kidical Mass group in Washington, which has been building up over the past few years."
• The Greenbelt Museum held its first Roosevelt Ride on Sunday, inviting bikers to take a leisurely ride through historic downtown Greenbelt.
• Marketplace is dubious of NYC DOT's claim that cycletracks in NYC increased business by 49%.
• "“We have the A train, and we have yellow cabs, and we have the Staten Island Ferry,” Ms. Sadik-Khan said at the news conference. “And today, Citi Bike joins the ranks of the transportation icon family in New York City.”"