WASHINGTON — Bike to Work Day is back! For the first time since 2019, the bash will be held in Alexandria's Market Square.
It is a day to encourage people to reevaluate how they're commuting and explore options outside of driving, which is sometimes unavoidable, but in many cases, there are better commuting options for the environment.
On Friday, the city of Alexandria is helping draw attention to different modes of transportation.
"We really focus on giving folks the access, whether it's providing Capital Bikeshare memberships or discounted metro fare," said Hamzat Sani, a member of the "GO Alex" team for the city.
GO Alex is an employer services program that provides the community with assistance for eco-friendly and economical transportation.
"As we bring more services online, as we bring on more modes of transportation, folks are more and more taking to them,” Sani said. “And then asking us to improve them, and make them better and add more access and more availability.”
The city has doubled the amount of Capital Bikeshare e-bikes and upgraded the bikes to make your commute even easier.
"One great thing about this model is that previous models had a throttle you need to push if you needed to go up a hill a little faster this is literally pedal assisted so it does all of the work for you," Sani said.
Alexandria also has a free DASH bus system and a new metro stop at Potomac Yards opening in conjunction with Bike to Work Day.
The city will even teach you to ride a bike for free.
Alexandria partners with the Washington Area Bicycles Association to provide bike riding classes in and around Alexandria for people 15 and older.
So what are these classes really like? They start each session with a review of two basic principles of safe riding.
“One is our helmet fit,” Sani said. “You gotta be ready to make sure we’re protected to ride on our bike. And then we also through what we call an ABC quick check just making sure our bike is ready to go as well."
- A is for air - checking your tire pressure before taking off
- B is for brakes - making sure they’re working properly
- C is for chain - ensuring it’s properly lubricated and secured in place
They’ll also teach you how to safely navigate city streets and how to best take advantage of local trails.
So, if bike commuting sounds like a good idea for your life, Bike to Work Day provides an avenue to experiment.
"We'll be celebrating them with a DJ, a 360 booth, we'll have food, music all sorts of vendors out as well for people to be able to enjoy riding," Sani said.
There will be over 100 free pit stops throughout Virginia, Maryland and D.C. to check out and celebrate your environmentally friendly commute. See the full list of locations and additional information here.
Sign up for the Get Up DC newsletter: Your forecast. Your commute. Your news.
Sign up for the Capitol Breach email newsletter, delivering the latest breaking news and a roundup of the investigation into the Capitol Riots on January 6, 2021.