View Bicycle paths in Washington, D.C. in a larger map

Bicyclists have a number of options for getting around the Washington area by off-street bicycle paths, as the above map shows. The PDFs of the maps can be downloaded here from the District Department of Transportation.

Washington-area bicycling resources:

Washington Area Bicyclist Association
WABA is one of Washington, D.C.’s main cycling associations. Visit their Web site to find out about cycling in the D.C. metro region and to get maps of biking trails in D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

SmartBike DC
D.C.’s first public bike rental program. Find out the what, where and why of this new way of discovering and moving around the city.

Washington, D.C. Department of Transportation Bike Program
Find out what’s in the future for D.C. cyclists by reading the city’s Bicycle Master Plan and the latest on what the Bicycle Advisory Council is discussing.

Bike Arlington
This is the place to go for any and all information on biking in Arlington. It has bike education classes and great maps of all the trails in Arlington.

WMAT’s Bike ‘n Ride Bicycle Program
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority has facilities for bike storage at metro stations and allows cyclists to use their bikes in conjunction with public transportation.

The Wash Cycle, Bicycle Advocacy Blog
A blog dedicated to covering all the biking news in Washington, D.C.

Commute by Bike: Tips, news, reviews and safety for bike commuters
A blog that offers lots of great information for bike commuters (and people interested in becoming bike commuters). Check out their “Beginner Tips” section for great advice on how to get started with bike commuting.

Federal Highway Administration Bike Commuting Information
Information collected by the agency on D.C.-area bike commuting, the Smartbike program, and much more.

League of American Bicyclists
The league, founded in 1880 as the League of American Wheelmen, promotes bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation. With 300,000 affiliated members, the league promotes bicycling through a number of advocacy programs.

Maryland Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
This committee advises Maryland government agencies on funding, safety and education for bicycle and pedestrian activities.

Fairfax County, Va. Bike Trails
Learn how to enjoy Fairfax County’s parks and trails with the least disturbance to its environment and historical sites here.

CommuterPage.com Bicycle Resources (Arlington County, Va. Government site)
This program is Arlington County’s effort to promote people to bike more often.

Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling
FABB was founded by a group of bicycling enthusiasts in Fairfax County to promote better bicycling conditions.

Washington, D.C. Multi-Use Trails
Check out Bike Washington for maps and guides to biking in the Washington area. The site is maintained by a bicycle enthusiast.

Percentage of commuters in the Washington, D.C., area who travel to work by bicycle. The PDF of the 2007/2008 Household Travel Study can be found here.

DC Bikestation from Laura Rush on Vimeo.

Bicycle racks were noticeably absent when a massive retail opened last year in Washington, D.C.’s Columbia Heights neighborhood.

Eric Gilliland, executive director of the Washington Area Bicyclists Association, thought fast. His organization brought in an unused rack at the city’s RFK stadium placed it near the shopping center that contains a Target and Best Buy among other retailers.

“It was full before we left,” Gilliland said.

The event displayed a reality often faced by an increasing number of people who use their bikes to get around town and efforts by local groups and governments to provide services for those who prefer low-impact travel on two wheels.

The Union Station Bike Station

More bike parking, the installation of a new bike lane on 15th Street and the opening of a multi-million dollar bike station near Union Station have all made it easier for an ever rising number of people in the district who rely on bikes for transportation.

About 3.3 percent of commuters travel to work by bike in D.C., according to a 2009 household travel survey by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

The number is nearly a 1 percent increase when compared to a similar survey conducted in 1994.

Surrounding jurisdictions including the city of Alexandria and Montgomery, Fairfax and Arlington counties also saw bike commuting increase between 1994 and 2007/2008.

D.C. bike commuters sound off from Adam Behsudi on Vimeo.

Gilliland of WABA said more services including the recently added 15th Street bike lane and the bike station reflect better responsiveness from local governments to meet the needs of bike commuters.

“We certainly need a lot more,” he said. “The progress around the region is really mixed.”

The group, through its own studies, has counted about 98,000 bike trips per day in the Washington region.

A $4 million futuristic bike station built just outside Union Station is the terminus for some of those rides.

Bicyclists can pay $96 yearly or $12 per month to have a secure area to park their bikes. The glass structure has a small bike shop with maintenance area and areas for commuters to change.

“Most of the people who are using it as a commuter hub are coming off the train,” said Catherine Pear, marketing manager for Bike and Roll, a bike sightseeing company contracted to operate a portion of the facility.

About 130 people are members of the bike station, meaning they can keep their bikes at the facility, she said.

The bike station, the first on the East Coast, was funded through the D.C. city government and with federal money, Pear said.

The new 15th Street "contraflow" bike lane.

Gilliland said his group is working with local governments and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to install more, less expensive bike stations at busy metro stations in Maryland and Virginia.

The D.C. city government is also setting goals to increase the number of bike racks where commuters can securely park their rides.

The city has installed about 1,200 bike rack during the last six years, according to Mike Goodno, a transportation planner with The District Department of Transportation.

Business improvement districts have also joined in the effort by installing an addition 300 to 400 bike racks over the same time frame, Goodno said.

The city’s goal is to install about 100 racks a year but usually exceeds that ambition by installing about 250 each year, he said.

-Adam Behsudi

Pedal power: Redefining the American commute from Laura Rush on Vimeo.

“A drunk driver hit me and the impact to the ground broke my back,” shares Brett Hack. “The recovery is what helped me begin to ride.”

It was after extensive, painful therapy when Hack’s college buddy suggested they start riding casually just to get out and have some fun. He enjoyed the interaction for a few years, even purchasing a bike for himself. However, after graduation, he allowed it to collect dust as other things gained priority in his life.

In 2007 after accepting a new job, Hack packed his mountain bike and belongings and drove to Virginia. Amidst unpacking, only a few hours into the new state, he looked out of the window at 3 a.m. only to realize that his car was gone. He panicked, immediately calling the police, only to find out that it had been towed. If only he had been warned about the Washington, D.C., metro area’s strict parking policies.

Brett Hack will have completed a year of uninterrupted bike commuting.

Knowing nobody, he dusted off his bike and rode five miles in the middle of the night to reclaim his car. That moment re-kindled the interest, and he began riding again leading to his decision to participate in the popular “Bike to Work Day.”

May 27, 2008, was a day that would change his life. He decided to give up a vehicular commute, opting for a more freeing, stress-free ride into work. No longer would he subject himself to the frustration of traffic jams, unexpected detours, and that constant rush. Instead, he would now weather any kind of storm to commute to work on his new cross bike.

Like Hack, more people in the Washington-area are deciding to give up their motorized commutes, opting instead for pedal power.

On average, cycling has increased by 0.3 percent in the last 15 years. That’s about 1 percent of people surveyed during a 2007-2008 Household Travel Survey for the National Capitol Region Transportation Planning Board of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

About 35 percent of those traveling by bike are going to work or a location related to work and metro bikers are making roughly 87,500 weekly trips using their bicycles, according to the survey.

Nationwide, the last eight years have showed a 101 percent increase specifically in bicycle commuting, according to the American Community Survey, with data summarized by the League of American Bicyclists.

Hack and other devoted bike commuters have factors most motorists don’t consider when going to and from work.

“Gear is now the most important decision I make,” he shares, knowing the weather is his greatest challenge. His coldest ride was when he left the house one morning at a mere 4 degrees, with a wind-chill factor making it feel like 20 below.

Hack is not alone.

Shaun Miskell teaches theater and performing arts at a high school in Washington. “I’ve always been a bicyclist. I’ve always done it recreationally,” he shares about his early beginnings. However, in 2007 when his family moved from the suburbs to the city, he and his wife decided it would be wiser and more cost effective to minimize their car usage by eliminating one car. The move made him fully dependent on and committed to public transportation.

Shaun Miskell rides to work on a recent morning

“It’s a delightful way to get to work in the morning,” Miskell shares about the decision, adding that he is more energized as he starts his day. The landmarks of the nation have become the backdrop to his everyday commute, including the Smithsonian and White House.

“What people wait for their whole lives to see is at my disposal,” Miskell shares.

With great lights that decorate the entire city, he only needs a water bottle and occasional lighting to get him through the morning or evening commute. As a beginner, he used a lot of special equipment, but, noting the personal evolution of the process, he eventually simplified to his current minimalist approach of carrying almost nothing with him.

He also appreciates the different flavors of the city, often interacting with other commuters and pedestrians along the 45-minute ride into work. Miskell enjoys the benefits of his “favorite way to travel,” including the good exercise and personal contribution towards a greener environment.

His advice to beginner commuters is to not be afraid and just do it.

Eric Gilliland, executive director of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, emphasizes the organization’s goal to make commuter trips as safe and easy as possible. This occurs through various education workshops on road safety. Gilliland, along with numerous commuters, state that one of the biggest challenges is dealing with inattentive drivers.

However, for Miskell and Hack, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. They say their personal decisions to commute to work have enhanced, livened and invigorated their lives.

-Esther Imende

That’s about to change.

Customers of the bike shop learned in November that it lost its lease and was liquidating its inventory. Dorn explained that the shop had too much unused space and wanted to consolidate the store, something the building’s owner was unable to accommodate. The store’s last day for sales was Monday, Nov. 30. The shop’s service center shuttered its doors Tuesday, Dec. 15.

But fans of the bicycle shop should be relieved to learn that Capitol Hill Bikes may have found another storefront in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. Details of the new location are unknown at this time.

- Stephen Weigand