Friday, June 29, 2012
Apartment renters want good bike parking
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| Photo: Washington Post Express |
In a crowded marketplace, apartment buildings in the D.C. area can stand out by offering bike amenities that complement the region’s improved bike lanes and trails and rapidly increasing ridership. The District — recently named the fourth-most-bike-friendly U.S. city by Bicycling Magazine, up nine spots in just one year — and Arlington County are both leading the way. Nearby areas including Fairfax County are learning from those examples and developing plans to become more bike friendly, too.
I'm quoted as agreeing with the statement that in the suburbs "You often have to drive your car somewhere to bike." While bike conditions aren't great in burbs, there are many bike-freindly streets and trails near where most people live. The first and last miles of many trips can be the worst because we don't have a connected network. Riding from home often does require riding on roads with no bike facilities, but unless the road is a major arterial, skilled cyclists can navigate most of these streets without too many problems.I guess the main point is that it should be easier for everyone from 8 to 80 to be able ride from home to our destinations. That's the goal of the County Bicycle Master Plan. It will take political will to make it happen.
The transformation of Tysons from a car-dominated place to a more bike- and pedestrian-friendly place is mentioned in the article. There are major battles currently being fought to ensure that the excellent Tysons Plan is implemented. It won't be easy but with the transformation Tysons will be a better community, better able to compete with surrounding jurisdictions like Arlington and Alexandria.
Labels: alexandria, arlington county, bicycle parking
Comments:
It would be awesome if my apartment had real bike parking. Mine doesn't (yet), and because I don't want to leave my bike on the street overnight, I had to start storing it inside. Of course there wasn't enough space.
Long story short, this situation eventually resulted in me purchasing my first ever folding bike, a Montague. At least this way, even if I never get the bike parking, I have a pretty nice bike that won't get stolen off the street.
Long story short, this situation eventually resulted in me purchasing my first ever folding bike, a Montague. At least this way, even if I never get the bike parking, I have a pretty nice bike that won't get stolen off the street.
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