Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Bus Bridge
There are some significant barriers for bicyclists trying to get around Fairfax County. Most of the Beltway crossings have no dedicated bike access. Experienced cyclists can ride in the road using Effective Cycling techniques, which in most cases means taking the lane where it is too narrow for motorists to pass. This takes training and practice and to put it mildly, can be a challenge during rush hour.There's another way to overcome these barriers, what one FABB members calls a bus bridge for cyclists. An example is Leesburg Pike (Rt 7) crossing the Beltway in the Tysons area. There are no direct alternative bike routes to get from one side of the Beltway to the other without a long detour. However, the 28 buses travel along Route 7, and now that all Fairfax Connector and Metrobuses have bike racks, they can be used as a bus bridge. For the above trip, it will cost $1.25 to take the bus bridge across the Beltway.
To find out how to use the bus bridge, go to the WMATA website and use the Trip Planner to enter origin and destination points and time of travel. When you know the bus number, you can also use Next Bus to find out when the next bus will arrive.
Wouldn't it be nice if bicyclists could get a discount for using the bus bridge for these short trips?
Labels: bus
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Rack n' Ride on Bike to Work Day
On Bike to Work Day this year, Friday, May 15, if you decide to use a Fairfax Connector bus as part of your bike commute, you can ride for free. The promotion is being sponsored by Fairfax County Department of Transportation and applies to all Fairfax Connector buses. From the County Bike to Work Day news release:If a commute is too long or too challenging, riders are invited to "rack n’ ride"—load their bikes onto a Connector bus's bicycle rack that day—and ride for free. See information on how to use the front-mount bike racks.
Using the bus is a good way to overcome some of the major obstacles to bike commuting in the county. The best way to find out which bus to ride and when is the WMATA Trip Planner. Enter your origin, destination, and time of travel and it will provide info about available public transportation options. The promotion does not apply to Metro buses, only Fairfax Connector buses (Trip Planner includes Connector bus routes and schedules in their application).Labels: bike to work day, bus, Fairfax County
