Serious bicyclists last summer on MacArthur Boulevard in Potomac. All riders are encouraged to wear a helmet. Almanac file photo
Bike to Work Day is held annually across the nation on the third Friday of May to celebrate bicycling as a fun, healthy and climate friendly way to get to work.
Refreshments, music and local vendor displays will add to the atmosphere at pit stops throughout the morning of May 19. There will be free raffle prizes and a grand prize raffle of a new bike at each of the seven MCDOT-sponsored pit stops. Residents biking to work, as well as leisure riders, are encouraged to participate.
In addition to the seven pit stops sponsored by MCDOT, there will be six Bike to Work Day pit stops in the County operated by other organizations.
“Today, we offer more bike paths, dedicated lanes, as well as opportunities to transport a bike on RideOn, MetroBus and Metrorail, than ever before,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “Biking to your job or to run errands is a healthy form of transportation that does not produce pollution or add cars to the road. I encourage everyone to join us on Bike to Work Day and consider biking as a transportation alternative this summer.”
The Metropolitan Council of Government’s Commuter Connections, a network of transportation organizations in which MCDOT participates, and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) are the co-organizers of Washington Region’s Bike to Work Day event.
All participants should visit the Find Your Pit Stop Map to plan a route in advance. All riders are encouraged to wear a helmet.
MCDOT-sponsored pit stops will be at the following locations:
Downtown Bethesda at Woodmont and Bethesda Avenues, Bethesda. 6:30-9 a.m.
Friendship Heights at the Shops at Wisconsin and Western Avenues, Chevy Chase. 6:30-9 a.m.
North Bethesda at Pike and Rose, west of 935 Prose Street (next to Bark Social). North Bethesda. 6:30- 8:30 a.m.
Rockville, Fallsgrove at Thomas Farm Community Center, 700 Falls Grove Drive, 6:30-9 a.m.
Rockville Town Square at Dawson’s Market, 225 N. Washington Street, 6:30-9 a.m.
Silver Spring Downtown at Veterans Plaza, Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street, Silver Spring. 6:30-9 a.m.
Downtown Wheaton at Marian Fryer Town Plaza (co-sponsored with Montgomery Parks), 2424 Reedie Drive (next to the Wheaton Metro), Wheaton. 7-9 a.m.
Other pit stops within Montgomery County will include:
Gaithersburg-Kentlands at the corner of Great Seneca Highway and Orchard Ridge Dr., 7-9 a.m.
Gaithersburg Olde Towne Plaza (afternoon), 1 S. Summit Ave., Gaithersburg. 4-6 p.m.
National Institutes of Health, Building 1, 1 Center Dr., Bethesda. 7-9:30 a.m.
Takoma Park – Downtown/Old Takoma, 7035 Carroll Ave., Takoma Park. 6:30-9 a.m.
Takoma Park – Sligo Creek Trail, at New Hampshire Ave., Takoma Park. 7-9:30 a.m.
“This is a great time for residents to get out and enjoy the County’s bikeway network,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “We have over 100 miles of bike lanes, with over eight miles of protected bike lanes, and that network is growing. We will be bringing forward some dynamic bikeway plans for community input soon.”
Additional pit stops will be located throughout the Washington region. For more information and a full list of regional pit stops, or to register, visit https://www.biketoworkmetrodc.org.