Falls Church Dumps Cars for Bikes

Some Falls Church residents ditched their cars and hit the bike trail Friday morning in observance of a regional bike to work day. Cyclists started whizzing by the intersection of Little Falls Street and Washington and Old Dominion trail as early as 6 a.m., some dressed and ready for work, others in workout clothing.

The bike to work initiative is a culmination of a regional bike safety week. Wendy Sanford, the principal planner and transportation planner for city says while Friday was the first time the city has had this kind of event, there are plans underway to make it more permanent, even annual event. Staffing an unofficial pit stop stocked with food and refreshment, she said bike to work was also part of the city’s strategy to calm traffic and ease congestion in the city’s 800 blocks.

“We are encouraging biking to work to show there are better alternative ways to commute to where you are going that are better for the environment and better for your health,” Sanford said.

Bike Club, a store that sells and fixes bikes in the city was on hand to fix flats, pump air and help with any needed mechanical repair at no cost to cyclists.

Karl Mouhy, the park manager at the trail estimates three miles of the 45-mile Washington and Old Dominion Trail run through falls Church City. His organization is in charge of repairs and ensuring water fountains along the trail are in good working order. Mouhy estimated thousands of people will make their way through the trail on their bikes.

“Today is a beautiful day,” he said. “This is the chance for people who don’t normally commute to work by bike to learn about bicycling and a good way to get exercise and save money on gasoline.”

Carol Sly works from home but Friday she is cycling to raise awareness and to boost her friend Paul Constance’s morale. He said he never thought of himself as an exercise person and thought it would be inconveniencing, but Metro became “too moody” for him. He said biking has grown on to him and he misses cycling on days he does not hit the bike. It takes him 45 minutes by bike, about the same time it took him on Metro, but he said there are added benefits to biking.

“More than anything I’d recommend (biking to work) for psychological benefits it if you have an office job,” he said. “It is tremendously invigorating and at the end of the day it lets you let off steam, get rid of   whatever angst you have built up with your coworkers you arrive home in a much better mood. There is no downside as far as I can tell.”