Let's Make Wheaton a Walkable/Bike-able Community

It’s National Bike Month in case you haven’t already heard yet ­­–a month-long celebration and awareness effort of bicyclists, both recreational and commuting. Biking is not only a great eco-friendly alternative to driving, but it’s also great exercise and kinda fun! Twelve percent of all trips in the U.S. are made by biking or walking – a 25 percent increase since 2001! Clearly it’s catching on!

This is where I disclaim that I am no expert biker. You see I bought a bike (off Craigslist no less!)  when I lived in DC and was close-ish to my office but I have only ridden it a handful of times. Each time I go to the garage I look longing at it thinking, “next weekend will be your weekend.” But alas, it never seems to happen. I am an avid walker – commuting by Metro everyday to work – so these issues are near and dear to my heart.

Biking (and walking for that matter) awareness is something we should all be thinking about as Wheaton considers redevelopment options for the downtown area. Wheaton is an urban center where many of its residents rely upon public transportation, walking and biking. But currently, the area has very few safety measures for these non-drivers. Why is it that I have to press the button every time I want to walk across the street in Wheaton? If we want to be serious about having a vibrant downtown centered upon a major public transportation depot, then it’s time we took non-vehicular traffic more seriously.

As America Bikes puts it, every community need “complete streets.” That is, we need to think about how everyone will use our streets: walkers, bikers, drivers, kids, and seniors. Developers need to consider adding tweaks to existing infrastructure and planning development carefully. Some of the obvious items like bike lanes, cross walks with signals, and sidewalks should be considered a must in all areas where roads are substantially altered or created and attempts should be made to retrofit all roads with walkable/bike-able options. But there are additional items to consider too such as ensuring the crossing signals are long enough for seniors and those with disabilities to cross and creating places to conveniently lock up bikes at shops and the Metro.

If you are a biker (or a walker!!) it’s time to get involved and let the folks taking the lead in redevelopment know what you need to walk and bike more safely no matter where you are going. When my husband and I moved to Wheaton, we were thrilled to see that we could live in a single family home and still be closer to key things like a grocery store than we did when we lived in DC proper. We even became a one car family! But much more needs to be done before we feel completely safe walking everywhere we want to go in the area – and much of that can and should happen with the planned redevelopment of the area.

If you are itching to get a taste of biking – Friday is Bike to Work Day here the DC area. The weather is looking pretty good as of press time so it might just be the perfect day for a ride. For me – maybe I will bike to the Metro from home to participate, at least it’s better than nothing. I’m still a bit too scared to jump on the roads I would need to in order to make it all the way to work. If you are an avid biker, maybe you can leave a note here letting everyone know how you do it. What routes do you take into the city? Do you go with a buddy? How long does it take you? Give us some tips!

Maybe your comment will inspire me to take the ole bike out this weekend.