September is for biking.

Today was my very last day of vacation. Even though I came back to DC on Saturday, I took some extra days off to slowly get used to the idea that vacation is over...Tomorrow, it's back to work and the daily grind.

I did a lovely 20 mile ride on Monday on the Mt. Vernon Trail. My plan was to bike out to Alexandria, find a nice cafe/casual restaurant and have lunch, then bike back. Instead I managed to make it all the way to Alexandria only to discover I had grabbed The Boy's keys instead of mine. His bike lock key does NOT fit my bike lock, no matter how hard I tried to make them fit. Grrrrr. Instead of being able to refuel, and more importantly, rehydrate, I rode back to DC a very hungry and thirsty girl. Oh well. It was still a very pleasant ride and reminded me of what a beautiful city DC can be. I rode past the Washington Monument, stopped at the Jefferson Memorial for a quick hot dog, rode over the bridge and got a lovely view of the Potomac, paused at Gravelly Point to watch the planes swoop in, and then rode a leisurely pace along the river & marina's. I can't wait to do it again. One of these days I will plan enough time to do the entire trail length.

The White House

(part of) The Washington Monument

The Jefferson Memorial

The Duck Tour!!

Betty, at Gravelly Point.

It almost landed on me!

This guy was just chillin' out on his sailboat.

I spent all day today cleaning up la casa. It was a mess from the packing/unpacking and living out of suitcases for the last 4 days. Now I feel better that everything is where its supposed to be.

As I mentioned in the last blog, there are quite a few exciting developments coming up this month. First, Capital Bikeshare will launch on September 20th! They are looking for volunteers to help stock the stations with bikes. If you want to be a part of the inaugural ride, you must be a Capital Bikeshare member (and you'll need to bring your helmet). I'll be there! More details here.

Car Free Day is September 22nd! Make the pledge today (kinda handy that Capital Bikeshare will open and ready for business by that time, right?) and be entered to win raffle prizes. You can even make the pledge if you are already car free (like me). Also, check out some of the events that will be going on and stop by!

WABA wants you to know about some awesome rides that are coming up!

• Moonlight Bike Ride at Yards Park: Celebrate the Harvest Full Moon and the opening of Yards park with a nighttime bike ride following the Nats game. Follow the link for more info! (You can even score a ticket to the game at Nationals Stadium). September 23rd.
• 50 States and 13 Colonies Ride. Register for either the 64 mile ride through DC's 8 wards and 50 state streets, or the 15 mile ride through the 13 Colonies. This sounds awesome and I will be begging my boss for time off that day! (Note, this event is self-supported. Roads will NOT be closed to vehicular traffic. Register with a friend and support each other!)  September 25th.
• The Eunice Kennedy Shriver Challenge. I admit that I wish I had planned ahead of time to enter this event. It sounds like a powerful, fun, event. Next year I will register ahead of time. October 23rd.

DDOT has new plans for the 15th St. contraflow lane. For one thing, it will apparently no longer be a contraflow lane in the traditional sense, but rather will become a two-way "cycle track". It will also be extended up to Euclid St. NW down to E St. NW. You can see their proposal for this new plan here and here. It also looks like they plan on "greening" the bike lane, like the lanes in NYC. This should be a very interesting project, and is something I look forward to trying out once its finished.

September is for biking! If you haven't heard about it already, join a bunch of your fellow cyclists for "30 days of Biking" during the month of September. Go to the site, sign up, and start tweeting your rides! Spread the word and let's see how many people will join up!

Speaking of innovative ideas, a non-profit in B.C. are trying out a new idea to get motorists to slow down...

(Source)

That is a 3D drawing of young child chasing a ball in the street. It's an optical illusion designed to look like a real, live, child. The Community Against Preventable Injuries thinks this awareness campaign will serve to reduce traffic accidents. I think this is a terrible idea. At worst, it could create a traffic hazard from vehicles slamming on brakes or swerving to avoid the "child", at best it encourages running down children because someone will just assume its another drawing...

Watch the video to see what this would look like to a driver:

What do you think? Good idea or bad idea?