The Stylus

I want to ride my bicycle

Do you dream about not having to hunt for parking when arriving at the Arlington campus? Not ending up in Clarendon or a whole other neighborhood before you actually find a parking spot? Not feeding meters, paying for parking or paying for the Metro?

If so, biking to campus is a good option, and one with increasing support from the federal government. In March, the movement toward greener transportation received a boost when Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood outlined a new policy to make biking easier and safer.

LaHood addressed the National Bike Summit, which drew over 1,000 participants. The Department of Transportation policy statement included recommended actions for state and local governments, professional associations, community organizations, public transportation groups and other government agencies.

Among the recommendations: ensuring that walking and bicycling are given equal importance to other transportation modes; providing transportation choices for people of all ages and abilities, especially children; and integrating bicycle and pedestrian accommodations on new, rehabilitated, and limited-access bridges.

Arlington County serves as a national model for transit-oriented development, and students and staff can take advantage of the county’s pedestrian and bicycle-friendly environment. Arlington County provides an online bicycle map available at bikearlington.com showing the 113-mile bicycle network of trails, bike lanes and bike routes. Several local and regional bike trails lead to North Arlington: The Washington & Old Dominion Trail, Custis Trail and Mount Vernon Trail.

North Fairfax Drive has bike lanes near campus. If cycling, riders should make themselves visible with bright, reflective clothing and accessories, especially when it starts to get dark, such as front and back bike lights at night.

A bicycle rack is available next to the entrance of the Arlington Original Building closest to Washington Boulevard.

Silvia Villacampa, Stylus Correspondent

Silvia Villacampa is an MPP student who has been biking 10 miles round trip to campus with increasing frequency via the W&OD and Custis Trails, with some street riding on N. Quincy Street and N. Fairfax Drive.