Bike To Work Day 2004 Dawns Sunny, Perfect for Participation

Approximately 100 bicycle commuters enjoyed the mild weather and took part in Bike To Work Day festivities held May 7 on the Paul Rogers Plaza in front of Bldg. 1.

"We've already had a big turnout," said Carl Henn, president of NIH's Bicycle Commuter Club, at about 8:30 a.m., about midway through the event's 2-hour duration. "For once we got great weather for the day." Bike To Work Days past have either been cloudy and overcast, or raining outright — neither atmosphere conducive to encouraging a commute exposed to the elements.

The refreshment table is heavily trafficked on a perfect day for an outside event.

According to bike club member Jim Tomlin of CIT, this year's event was "a great success, getting feedback from cyclists regarding the commuting challenges that NIH bicyclists face, including the need for more bike lockers and covered racks, safer campus access points, and the need for enhanced motorist awareness of cyclists. Many new bicycle commuters chose Bike To Work Day to make their inaugural commute, and reported very positive results to the volunteers from the Bicycle Commuter Club. Many thanks to Angela Atwood-Moore for coordinating the event."

Marti Scheel of NLM's cataloging section uses a daily combination of biking and Metrorailing to get to work. A Greenbelt resident, she normally cycles to the Greenbelt Metro station, catches the train to Fort Totten station, and bikes from there to NIH.

"It's about 11 miles that way," she says, "and you can bring your bike on the subway before 7 a.m."

Scheel would log about 17 miles from home to work if she rode her bike the whole way. "I rarely do that, though. It depends on several factors, including the weather."

In addition to partaking of refreshments and information on local riding trails, participants were able to browse for biking outfits and gear, and — at least for a day — not worry about scouting out a parking space, no matter what time they arrived on campus.

At Bike To Work Day on the main campus, cyclists shared commuting challenges facing NIH'ers, including a need for more bike lockers and covered racks, safer campus access points, and the need for better motorist awareness of cyclists. Some participants, like Scheel, had made a pit stop in downtown Bethesda, one of several regional stations set up for the day where like-minded folks could exchange similar concerns about the entire metropolitan area.

Marti Scheel of NLM

Peter Good and his son, Kevin, commuted about 2 miles from home to work at NHGRI and POPI preschool, respectively, on a bicycle built for two (or one and a half).

Pleased with the turnout, NIH bike club President Carl Henn (r) watched more than 100 NIH'ers come and go.

Bike commuter takes off after visiting event.