Build it and they will ride

Great to see this, sent in by the National Building Museum's Patrick Kraich (who, as it happens, is photo number 19 in the sidebar slideshow... I do recall photo-stalking him and his Electra). Tickets and event info here.

DC Builds: Build It and They Will Ride

During the past ten years, Washington, D.C., has seen an increase in the number of people bicycling as their principal form of transportation. One of the reasons for this growth is the conception and implementation of creative bicycling infrastructure throughout the city.

The District of Columbia has created over 50 miles of marked bike lanes, built the architecturally daring Bikestation parking structure at Union Station, installed more than 1,000 outdoor bike parking racks, and launched the successful Capital Bikeshare Program, the nation’s first and largest bike sharing program which serves all of the District of Columbia as well as Arlington County, VA. 

How can D.C. continue to build on these successful efforts? How does high-quality bicycle infrastructure assist in reaching the city’s goals of providing sustainable, multi-modal transportation options, reducing congestion, and decreasing pollution?

The National Building Museum convenes a panel of experts to answer these questions. The panel discusses future plans for Washington, D.C.’s bicycle infrastructure as well as potential challenges, including ease of use, safety, connectivity, and how the economic downturn affects planning, design, and construction of new bicycle facilities.

This program is presented during May in celebration of National Bike Month.

Panelists include:

Jennifer L. Toole, AICP, ASLA, principal, Toole Design Group

Shane Farthing, executive director, Washington Area Bicyclist Association

Jim Sebastian, supervisory transportation planner, Active Transportation Branch, District Department of Transportation.