Aesthetics of Everywhere

By ‘morning,’ I mean the early morn, say around 6am. Just a few frigid shots to follow, from the pedestrian bridge takeover towards the Capitol to the cool (filled to capacity) bike parking which we only discovered afterwards:

The comfort of knowing that the blaring at 1am on your block is not your car alarm going off.

And another: being able to park safely in your living room at night. Parking here can be horrendous, especially for those less experienced with parallel parking.

Within a couple weeks of the DC SmartBike program starting up, there’s already talk of expanding – adding more locations, and of course more bikes. More bikes in the city! Currently there are 120 SmartBikes total, and with 450 people signed up already, they’ll need to move to catch up. It’s been hailed as a hugely successful start to a program that’ll put more people in the saddle, help speed up the process of making DC more bike-friendly, and promote courtesy among drivers and cyclists. At least I hope.

They’re talking plans for Capitol Hill as one of the crucial stops in expansion. It’d also be neat to see DC SmartBike come to Columbia Heights, maybe as part of the whole DC USA growth at the Metro. I’ve seen the stations full of bikes around the city, but have yet to spot a person renting one out or riding one.

With gas prices as they are these days, people are discussing how to sell their SUVs – or alternatively, what to do with the SUVs they can’t get rid of. The second link’s just for fun, but gas prices are undeniably steep, and rising. The national average at the moment is $4.108/gallon, an all-time high. Who can afford to fill up anymore?

All the more reason to ride a bike if you can.
The SmartBike program in DC couldn’t come at a better time. Yeah, I know, it’s Clear Channel… but this leads to a veritable slew of improvements to cycling in the city. Hopefully it will speed up the addition of more bike lanes, and create greater visibility for those riding bikes, forcing drivers to keep an eye out for cyclists. When there are dedicated lanes for bikes to use, our actions while riding become more predictable, resulting in fewer collisions and better harmony between motorized commuters and pedal-powered ones. We’re all trying to get to work!
And maybe, just maybe, fewer people will park in the bike lanes (ugh, frustration!).

From discussion with friends living in the city but taking public transport to work rather than their bike, I’ve found that it’s often intimidating for them with all the accidents they’ll read on the news. And yeah, it’s impossible to be completely protected. Yesterday morning, Alice Swanson, a 22-year old cyclist, was struck and killed while riding to work near Dupont Circle. It’s really tragic.

So, I’ve not got much time, but let’s start this off anyway.
What’s the most environmentally sound method of travel in DC?

Obviously holding top position is walking or cycling. Both are zero-emissions and you can go anywhere you need to if it isn’t too far, or if you have the endurance for it.

Riding a bicycle is much faster than walking, and though the current condition of roads is far from perfect for cyclists, DC’s working on improving the situation. The Washington Area Bicyclist Association announced not too long ago that DC was named by Bicycling Magazine as most improved bicycling city in America. There are many exciting improvements planned, and surely more as others pick up some human-powered wheels!
It’s a good idea to ride the bike lanes when possible, even if it puts you a bit out of your way. Some roads are just not fun to ride – potholes, dense traffic, poor visibility… fortunately, the DC Department of Transportation puts out a map that charts which roads have been rated in terms of bikeability (yes, probably made that word up). It’s a good resource, check it out.

However, there’s the added benefit of being able to take in one’s surroundings when you walk. You can’t exactly take photos when you’re riding, and stopping someplace for a drink means dismounting and finding a place to lock up your bike. But it’s fun! And it’s great exercise!
Yes, and there are others which you may prefer: skateboarding, rollerblading, street luging – is this legal in DC? even possible in flat downtown? I take pause here.

So, use your head and use your legs.