DDOT Hosts First DC Bike Fair: Saturday, August 4th

I've suggested that this should be done for 10 years or more (e.g., see items 5 and 6, "Bike to Work Day as an opportunity to assess the state of bicycle planning: Part 1").  More than two days notice would be preferable. 

While the Utah Transit Agency no long sponsors a Bike Bonanza, when they did they promoted it with ads on buses and light rail vehicles, as well as flyers.

Limited marketing.  As well as a strong promotional campaign via outdoor media--at bus shelters, billboards, ads on buses, flyers, etc. I've seen ads for the DC Circulator on bus shelters.

To truly capture people's attention and help shift them to biking for transportation, a wide-ranging campaign is required.

Metrorail stations and bus shelters should be primary marketing touchpoints for transportation demand management information.  In fact this makes me realize that there should be a transportation demand management information board or kiosk at every Metrorail station, and such a kiosk could promote upcoming events by local transportation agencies such as DDOT.


Baltimore bus shelter with a map on the back wall and two flyer holders to the left of the map.


MTA information flyer in a Baltimore bus shelter.

For example, this sign on the Liverpool Merseyrail system (at the Liverpool Central Station) promotes that agency's bicycle sharing program, called Bike & Go.

Many of the MTA bus shelters in Baltimore include an information board for communications from MTA.  No reason that couldn't be done in the DC area.

Except that in the DC area, each jurisdiction controls its own bus shelters.  WMATA only controls bus shelters on Metrorail station grounds.

Bad location for a bike expo.  Plus, I understand why for equity reasons ("Urg: bad studies don't push the discourse or policy forward | biking in low income communities (in DC) edition," 2014; "Eight "mutual assistance programs" that can build support for biking as transportation on the part of low income communities," 2015) they would do this East of the River, but considering the majority of the population is west of the river and the best opportunity to shift people to biking is in the core of the city, it'd make more sense to do this in the core.

No reason why multiple events can't be held, but like having one of the only "Open Streets" events years ago East of the River, with the result that few people came and the event wasn't repeated, I don't think this is a particular good location choice.

In any case, this should be an annual event, as part of a full program of promoting biking as transportation, as an element of transportation demand management planning and programming.

From email:

(Washington, DC) — The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) and Capital Bikeshare will host the first DC Bike Fair Saturday, August 4, 2018. The DC Bike Fair is a fun filled, all ages block party where residents can experience and learn about biking options in the District of Columbia. The DC Bike Fair will include an obstacle course, interactive demonstrations, a community bike ride, the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) Skate Mobile, free bike raffles and other prizes and music. DDOT and local bike advocacy groups will share information about trails and bike lanes in and around Wards 7 and 8 in the District.

WHO: DDOT and Capital Bikeshare
WHEN: Saturday, August 4, 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
WHERE: 2241 Martin Luther King Avenue SE (in the parking lot next to the Big Chair)
*Nearest Metro Station: Anacostia*