Self-Guided Tours of Towns On Trail
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On the map above, yellow squares represent lockers where you can stash your bicycle. Most are rented by WMATA (the authority which operates Metro) for about six dollars per month. The only exception is the western-most lockers at the park-and-ride lot next to the trail in Reston. These are owned by Fairfax County. Fairfax County is finally ready to rent bike lockers at the Reston East and Herndon-Monroe Park and Ride Lots. They've had the lockers for a long time and finally have a policy in place to rent them, thanks to Charlie Strunk, the new county bike coordinator. Here is the fee structure: $10 admin fee, $60 annual rental fee, and $50 key deposit. To encourage use of the lockers, for a limited time the county is waiving the $10 admin fee and lowering the annual rental fee from $60 to $40. The total first-year cost now is $90, $50 of which is refundable. The Reston East lot is on Wiehle Ave, very close to the trail. The Herndon-Monroe lot is near the Farifax County Parkway Trail. For these, call 703-324-2453
Bike To Work Day: Friday, May 18th, 2007. Convoy leaves Vienna Community Center, usually at 6:30 a.m.
Convoy on trail, headed toward D.C., morning of bike-to-work-day, 2004.
Benefits of Bike Commuting
Biking to work on the W&OD is fun, safe, ecological and healthy, although it is addictive. The climate of Virginia permits cycling in all but a few weeks.
Getting To Tyson's Corner
From the east: the bike trail's nearest approach to Tyson's Corner is the Sandburg Street crossing in Dunn Loring. Take Sandburg Street two blocks north, turn left on Elm Pl, then go 1 block west and take Gallows Road north. Sandburg runs parallel to Gallows Road, but there is a gap in Sandburg Street. You may need to experiment to find the best route for yourself. Gallows Road is a very busy road with wide shoulders, so you might want to ride on its sidewalks, which are better than average for Virginia. For the block north of Oak St., it is possible to use Sandburg for 1 block.
From Gallows Road, turn right on Gallows Branch Road, one block north of the entrance to SAIC ("SAIC Drive".) After two blocks, Gallows Branch Road crosses two little-used bridges, the first over Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) and the second one over Route 123 (Chain Bridge Road). In between these two bridges, it skirts first the "shopping-bag building" and then the eastern edge of the parking lots of Tysons Corner Shopping Center. This is probably the best way to bike into the various businesses north of Routes 7 and 123, because VDOT has all but excluded bikes from the main roads of Tysons.
Getting To Tyson's Corner (from the west): At Mile 13.5, Clark's Crossing Road, a lightly-travelled road, rises steeply from the trail to Old Courthouse Road, which leads into Tyson's Corner on the south side of Leesburg Pike.
Getting To Ballston or Rosslyn
From W&OD mile 4, the Custis Trail climbs one mile east to skirt the northern edge of Ballston and, two miles later, to Rosslyn. Some pictures of the Custis Trail, which is known among trail fanatics across the USA.
Getting To Downtown DC; Riding Metrorail part-way
Many people take the Custis Trail from the W&OD to DC. Others take Metro rail part-way. Metro-rail rents lockers for about six dollars per month at Dunn Loring, East Falls Church, West Falls Church and Virginia Square. For example, from Reston, you might decide to leave your bike in a locker at Dunn Loring Metro Station. From Sterling, you might decide to leave your bike in VDOT's lockers at the park-and-ride lot in Reston, where you would switch to a bus.
Bike To Work Day, first week of May
Bike Convoy on W&OD (and then on Custis Trail) departed Vienna Community Center on May 4, 2001 at 6:30 a.m., arrived in downtown D.C. at about 8 a.m. In 2002, the bike convoy started in Reston, and then stopped in Vienna to pick up riders. Each year, it grows longer. If you've never done this but always wanted to, this is a great way to start.
Commuting Links
- Ice Bike Commuting
- Photographic presentation comparing packing a street with dozens of bikes to doing the same with dozens of cars.
- Bike To Work Page of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments
- Washington Area Bicyclist Association WABA has a program for apprentice bike commuters.
- When Winter Bike Commuting Goes Too Far
- a set of maps helpful to the commuter
- Biking and Walking page of Commuter.com.
