Btwd 2023

[LhasaCM]

@lordofthemark 225864 wrote:

To be fair the hierarchy of stops has been kind of unstable as we (emerge? kind of emerge? think we have emerged? I’m not touching that one) from he pandemic. Market Square was in the past the big one in Alexandria, last year there was no pitstop at Market Square and Carlyle was the big one. As noted, this year Market Square was back – it seemed big to me (I have never done Freedom Plaza, and have only done Rosslyn once, last year) but Carlyle may still have been busier.

I think the Freedom Plaza vs. Franklin Square change is more a function of the city’s investment in the renovated park, as opposed to anything else about the times.

This year was a weird BTWD day for me; did not make it out to anything in the morning, but convoyed from the Wilson Building to metrobar with CM Parker’s staff for the PM pit stop there. metrobar itself was great as always, but the BTWD-ness of it was very underwhelming (they had t-shirts, some regional bike maps…and that’s it). Since I’m expecting next year to be in the same home/work/school situation, I’ll need to make more of an effort to get out in the morning (and not plan an 8:30 meeting with the lawyers)

[jrenaut]

@lordofthemark 225864 wrote:

To be fair the hierarchy of stops has been kind of unstable as we (emerge? kind of emerge? think we have emerged? I’m not touching that one) from he pandemic. Market Square was in the past the big one in Alexandria, last year there was no pitstop at Market Square and Carlyle was the big one. As noted, this year Market Square was back – it seemed big to me (I have never done Freedom Plaza, and have only done Rosslyn once, last year) but Carlyle may still have been busier.

I’ts not so much size/attendance. The Freedom Plaza -> Franklin Square stops have the VIPs come out and talk about how great cycling is (as they allow construction to destroy cycletracks all over the city). It’s meant to be the premier stop in DC. I can’t speak to the Alexandria ones, I’ve never ventured further from DC than Rosslyn for BTWD.

[chris_s]

@Henry 225858 wrote:

Feel free to drop any comments about BTWD here, including the single plastic wraps on the shirts. Last year’s cluster (shorting the entire order) was replaced with a new cluster (small sizing, shrinking shirts, wasteful plastic) and we will share with the overlords at MWCOG.

I think BTWD really needs a re-work for next year in the facing of our changing transportation landscape:
– Rename it to Bike to Anywhere Day or Ride Your Bike Day or something. The 9-5 commute paradigm is broken.
– Move it off of Friday, the day of least in-person office attendance.

[lordofthemark]

@jrenaut 225866 wrote:

I’ts not so much size/attendance. The Freedom Plaza -> Franklin Square stops have the VIPs come out and talk about how great cycling is (as they allow construction to destroy cycletracks all over the city). It’s meant to be the premier stop in DC. I can’t speak to the Alexandria ones, I’ve never ventured further from DC than Rosslyn for BTWD.

Folks in DC and Arlington “Our PBLs are often out of commission due to construction”

Folks in Alexandria and Fairfax “Wait, you have PBLs?”

[lordofthemark]

@chris_s 225901 wrote:

I think BTWD really needs a re-work for next year in the facing of our changing transportation landscape:
– Rename it to Bike to Anywhere Day or Ride Your Bike Day or something. The 9-5 commute paradigm is broken.
– Move it off of Friday, the day of least in-person office attendance.

I would hope it remains biking for transportation focused.

As for changing the day of the week I guess that makes sense? Though we might lose the end of the week party atmosphere. Ah, the world we have lost.

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