VIRGINIA GOVERNOR’S PROCLAMATION RIDE

[Bruce Dwyer]

VIRGINIA GOVERNOR’S PROCLAMATION RIDE

On Tuesday May 1 over 30 cyclists from around the state assembled at the
State Capitol in Richmond to receive the Governor's "May is Bike Month"
Proclamation from Assistant Secretary of Transportation Dan Shoemaker before
carrying it by bike to local elected officials. Allen Turnbull, BikeWalk
Virginia director, organized the event.  BikeWalk Virginia is a new
non-profit organization promoting bicycling and walking as effective
solutions to the transportation, recreation, and health challenges facing
the state.  Partners in this effort are state and federal agencies and
community groups, including Virginia Departments of Transportation, Motor
Vehicles, Education, and Health, the Federal Highway Administration, and the
Virginia Lung Association, Virginia Bicycling Federation, and Virginia
Trails Association.

The Williamsburg Area Bicyclists (WAB) brought the largest contingent with
16 cyclists.  The WAB has done this 50-mile ride for the past two years in
support of the Capital-to-Capital Bikeway currently under study.  The
Richmond area was represented by about a dozen cyclists from several
communities within reasonable biking distances. The long distance award went
to 3 cyclists from Roanoke, 160 bike miles from Richmond; however, they did
have a car they had to take turns moving along. The long distance without
support award went to Bruce Dwyer and Maitland Bottoms from Alexandria who
covered 150 miles in two days with an overnight in Fredericksburg.

Paul DeMaio, Suzanne Salva, Dave Levy, and Linda Dwyer of Alexandria, Neal
Sigmon and Allen Muchnick of Arlington and Bob Brubaker of Fairfax County
joined us for the last 10 miles to Alexandria from Mt. Vernon.  The entire
group presented the proclamation to Alexandria Mayor Kerry Donley at City
Hall.  We also returned with a couple of extra proclamations for Arlington
and Fairfax.

We had a delightful ride enhanced by the clear dry weather, even if the air
was a bit pollen laden.  For the most part we followed Bike Route 1, which
is really very nice, with the route mostly on low traffic rural roads.  The
routes through Richmond, Fredericksburg and Fairfax County have very few
stretches of busy traffic; however, for 14 miles of Prince William County,
it was a miserable ride.  Our route will be posted on the Virginia Bicycling
Federation Web site www.vabike.org along with several other routes.  The
best food of the trip included the generously stacked ham and tomato
sandwich on squishy white bread at the Cedon Market on US Route 1 at VA.
Route 632 and the best soft ice cream on the East Coast at Carl’s in
Fredericksburg.  The most idyllic sections of road were through the
Fredericksburg Battlefield Park and on Old Colchester Road near Lorton -
even with the interruption of a VDOT project.

Mark your calendars now for the next Governor’s Proclamation ride May 1,
2002.