Transit Diary: A bike advocate commutes – and rescues food – on two wheels

Transit Diaries is a series in which residents of Greater Washington track how they get around the region for a week, shedding light on what’s working well and not so well with our transportation system. Read past Transit Diaries. If you’d be interested in writing a Transit Diary, email editor@ggwash.org.

My name is Renée Moore. I am the Outreach Director at the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA). I sold my car in 2020 and get around mostly by bike, with some Metrorail and Uber. I have access to a car but try to limit its use to when I need to take my mom someplace. I am a born-and-raised Washingtonian, which is rare since there are only like five of us left :).

I became interested in commuting by bike in the spring of 2014 after taking a workshop with Black Women Bike-DC. But I didn’t begin bike commuting until that fall when my mom had a stroke and I didn’t want to pay for parking at GW Hospital so I biked and it has just blossomed from there!

Day 1: Thursday, July 13

The DC Trail Rangers are part of my Outreach Team at WABA. They are an amazing team of people who make sure four to six of the DC-owned trails are clean of trash, glass, and debris. They cut back vegetation and also run programs on the trails, like fitness workshops and Trail Cat events to promote trail clean-up. Today, I biked from home to Suitland Parkway to help them clean up that trail.

Modes chosen:

Bike ride (8 miles roundtrip / 20 minutes each way)

Highlights: Although I grew up in Anacostia, I have never biked up Naylor Road, which is quite a climb. And I had never biked in that part of Southeast. It was a fun new adventure. I rode the sidewalk because the roads were bumpy and there was construction happening.

Hitches: Coming back home, they started construction on Naylor Road and actually made the road worse by putting in metal plates, which made it uneven and less safe.

Day 2: Friday, July 14

Today, I went to the Canadian Embassy for a food rescue. Food Rescue US - DC is an organization that picks up excess food from farmers’ markets, restaurants, and corporate cafeterias and gives it to social service centers that can use it. I have been testing out doing rescues by bike and it’s going very well. The Canadian Embassy gave me some veggies they grow in their rooftop garden and I delivered them to Calvary Women’s Services in Ward 8.

Mode chosen:

Bike ride (8 miles round trip)

Highlights: Seeing the Canadian Embassy, of course, and their beautiful rooftop garden. I took the new Pennsylvania Ave SE Bike Lanes to the Canadian Embassy which took way less time than crossing the beautiful new Douglass Bridge.

Hitches: Someone donated a huge box of Keurig cups, but the center couldn’t use them. No worries, I found a home for them. Bike parking is non-existent at Calvary Women’s Services. I have to have someone come out and get the food.

Day 3: Saturday, July 15

Today, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) and WABA are celebrating the official opening of the new Pennsylvania Ave SE bike lanes. We did a little pop-up at Eastern Market and let bicyclists know about the lanes and made sure they knew to yield to bus riders who are getting off the bus into the bike lane.

Mode chosen:

Bike ride (4 miles round trip)

Highlights: Being able to carry that folding table and all my swag on that bike. I packed my bike bags and basket with the items I would need and the ride was easy. I took the new Pennsylvania Ave SE Bike Lanes from 12th St SE to 8th St SE and it was a nice easy ride.

Hitches: None. Since we were outside Eastern Market, biking made the most sense since parking is limited.

Day 4: Sunday, July 16

My mom’s computer was hacked and we needed to take it to get fixed. So we drove to Alexandria, got it wiped clean, and had lunch. No pictures for this particular day.

Mode chosen: Car (22 miles round trip)

Highlights: Since my mom had her stroke, traveling by car was the only option with her. She lives in Anacostia too, so we took the Wilson Bridge to get to Alexandria to avoid the traffic on 395. Oh and we had apple pie a la mode for dessert.

Hitches: No traveling hitches, but it was pretty disturbing learning how bad that hack was.

Day 5: Tuesday, July 18

On my way into the office, I did a food rescue from Firehook Bakery to Potter’s House. Firehook Bakery loaded me up with bread today! Later that day, my team and I walked to Potter’s House and had tea and our bi-weekly team meeting. I also did a food rescue on the way home at Tatte Bakery for the Downtown Day Services Center.

Mode chose:

Bike (8 miles)

Walk (.2 miles)

Bike (9 miles)

Highlights: In the morning, I took the Pennsylvania Avenue SE bike lane to the Pennsylvania Avenue NW bike lane to 15th Street NW bike lane to R Street NW to Firehook Bakery. The route is primarily on protected bike lanes and I feel safe on them. In the evening, I took the 15th Street NW to Q Street NW to 11th Street and I felt safe all the way there. Getting to Downtown Day Services Center was pretty easy too. There is a bike lane on New York Avenue and it is only two blocks away from Tatte - City Center. I love being able to help out Potter’s House because they give out free meals to those in need daily and this food rescue really helps them a lot. And Tatte Bakery City Center had a lot of beautiful pastries – four huge bags full of them!

Hitches: I almost couldn’t carry the pastries on my bike because there were so many but we made it work! I would only do this rescue by bike. There is nowhere to park a car in City Center!

Day 6: Thursday, July 20

I went up to the new Skyland Town Center on Naylor Road/Good Hope Road SE. My boyfriend and I had lunch at Mezeh – which was really good! – then walked to the new Trek Bike Shop, which is the only one East of the River. We also went to the newly opened PNC bank branch to deposit some money.

Mode: Walk

Highlights: This was all new for me. The Trek Bike Shop is nice and I was able to talk to the manager about working together next summer with youth. It was hot and Anacostia is hilly but it was good to get out and check out the new Skyland

Hitches: none

Day 7: Friday, July 21

This morning, I went to the Canadian Embassy to pick up veggies and herbs from their rooftop garden and took it to Calvary Women’s Services in Ward 8.

Mode: Bike (8 miles)

Highlights: I rode the Pennsylvania Ave SE bike lanes past the Capitol which was a beautiful ride. I go early morning and there is very little traffic so the ride is pleasant. Today I received a lot of tomatoes, basil, and carrots from their garden today.

Hitches: None - traveling by bike made this a lot more enjoyable than it would have been by car.

Bottom Line:

I don’t own a car but I have access to one. Biking is my preferred way to get around DC because parking is so awful. It was fun doing the food rescues by bike and I love biking on the new Pennsylvania Avenue SE bike lanes. If you haven’t commuted by bike in DC yet, then you should try it. You’ll love not having to look and pay for parking.