City of Williamsburg employees are hosting the third annual “Roll or Stroll to Work Day” in honor of National Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 21, 2010, from 7-9:30am. The event is designed to promote and encourage people working in the City of Williamsburg to use alternative transportation to make their commute greener. For those who are unable to bike or walk that day, the City encourages carpooling or using public transportation, and Williamsburg Area Transport has provided
vouchers to ride their buses free that day. (
Download event flyer and map)
This year, the City partnered with Matthew Whaley Elementary School art teacher and avid cyclist, Robert Oppecker, to help design a logo for the event’s poster. Oppecker gave his students the assignment to draw a pencil sketch of a bicycle, and the design chosen to be the basis of the logo was drawn by fifth grader Valeria Nava. Several of the students’ drawings, including Nava’s, are displayed at the Williamsburg Regional Library downtown.
On Friday, City employee volunteers will staff five Energizing Stations located throughout the City (High Street; Williamsburg-James City County Courthouse; Jamestown Road at The Cedars B&B; the corner of York and Page Streets; and Merchants Square at College Corner). Bottled water and granola bars will be available for all commuters at the Energizing Stations between 7 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., and bicyclists/strollers who stop there can register for prizes and gift certificates donated by more than 50 City merchants, restaurants, and other businesses. Winners of the raffle will be contacted later in the day.
A free “Fix-a-Flat” service will be provided that morning by Bikes Unlimited.
Representatives from sponsors Riverside’s Sports Medicine Group and TRAFFIX, a public service of Hampton Roads Transit that promotes transportation alternatives, will be at the Merchants Square Energizing Stations.
The City has an Alternative Commuting program that rewards employees who bike, walk, carpool or take public transportation with gift certificates from City businesses.
The City has been actively working to improve bicycle and pedestrian facilities for more than 15 years, and has cooperated with James City County and York County to develop a Regional Bikeway Plan, which has been incorporated into the Comprehensive Plans for all three jurisdictions. According to the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, the 2000 Census reported that Williamsburg had 1.9% of its workers age 16+ commuting by bicycle and 15.1% via walking -- both highest among all localities in Hampton Roads (HR as a whole was 0.3% bicycle and 2.7% walk).
Maps, information, bus vouchers and a list of sponsors are posted on the City’s website,
www.williamsburgva.gov/bike.
Photo Caption: Representatives of the City's Roll or Stroll to Work Committee present Valeria Nava with a framed copy of the poster featuring her design. L-R Standing: Jackie Herrmann, Benjamin Goldberg, Lewis Edwards, Amy Holman, Michele Mixner DeWitt and Jane Trimble. Seated L-R: Matthew Whaley Principal Kathleen Noonan, Valeria Nava, and Art Teacher Robert Oppecker.