Women's Equality Day bike ride

700 N. West Street,Alexandria VA 22301

27 August, 2022

Description

Who was Alexandria's first female mayor, and why did she play a pivotal role in shaping the Potomac Yard area of Alexandria? Which female Arlington resident was once honored as the computer science "Man of the Year"? Which prison in Occoquan became a turning point in the fight to pass the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote? Come explore sites associated with female trailblazers and the fight for women's rights on this free event organized by the Alexandria Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Alexandria Celebrates Women, and the Alexandria Spokeswomen. There will be three parts to this event. You are welcome to join for one part, two parts, or all three! For the first part of the event, we'll meet at the Braddock Road metro station, then hop on our bikes and ride to various stops in Alexandria and Arlington associated with women's equality. The route is about 6.2 miles, with a mix of trails, neighborhood streets, and bike lanes: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40065866. This part of the ride is suitable for riders of all ages and abilities, and we'll wait to regroup if we get separated. We'll end at the Pentagon City metro station, where riders will have the choice of taking the metro back to Braddock Road or continuing with part two of the ride. For the second part of the event, we'll take the metro to the Franconia-Springfield metro station, then hop on our bikes and ride to the Lucy Burns Museum at the Workhouse Arts Center in Occoquan. The round-trip route is about 23 miles, with a mix of bike lanes and roads: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40065961. People joining for this part of the ride should be comfortable with hillier terrain and busier roads. Admission to the Lucy Burns Museum is free for the gallery space and $5 for a guided cellblock tour. For the third part of the event, we'll walk or ride between the Lucy Burns Museum and the Turning Point Suffragist Memorial. Admission to the memorial is free. If enough people are interested, we may try to schedule a docent-led tour of the memorial. Anybody who is not biking is welcome to meet the group at the Lucy Burns Museum and then walk or drive to the Turning Point Suffragist Memorial, which is about 1.3 miles away. After visiting the Turning Point Suffragist Memorial and stopping for a late lunch at the Brickmaker's Cafe, we'll bike back to the Franconia-Springfield metro station. Bring a functioning bike, a helmet, and water. If applicable, please also bring fare for the metro, money for the optional museum tour, money for lunch, and a lock for your bike. Bonus points for wearing (or decorating your bike with) the colors of the women's suffrage movement -- purple, gold, and white. This ride celebrates Women's Equality Day, but people of all genders are welcome to join! For everyone's health and safety, we'll be taking the following precautions: -- asking everyone to self-screen and not ride if they've experienced symptoms of covid or been exposed to a known covid case within the last 7 days -- asking people who are not fully vaccinated to give others at least 10 feet of space -- keeping an eye on local covid conditions, and cancelling the ride if needed