Courtesy Photo | Commuters from the National Capital Region in Washington D.C. ride their bikes to work...... read more read more
Traffic in Washington, D.C., is never easy to maneuver and through road closures, unexpected delays, or some major event occurring in the nation’s capital, travel time can drastically vary for the everyday commuter.
Dan Meyers, a systems security engineer at Strategic Systems Programs and local resident of the D.C. metropolitan area, knows about the commuting challenges all too well. After encountering several instances of unpredictable traffic patterns, he chose to make a change.
“Throughout most of my life, I have always found biking to be more enjoyable than any other mode of transportation,” he said. “In high school, I biked everywhere. I biked to school, to work as a lifeguard, and other hangout places, and I am happy to be doing that now too.”
As a former Submarine Warfare Officer for the U.S. Navy, Meyers had the opportunity to serve in unique coastal environments including Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. While in the Pacific, he took full advantage of the outdoors and biked to work almost every day.
“I lived in Waikiki in Hawaii and I biked regularly,” Meyers said. “I did recreational cycling around the island of Oahu, too, as a workout and just for fun. It was a great place to explore and ride around.”
When he transitioned from the military to civilian workforce and accepted a job at SSP, he was convinced riding his bike to work would be the most efficient method of transportation around the city. Since then, Meyers has taken an active role in his local biking community, forging new friendships that have introduced him to alternative biking routes scattered across D.C.
“My wife and I moved to Hyattsville, Maryland, so I usually take the Anacostia River Trail on my way to work and it takes me directly to the Navy Yard waterfront,” Meyers said. “We’re fortunate that we live near several options for public transportation like the metro, the Maryland Area Rail Commuter (MARC) train, and tons of biking trails. For me, 99% of the time I have my bike at work. If I’m not biking, I’m walking to the metro and making it to work that way. I cannot even recall the last time I drove to work.”
Next week, on May 15, is the official Bike to Work Day in Washington and Meyers is celebrating the occasion by volunteering as a biking group leader for newcomers in the local area. He encouraged interested bikers to join him on the ride to work and even recommended some tips for riding into the office, such as bringing an extra set of clothes.
“I am a ride leader on the National Bike to Workday website,” Meyers said. “My group is starting at Driskell Park – in Hyattsville – and stopping in Bladensburg Park before reaching our final destination at the Navy Yard. For anyone who is interested – or new – to cycling and is thinking of trying it, I’d recommend taking the Metropolitan Branch Trail. That goes from the Fort Totten Metro Station to Union Station, and then you can bike to the Navy Yard. If you’re riding from Maryland and have a way to connect to the Anacostia River Trail or the Trolley Trail System – that goes out to Greenbelt – that is another way to get to work where you do not have to cross any roads. It is a straight trail to the Navy Yard.”
Meyers, who has been involved with the local biking community since 2023, said he understands the concerns some people might have about biking to work for the first time.
“I think a lot of people can be intimidated by the mileage, or just not knowing how to connect from trail-to-trail,” he said. “Going the extra distance to work, especially if you have to carry work clothes or food can be a little intimidating. So, I think my main function as a bike leader is to guide newcomers through these safe trails and have them become familiar with these routes. Sometimes Google maps takes people to the main roads and even though there are bike lanes, it is not always the safest. I’ve seen Google guide people onto 11th street, too, which I would never recommend. So as a bike leader, I want to make sure our community can participate and make it to work in the safest way possible.”
Meyers, as well as thousands of federal employees within the Department of Defense (DoD) in Washington D.C., is also a part of the Mass Transportation Benefits Program (MTBP). Under this program, participating employees in the National Capital Region receive transit benefits in amounts equal to their personal commuting costs, not to exceed $325 per month. This benefit program does not cover parking costs and mainly serves as an additional resource to alleviate traffic congestion. Apart from being a frequent user of the program, Meyers encourages eligible employees to sign up for MTBP.
“Public transportation, in my experience, has been quicker to get back home door-to-door than driving,” he said. “It saves you time. The same distance from one location to another can sometimes take an hour or more by driving, so using the transportation benefits program is a huge perk for anyone traveling through the city. Unlike driving to work like I did in Kings Bay, Georgia, I feel healthier overall, especially mentally. I don’t have to think about operating a car or other drivers on the road. It’s less mental stress and more relaxing.”
Since return-to-office for DoD began earlier this year, Meyers has been leading the charge to raise awareness of various commuting options available to the SSP workforce. While some methods of public transportation are better than others, he is adamant there are plenty of resources to support SSP employees as they dodge some of the stress intertwined with commuting into the city.
To learn more about National Bike to Work Day, including additional resources, visit: https://www.biketoworkmetrodc.org/bicycle-convoys.
To sign up for the MTBP benefits, visit: https://www.whs.mil/Mass-Transportation-Benefit-Program/. Note: employees must relinquish any federally subsidized parking permit, and may not be listed as part of a DoD carpool for purposes of qualifying for a parking pass.
| Date Taken: | 05.06.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.06.2025 17:37 |
| Story ID: | 497219 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 56 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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