Wright-Patt’s Gate 1B to reopen for Bike-to-Work Days

  • Published
  • By Vince Little
  • 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is making Bike-to-Work Day a nearly weeklong affair, highlighted by the temporary, limited reopening of Gate 1B off Springfield Street.

Bikes on Base, a first-year volunteer group promoting health and fitness through safe alternative transportation, urges personnel to ride into work May 23-25 through any gate. The Springfield Gate will be open 6:30-8:30 a.m. for inbound and outbound traffic and 3-5 p.m. for outbound traffic only. Bikes, vehicles and pedestrians can use the gate during these hours.

While Wright-Patterson AFB supports bikers, organizers believe it’s the first time Bike-to-Work Days will take place on the installation. They hope to attract up to 200 participants.

“This event is unique because it aims to show the demand for bike access to Wright-Patterson AFB,” said Maj. Michael Ford, an Air Force Research Laboratory section commander and co-lead organizer. “A growing number of people around base are looking for alternate means of transportation such as biking, walking or public transportation. Bike-to-Work Days will give limited access to Springfield Gate and therefore better access to the excellent Miami Valley Trail system.

“The bike trails are a huge asset to Dayton and the more people that utilize them, the more they will be supported.”

Bikers can ride in alone or meet up at one of five start or rendezvous points around Dayton, Bikes on Base organizers said. The morning-departure locations are Beavercreek Station (7:05 a.m.), Wilmington Avenue and Patterson Road (7:15), Riverscape Pavilion (7:25), Burkhardt Road and Woodman Drive (7:35) and Eastwood MetroPark (7:45).

“Not everyone has a personal vehicle, and reliable commuting options are critical to the health and safety of WPAFB personnel,” said Rachel Kinard, an AFRL research mathematician and Bike-to-Work Days co-lead organizer.

On the Bike-to-Work Days, Kinard said riders can bring their own bicycles or get a free Link Dayton Bike Share rental using the code “bikesonbase,” courtesy of an arrangement through Bike Miami Valley. Refreshments will be provided each morning outside the Springfield Gate.

Link bikes can be picked up downtown or at any rack in the Dayton area. For details, visit www.linkdayton.org. They’ll be available for use on base all three days and can be parked at Area B bike racks.

Justin Clough, an AFRL mechanical engineer and third lead organizer, said Bike-to-Work Days marks “ground-up progress” and the culmination of Bikes on Base’s initial efforts to expand transportation options for WPAFB personnel.

“Encouraging more bicycling benefits everyone,” he said. “Bicyclists enjoy better physical and mental health; non-bicyclists enjoy fewer cars on the road and thus lower traffic and more available car parking. BOB may only have ‘Bikes’ in the name, but the goal is making all transit safe and accessible for all people.”

National Bike-to-Work Day is celebrated annually the third Friday in May. It promotes the bicycle as a commuting option while emphasizing safety awareness for cyclists and other travelers.

Anyone interested in participating at WPAFB can show up at a starting location May 23-25. For more information, contact Rachel Kinard at rachel.kinard@us.af.mil or Justin Clough at justin.clough.1@us.af.mil.