Washington, D.C. – Sometimes people need a little nudge to even consider the bicycle as a valid means of transportation. For Washington Post copy editor, Bill Walsh, bike lanes and bike-share stations were like a small tap on the shoulder, a whisper in his ear to “give it a try.”

In a recent blog post for Bicycling Magazine, Walsh describes how bike lanes helped encourage him to begin bike commuting last April when he otherwise wouldn’t have:

Pennsylvania Avenue bike lanes in Washington, D.C. photo: pedbikeimages.org / Elvert Barnes

If bike sharing was my gateway drug as a two-wheeled commuter, bike lanes were my enabler. I’m confident about riding with cars now that I have some experience, but I’m not sure I ever would have started down this path if the dedicated car-free routes (and that includes the Mall) had not been available.

After only three months using the Capital Bikeshare bicycles to get to work, Walsh ended up having his Trek outfitted with lights, racks and fenders and began using his own bike for his commute.

Walsh made the video below of his commute ride, which takes him by the Capitol, down the Pennsylvania Avenue bike lanes and past the FBI building and the White House. When combined with bike lanes and other bicycle facilities, bike-share can be a great way to turn people on to the idea of bicycle transportation.