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YMCA Arlington

Partner Spotlight

Photo: Bianca PattersonBianca Patterson, Membership Services Rep./Events Coordinator

You're never too old, or too young to embrace a car-free lifestyle. In Bianca Patterson's experience, it started early, as a teenager. Her introduction to living a healthy lifestyle began at age 15, when she walked through the doors of the Arlington YMCA and began volunteering as a Counselor in Training.

Little did she know that this would be the beginning of a future career with the YMCA. Patterson cheerfully recalls the various jobs she has held over the past eight years at this popular YMCA. "After I volunteered they put me on the payroll," she recalled. "I've worked in Child Care, Birthday Parties, 'Before and After School Care,' as a Summer Camp Counselor and a Summer Camp Director."

Patterson also teaches CPR, is a YMCA trainer and has been promoted several times, which leads to her current position as Membership Services Representative/Events Coordinator.

Since recently signing on as a Car-Free Diet partner, Patterson is looking forward to building relationships and networking with other partners who have a similar mission: to build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.

"We just became a partner last week. It made sense. If you think about it, a Car-Free Diet goes along with what we stand for here at the YMCA, which is for youth development, healthy living and social responsibility."

Patterson was introduced to the Car-Free Diet when she spotted brochures and flyers in various Arlington County schools the YMCA interacts with for their youth programs.

Even though the YMCA wasn't an "official" partner at the time, she felt they were already partners in spirit. "We already participate in Bike to Work Day," she noted, and, "a lot of our members walk and take Metro." She has her walk from the Metro Station timed to between five and eight minutes.

YMCA Arlington logoPatterson is looking forward to learning about fresh ideas and sharing tips with Car-Free Diet partners on what they are doing to promote a car-free lifestyle. She referenced the June CFD Connector article, "It's a Rack-It," about making your business a bike-friendly destination. "That's valuable information and we need to check into getting more bike racks here," she said.

As the December holidays wind down, business at the YMCA ramps up in January due to the New Year's resolution surge. In the upcoming year, she's looking forward to working together with other Car-Free Diet partners and encourages any young professionals interested in volunteering to contact her. The YMCA has their Mini Health Day and Fair scheduled for April 16, 2012, and there are many volunteer opportunities like mentoring and coaching as well as a Senior Sneaker program.

YMCA Arlington
3422 13th Street N.
Arlington, Virginia 22201
Office: (703) 525-5420
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Arlington’s Bicycle & Pedestrian Counters

Bikes counted

View Counter Data
110 Trail
616
14th Street Bridge
1628
Arlington Mill Trail
238
Ballston Connector
0
Bluemont Connector
234
CC Connector
410
Clarendon EB bike lane
218
Custis Bon Air Park
590
Custis Rosslyn
893
Eads NB
87
Eads SB
111
Fairfax EB bike lane
112
Fairfax WB
118
Joyce St NB
40
Joyce St SB
0
Key Bridge East
918
Key Bridge West
648
Military NB bike lane
19
Military SB bike lane
38
MVT Airport South
1185
Quincy NB bike lane
103
Quincy SB bike lane
108
Roosevelt Bridge
355
Rosslyn Bikeometer
838
TR Island Bridge
729
WOD Bon Air Park
0
WOD Bon Air West
845
WOD Columbia Pike
584
Wilson WB bike lane
185

Peds counted

View Counter Data
110 Trail
730
14th Street Bridge
379
Arlington Mill Trail
721
Ballston Connector
0
Bluemont Connector
1243
CC Connector
480
Custis Bon Air Park
633
Custis Rosslyn
692
Eads NB
0
Eads SB
0
Fairfax WB
0
Joyce St NB
50
Joyce St SB
0
Key Bridge East
1984
Key Bridge West
656
MVT Airport South
358
Roosevelt Bridge
146
TR Island Bridge
1033
WOD Bon Air Park
0
WOD Bon Air West
819
WOD Columbia Pike
601

All counters, YTD

View Counter Data
Year to Date
1491864