PRMS Celebrates Bike to Work Day Every Day

Once a year, Washington DC-area cyclists take part in the annual Bike to Work Day. As an avid cyclist, I look forward to this day with great anticipation as there are pit stops, fun, music and bikes everywhere. I have volunteered at this event for several years to help spread the joy of cycling and to help answer questions for those who just started or are thinking about commuting by bike. That is because for over 10 years, I have commuted by bike to the PRMS office in Arlington, Virginia. We are truly lucky in this area as we have great trails, bike lanes and infrastructure that lead directly to our office.

I typically commute on my bike year-round and enjoy the challenge when it is raining or temperatures are below freezing. (Which still amazes some of my colleagues when I come in dripping wet or wrapped up with layers like a mummy.) With traffic and crowded mass-transit as the main options to and from work, I find my alternate transportation choice to be cathartic and a way to clear my head. I often run into people that I know in the bike community on my rides, stop into stores, or take the long way home through peaceful neighborhoods and watch the seasons change. Best of all, I can sneak in some exercise into my day without having to go to the gym.

This year, my colleagues Jenna Quinn, Austin Main, and Max Ahmadi also participated in Bike to Work Day. Jenna was inspired by the event to make it her first commute by bike ever. Austin began occasionally bike commuting a few years ago, using the DC-area bikeshare system. He enjoyed his bike commute so much that he and his wife both purchased bikes so that they could occasionally ride to work together. Meanwhile, Max mixes up his 20-mile round-trip bike commute some days by driving in and riding home…and vice-versa. In the halls, you can often hear us talking about our bikes, equipment and where we rode over the weekend or after work.

From left to right: Max Ahmadi, Jenna Quinn, Austin Main and Megan Jones.

After work, I am deeply involved in the cycling community including sitting on the Arlington County Bicycle Advisory Committee as Vice Chair, racing on the all-women’s cycling team Team Sticky Fingers, and participating in and raising funds for the Washington Area Bicyclist Association’s Women & Bicycles Program.  I deeply believe that getting more people on bikes will help improve city infrastructure, improve the overall environment and community mental wellness.

I enjoy being the unofficial Bike Ambassador for PRMS and am happy that I have been able to inspire others to get on their bikes. Later this year, PRMS will also be putting together a team to support the Break the Cycle of Children’s Mental Illness fundraiser. We plan to join the ride in the last leg of the event into Washington, DC and look forward to our official launching the PRMS team very soon.

Megan Jones is Head of Strategic Sales and Analytics and joined PRMS in 1997.